rial, two hundred more were accused
or suspected. It was also observed that no one of the condemned
confessing witchcraft had been hanged. No one that confessed, and
retracted a confession, had escaped either hanging or imprisonment for
trial. No one of the condemned who asserted innocence, even if one of
the witnesses confessed to perjury, or the foreman of the jury
acknowledged the error of the verdict, escaped the gallows. Favoritism
was shown in listening to accusations, which were turned aside from
friends or partisans. If a man began a career as a witch-hunter, and,
becoming convinced of the imposture, declined the service, he was
accused and hanged.

Samuel Parris had played a strong hand and was more than successful. His
harvest of vengeance seemed to have no end. Witches' Hill became a
Tyburn-hill, and as many as eight were hung at one time.

Matters had at last gone too far. The delusion reached its climax in the
midsummer of 1692, and on the second Wednesday in October following,
about a fortnight after the last hanging at Salem, the representatives
of the colony assembled, and the people of Andover, their minister
joining with them, appeared with their remonstrance against the doings
of witch tribunals.

"We know not," they said, "who can think himself safe, if the accusation
of children and others under a diabolical influence shall be received
against persons of good fame." The discussions which ensued were warm,
for Mr. Parris had defenders even in the legislature, who denounced
Charles and Hattie Stevens "as murderers and exercisers of the black
art." The general court did not place itself in direct opposition to the
advocates of the trials. It ordered by bill a convocation of ministers,
that the people might be led in the right way, as to the witchcraft. The
reason for doing it and the manner were such, that the judges of the
court, so wrote one of them, "consider themselves thereby dismissed." As
to legislature, it adopted what King William rejected--the English law,
word for word, as it was enacted by a house of commons, in which Coke
and Bacon were the guiding minds; but they abrogated the special court,
and established a tribunal by statute. Phipps had, instantly on his
arrival, employed his illegal court in hanging the witches. The
representatives of the people delayed the first assembling of the legal
court till January of the following year. Thus an interval of more than
three months from the l