h him & his wife alone, and discoursing of
the passages concerning Knapps wife the witch, and her execution, said
that she came downe from the ladder, (as he vnderstood it,) and desired
to speake wth him alone, and told him who was the witch spoken of; and
so fair as he remembers, he or his wife asked him who it was; he said
she named goodwife Stapleies; Mr. Dauenport replyed that hee beleeued it
was vtterly vntrue and spoken out of malice, or to that purpose; Mr.
Ludlow answered that he hoped better of her, but said she was a foolish
woman, and then told them a further storey, how she tumbled the corpes
of the witch vp & downe after her death, before sundrie women, and spake
to this effect, if these be the markes of a witch I am one, or I haue
such markes. Mr. Dauenport vtterly disliked the speech, not haueing
heard anything from others in that pticular, either for her or against
her, and supposing Mr. Ludlow spake it vpon such intelligenc as
satisfyed him; and whereas Mr. Ludlow saith he required and they
promised secrecy, he doth not remember that either he required or they
pmised it, and he doth rather beleeue the contrary, both because he told
them that some did ouerheare what the witch said to him, and either had
or would spread it abroad, and because he is carefull not to make
vnlawfull promises, and when he hath made a lawfull promise he is,
through the help of Christ, carefull to keepe it.

"Mris. Dauenport saith, that Mr. Ludlow being at their house, and
speakeing aboute the execution of Knapps wife, (he being free in his
speech,) was telling seuerall passages of her, and to the best of her
remembrance said that Knapps wife came downe from the ladder to speake
wth him, and told him that goodwife Staplyes was a witch, and that Mr.
Daueport replyed something on behalfe of goodwife Staplies, but the
words she remembers not; and something Mr. Ludlow spake, as some did or
might ouer-heare what she said to him, or words to that effect, and that
she tumbled the dead body of Knapps wife vp & downe and spake words to
this purpose, that if these be the markes of a witch she was one, or had
such markes; and concerning any promise of secrecy she remembers not."

"Mr. Dauenport and Mris. Dauenport affirmed ypon oath, that the
testimonies before written, as they properly belong to each, is the
truth, according to their best knowledg & memory.

"Mr. Dauenport desired that in takeing his oath to be thus vnderstood,
that as