Baxter, in his ‘Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits,’ etc. (London, 1691), gives what he considers an indisputably authentic case of witchcraft, as follows:

‘But the certaintest and fullest Instance of Witchcraft that ever I knew, I shall here give you in the words of others: Only adding that about twenty years ago, at the time it was doing, my worthy and dear Friend, Mr. George Hopkins, the then Faithful Minister of the Gospel at Evesham, told it me himself, and told me of their Care and Watchfulness, to see that there were no Fraud committed in it. And the Witch was hanged at Worcester, and the Woman herself is yet living in Evesham, and the thing never there doubted of: But, having occasion lately to instance the fact against some Unbelievers, I sent to Evesham, to a Godly, Credible Friend to send me word, whether any doubt had, in these years past, risen concerning it, and to send me some of the Flint Stones which were voided by the Girl; who sent me word, that there were no doubt of the thing, and procured the now Minister of the Place to write me the Narrative which I here subjoin. And he sent me One stone, about the breadth of a small Groat, and the thickness of a Half-crown, which, he said, was all that is there kept of them, taken by the Major’s Wife her self, and kept by her, and, therefore, I must send it back again: Many had sent for the Stones, and so many troubled the House about them, that they threw away, or buried the rest: And Mr. Boyle told me that the Earl of South Hampton, Lord Treasurer, for his Satisfaction, had got a great number of them. I carried this about me, a quarter of a year, and then sent it home. But that which I chiefly inform the Reader of, is, that the thing was so long in doing, and so Famous, and so many Pious, Understanding Persons minded it, that suspition of Fraud was by their Diligence avoided.

‘The Narrative as lately sent me from most Credible Persons in Evesham, is as followeth:

‘About the Month of April 1652 Mary, the daughter of Edward Ellins, of the Burrough of Evesham, in the County of Worcester, Gardner, then about nine or ten years old, went in the fields on a Saturday, with some other Children, to gather Cowslips, and, finding in a Ditch by the way-side, at the said Town’s end, one Catherine Huxley, a single Woman, aged then about forty years, the Children called her Witch, and took up stones to throw at her, the said Mary also called her Witch, and took up a stone, but was so affrighted that she could not throw it at her; then they all run away from her, and the said Mary being hindmost, this Huxley said to her (Ellins you Shall have enough stones in you.) Whereupon Mary fell that day very ill, and continued so weak and Languishing that her Friends feared she would not recover; but, about a Month after, she began to void stones by the urinary passages, and some little urine came away from her; also, when she voided any stone, the stone she voided was heard by those that were by her, to drop into the Pot or Basin; and she had most grievous pains in her Back and Reins, like the pricking of Pins. The number of the stones she voided was about eighty, some plain pebbles, some plain flints, some very small, and some about an ounce weight. This she did for some space, (a month or two, or there abouts) until, upon some strong suspitions of Witchcraft, the forenamed Huxley was Apprehended, Examined and Searched, (at whose Bed’s Head there was found several Stones such as the said Mary Voided) and was sent to Worcester, where, at the Summer Assizes in the said year 1652 (then at hand) she was, at the Prosecution of the Friends of the said Mary, Condemned and Executed: upon whose Apprehension and Commitment, Mary ceased to void any more stones; but, for a while, voided much blackish and muddy Sand, and also, in short time, perfectly recovered, and is yet living in the Town, in good and honest Repute, and hath been many years Marryed, and hath had seven Children; but never voided any stones since, nor been troubled with the pain fore mentioned. Abundance of people yet living, know the Substance of this to be true, and her Mother in Law (since dead) kept the stones till she was tired with the frequent Resort of people to see them, and the said Mary, and to hear the Relation of the matter, and beg the stones; (for though many offered Money for them, yet she always refused it, nor did they ever take any, but it cost them much upon the Girl, and the Prosecution of the said Huxley) and then she buried them in her Garden. Edward Ellins, the Father of the said Mary, is also yet living, and a Man of honest Repute, and utterly free (as is also the said Mary, and all the rest of her Friends) from the least Suspition of any Fraud or Cheat in the whole business: This was known to hundreds of People in the said Town, and parts Adjacent, and many of them, yet living, are ready to attest to the truth of it.’

In the case of Anne Bodenham,[50] which is too long and intricate to give even a rÉsumÉ of, we have some entirely new features, partaking more of the magician than the witch. She lived at Fisherton-Auger, Wilts, was a married woman, and at the time of her malpractices kept a small elementary school. She was considered a ‘cunning,’ or ‘wise,’ woman, and was resorted to by the people round about, for consultation as to the recovery of lost or stolen property, and, according to this pamphlet, her doings were marvellous. The first case records a woman going to consult her as to the loss of some gold money.

‘The Witch put on her Spectacles, and, demanding seven shillings of the Maid, which she received, she opened three Books, in which there seemed to be severall pictures, and amongst the rest, the picture of the Devill, to the Maid’s appearance, with his Cloven feet and Claws; after the Witch had looked over the book, she brought a round green glass, which glass she layd down on one of the books, upon some picture therein, and rubbed the glass, and then took up the book with the glass upon it, and held it up against the Sun, and bid the Maid come and see who they were that she could shew in that glass, and the Maid, looking in the glass, saw the shape of many persons, and what they were doing of in her Master’s house, in particular, shewed Mistriss Elizabeth Rosewel standing in her Mistriss Chamber, looking out of the Window with her hands in her sleeves, and another walking alone in her Master’s Garden, one other standing in a room within the kitchen, one other standing in a matted room of her Masters, against the window, with her Apron in her hand, and shewed others drinking, with glasses of Beer in their hands. After the Witches shewing this to the Maid, she then bad her go home; which, when she came home, she asked the people (she so saw in the Witches glass) what they had been doing while she had been wanting, and by their answers to her, she found that they had been doing what she saw they were in the glass: and the Maid relating this to Elizabeth Rousewel, she replyed, that Mistriss Boddenham (meaning the said Witch) was either a Witch, or a woman of God.’

She was also able to raise devils, and had several at her command, Beelzebub, Tormentor, Satan, and Lucifer, and one scene with them is thus described: ‘And, presently, the back Door of the house flying open, there came five spirits, as the Maid supposed, in the likeness of ragged Boys, some bigger than others, and ran about the house, where she had drawn the Staff, and the Witch threw down upon the ground Crumbs of Bread, which the Spirits picked up, and leapt over the Pan of Coals oftentimes, which she set in the middest of the circle, and a Dog and a Cat of the Witches danced with them; and, after some time, the Witch looked again in her book, and threw some great white seeds on the ground, which the said Spirits picked up, and so, in a short time, the wind was layd, and the Witch, going forth at her back Door, the Spirits vanished.’

But she also dabbled in poisoning: ‘And in a short time after, Mistress Rosewel sent her again to the Witch, to know of her when the day should be, that Mistris Goddard should be poysoned, and delivered her eight shillings to give the Witch; so the Maid went again to the Witch accordingly, and gave her the eight shillings, and the Witch replyed she could not tell her then, but gave the Maid one shilling, and bid her go to an Apothecary, and buy some white Arsenick, and bring it to her to prevent it, which the Maid did, and carried it to the Witch, who said to her she would take it and burn it, to prevent the poysoning, but she burnt it not, as the Maid could see, at all....

‘The next day following, the Maid was sent again to the Witch, to get some example shewen upon the Gentlewoman that should procure the poyson, upon which the Maid went again to the Witch, and told her for what she was sent. Then the Witch made a Circle, as formerly, and set her pan of Coles, as formerly, and burnt something that stank extremely, and took her book and Glass, as before is related, and said Beelzebub, Tormentor, Lucifer, and Satan, appear! And then appeared five Spirits as she conceived, in the shapes of little ragged Boyes, which the Witch commanded to appear, and go along with the Maid to a meadow at Wilton, which the Witch shewed in the Glass, and there to gather Vervine and Dill, and, forthwith, the ragged Boys ran away before the Maid, and she followed them to the said meadow; and, when they came thither the ragged Boys looked about for the Herbs, and removed the Snow in two or three places, before they could find any; and, at last, they found some, and brought it away with them, and then the Maid and the Boys returned back to the Witch, and found her in the Circle paring her Nayls, and then she took the said Herbs, and dryed the same, and made powder of some, and dried the leaves of other, and threw Bread to the Boys, and they eat and danced as formerly; and then the Witch, reading in a book, they vanished away. And the Witch gave the Maid in one paper the powder, in another the leaves, and in the third, the paring of the Nayls; all which the Maid was to give to her Mistress. The powder was to put in the young Gentlewomens Mistriss Sarah and Mistriss Ann Goddard’s drink or broth, to rot their Guts in their Bellies; the leaves to rub about the rims of the Pot, to make their Teeth fall out of their Heads; and the parings of the Nayls to make them mad and drunk. And the Witch likewise told the Maid, that she must tell her Mistriss, and the rest, that, when they did give it to them, they must cross their Breasts, and then say, In the name of our Lord Jesu Christ, grant that this may be, and that they must say the Creed backward and forward.’

The death of this wicked woman was worthy of her life: ‘Afterwards, she fell into a rage, and wished for a Knife: she said she would run it into her heart-blood. Being replyed unto by some, Oh M^ris Boddenham, you would not offer to doe such wickednesse? would you? She swore by the Name of God, but she would, had she but a Knife. She then went forth to the place of her Execution, where a numerous company were spectators; and, as she went along towards the gallows, by every house she went by, she went with a small piece of silver in her hand, calling for Beer, and was very passionate when denyed. One of the men that guarded her on the way, told her that Mr. Sheriff would not let her be buryed under the gallows, upon which she railed at the man extremely that told her so, and said she would be buryed there. When she came to the place of execution, she went immediately to goe up the Ladder, but she was pulled back again and restrained: I then pressed her to confesse what she promised me she would, now before she dyed, but she refused to say anything. Being asked whether she desired the prayers of any of the people, she answered, she had as many prayers already, as she intended or desired to have, but cursed those that detained her from her death, and was importunate to goe up the Ladder, but was restrained for a while, to see whether she would confesse any thing, but she would not. They then let her goe up the Ladder, and when the rope was about her neck, she went to turn herself off, but the Executioner stayed her, and desired her to forgive him: she replyed. Forgive thee? a pox on thee, turn me off: which were the last words she spake. She was never heard, all the while she was at the place of Execution, to pray one word, or desire any others to pray for her, but the contrary.’

‘Julian Cox, aged 70 years, was indicted at Taunton in Somersetshire, about summer assizes, 1663, before Judge Archer, then judge of assize there, for witchcraft.[51]

‘For the proof of the first particular. The first witness was a huntsman, who swore that he went out with a pack of hounds to hunt a hare, and not far off from Julian Cox’s house, he, at last, started a hare. The Dogs hunted her very close, and the third ring hunted her in view, till, at last, the huntsman, perceiving the hare almost spent, and making towards a great bush, he ran on the other side of the bush to take her up, and preserve her from the dogs; but, as soon as he laid hands on her, it proved to be Julian Cox, who had her head grovelling on the ground. He, knowing her, was affrighted, so that the hair on his head stood on end, and he spake to her, and asked her what brought her there? But she was so far out of breath that she could not make him any answer: his dogs also came up, with full cry, to recover the game, and smelt at her, and so left off hunting any farther. And the huntsman, with the dogs, went home presently, sadly affrighted.

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‘Thirdly, Another swore that Julian passed by his yard while his beasts were in milking, and stooping down, scored upon the ground for some small time. During which time his cattle ran mad, and some ran their heads against trees, and some of them died speedily: Whereupon, concluding they were bewitched, he was, after, advised to this experiment, to find out the Witch, viz. to cut off the ears of the bewitched beasts, and burn them; and that the witch would be in misery, and could not rest till they were plucked out. Which he tried; and while they were burning, Julian Cox came into the house, raging and scolding, that they had abused her without a cause; but she went presently to the fire, and took the ears which were burning and then she was quiet.

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‘The prisoner was called for up to the next bar in the court, and demanded if she could say the Lord’s Prayer? She said, she could, and went over the prayer readily till she came to that petition. Then she said And lead us into temptation, or, And lead us not into no temptation, but could not say, And lead us not into temptation, though she was directed to say it after one that repeated it to her, distinctly, but she could not repeat it otherwise than is expressed already; though tried to do it near half a score times in the open Court. After all which the Jury found her guilty, and, judgement having been given, within three or four days, she was executed without any confession of the fact.’

‘Elizabeth Styles, her confession of her Witchcraft January 26 and 30 and Feb. 7, 1664. before Robert Hunt Esqre.[52] She then confessed, That the Devil, about ten years since, appeared to her in the shape of a handsome man, and after, of a black dog. That he promised her money, and that she should live gallantly, and have the pleasure of the world for 12 Years, if she would with her own blood, sign his paper, which was to give her soul to him, and observe his laws, and that he might suck her blood. This, after four solicitations, the examinant promised him to do. Upon which, he pricked the fourth finger of her right Hand, between the middle and upper joint (where the sign, at the Examination, remained) with a drop or two of blood, she signed the paper with an O. Upon this, the Devil gave her Sixpence, and vanished with the paper.

‘That, since, he hath appeared to her in the shape of a man, and did so on Wednesday seven night past: but more usually, he appears in the likeness of a dog, or cat, or a Fly like a Miller; in which last (shape) he usually sucks her on the Poll, about four of the Clock in the morning; and did so Jan. 27, and that it usually is pain to her to be so sucked.‘That when she hath a desire to do harm, she calls the Spirit by the name of Robin; to whom, when he appeareth, she useth these words, O Satan, give me my purpose. She then tells him that he should so appear to her, was part of her contract with him.

‘That about a Month ago, he appearing, she desired him to torment one Elizabeth Hill, and to thrust thorns unto her Flesh, which he promised to do, and the next Time he appeared, he told her he had done it.

‘That a little above a month since, this Examinant, Alice Duke, Ann Bishop, and Mary Penny, met about nine of the clock, in the night, in the common near Trister Gate, where they met a man in black Cloaths, with a little band, to whom they did courtesie and due observance; and the examinant verily believes that this was the Devil. At that time Alice Duke brought a picture in Wax, which was for Elizabeth Hill: The man in black took it in his Arms, anointed it’s Forehead, and said, I baptize thee with this oyl, and used some other words. He was God father, and the examinant and Anne Bishop, God mothers; they called it Elizabeth or Bess. Then the man in black, this examinant, Anne Bishop, and Alice Duke, stuck thorns into several places of the Neck, Hand wrist, Fingers, and other parts of the said picture. After which they had wine, cakes and roast meat, (all brought by the man in black,) which they did eat and drink; they danced and were merry, were bodily there, and their cloaths.

‘... She saith, before they are carried to their meetings, they anoint their foreheads and hand wrists with Oyl the Spirit brings them, (which smells raw) and then they are carried in a very short time; using these words as they pass, Thout, tout a tout, tout, throughout and about; and when they go off from their meetings, they say, Rentum Tormentum.

‘That, at their first meeting the man in black bids them welcome, and they all make low obeysance to him, and he delivers some wax candles, like little torches, which they give back again at parting. When they anoint themselves, they use a long form of words, and when they stick thorns in the picture of any they would torment, they say, A pox on thee, I’ll spite thee.

‘That, at every meeting, before the Spirit vanishes away, he appoints the next meeting, place and time; and at his departure there is a foul smell. At their meeting, they have usually Wine or good beer, cakes, meat or the like; they eat and drink really; when they meet in their bodies, dance also, and have musick. The man in black sits at the hither End, and Anne Bishop usually sat next to him: He useth some words before meat, and none after; his voice is audible, but very low.

‘That they are sometimes carried in their bodies and their clothes, sometimes without, and, as the examinant thinks, only their spirits are present; yet they know one another.... The man in black sometimes plays on a pipe or cittern, and the company dances: at last the Devil vanisheth, and all are carried to their several homes, in a short space. At their parting, they say, Hey boy, merry meet, merry part.’

The story of the trial of Rose Cullender and Amy Duny at Bury St. Edmund’s, before Sir Matthew Hale in 1664, has been often told, but in one particular it differs from other cases of witchcraft.

‘Diana Bocking Sworn and Examined, Deposed. That she lived in the same Town of Leystoff, and that her said Daughter having been formerly Afflicted with swooning fits, recovered well of them, and so continued for a certain time; and, upon the First of February last, she was taken, also, with great pain in her Stomach, like pricking with Pins; and, afterwards, fell into swooning fitts, and so continued till the Deponents coming to the Assizes, having during the same time taken little or no food, but daily vomiting crooked Pins; and, upon Sunday last, raised Seven Pins. And, whilst her fits were upon her, she would spread both her Arms, with her hands open, and use postures as if she catched at something, and would instantly close her hands again; which being immediately forced open, they found several Pins diversely crooked, but could neither see nor perceive how, or in what manner they were conveyed thither. At another time, the same Jane being in another of her fitts, talked as if she were discoursing with some persons in the Room (though she would give no answer, nor seem to take notice of any person then present) and would in like manner cast abroad her Arms, saying, I will not have it, I will not have it; and at last, she said, Then I will have it, and so waving her Arm with her hand open, she would presently close the same; which, instantly forced open, they found in it a Lath-Nail.’

The two witches were executed, neither confessing.