The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-08-08
From, The Palimore FEDERAL Republican.

From, The Roli,niore ftdsrdt hephpeeM.
The records of the trials Of The witches IN Con-
nectlcut, though long lost, have lately come TO
light. This is natural enough, for spseping IS
the operation, which uncoyers lost things. aud
| enables those which are polished to shine our
with their native brightness.
Among others which are notable is the iriai OF
cue woman, against whom the ordinary or human
violence offered, not deemed sufficient by
the court and she was therefore adjudged to
the water-ordeal, or trial by water. 10 eense-
guenc. Ehe was bound hands and feet, and IN TINS
condition thrown into the river. Now, aeoora-
g To the principles OF this mode of trial, # she
sank she was innecent, and II she proved buoy
ant she was guilty. Death was therefore inev>
table as dilemma. If the unfortunate rersoa
accused was innocent, according to the theory
of the trial, she suffered death by drowning, but
IN the other case, she was hung as convicted
witch. After being accordingly bound and
thrown into the WATER il was sworn IN court that
! shs preserved her bsoyancy upon II, and she
was therefore condemned
II is we'll known, that the terror arising from
the imaginary power of witches was at that PEI
Rod universal, in Europe as well as America.
some symptoms of ii appeared IN pennsyifania,
but were temperately suppressed by its patri-
archs. In its primitive settlement, all the yari-
Gus powers vi government were unted aud ex-
| ercised by one council, whose earliest record We
bad soMe years ago. the opportunity of perns'ns.
Among other our.os,t,es, winch attracted us, was
the trial Of AN OF widow, accused OF wltchcraifs
For In the history Of witehcrait IT has been OBJ
served TO be a fact no less curious than uniiormy
verified, that no law or decision has ever intcf-
dicted the practice of wltchery TO the youug>
! although their magic may have occasioned TO the
| unlueky subjects of their spells, AS much pains Of
pining, anguish, despat, slceplossness &c. &c. as
would have Consigned their elders TO cruel and
ignomnous death.
Our curiosity was highly excited 10 anticipate
the close of this trial, so well supported by the
prejudices of the times, but which was in the
hands OF The most intelligent OF a religious socie-
ty, ever distinguished for sound, practical aud
discriminating good sense. The most material
orerf aei PRAYED upon the woman was, that she
had been observed TO bo,ia eaJf's heart. in pot,
over the chimney fire :. 10 give a color to this,
certain strange motions and mutterings over the
pot were also proved, to which was attempted to
be given the gloss of magic Invocation; though
IN fact they must have been nothing more. Juan
the usual symptoms by which age and feensness
make ,hemselvs. known. The decision was,
that though she n,fgi. be a wfcb, az had dot been
prored upon hsr. We observed 40 other trial for
the same imputed offence. The solid sense Ok
the council repealed the superstition aud preju-
dice, and terminated their effects.
Whilst we bear this record IN me r'ory. VIC
cannot avoid travelling out of our subject, to
mention another trial IL contains.--1he pfogeni-
tor of the present respectable family Of the Brad
fords, was one of the earliest settlers, and the
irst printer in Pennsylvania. tie was brought
before this council, charged with the offence OF
having, in an almanac he published, given 10
WILLIAM PENN, the proprietor Of the province,
the addition Of ESQ.
The fact was undeniable and nothing remau-
ed, but the sentence, which was, that he should
expnnge the obnoxious title from all the copies
Of the almanac remaining on land. and that he
should not presume to repeat the offence. lftha
offence was not great, the punishment was moth
ing more than amounted to bearing testimony
against it, as the friends express themselves.