Set forthe to discouer the Ambushementes of Sathan, whereby he would surprise vs lulled in securitie, and hardened with contempte of Gods vengeance threatened for our offences.
To the Reader.
2 Item this Elizabeth Fraunces saieth further, that she knoweth one Elizabeth Lorde awidowe, dwellyng in the same parishe of Hatfielde and so hath doen of longe tyme, of whom she hard, that about seuen or eight yeres paste she brought drinke in a crewse, and gaue it to one Ihon Fraunces seruaunte to goodman Some of the same parishe, shortly after the taking of whiche drinke he sickened, and died.
3 Item she further confesseth that she likewise knoweth that the same Widowe Lorde, was saied to haue bewitched one Ione Robertes, seruaunte to old Higham, in a peece of an Apple cake whiche she gaue her, vpon the eatyng whereof she presently sickened, and not long after died.
4 Item she also confesseth, that she knowes one Mother Osborne, a Widowe in the same toune to be a witche, and that she hath a marke in the ende of one of her fingers like a pitt, and an other marke vppon the outside of her right legge, whiche she thinketh to bee pluckt out by her Spirit: and that one Mother Waterhouse her owne sister (long since executed for Witch crafte) had the self same markes, whithe she termeth (nippes) and she saieth that this Mother Osborne liyng lame, and complainyng of her sore legge, she the saied Elizabeth Fraunces came vnto her, and required to see her leg, whiche beeyng shewed vnto her, she the saied Elizabeth badde to pnt it into the bedde again, saiyng: that she her self knewe that the same came, by wante of well seruyng of God. And thus muche for Elizabeth Fraunces.
2 The sonne of the foresaid Ellen Smithe, of the age of thirteene yeres, or there aboutes, came to the house of one Ihon Estwood of Malden, for to begge an almose, who chid the boye awaie from his doore, wherevppon he wente home and tolde his mother, and within a while after the said Estwood was taken with very greate paine in his bodie, and the same night followyng, as he satte by the fire with one of his neighbours, to their thinkyng thei did see a Ratte runne vp the Chimney, and presently it did fall doune again in the likenesse of a Tode, and takyng it vp with the tongges, thei thruste it into the fire, and so helde it in Forcesibly, it made the fire burne as blewe as Azure, and the fire was almoste out, and at the burnyng thereof the saied Ellen Smithe was in greate paine and out of quiete, wherevppon dissemblyngly she came to the house of the fore saied Ihon Estwood, and asked how all that were there did, and he saied well I thanke God, and she said, I thought you had not been well, and therefore I came to see how you did, and so went her waie.
3 Also it was auouched, and by this prisoner confessed, that where as her daughter, and the daughter of one Widowe Webbe of Maldon afore saied, did fall out and fight, the same Ellein Smithe offended thereat, meetyng good wife Webbes daughter the nexte daie, gaue her a blowe on the face, wherevpon so soone as the childe came home she sickened, and languishyng twoo daies, cried continually, awaie with the Witche, awaie with the Witch, and so died. And in the mornyng immediatly after the death of the same childe, the saied good wife Webbe espied (as she thought) a thyng like to a blacke Dogge goe out at her doore, and presently at the sight thereof, she fell distraught of her wittes.
4 Besides the sonne of this Mother Smith, confessed that his mother did keepe three Spirites, whereof the one called by her greate Dicke, was enclosed in a wicker Bottle: The seconde named Little Dicke, was putte into a Leather Bottle: And the third termed Willet, she kepte in a Wolle Packe. And thereuppon the house was commaunded to bee searched. The Bottles and packe were found, but the Spirites were vanished awaie.
2 Item, the saied Mother Staunton came to his house an other tyme, and after certaine woordes of anger betweene hym and her, he raced her face with a Nedle, what quoth she, haue you a Flea there: and the nexte night after, the saied Pratte was so greeuously taken with tormente of his Limmes, that he neuer thought to haue liued one hower longer, which also was subscribed and sent.
3 Item, she came the third tyme by his bore with Graines, and he demaundyng a fewe of her, she asked what he would doe with them, I will giue them, saied he, to my Chickens, and snatchyng a handfull from her, did so. But after thei had tasted of them, three or fower dousen of them died, and onely one Chicken escaped of them all.
4 Item, she came on a tyme to the house of one Richard Saunder of Brokewalden, and beeyng denied Yeest, whiche she required of his wife, she went her waie murmuryng, as offended with her aunswere, and after her departure, her yonge child in the Cradle was taken vehemently sicke, in a merue[...]lous strange maner, wherevppon the mother of the childe tooke it vp in her armes to comforte it, whiche beyng doen, the Cradle rocked of it self, sixe or seuen tymes, in presence of one of the Earle of Surreis gentilmen, who seyng it stabbed his dagger three or fower tymes into the Cradle ere it staied: Merily iestyng and saiyng, that he would kill the Deuill, if he would bee rocked there.
5 Item, the saied Mother Staunton, came on a tyme to the house of one Robart Petie of Brookewalden, and beyng denied by his wife diuerse thynges, whiche she demaunded at once, and also charged with the stealyng of a Knife from thence, she wente her waie in greate anger, and presently after her departure, the little childe of the saied Petie fell so straungely sicke as for the space of a Weeke, as no bodie thought it would liue.
6 Item, the saied Stauntons wife, came also to one Willyam Corners house of Brokewalden vpon a Fridaie, as she had doen often in tymes paste, and beeyng denied of certaine thynges whiche she craued, as a peece of Leather &c. she asked the good wife how many children she had, who aunswered one, whiche childe beeyng then in perfite healthe, was presently taken with suche a sweate and coldnesse of bodie, and fell into suche shrickyng and staryng, wringyng and writhyng of the bodie to and fro, that all that sawe it, were doubtfull of the life of it.
7 Item, she came on a tyme to the house of Robart Cornell of Suersem, and craued a Bottle of Milke of his wife, but beyng denied it, she departed for a little while, leauyng her owne Bottle behinde her, and tooke an other with her, that belonged to the afore saied Cornell, after three daies she came againe, and requested her owne Bottle, and restored the other, crauyng Milke as before, the wife of the house alwaies suspectyng her to bee a Witche denied her requeste, and barred the doores against her, wherevpon she satte doune vppon her heeles before the doore, and made a Circle vppon the grounde with a knife. After that she digged it full of holes with in the compasse, in the sight of the saied wife, her man, and her maide, who demaundyng why she did so? She made aunswere, that she made a shityng house for her self after that sorte, and so departed, the nexte daie the wife commyng out at the same doore, was taken sicke, and began to swell fro~ tyme to tyme, as if she had been with child, by whiche swellyng she came so greate in bodie, as she feared she should burste: and to this daie is not restored to healthe.
8 Item, she came often to the house of one Ihon Hopwood of Walden, and had continaally her requestes, at the laste beyng denied of a Leathern thong, she went her waie offended and the same night his Geldyng in the stable, beyng the daie before in very good case, died sodainly, and afterward beyng burdeined with all, she neuer denied it.
Item, she commyng to the house of Ihon Cornell the yonger of Wimbishe, and beeyng denied her demaunde, she tooke offence, and immediatly after his cattell in steede of sweete Milke, yelded gore stinkyng blood, and one of his Kine fell into suche miserable plight, that for a certaine space, he could by no meanes recouer her.
Item, she came on a tyme to the Uicars house at Wimbishe, and beyng denied her errande by his wife (he beeyng as then from home) his little sonne in the Nurses lapp was taken with suche veheme~t sicknes, that the beholders supposed no lesse, but it would straight haue died, the saied Mother Staunton sittyng by, and hauyng touched the child before it grew sicke: but within one hower after the Uicar came home the childe recouered perfectly, and plaied as before.
Item, also she came on a tyme to the house of oue Rohart Lathburie, of the same Toune, who dislikyng her dealyng, sent her home emptie, but presently after her departure, his Hogges fell sicke and died, to the number of twentie, and in the ende he burned one, whereby as he thinketh, he saued the reste: He also had a Cowe straungely caste into a narrowe gripe, and beyng holpen out in the presence of maister Henry Mordaunt, notwithstandyng the diligent care that was takn of her, she was in fewe daies three tymes like to be loste in the mite. And thus muche for Mother Staunton.