Robert Calef - The Witchcraft Delusion in New England - Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol 3 of 3)

YOU are in their Majesties Names hereby required to convey the above-named to the Goal at Salem. Fail not.

The occasion of Bishops being cry'd out of, was he being at an Examination in Salem , when at the Inn an afflicted Indian was very unruly, whom he undertook, and so managed him, that he was very orderly, after which in riding home, in company of him and other Accusers, the Indian fell into a fit, and clapping hold with his Teeth on the back of the Man that rode before him, thereby held himself upon the Horse, but said, Bishop striking him with his stick, the Indian soon recovered, and promised he would do so no more; to which Bishop replied, that he doubted not, but he could cure them all, with more to the same effect; immediately after he was parted from them, he was cried out of, &c.

May 14, 1692. Sir William Phips arrived with Commission from their Majesties to be Governor, pursuant to the New Charter; which he now brought with him; the Ancient Charter having been vacated by King Charles , and King James (by which they had a power not only to make their own Laws; but also to chuse their own Governor and Officers;) and the Countrey for some years was put under an absolute Commission-Government, till the Revolution, at which time, tho more than two thirds of the People were for reassuming their ancient Government, (to which they had encouragement by his then Royal Highness's Proclamation) yet some that might have been better imployed 18 18 Dr. Mather affirms that "the Old Government was Reassumed , and the Old Charter too was Reassumed , as far as it was possible to be done; Every thing in the World was done, but only declaring that the Judgment passed in the King's Court of Chancery (however it might be thought a Grievance) did the Charter no Damage ; which if some were wiser then to say, who can help it? Well, did I oppose this Reassumption ! They that were acquainted with me, I am sure, did not think so; and they that sent their Tory Pamphlets about the Countrey against me, as an Impudent Youth [then aged 26] for my assisting the Reassumed Government , I am sure did not think so. Let the things Published for the supporting of the Reassumed Government; and particularly the very first Passage in the First Sermon , at the Anniversary Election , which the Deputies of the General-Court called me to Preach and Print , (which by the way, would they have done, if the Young Man had been such an one as this Man would render him?) be my Everlasting Apology; and let Calves never Bleat, nor Bulls (of Bashan ) Roar against me, on that Point any more." — Remarks upon a Scandalous Book , &c., Pages 46-7. The "Passage" he refers to in his Election Sermon is too long to be extracted here. (in another Station) made it their business (by printing, as well as speaking) to their utmost to divert them from such a settlement; and so far prevailed, that for about seven Weeks after the Revolution, here was not so much as a face of any Government; but some few Men upon their own Nomination would be called a Committee of Safety; but at length the Assembly prevailed with those that had been of the Government, to promise that they would reassume; and accordingly a Proclamation was drawn, but before publishing it, it was underwritten, that they would not have it understood that they did reassume Charter-Government; so that between Government and no Government, this Countrey remained till Sir William arrived: Agents being in this time impowered in England , which no doubt did not all of them act according to the Minds or Interests of those that impowered them, which is manifest by their not acting jointly in what was done; so that this place is perhaps a single Instance (even in the best of Reigns) of a Charter not restored after so happy a Revolution. 19 19 Our Author is not the only one who thought Dr. I. Mather had some selfish Ends to answer in his Management of Affairs in England. See Quincy, Hist. H. Col. , i, 60. But Quincy is entirely too one-sided, ardent and dogmatical to be implicitly relied upon.

This settlement by Sir William Phips his being come Governour put an end to all disputes of these things, 20 20 That is the Disputes respecting the Form of Government. and being arrived, and having read his Commission, the first thing he exerted his Power in, was said to be his giving Orders that Irons should be put upon those in Prison; for tho for sometime after these were Committed, the Accusers ceased to cry out of them; yet now the cry against them was renewed, which occasioned such Order; and tho there was partiality in the executing it (some having taken them off almost as soon as put on) yet the cry of these Accusers against such ceased after this Order. 21 21 It appears that some Irons had been prepared before the Arrival of Gov. Phips, though he may have ordered a further Supply, as Prisoners greatly increased about that Time. Mr. Felt, the Annalist of Salem, furnished Mr. J. W. Hanson with a Copy of an Account of the Prison-keeper (John Arnold), of Boston, for various Items used in the Prison. Said Account begins about the 7th of March, 1691-2. On "May 9th, To Chains for Sarah Good and Sarah Osborn, 14 s. May 23d, To Shackles for 10 Prisoners. May 29th, to 1 pr. Irons for Mary Cox," &c. See Hist. Danvers , 290. For other Items of this Sort, see Records of S. W. , ii, 212, et seq.

May 24. Mrs. Cary of Charlestown , was Examined and Committed. Her Husband Mr. Nathaniel Cary has given account thereof, as also of her Escape, to this Effect,

I having heard some days, that my Wife was accused of Witchcraft, being much disturbed at it, by advice, we went to Salem-Village, to see if the a flicted knew her; we arrived there, 24. May, it happened to be a day appointed for Examination; accordingly soon after our arrival, Mr. Hathorn and Mr. Curwin, &c. went to the Meeting-house, which was the place appointed for that Work, the Minister began with Prayer, and having taken care to get a convenient place, I observed, that the afflicted were two Girls of about Ten Tears old, and about two or three other, of about eighteen, one of the girls talked most, and could discern more than the rest. The Prisoners were called in one by one, and as they came in were cried out of, &c. The Prisoner was placed about 7 or 8 foot from the Justices, and the Accusers between the Justices and them; the Prisoner was ordered to stand right before the Justices, with an Officer appointed to hold each hand, least they should therewith afflict them, and the Prisoner's Eyes must be constantly on the Justices; for if they look'd on the afflicted, they would either fall into their Fits, or cry out of being hurt by them; after Examination of the Prisoners, who it was afflicted these Girls, &c. they were put upon saying the Lord's Prayer, as a tryal of their guilt; after the afflicted seem'd to be out of their Fits, they would look steadfastly on some one person, and frequently not speak; and then the Justices said they were struck dumb, and after a little time would speak again; then the Justices said to the Accusers, which of you will go and touch the Prisoner at the Bar? then the most courageous would adventure, but before they had made three steps would ordinarily fall down as in a Fit; the Justices ordered that they should be taken up and carried to the Prisoner, that she might touch them; and as soon as they were touched by the accused, the Justices would say, they are well, before I could discern any alteration; by which I observed that the Justices understood the manner of it. Thus far I was only as a Spectator, my Wife also was there part of the time, but no notice taken of her by the afflicted, except once or twice they came to her and asked her name.