ELIZABETH DEVICE _her Mother, Prisoner at the
Barre vpon her Arraignement and Triall._ viz.
The said _Iennet Deuice_, being a yong Maide, about the age of nine
yeares,[F4_b_] and commanded to stand vp to giue euidence against her
Mother, Prisoner at the Barre: Her Mother, according to her accustomed
manner, outragiously cursing, cryed out against the child in such
fearefull manner, as all the Court did not a little wonder at her, and
so amazed the child, as with weeping teares shee cryed out vnto my
Lord the Iudge, and told him, shee was not able to speake in the
presence of her Mother.
This odious Witch was branded with a preposterous marke in Nature,
euen from her birth, which was her left eye, standing lower then the
other; the one looking downe, the other looking vp, so strangely
deformed, as the best that were present in that Honorable assembly,
and great Audience, did affirme, they had not often seene the like.
No intreatie, promise of fauour, or other respect, could put her to
silence, thinking by this her outragious cursing and threatning of the
child, to inforce her to denie that which she had formerly confessed
against her Mother, before M. _Nowel_: Forswearing and denying her
owne voluntarie confession, which you haue heard, giuen in euidence
against her at large, and so for want of further euidence to escape
that, which the Iustice of the Law had prouided as a condigne
punishment for the innocent bloud shee had spilt, and her wicked and
deuillish course of life.
In the end, when no meanes would serue, his Lordship commanded the
Prisoner to be taken away, and the Maide to bee set vpon the Table in
the presence of the whole Court, who deliuered her euidence in that
Honorable assembly, to the Gentlemen of the Iurie of life and death,
as followeth. _viz._
_Iennet Deuice_, Daughter of _Elizabeth Deuice_, late Wife of _Iohn
Deuice_, of the Forrest of Pendle aforesaid Widdow, confesseth and
saith, that her said Mother is a Witch, and that this shee knoweth to
be true; for, that shee had seene her Spirit sundrie times come vnto
her said Mother in her owne house, called _Malking-Tower_, in the
likenesse of a browne Dogge, which shee called _Ball_; and at one time
amongst others, the said _Ball_ did aske this Examinates Mother what
she would haue him to doe: and this Examinates Mother answered, that
she would haue the said _Ball_ to helpe her to kill _Iohn Robinson_ of
_Barley_, alias _Swyer_: by helpe of which said _Ball_, the said
_Swyer_ was killed by witch-craft accordingly; and that this
Examinates Mother hath continued a Witch for these three or foure
yeares last past. And further, this Examinate confesseth, that about a
yeare after, this Examinates Mother called for the said _Ball_, who
appeared as aforesaid, asking this Examinates Mother what shee would
haue done, who said, that shee would haue him to kill _Iames
Robinson_, alias _Swyer_, of Barlow aforesaid, Brother to the said
_Iohn_: whereunto _Ball_ answered, hee would doe it; and about three
weekes after, the said _Iames_ dyed.
And this Examinate also saith, that one other time shee was present,
when her said Mother did call for the _Ball_, [Sidenote: Her Spirit.]
who appeared in manner as aforesaid, and asked this Examinates Mother
what shee would haue him to doe, whereunto this Examinates Mother then
said shee would haue him to kill one _Mitton_ of the Rough-Lee,
whereupon the said _Ball_ said, he would doe it, and so vanished away,
and about three weekes after, the said _Mitton_ likewise dyed.
* * * * *
_The Examination of_ IAMES DEVICE,
_sonne of the said_ ELIZABETH DEVICE: _Taken the
seuen and twentieth day of Aprill_, Annoq; Reg. Regis
IACOBI Angliæ, &c. Decimo ac Scociæ, xlv.