s plain that he
himself elicited every accusation. His first witness John, the West
India negro servant, husband to Tituba, was rebuked by Sarah Cloyse as a
grievous liar. Abigail Williams, the niece to Parris, was also at hand
with her wonderful tales of sorcery. She swore she had seen the prisoner
at the witches' sacrament.

Struck with horror at such bold perjury, Sarah Cloyse called for water
and swooned away before it could be brought her. Upon this, Abigail
Williams, her brother's wife, Sarah Williams, Parris' daughter and Ann
Putnam shouted:

"Her spirit is gone to prison to her sister!"

Against Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams related stories that were so
foolish that one wonders how any sensible person could believe them.
Among other things she told how the accused had invited her to sign the
Devil's book.

"Dear child!" exclaimed the accused, in her agony, "it is not so. There
is another judgment, dear child," and her accusers, turning toward her
husband, declared that he, too, was a wizard. All three were committed.
Examinations and commitments multiplied. Giles Corey, a stubborn old man
of more than four-score years, could not escape the malice of his
minister and his angry neighbors, with whom he had quarrelled. Parris
had had a rival in George Burroughs, a graduate of Harvard College, who,
having formerly preached in Salem village, had friends there desirous of
his return. He was a skeptic on the subject of witchcraft, and Parris
determined to have his revenge on him, and, through his many agents and
instruments, had him accused and committed. Thus far there had been no
success in obtaining confessions, though earnestly solicited. It had
been strongly hinted that a confession was an avenue of safety. At last,
"Deliverance Hobbs owned every thing that was asked of her," and left
unharmed. The gallows was to be set up, not for those who professed
themselves witches, but for those who rebuked the delusion.

[Illustration: Lieut.-Gov. Stoughton.]

On May 14th, the new charter and the royal governor arrived in Boston.
On the next Monday, the charter was published, and the parishioner of
Cotton Mather, with the royal council, was installed in office. The
triumph of Cotton Mather was complete. A court of oyer and terminer was
immediately instituted by ordinance, and the positive, overbearing
Stoughton was appointed by the governor and council as its chief judge,
with Sewall and Wait Winthrop, two feebl