About this time I went to the House, on purpose to enquire the Truth of those Passages, of which there was so loud a report. It had ceased from its Drumming and ruder Noises before I came thither, but most of the more remarkable Circumstances before related, were confirmed to me there, by several of the Neighbours together, who had been present at them. At this time it used to haunt the Children, and that as soon as they were laid. They went to Bed that Night I was there, about 8 of the Clock, when a Maid-servant coming down from them, told us it was come. The Neighbours that were there, and two Ministers who had seen and heard divers times, went away, but Mr. Mompesson and I, and a Gentleman that came with me went up. I heard a strange scratching as I went up the Stairs, and when we came into the Room, I perceived it was just behind the Bolster of the Childrens Bed, and seemed to be against the Tick. It was as loud a scratching, as one with long Nails could make upon a Bolster. There were two little modest Girls in the Bed, between 7 and 8 Years old, as I guest. I saw their Hands out of the Cloaths, and they could not contribute to the Noise that was behind their Heads; they had been used to it, and had still some body or other in the Chamber with them, and therefore seemed not to be much afrighted. I standing at the Beds-head, thrust my Hand behind the Bolster, directing it to the place whence the Noise seem'd to come, whereupon the Noise ceased there, and was heard in another part of the Bed; but when I had taken out my Hand it returned, and was heard in the same place as before. I had been told that it would imitate Noises, and made trial by scratching several times upon the Sheet, as 5 and 7 and 10, which it followed and still stopt at my Number. I searcht under and behind the Bed, turned up the Cloaths to the Bed-cords, graspt the Bolster, sounded the Wall behind, and made all the search that possibly I could to find if there were any Trick, Contrivance, or common Cause of it; the like did my Friend, but we could discover nothing. So that I was then verily persuaded, and am so still, that the Noise was made by some Dæmon or Spirit. After it had scratcht about half an Hour or more, it went into the midst of the Bed under the Children, and there seemed to pant like a Dog out of Breath very loudly. I put my Hand upon the place, and felt the Bed bearing up against it, as if something within had thrust it up. I graspt the Feathers, to feel if any living thing were in it. I lookt under and every where about, to see if there were any Dog or Cat, or any such Creature in the Room, and so we all
