ted on Anne Leech's confession, which had
been made before this time and was soon given to the justices of the
peace. Robert Taylor charged Elizabeth Gooding with the death of his
horse, but he too had the suggestion from other witnesses. Prudence Hart
declared that, being in her bed in the night, "something fell down on
her right side." "Being dark she cannot tell in what shape it was, but
she believeth Rebecca West and Anne West the cause of her pains."

But the accusers could hardly outdo the accused. No sooner was a crime
suggested than they took it upon themselves. It seemed as if the witches
were running a race for position as high criminal. With the exception of
Elizabeth Gooding, who stuck to it that she was not guilty, they
cheerfully confessed that they had lamed their victims, caused them to
"languish," and even killed them. The meetings at Elizabeth Clarke's
house were recalled. Anne Leech remembered that there was a book read
"wherein shee thinks there was no goodnesse."[14]

So the web of charges and counter-charges was spun until twenty-three or
more women were caught in its meshes. No less than twelve of them
confessed to a share in the most revolting crimes. But there was one
who, in court, retracted her confession.[15] At least five utterly
denied their guilt. Among them was a poor woman who had aroused
suspicion chiefly because a young hare had been seen in front of her
house. She was ready to admit that she had seen the hare, but denied
all the more serious charges.[16] Another of those who would not plead
guilty sought to ward off charges against herself by adding to the
charges accumulated against her mother. Hers was a damning accusation.
Her mother had threatened her and the next night she "felt something
come into the bed about her legges, ... but could not finde anything."
This was as serious evidence as that of one of the justices of the
peace, who testified from the bench that a very honest friend of his had
seen three or four imps come out of Anne West's house in the moonlight.
Hopkins was not to be outshone by the other accusers. He had visited
Colchester castle to interview Rebecca West and had gained her
confession that she had gone through a wedding ceremony with the Devil.

But why go into details? The evidence was all of a kind. The female
juries figured, as in the trials at Lancaster in 1633, and gave the
results of their harrowing examinations. What with their verdicts and
the mass