"Many are in a belief that this silly sex of women can by no means attaine
to that so vile and damned a practise of Sorcery and Witchcraft, in regard
of their illiteratenesse and want of learning, which many men have by
great learning done;" nevertheless the Earl of Essex and his army,
marching through Newberry, saw a feat done by a woman which not the most
learned man of them all could have accomplished by natural means. Two
soldiers were loitering behind the main body, gathering nuts,
blackberries, and the like, when one climbed up a tree for sport, and the
other followed him, jesting. From their vantage place, looking on the
river, they there espied a "tall, lean, slender woman treading of the
water with her feet with as much ease and firmnesse as if one should walk
or trample on the earth." The soldier called to his companion, and he to
the rest; and soon they all--captains, privates, and commanders alike--saw
this marvellous lean woman, who now they perceived was standing on a thin
plank, "which she pushed this way and that at her pleasure, making it a
pastime to her, little perceiving who was on her tracks." Then she crossed
the river, and the army after her; but there they lost her for a time, and
when they found her all were too cowardly to seize her. At last one
dare-devil went up and boldly caught her, demanding what she was. The poor
wretch was dumb--perhaps with terror--and spoke nothing; so they dragged
her before the commanders, "to whom, though she was mightily urged, she
did reply as little." As they could bethink themselves of nothing better
to do with her, they set her upright against a mud bank or wall, and two
of the soldiers, at their captain's command, made ready and fired. "But
with a deriding and loud laughter at them, she caught their bullets in her
hands and chew'd them, which was a stronger testimony than her treading
water that she was the same that their imagination thought her for to be."
Then one of the men set his carbine against her breast and fired; but the
bullet rebounded like a ball, and narrowly missed the face of the shooter,
which "so enraged the Gentleman, that one drew out his sword and manfully
run at her with all the force his strength had power to make, but it
prevailed no more than did the shot, the woman though still speechlesse,
yet in a most contemptible way of Scorn still laughing at them, which did
the more exhaust their furie against her life; yet one amongst the rest
had heard that piercing or drawing bloud from forth the veines that
crosse the temples of the head, it would prevail against the strongest
sorcery, and quell the force of Witchcraft, which was allowed for Triall:
the woman, hearing this, knew then the Devill had left her, and her power
was gone; wherefore she began alowd to cry and roare, tearing her haire,
and making pitious moan, which in these words expressed were: And is it
come to passe that I must dye indeed? Why then his Excellency the Earle of
Essex shall be fortunate and win the field. After which no more words
could be got from her; wherewith they immediately discharged a Pistoll
underneath her eare, at which she straight sunk down and dyed, leaving her
legacy of a detested carcasse to the wormes, her soul we ought not to
iudge of, though the euills of her wicked life and death can scape no
censure. Finis. This Book is not Printed according to order."