Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1839-05-07

tnht CftutNEtes tnuoNtn WIN etfohT, " moi Win
prcternaiaral power did inhsht our Garth, end
were able TO work mischief. according to the pop
ulsr notions Of gi,cheraft aud sorcery. We know
little or nothing Of he fac,s upon which their be-
lief was founded. All that VIC know 10 but hear
say or tradition. They were eyewitness and
ear. witnesses. They knew all that VIC know OF
tho matter. and thousand times more. We arc
not only ignorant Of the facts and circumstances.
but We are living aiar oifin remote age. Mover
thelcss, they were peiseress ~ wi,rherah who
we have language whercwi,h TO express our
pity aud contempt for all who speak sensbIy Of IL,
or venture TO regard il as possible thing. How
dare we! VIVA, rgh, have we to say that witch
aud witcheral are no more. tina, sorecry 10 done
with forever, that miracles to DO wrought
sgain, or that prophcsy!sha never more DO heard
by the people OF God, uplifting her voice like 4
thousand echoes from tho everlasting solitudes Of
the sea, or like uninterrupted thunder perng over
the terrible and naughty nations OF the esrth-till
thrones and palaces. temples and pyramids topplo
down together, headlong TO the.dust and the Pre-.
tcrnntural and the mysterious are merged forever
in The natural and the evident
But, however, VIC may regard such men ns Sir
Matthew Hale Judge Blackstone, and the hcrcdit-
airy legislators Of our lfa,hcr.land, it were quito
impossible for us--New Engsnders we are -
to question the sincerity of the Plymouth settlers
the PiLeRIMs or FATHERS, who laid the founda-
ton Of mighty empire among the perpetual rocks
| of old Plymouth and along the desolate shores Of
New England and Just as impossible would II be
for ony person in his senses, acquainted with their
character and their history TO question their belief
in wi,chc-aft and sorcery for nj one PERIOD sea-
| son Of sore perplcxty for them, and while they
were yet wrestling for a foo,hold among tho rocks
and shores Of the new world, about four hundred
Of their industrious population were actual mpris-
oned for wi,chcrnh, or under accusation for mat
tiers, which were looked upon fatal evidence of
| Wilcbcralt! BY referring to the records Of that
| age, il will be found, tina, in the course Of about
fifteen mouths. While The Fathers Of New England
were bcset on every side by the savages and The
French, no less than twenty eight persons received
sentence Of death. Of which number ninefeex soeye
erecufed, one died in jail. and was deliberately
crushed TO notwithstanding TO the British law, be-
cause being brave and powerful man, be would
| not plend to so preposterous charge bsfore tho
twelve who had found every accused person guilty.
Some few escaped. one hundred and fly wsre
discharged. when the frghtfui superstition Of the
day was over and about two hundred moro Of the
accused were not proceeded against. OF these,
about fy made confession Of their grill and at tho
trial ola woman held in great awe by the settlers,
three Of her own children declared themselves To
be witches. and gave particular account of their
voyages through the air. and over sea, night ailcr
| uB anu Vi inc MISCHIEF tncy uuu peFpetTotcQ
by the direction, advice and authority Of their moth
er, to whom, they said, the devil had promised. be-
fore whole congregation Of witches, at one Of
their ehurchyard gatherings, that shc should DO
queen of hell.
The following narrative, which relates 10 q Pc
ROO when the popular fury was raging with ire.
sstaoe strength cannot be well understood with
out brefausion 10 earlier parts Of the New Eng
land history; nor, perhaps, without q general nc.
count, very short 1t must be, Of the breaking
out and growth Of witchcrait in tho new world.
The PnGaIm FATHERS, Us they called,
vent ashore partly Of Their own accord-psrly
from necessity, for thor Destination sas further
south, at Plymouth, Masesch useiis bay. 10 tho
winter Of 1920. They fed from Europe to avoid
persecution for now religious belief; snd yet.
within q few years uiler, they fouLd themselves
established 10 eompsrstiyc security aud the rights
Of conscience respected, they cell upon tha Qua
kers, aud scourged and bsnisbed them, or put them
to death, because OF their new religious belief, and
because they yenturod insist upon tho rights Of
conscience. The loskcrs died in their faith, proph
esying heavy sorrow, indispensable wo, and nigh
~ series Of strange bot Affections 10 the land.
Within short time aficr ihs--so short time.
that il remembered and spoken Of ss q judg.
ment. after the dreadful paroxysm had gone offs
woman. who had pursued female preacher on her
way to prison. with insult and outrage, wss taken
up for witch. accused by intimate friends Of hsv-
ing TO do with the Prince Of Darkness, and put 10
deatb-so says irsdition--ppon the very spot wheso
she stood still Tor time TO scoif al tho poor Qua
ker woman who held on her meek and quiet way
without word Of Teproach or compisint--hsr
withered hands locked upon her bosom-her bead
not bowed in her unspeaksble distress. but lined
as IL 10 prayer to something visible, at one limo in
her path The green iuf. at another, sfar OF In
the blue bright sr--but visible 10 herself alone
There live those now sad writer Of the pex sgs
who are persuaded that she saw spirit on her wsy
TO the jaiI-which was the way 10 the grave.
Soon after, and within less than nine years from
the frat arrival Of The QasLers II Massachusetts
Bay, another female was executed for witchefah,
and other stories began to be whispered about ola
similar nature. 10 prove that sbe also bad besn
prophesied iato the grave, beng ose Of sootber
party, ~bo had gone oss u their gay 10 soon 81 IN
afflicted womsn about perish for the truth cake.
From ths period, tIG65.) there was no other trial
for wilcheraf within the borders Of Now Epglsn1s