shee had used only Lingualls, Gutturalls &c: yᵉ matter might have bin more suspicious: 3. yᵉ reviling termes yⁿ used, were such as shee never used before nor since, in all this time of her being thus taken: yea, hath bin alwayes observed to speake respectively concerning mee; 4. They were expressions which yᵉ devill (by her confession) aspersed mee, & others wᵗʰall, in yᵉ houre of temptation, particularly shee had freely acknowledged yᵗ yᵉ Devill was wont to appear to her in yᵉ house of God & divert her mind, & charge her shee should not give eare to what yᵗ Blacke coated roage spake: 5 wee observed when the voice spake, her throat was swelled formidably as big at least as ones fist: These argumᵗˢ I shall leave to yᵉ censure of yᵉ Judicious: 4. whither shee have covenanted wᵗʰ yᵉ Devill or noe: I thinke this is a case unanswerable, her declarations have been soe contradictorye, one to another, yᵗ wee know not wᵗ to make of yᵐ & her condition is such as administers many doubts; charity would hope yᵉ best, love would alsoe feare yᵉ worst, but thus much is cleare, shee is an object of pitye, & I desire yᵗ all yᵗ heare of her wˡᵈ compassionate her forlorne state, Shee is (I question not) a subject of hope, & thererfore all meanes ought to bee used for her recoverye, Shee is a monumᵗ of divine severitye, & the Lord grant yᵗ all yᵗ see or heare, may feare & tremble: Amen.
During the witchcraft excitement at Salem, in the year 1692, no man of that day did more to expose the wicked character of the examinations and convictions than Thomas Brattle, of Boston. His good sense, and regard for truth and justice, are shown in a letter written at that time, though not published for more than a century later. It is found in the fifth volume of the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the writer thus mentions Elizabeth Knapp's case:—
I cannot but admire [wonder] that these afflicted persons should be so much countenanced and encouraged in their accusations as they are: I often think of the Groton woman, that was afflicted, an account of which we have in print [in Mr. Willard's sermon], and is a
