The Witch of Salem; or, Credulity Run Mad Read online

  CHAPTER XIV.

  THE FATE OF GOODY NURSE.

  Oh! lives there, Heaven, beneath thy dread expanse, One hopeless, dark idolator of chance, Content to feed, with pleasures unrefined The lukewarm passions of a lowly mind? --Campbell.

  Charles Stevens was sleeping soundly, dreaming of Cora and peace, whenthere came a rap at the outer door. He rose and, but half-dressed,proceeded to open it. Four tall, dark men stood without. By the aid ofthe moon, he recognized Mr. Parris, Bly and Louder.

  "Is Mr. Waters here?" asked Mr. Parris.

  "He is asleep in his room," Charles answered.

  "Awake him. This good man from Virginia wants to see him."

  Charles turned away and went to Mr. Waters' room. The door was ajar,and, entering, he found the apartment vacant. An open window showed bywhat means Mr. Waters had made his escape. Charles hastened to informthe nocturnal visitors, and a scene ensued that can be as well imaginedas described. Charles was upbraided for aiding a criminal to escape.Mr. Joel Martin, the brother of the overseer shot in Virginia, wasenraged that his brother's slayer should, after years of search, bediscovered only to escape his clutches, while Mr. Parris, with assumedpiety declared:

  "It is ever thus, when one covenants with the devil. An actor in thetheatres taken to the home and family of those claiming to beChristians. Verily, I am not surprised that he is also a murderer. Whenone lets go his hold on the Lord, there can be no crime to which he willnot descend."

  The household was roused, and Cora was informed of her father's narrowescape. Mr. Martin from Virginia had a requisition from that colony forhis arrest. She wept, but said not a word. When the disappointedofficers went away, Charles sought to comfort her; but she answered:

  "Cruel fate seems to have doomed me to misery, Charles. Father cannotreturn; I cannot escape, and I feel that Mr. Parris is drawing a netabout me, which will entangle my feet."

  "Trust in God, and all is well!" Charles answered. Often, in theirdarkest hours, her pious father had offered the same advice, for he wasa firm believer in divine intervention in human affairs.

  Next day a daughter of Goody Nurse came to the house, weeping as if herheart would break.

  "What is the matter, Sarah?" asked Mrs. Stevens.

  "Mother is arrested!" sobbed the young woman.

  "Arrested!"

  "Yes."

  "For what charge?" Charles asked.

  "For being a witch. A warrant has been sworn out against her, and shewas taken away this morning." Here the unfortunate young woman brokedown and sobbed in silence.

  "Where was she taken?" asked Mrs. Stevens.

  "To jail and put in irons, for a witch must be put in irons. It ischarged that she hath bewitched Abigail Williams and the other childrenof Mr. Parris' circle."

  Were Mr. Parris a creation of fiction and not a real character ofhistory, no doubt the critic would say he was overdrawn; but SamuelParris was a living, breathing man, or a fiend in human form. He had alarge following, and was spoken of as our beloved pastor. Mr. GeorgeBancroft, America's greatest historian, says:[D]

  [Footnote D: Bancroft's "History of the United States", vol. ii., p. 256.]

  "The delusion, but for Parris, would have languished. Of his own niece,the girl of eleven years of age, he demanded the names of the devil'sinstruments, who bewitched the band of 'the afflicted,' and then becameat once informer and witness. In those days, there was no prosecutingofficer, and Parris was at hand to question his Indian servants andothers, himself prompting their answers and acting as recorder to themagistrates. The recollection of the old controversy in the parish couldnot be forgotten; and Parris, moved by personal malice as well as blindzeal, 'stifled the accusation of some,' such is the testimony of thepeople of his own village, and, at the same time, 'vigilantly promotingthe accusation of others,' was 'the beginning and procurer of theafflictions of Salem village and country.' Martha Corey, who, on herexamination in the meeting-house, before a throng, with a firm spirit,alone, against them all, denied the presence of witchcraft, wascommitted to prison. Rebecca Nurse, likewise a woman of purest life, anobject of special hatred of Parris, resisted the company of accusers,and was committed. And Parris, filling his prayers with the theme, madethe pulpit ring with it. 'Have not I chosen you twelve,'--such was histext,--'and one of you is a devil?' At this, Sarah Cloyce, sister toRebecca Nurse, rose up and left the meeting-house, and she, too, wascried out upon and sent to prison."

  Mrs. Stevens, her son and Cora Waters tried to soothe the fears of thepoor young maid, who, in her hour of affliction, childlike, had flown toher friends with her tale of woe.

  "I will go at once and denounce Mr. Parris for the part he has played inthis!" cried Charles, starting from the house. At the little gate, hewas overtaken by Cora, who, laying her hand on his arm, said:

  "Don't go, Charles. Don't leave the house while in this heat ofpassion."

  "Cora, I cannot endure that hypocrite longer. He is a devil, not a man,to carry his malice so far."

  "But reflect, Charles. What you might say in the heat of your anger cando poor Goody Nurse no good."

  "It will be a relief to me."

  "No; it may engender future trouble. This is a trying hour; the dangeris great; let us take time for deliberation."

  He was persuaded by Cora to say nothing at that time and returned to thehouse. To the sorrowing daughter had been administered such consolationas faithful, loving friends could offer, and she went home hoping thather unfortunate mother might yet escape the wrath of Mr. Parris.

  "It is all the work of Samuel Parris," declared Mrs. Stevens. "BecauseGoody Nurse opposed his ministry, he seeks revenge."

  "Parris is an unworthy man," Charles declared.

  Before he could say more, Cora Waters, who had posted herself as asentry at the door said:

  "Here comes Ann Putnam."

  At mention of this woman's name, both Charles and his mother becamesilent. She was the mother of one of the afflicted children, and washerself of high nervous temperament, undisciplined in mind, and anabsolute devotee to her pastor. She was at this time about thirty yearsof age, with blue eyes, brown hair and face fair and round. As sheentered the door, almost out of breath, she cried:

  "I come, Goody Stevens, to be the bearer of what I trust will be welcometidings. Goody Nurse hath been arrested and sent to prison for hergrievously tormenting the family of Mr. Parris and myself."

  "Can you suspect that such news will be welcome tidings in this home?"cried Mrs. Stevens. "Ann Putnam, truly you must believe that I amunworthy to be called woman, if you think I can rejoice at the downfallof that good woman."

  "Good woman!" shrieked Ann Putnam, stamping her foot on the floor withsuch force as to make the house quiver. "Good woman! She is a witch! Sheopposed our beloved pastor his stipend; she wished to remove him, andbecause she failed, she now assails his household with her witchcraft.Oh, vile creature, I would I had never seen her!"

  "Ann Putnam, you are deluded."

  "Deluded!" shrieked Ann Putnam, her eyes flashing with fire. "Could youall but see me in my sore afflictions, could you but know the fits Ihave, and witness the suffering of her victims, you would not call itdelusion."

  "Ann Putnam, Mr. Parris has so wrought upon your imagination, that youare insane."

  At the attempt to impute anything evil to her beloved pastor, AnnPutnam's rage knew no bounds, and, in a voice choking with wrath, shedeclared that Mr. Parris was the most saintly man living.

  "His zeal for the cause of Christ hath brought down upon him the wrathof the worldly minded. He is a saint--a glorious saint, and because hedenounced Cora Waters for being the child of a player, you would malignhim."

  "Ann Putnam," interrupted Charles Stevens, "you have no right to impugnthe motives of my mother, nor to assail our guest. The zeal of Mr.Parris has made a monster of him. He is a wicked, cruel, revengeful man,rather than a follower of the meek and lowly Lamb of God."

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p; "I will not stay where my blessed pastor is spoken so ill of!" declaredAnn Putnam, and she bounded out of the door, shaking the dust off hershoes. At the gate, she paused and held her fist in the air, and at theheight of her masculine voice screamed:

  "I denounce you! I cry out against you, Hattie Stevens! I will to do nomore with you!" and having performed that wonderful act of discarding aformer friend, she turned about and hurried over the hill.

  "Charles, I am sorry you and your mother angered her," said Cora.

  "Why, Cora?" he asked.

  "She can do us ill."

  "Ann Putnam is an evil woman and a fit follower of such a man asParris," declared Charles. "My mother did a noble act in denouncinghim."

  "It is time, Charles," interrupted Cora. "I feel, I know that if evilbefalls you, I am the cause. I must go away. I cannot remain here toprove the ruin of those who befriended me. I must go away."

  "Where would you go?"

  "I know not where; but I will go anywhere, so that I may not prove theruin of my friends. The wild heathen in the forest could not be morecruel than these people."

  "Cora, you shall not go!" cried Charles. "No, you shall not. I willprotect you and mother. I have friends, friends true and strong, friendsof whom they little dream. They live in the forest and will come to myaid by the hundreds to fight my battles."

  "Do you mean the Indians?"

  "Yes. Two years ago I saved the life of Oracus, a young chief, and madehim my friend. An Indian, once a friend, is the truest of friends.Oracus and his warriors would die for me."

  "Do not appeal to the Indians, if you can avoid it," the girl plead.Charles assured her if she did go away, it would not remove the wrath ofthe minister from them, and she decided to remain.

  Mr. Parris hated Rebecca Nurse more than any other person in Salem. Hewas now about to accomplish his designs.

  Until the day of trial, Rebecca Nurse lay in jail, with great, heavyfetters, which she could scarcely carry, upon her. Her husband, familyand friends did all in their power to procure her release on bond; butwitchcraft was not a bailable offence.

  They tried to secure mercy for the old woman from Mr. Parris; but he wasinexorable. When Mr. Parris, a few months before, was publiclycomplaining of neglect in the matter of firewood for the parsonage, andof lukewarmness on the part of the hearers of his services, "LandlordNurse" was a member of the committee who had to deal with him, and heand his relatives were among the majority, who were longing for Mr.Parris' apparently inevitable departure. So when, through themachinations of the pastor, the good woman was arrested, they appealedto him in vain for mercy.

  The meeting-house, in which the trial was held, was crowded withspectators. Neighbor jostled neighbor, and terrible, awe-inspiringwhispers ran over the throng. Prayer was offered, and the court opened,and Rebecca Nurse, weak and sick, old and infirm as she was, was made tostand up before that tribunal to plead to the charge of witchcraft. Whenher son would have supported his aged mother, he was driven away.

  Mr. Parris was the first witness called. The law of evidence, or atleast the practice in Salem at that time, was quite different from thepresent. Hearsay testimony was freely admitted in the case of GoodyNurse. Mr. Parris stated that he was called to see a certain person whowas sick. Mercy Lewis was sent for. She was struck dumb on entering thechamber. She was asked to hold up her hand, if she saw any of thewitches afflicting the patient. Presently she held up her hand, thenfell into a trance. While coming to herself, she said that she saw thespectres of Goody Nurse and Goody Carrier having hold of the head of thesick man. The testimony of Mr. Parris was given in a calm and deliberatemanner calculated to impress the jury with truth. Never did an assassinwhet his dagger with more coolness or with more malice drive it to theheart of his victim, than did this sanctimonious villain weave the netof ruin about his victims.

  Thomas Putnam, the husband of Ann Putnam, stated that both his wife andchild were bewitched and had most grievous fits, all of which theycharged to Goody Nurse. He described his wife as being sorely attackedand striving violently with her arms and legs, and presently she wouldbegin to converse with Good-wife Nurse, saying:

  "Goody Nurse, begone! begone! begone! Are you not ashamed, a woman ofyour profession, to afflict a poor creature so? What hurt did I ever doyou in my life? You have but two years to live, and then the devil willtorment your soul, for this your name is blotted out of God's book, andit shall never be put in God's book again. Begone! For shame! Are younot afraid of what is coming upon you? I know what will make you afraid,the wrath of an angry God. I am sure that will make you afraid. Begone!Do not torment me. I know what you would have; but it is out of yourreach; it is clothed with the white robes of Christ's righteousness."

  After this, she seemed to dispute with the apparition about a particulartext of Scripture, while she kept her eyes closed all the time. Theapparition seemed to deny it, and she said she was sure there was such atext, and she would tell it, and then the shape would be gone. Said she:

  "I am sure you cannot stand before that text."

  Then she was sorely afflicted, her mouth drawn on one side, and her bodystrained for about a minute, and then she said:

  "I will tell. I will tell, it is,--it is,--it is the third chapter ofthe Revelations."

  Such stuff could not in this day be admitted in any intelligent court ofjustice.

  Ann Putnam, the wife of Thomas Putnam, was next to testify against GoodyNurse. She said:

  "On March 18th, 1692, being wearied out in helping to tend my poorafflicted child and maid, about the middle of the afternoon I lay medown on the bed to take a little rest; and immediately I was almostpressed and choked to death, that, had it not been for the mercy of agracious God and the help of those that were with me, I could not havelived many moments; and presently I saw the apparition of Martha Corey,who did torture me so, as I cannot express, ready to tear me to pieces,and then departed from me a little while; but before I could recoverstrength, or well take breath, the apparition of Rebecca Nurse fell uponme again with dreadful tortures and hellish temptations to go along withher, and she brought to me a little red book in her hand, and a blackpen, urging me vehemently to write in her book; and several times thatday she did most grievously torture me, almost ready to kill me. And onthat same day Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, the wife of Francis Nursesenior, did both torture me, with tortures such as no tongue canexpress."

  "Did you suffer from Rebecca Nurse again?" the witness was asked.

  "Yes."

  "When?"

  "On divers times. On the 20th, which was the Sabbath day. After that,she came and sat upon my breast and did sorely torment me and threatento bear the soul out of my body, blasphemously denying the blessed God,and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to save my soul, and denyingseveral passages of Scripture, which I told her of, to repel her hellishtemptations."

  The afflicted children were present, and when the unfortunate prisoner,tired and sick, bent her head, they began to scream and bent their headsalso. When she gazed at Abigail Williams, the girl was seized with aconvulsion, and so were the others, so that the trial had to besuspended for a few minutes, until quiet was restored.

  Charles Stevens, who was present, remarked, loud enough to be heard:

  "If they had a stick well laid about their backs, I trow it would curethem of such devil's capers."

  "Have a care, Charles. Take heed of your hasty speech," said aby-stander.

  Mrs. Putnam, fearful that her first deposition would not convict thewoman, who had dared speak boldly against her beloved pastor, again tookthe stand and testified:

  "Once, when Rebecca Nurse's apparition appeared unto me, she declaredthat she had killed Benjamin Houlton, John Friller, and RebeccaShepherd, and that she and her sister Cloyse, and Edward Bishop's wife,had killed John Putnam's child. Immediately there did appear to me sixchildren in winding-sheets, which called me aunt, which did mostgrievously affright me; and they told me they were my sister Baker'schildren of Bos
ton, and that Goody Nurse, Mistress Corey of Charlestownand an old deaf woman at Boston murdered them, and charged me to go andtell these things to the magistrates, or else they would tear me topieces, for their blood did cry for vengeance. Also there appeared to memy own sister Bayley and three of her children in winding-sheets, andtold me that Goody Nurse had murdered them."

  This evidence was followed by the afflicted children bearing testimonyto being grievously tormented by defendant, who came sometimes in theshape of a black cat, a dog, or a pig, and who was sometimes accompaniedby a black man. Louder next related his experience of being changed to ahorse and ridden to a witches' ball, and of seeing Rebecca Nurse ridethrough the air on a broomstick. The West Indian negro man John, thehusband of Tituba and servant of Mr. Parris, was next put on the witnessstand. The magistrate asked him:

  "John, who hurt you?"

  "Goody Nurse first, and den Goody Corey."

  "What did she do to you?"

  "She brought de book to me."

  "John, tell the truth. Who hurt you? Have you been hurt?"

  "The first was a gentleman I saw."

  "But who hurt you next?"

  "Goody Nurse. She choke me and brought me de book."

  "Where did she take hold of you?"

  "Upon my throat, to stop my breath."

  "What did this Goody Nurse do?"

  "She pinch me until de blood came."

  At this, Ann Putnam had a fit and was carried out. Abigail Williams wascalled to the stand and asked:

  "Abigail Williams, did you see a company at Mr. Parris' house eat anddrink?"

  "Yes sir; that was their sacrament."

  "How many were there?"

  "About forty. Goody Cloyse and Goody Good were their deacons."

  "What was it?"

  "They said it was our blood, and they had it twice that day."

  "Have you seen a white man?"

  "Yes sir, a great many times."

  "What sort of a man was he?"

  "A fine, grave man, and when he came, he made all the witches totremble."

  "Did you see the party of witches at Deacon Ingersol's?"

  "I did."

  "Who was there?"

  "Goody Cloyse, Goody Corey, Goody Nurse and Goody Good."

  Then the examining magistrate turned to the old, infirm and unfortunateprisoner, and asked:

  "What do you say, Goody Nurse, to these things?"

  The old, sick woman, summoning up all her energies, answered:

  "I take God to be my witness, that I know nothing of it, no more thanthe child unborn."

  The jury did not consider the evidence strong enough for hanging an oldlady, who had been the ornament of their church and the glory of theirvillage and its society, and they brought in a verdict of "not guilty."

  The momentary rejoicing of the triumphant defendants was drowned by thehowls of the afflicted and the upbraiding of Mr. Parris. One judgedeclared himself dissatisfied; another promised to have her tried anew;and the chief justice pointed out a phrase used by the prisoner, whichmight be made to signify that she was one of the accused gang in guilt,as well as in jeopardy. It might really seem as if the authorities wereall scheming together, when we see the ingenuity and persistence withwhich they discussed the three words "of our company," as used by theaccused.

  The poor old woman offered an explanation, which ought to have beensatisfactory.

  "I intended no otherwise than as they were prisoners with us, andtherefore did then, and yet do judge them not legal evidence againsttheir fellow-prisoners. And I, being something hard of hearing and fullof grief, none informing me how the court took up my words, thereforehad no opportunity to declare what I intended when I said they were ofour company."

  The foreman of the jury would have taken a favorable view of thismatter, and have allowed full consideration, while other jurymen wereeager to recall the mistake of the verdict; but the prisoner's silencefrom failing to hear, when she was expected to explain, turned theforeman against her, and caused him to declare:

  "Whereupon these words were to me a principal evidence against her."

  Still it was too monstrous to hang the poor old woman. After hercondemnation, the governor reprieved her, probably on the ground of theillegality of setting aside the first verdict of the jury, in theabsence of any new evidence; but Mr. Parris, the power behind thepeople, caused such an outcry against executive clemency to be raised,that the governor withdrew his reprieve.

  Next Sunday after the sentence, there was a scene in the church, therecord of which was afterward annotated by the church members in griefand humiliation. After the sacrament, by a vote, it was unanimouslyagreed, that sister Nurse, being convicted as a witch by the court,should be excommunicated in the afternoon of the same day.

  Charles Stevens, impelled by a morbid curiosity, went to the churchthat afternoon. The place was thronged. Parris, with the triumphantgleam of a devil on his hypocritical features, was in the pulpit withthe elders. The deacons presided below. The sheriff and his officersbrought in the witch and led her up the broad aisle, her chains clankingas she stepped, and her poor old limbs scarcely able to bear theirweight. As she stood in the middle of the aisle, the Reverend Mr. Noyespronounced her sentence of expulsion from the church on earth and fromall hope of salvation hereafter. Having freely given her soul to Satanby a seven years' service for diabolical powers, she was delivered overto him forever. In conclusion, Reverend Mr. Noyes said:

  "And now, vile woman, having sold yourself to the Devil, go to yourmaster amid the hottest flames of hell!"

  She was aware that every eye regarded her with horror and hate,unapproached under any circumstances; but she was able to sustain it.She was still calm and at peace that day, and during the fortnight offinal waiting. When the fatal day of execution came, she traversed thestreets of Salem, between the houses in which she had been an honoredguest, and surrounded by well-known faces, and then there was the hard,hard task, for her aged limbs, of climbing the rocky and steep pathon Witches' Hill to the place where the gibbets stood in a row, and thehangman was waiting for her. Sarah Good and six others of whom Salemchose to be rid that day went with her.

  The sheriff brought the witch up the broad aisle, herchains clanking as she stepped.]

  It was the 19th of July, 1692, when, at a signal, all eight swung offinto eternity, and Reverend Mr. Noyes, in his zeal, pointing to theswaying bodies, said:

  "There hang eight fire-brands of hell!"

  Mr. Parris, unable to conceal his triumph, declared these the most holywords ever uttered by lips not divine.

  The bodies were put away on the hill like so many dead dogs; but duringthe silent watches of the night, Charles Stevens and the sons andgrandsons of Rebecca Nurse disinterred her and brought her remains homewhere a coffin had been prepared. Mrs. Stevens and Cora Waters dressedthe body in most becoming robes. All kissed the cold dead face of onethey loved, as she lay in a rear room, the windows blinded and a guardoutside. Then the body was hurriedly buried in a grave prepared in thefield, where soon after the afflicted husband slept at her side.

  Considering such horrible events, one can but conclude that superstitionwas having full sway.