Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1839-05-07
"reminiscences Of Bygonc Times.
From the Ntm York Mirror.
NEW-ENGLAND WITCHCRAFT.
BY joins NEAL.
CRATER THE FIRST.

CHAPTER THE FIRST.
There are plenty Of witches in New England TO
this day-take my word for il. ! have seen at
least a dozea or two within the last quarter Of q
century; and i'll might, ] could tell you such
things ,--"whit they are | know not"--as Lear
says and therefore, instead Of long story about
New England witches, with red lips and staring
eyes, and hearts henving at the approach Of their
prey, what i'll try my hand at story of New
England witchcraft-every word Of which is true
The carly history Of New England, or of Massa.
chusetts Bay rather, abounds with proofthat witch
es and wichcrah were familiar things believed in
without fnch;ng, for great while, in the most
enlightened part Of our whole couptry. This be-
lief, indeed, was very general not hundred years
ago, throughout oil North America. very common
and very active Just before the revolutionary war
broke out and prevails TO this day along the savage
outskirts of New England, as well within the
shifting and shadowy interior Of the western and
southwestern states which are springing up Of
themselves oil along the shore Of the great western
wilderness Of Liquid berbage," where empires I'M
known in bright solitude le.'
1t has never been confined. however, until with
in few years--a very few--to the uneducated
and barbarous, nor to portion of the white set
tiers, nor even to those who had to do with the
tives, part Of whose awful faith it was, that no
white man was permitted to question that witch
craft and sorcery were the offspring of the bad pow.
er they worshpped. 1t wac rooted in the hearts
Of men, who were altogether remarkable in the his
tory Of their age. for wisdom, learning and piety ;
Of men, who fed from their quiet fresides in Eu
rope. to another world. as it were and buried them.
selves alive--in search of truth.
We may smile row, to hear wtchcraft spoken
seriously of but we forget perhaps, that our be-
lief in it, is like our belief in the temperance Of
the dead, among the blue waters, the green graves,
the still starry atmosphere, and the great shadowy
woods of our earth or like the beautiful, deep in
stinct Of our nature for Worship older than the
skies, ii may be, universal thought, and sure as
the stedfast hope ofimmortality. We may turn a.
way with pity now from the deyout believer in
witches, wondering at the folly of those who pre-
tend to put faith in such Matters and quite persus.
ding ourselves, in our great unquestoned wisdom,
taat'all who have done So however they may have
been looked upon by past ages. were never Of the
truly great and wisc--never! But we forget, per-
hsPs--l do not like to say we certainly forget,
though shouldn't DO far from the truth, II did
We forget. perhaps, what VIC told in the book
OF books. the scripture Of truth, about witches with
power TO raise the dead, about wizards and sorce-
rcrs that were able to strive with the auointeo high
priest Of Jehovah before the disbelieving majesty
of Egypt, with all his court and people gathered
about him and of others who could look into fotu-
rity interpret the visions of sleep read the stars
bewiteh and sfiict whom they would, cast out dey-
ills and ProPhesy-Jjalse prophets not because that
which they said was untrue. but because the great
original OF their spirit unsan.ti6ed lying pro-
phets, not because they never told the truth. but
because they were the children of unboly power
the offspring Of The father of lies. And we forget
moreover, that laws were made about conlura,ion
spells and witchcrat by body Of British lawgy-
ere, renowned for ssgacity. deep research, and a
grave, thoughtful regard for truth and this but
few generations go--the other day. as II were
and that multitude Of superior men have recorded
this beiefin magic, witchersft and sorcery. Such
men as the great and good Sir Matthew Hale, at
period when there was no lack Of knowledge, vie.
dom or inquiry and such men. too, as the celebr-
ted Judge. whose commentaries on the laws oil
England. II ~ may believe the men OF the Law
not oiherwise--are the pride OF the British empire
and pillar Of light for the nations and that
been tried and executed by suthorit rof British Law
administered by British lawyers, within the lasl
one hundred and fifty or two hundred years. in The
very heart Of Old England. II these men were moi
sincere, Il they had not asen pains satisfy them
selves, they were msrderefs and blssphemers, and
I they knew il aud were punishable. even hs tbeii
victims we're. BY death.
We may smiIe--we may torn away with pity
bot could such things have occurred. either IN The
British Parliament. OF 10 the British courts OF ltw
~ith0u. some prooi-ssnf. whatever II wss-Pro0