Discovery of Witches Part 18

_The Confession of_ ALIZON DEVICE, _Prisoner at the Barre: published and declared at time of her Arraignement and Triall in open Court._

She saith, That about two yeares agone, her Grand-mother, called _Elizabeth Sothernes_, alias _Dembdike_, did (sundry times in going or walking together, as they went begging) perswade and aduise this Examinate to let a Diuell or a Familiar appeare to her, and that shee, this Examinate would let him suck at some part of her; and she might haue and doe what shee would. And so not long after these perswasions, this Examinate being walking towards the Rough-Lee, in a Close of one _Iohn Robinsons_, there appeared vnto her a thing like vnto a Blacke Dogge: speaking vnto her, this Examinate, and desiring her to giue him her Soule, and he would giue her power to doe any thing shee would: whereupon this Examinate being therewithall inticed, and setting her downe; the said Blacke-Dogge did with his mouth (as this Examinate then thought) sucke at her breast, a little below her Paps, which place did remain blew halfe a yeare next after: which said Blacke-Dogge did not appeare to this Examinate, vntill the eighteenth day of March last: at which time this Examinate met with a Pedler on the high-way, called Colne-field, neere vnto Colne: and this Examinate demanded of the said Pedler to buy some pinnes of him; but the said Pedler st.u.r.dily answered this Examinate that he would not loose his Packe; and so this Examinate parting with him: presently there appeared to this Examinate the Blacke-Dogge, which appeared vnto her as before: which Black Dogge spake vnto this Examinate in English, saying; What wouldst thou haue me to do vnto yonder man? to whom this Examinate said, What canst thou do at him? and the Dogge answered againe, I can lame him: whereupon this Examinat answered, and said to the said Black Dogge, Lame him: and before the Pedler was gone fortie Roddes further, he fell downe Lame: and this Examinate then went after the said Pedler; and in a house about the distance aforesaid, he was lying Lame: and so this Examinate went begging in Trawden Forrest that day, and came home at night: and about fiue daies next after, the said Black-Dogge did appeare to this Examinate, as she was going a begging, in a Cloase neere the New-Church in Pendle, and spake againe to her, saying; Stay and speake with me; but this Examinate would not: Sithence which time this Examinat neuer saw him.

_Which agreeth_ verbatim _with her owne Examination taken at_ Reade, _in the Countie of Lancaster, the thirtieth day of March, before Master_ Nowel, _when she was apprehended and taken._

My Lord _Bromley_, and all the whole Court not a little wondering, as they had good cause, at this liberall and voluntarie confession of the Witch; which is not ordinary with people of their condition and qualitie: and beholding also the poore distressed Pedler, standing by, commanded him vpon his oath to declare the manner how, and in what sort he was handled; how he came to be lame, and so to be deformed; who deposed vpon his oath, as followeth.

_The Euidence of_ IOHN LAW, _Pettie Chapman, vpon his Oath:_

Against

ALIZON DEVICE, _Prisoner at the Barre._

He deposeth and saith, That about the eighteenth of March last past, hee being a Pedler, went with his Packe of wares at his backe thorow Colne-field: where vnluckily he met with _Alizon Deuice_, now Prisoner at the Barre, who was very earnest with him for pinnes, but he would giue her none: whereupon she seemed to be very angry; and when hee was past her, hee fell downe lame in great extremitie; and afterwards by meanes got into an Ale-house in Colne, neere vnto the place where hee was first bewitched: and as hee lay there in great paine, not able to stirre either hand or foote; he saw a great Black-Dogge stand by him, with very fearefull firie eyes, great teeth, and a terrible countenance, looking him in the face; whereat he was very sore afraid: and immediately after came in the said _Alizon Deuice_, who staid not long there, but looked on him, and went away.

After which time hee was tormented both day and night with the said _Alizon Deuice_; and so continued lame, not able to trauell or take paines euer since that time: which with weeping teares in great pa.s.sion turned to the Prisoner; in the hearing of all the Court hee said to her, _This thou knowest to be too true_: and thereupon she humblie acknowledged the same, and cried out to G.o.d to forgiue her; and vpon her knees with weeping teares, humbly prayed him to forgiue her that wicked offence; which he very freely and voluntarily did.

Hereupon Master _Nowel_ standing vp, humbly prayed the fauour of the Court, in respect this Fact of Witchcraft was more eminent and apparant than the rest, that for the better satisfaction of the Audience, the Examination of _Abraham Law_ might be read in Court.

_The Examination of_ ABRAHAM LAW, _of Hallifax, in the Countie of Yorke, Cloth-dier, taken vpon oath the thirtieth day of March, 1612._

Before

ROGER NOWEL, _Esquire, aforesaid._

Being sworne and examined, saith, That vpon Sat.u.r.day last saue one, being the one and twentieth day of this instant March, he, this Examinate was sent for, by a letter that came from his father, that he should come to his father, _Iohn Law_, who then lay in Colne speechlesse, and had the left-side lamed all saue his eye: and when this Examinate came to his father, his said father had something recouered his speech, and did complaine that hee was p.r.i.c.ked with Kniues, Elsons and Sickles,[S_a_] and that the same hurt was done vnto him at Colne-field, presently after that _Alizon Deuice_ had offered to buy some pinnes of him, and she had no money to pay for them withall; but as this Examinates father told this Examinate, he gaue her some pinnes. And this Examinate further saith, That he heard his said father say, that the hurt he had in his lamenesse was done vnto him by the said _Alizon Deuice_, by Witchcraft. And this Examinate further saith, that hee heard his said Father further say, that the said _Alizon Deuice_ did lie vpon him and trouble him. And this Examinate seeing his said Father so tormented with the said _Alizon_ and with one other olde woman, whome this Examinates Father did not know as it seemed: This Examinate made search after the said _Alizon_, and hauing found her, brought her to his said Father yesterday being the nine and twenteth of this instant March: whose said Father in the hearing of this Examinate and diuers others did charge the said _Alizon_ to haue bewitched him, which the said _Alizon_ confessing[S_b_] did aske this Examinates said Father forgiuenesse vpon her knees for the same; whereupon this Examinates Father accordingly did forgiue her. Which Examination in open Court vpon his oath hee iustified to be true.

Whereupon it was there affirmed to the Court that this _Iohn Law_ the Pedler, before his vnfortunate meeting with this Witch, was a verie able sufficient stout man of Bodie, and a goodly man of Stature. But by this Deuillish art of _Witch-craft_ his head is drawne awrie, his Eyes and face deformed, His speech not well to bee vnderstood; his Thighes and Legges starcke lame: his Armes lame especially the left side, his handes lame and turned out of their course, his Bodie able to indure no trauell: and thus remaineth at this present time.

The Prisoner being examined by the Court whether shee could helpe the poore Pedler to his former strength and health, she answered she could not, and so did many of the rest of the Witches: But shee, with others, affirmed, That if old _Dembdike_ had liued, shee could and would haue helped him out of that great miserie, which so long he hath endured for so small an offence, as you haue heard.

These things being thus openly published against her, and she knowing her selfe to be guiltie of euery particular, humbly acknowledged the Indictment against her to be true, and that she was guiltie of the offence therein contained, and that she had iustly deserued death for that and many other such like: whereupon she was carried away, vntill she should come to the Barre to receiue her judgement of death.

Oh, who was present at this lamentable spectacle, that was not moued with pitie to behold it!

Hereupon my Lord _Gerard_, Sir _Richard Houghton_, and others, who much pitied the poore Pedler, At the entreatie of my Lord _Bromley_ the Iudge, promised some present course should be taken for his reliefe and maintenance; being now discharged and sent away.

But here I may not let her pa.s.se; for that I find some thing more vpon Record to charge her withall: for although she were but a young Witch, of a yeares standing, and thereunto induced by _Dembdike_ her Grand-mother, as you haue formerly heard, yet she was spotted with innocent bloud among the rest: for in one part of the Examination of _Iames Deuice_, her brother, he deposeth as followeth, _viz._

_The Examination of_ IAMES DEVICE, _brother to the said_ ALIZON DEVICE: _Taken vpon Oath_

Before

ROGER NOWEL _Esquire, aforesaid, the thirtieth day of March, 1612._

_Iames Deuice_, of the Forrest of Pendle, in the Countie of Lancaster, Labourer, sworne and examined, sayth, That about _Saint Peters_ day last one _Henry Bulc.o.c.k_ came to the house of _Elizabeth Sothernes_, alias _Dembdike_, Grand-mother to this Examinate, and said, That the said _Alizon Deuice_ had bewitched a Child of his, and desired her, that shee would goe with him to his house: which accordingly shee did: and thereupon shee the said _Alizon_ fell downe on her knees, and asked the said _Bulc.o.c.k_ forgiuenesse; and confessed to him, that she had bewitched the said Child, as this Examinate heard his said sister confesse vnto him this Examinate.

And although shee were neuer indicted for this offence, yet being matter vpon Record, I thought it conuenient to joyne it vnto her former Fact.

Here the Iurie of Life and Death hauing spent the most part of the day in due consideration of their offences, returned into the Court to deliuer up their Verdict against them, as followeth.

_The Verdict of Life and Death._

Who vpon their Oathes found _Iohn Bulc.o.c.k_ and _Iane Bulc.o.c.k_ his mother, not guiltie of the Felonie by Witch-craft, contained in the Indictment against them.

_Alizon Deuice_ conuicted vpon her owne Confession.

Whereupon Master _Couel_ was commaunded by the Court to take away the Prisoners conuicted, and to bring forth _Margaret Pearson_,[S3_b_] and _Isabell Robey_, Prisoners in the Castle at Lancaster, to receiue their Triall.

Who were brought to their Arraignement and Trialls, as hereafter followeth, _viz._

[Ill.u.s.tration: decoration]

THE ARRAIGNMENT _and Triall of_ MARGARET PEARSON _of Paddiham, in the Countie of Lancaster, for Witchcraft; the nineteenth of August, 1612. at the a.s.sises and Generall Gaole-deliuerie, holden at Lancaster_,

Before

_Sir_ EDWARD BROMLEY _Knight, one of his Maiesties Iustices of a.s.sise at Lancaster._

_Margaret Pearson._

Thus farre haue I proceeded in hope your patience will endure the end of this discourse, which craues time, and were better not begunne at all, then not perfected.

This _Margaret Pearson_ was the wife of _Edward Pearson_ of Paddiham, in the Countie of Lancaster; little inferiour in her wicked and malicious course of life to any that hath gone before her: A very dangerous Witch of long continuance, generally suspected and feared in all parts of the Countrie, and of all good people neare her, and not without great cause: For whosoeuer gaue her any iust occasion of offence, shee tormented with great miserie, or cut off their children, goods, or friends.

This wicked and vnG.o.dly Witch reuenged her furie vpon goods, so that euery one neare her sustained great losse. I place her in the end of these notorious Witches, by reason her iudgement is of an other Nature, according to her offence; yet had not the fauour and mercie of the Iurie beene more than her desert, you had found her next to old _Dembdike_; for this is the third time shee is come to receiue her Triall; one time for murder by Witch-craft; an other time for bewitching a Neighbour; now for goods.

How long shee hath been a Witch, the Deuill and shee knows best.

The Accusations, Depositions, and particular Examinations vpon Record against her are infinite, and were able to fill a large Volume; But since shee is now only to receiue her Triall for this last offence. I shall proceede against her in order, and set forth what matter we haue vpon Record, to charge her withall.

This _Margaret Pearson_, Prisoner in the Castle at Lancaster: Being brought to the Barre before the great Seat of Iustice; was there according to the course and order of the Law Indicted and Arraigned, for that shee had practised, exercised, and vsed her diuellish and wicked Arts, called _Witchcrafts_, _Inchantments_, _Charmes_ and _Sorceries_, and one Mare of the goods and Chattels of one _Dodgeson_ of Padiham, in the Countie of Lancaster, wickedly, maliciously, and voluntarily did kill. _Contra formam Statuti, &c. Et Contra pacem dicti Domini Regis. &c._

Vpon her Arraignement to this Indictment, shee pleaded not guiltie; And for the triall of her offence put her selfe vpon G.o.d and her Countrie.

So as now the Gentlemen of the Iurie of her offence and death, stand charged with her as with others.