ROGER NOWEL _and_ NICHOLAS BANESTER,
_Esquires, two of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace, within
the said Countie._ viz.
The said _Iames Deuice_ being examined, saith, That he heard his
Grand-mother say, about a yeare agoe, That his mother called
_Elizabeth Deuice_, and others, had killed one _Henry Mitton_ of the
Rough-Lee aforesaid, by Witchcraft. The reason wherefore he was so
killed, was for that this Examinates said Grand-mother _Old Demdike_,
had asked the said _Mitton_ a penny; and he denying her thereof,
thereupon she procured his death, as aforesaid.
And he, this Examinate also saith, That about three yeares agoe, this
Examinate being in his Grand-mothers house, with his said mother;
there came a thing in shape of a browne dogge, which his mother called
_Ball_, who spake to this Examinates mother, in the sight and hearing
of this Examinate, and bad her make a Picture of Clay like vnto _Iohn
Robinson_, alias _Swyer_, and drie it hard, and then crumble it by
little and little; and as the said Picture should crumble or mull
away, so should the said _Io. Robinson_ alias _Swyer_ his body decay
and weare away. And within two or three dayes after, the Picture shall
so all be wasted, and mulled away; so then the said _Iohn Robinson_
should die presently. Vpon the agreement betwixt the said dogge and
this Examinates mother; the said dogge suddenly vanished out of this
Examinates sight. And the next day, this Examinate saw his said mother
take Clay at the West end of her said house, and make a Picture of it
after the said _Robinson_, and brought into her house, and dried it
some two dayes: and about two dayes after the drying thereof, this
Examinates said mother fell on crumbling the said Picture of Clay,
euery day some, for some three weekes together; and within two dayes
after all was crumbled or mulled away, the said _Iohn Robinson_ died.
Being demanded by the Court, what answere shee could giue to the
particular points of the Euidence against her, for the death of these
seuerall persons; Impudently shee denied them, crying out against her
children, and the rest of the Witnesses against her.
But because I haue charged her to be the principall Agent, to procure
a solemne meeting at _Malking-Tower_ of the Grand-witches, to consult
of some speedy course for the deliuerance of her mother, _Old
Demdike_, her daughter, and other Witches at Lancaster: the speedie
Execution of Master _Couell_, who little suspected or deserued any
such practise or villany against him: The blowing up of the Castle,
with diuers other wicked and diuellish practises and murthers; I shall
make it apparant vnto you, by the particular Examinations and Euidence
of her owne children, such as were present at the time of their
Consultation, together with her owne Examination and Confession,
amongst the Records of the Crowne at Lancaster, as hereafter
followeth.
* * * * *
_The voluntary Confession and Examination
of_ ELIZABETH DEVICE, _taken at the house of_
IAMES WILSEY, _of the Forrest of Pendle, in the
Countie of Lancaster, the seuen and twentieth day of Aprill_,
Annoq: Reg. Regis IACOBI Angliæ, &c. Decimo,
& Scotiæ Quadragesimo quinto.