Early Modern Witches: Witchcraft Cases in Contemporary WritingThe sixteen examples collected here describe fifteen English witchcraft cases in detail, vividly recreating events to give the reader the illusion of actually being present at witchcraft accusations, trials and hangings. But how much are we, as readers, victims of literary manipulation by the authors of these texts, and by accusers, magistrates and witches themselves? Some of the writing collected here appear in print for the first time in three centuries, while others are newly edited to give a clearer picture of sources, generic developments in writing about witchcraft, the chronologies of cases, and the biographies of the people who are trying to tell us their stories. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 The Examination and Confession of certaine Wytches 1566 | 10 |
2 The Examination of John Walsh 1566 | 25 |
3 A Rehearsall both straung and true 1579 | 33 |
4 A Detection of damnable driftes 1579 | 41 |
5 Richard Galis A brief treatise 1579 | 50 |
6 WW A true and just Recorde 1582 | 72 |
7 The severall factes of Witchcrafte 1585 | 125 |
10 A memoriall of certaine most notorious witches 1595 | 146 |
11 The severall practises of Johane Harrison and her daughter 1606 | 151 |
12 The Witches of Northamptonshire 1612 | 158 |
13 Thomas Potts The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches 1612 | 173 |
14 Witches Apprehended 1613 | 266 |
15 The Wonderful Discovery of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower 1619 | 276 |
16 Henry Goodcole The wonderfull discoverie of Elizabeth Sawyer a Witch 1621 | 299 |
316 | |
8 The Apprehension and confession of three notorious Witches 1589 | 129 |
9 A Most Wicked worke of a wretched Witch 1592 | 138 |
323 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accuses aforesaid againe Ales alias Anne answered appeared Arraignement asked assizes bewitched blacke body brought called cause charged Chattox childe confession Countie Court daughter death desired Device Devill died Divell documents Elizabeth Esquire evidence examinat Examinate Examinate saith executed father fell first foure further gave give given guiltie hand hath heard helpe Henry hurt Indictment James Jennet Joan John judge killing Lancaster live London Lord Majesties Justices March Margaret Master meanes meete miles mother never night Nutter pamphlet Pendle persons practises presently Preston printed Prisoner published question record rest Richard saith sayde sayeth seems selfe sent shee sister Spirit story suggests taken tell thereof thing Thomas thou told tooke Triall true unto Ursley whereupon wicked wife witchcraft Witches woman women