they were carried, was a large
house, with a gate to it, "in a delicate meadow, whereof they could see
no end." There was a very long table in it, at which the witches sat
down; and in other rooms "there were very lovely and delicate beds for
them to sleep upon."

After a number of ceremonies had been performed, by which they bound
themselves, body and soul, to the service of Antecessor, they sat down
to a feast, composed of broth, made of colworts and bacon, oatmeal,
bread and butter, milk and cheese. The devil always took the chair, and
sometimes played to them on the harp or the fiddle, while they were
eating. After dinner they danced in a ring, sometimes naked, and
sometimes in their clothes, cursing and swearing all the time. Some of
the women added particulars too horrible and too obscene for repetition.

Once the devil pretended to be dead, that he might see whether his
people regretted him. They instantly set up a loud wail, and wept three
tears each for him, at which he was so pleased, that he jumped up among
them, and hugged in his arms those who had been most obstreperous in
their sorrow.

Such were the principal details given by the children, and corroborated
by the confessions of the full-grown witches. Anything more absurd was
never before stated in a court of justice. Many of the accused
contradicted themselves most palpably; but the commissioners gave no
heed to discrepancies. One of them, the parson of the district, stated,
in the course of the inquiry, that on a particular night, which he
mentioned, he had been afflicted with a headach so agonizing, that he
could not account for it otherwise than by supposing he was bewitched.
In fact, he thought a score of witches must have been dancing on the
crown of his head. This announcement excited great horror among the
pious dames of the auditory, who loudly expressed their wonder that the
devil should have power to hurt so good a man. One poor witch, who lay
in the very jaws of death, confessed that she knew too well the cause
of the minister's headach. The devil had sent her with a sledge hammer
and a large nail, to drive into the good man's skull. She had hammered
at it for some time, but the skull was so enormously thick, that she
made no impression upon it. Every hand was held up in astonishment. The
pious minister blessed God that his skull was so solid, and he became
renowned for his thick head all the days of his life. Whether the witch
intended