[2] The date named for the beginning of the Springfield troubles is
probably three or four years too early. Gov. Hutchinson relied for
the date of what he supposed to be the earliest witch case in the
Massachusetts Colony, on Johnson’s _Wonder Working Providence_, p.
199, where the date 1645 stands at the head of the page. As I have
explained in my reprint of Johnson (pp. xiii.-xv.), these headings are
unreliable, and, quite likely, were as often inserted by the printer as
by the author. The date in the heading may be true as to some incident
recorded on the page and erroneous as to other incidents. Keeping in
mind the date when the work was written—from 1649 to 1651—the statement
in the text involves no error. This portion was written in 1651. The
author says, “There hath of late been more than one or two in this town
[Springfield] greatly suspected of witchcraft; yet have they used much
dilligence, both in finding them out, and for the Lords assisting them
against their witchery, yet have they, as is supposed, bewitched not a
few persons, among whom two of the reverend Elders children.” The cases
came to examination and trial the same year the narrative was written,
1651, and the testimony offered covers the two previous years.