The writings of John Greenleaf Whittier, Volume 5.
John Greenleaf Whittier, Ed.

‘ [160] that did look like witchcraft, we left them; and on being brought before the Court, Deputy Governor Bellingham asked us what we had to say concerning the women. Whereupon Goodwife Page, being the oldest of us, told him that we did find no appearance of witches upon their bodies, save the mole on the younger woman's breast (which was but natural), but that otherwise she was fair as Absalom, who had no blemish from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Thereupon the Deputy-Governor dismissed us, saying that it might be that the Devil did not want them for witches, because they could better serve him as Quakers: whereat all the Court fell to laughing.’

‘And what did become of the women?’ I asked.

‘They kept them in jail awhile,’ said Nurse Lake, ‘and then sent them back to England. But the others that followed fared harder,—some getting whipped at the cart-tail, and others losing their ears. The hangman's wife showed me once the ears of three of them, which her husband cut off in the jail that very morning.’

‘This is dreadful!’ said I, for I thought of my dear brother and sweet Margaret Brewster, and tears filled mine eyes.

‘Nay; but they were sturdy knaves and vagabonds,’ answered Nurse Lake, ‘although one of them was the son of a great officer in the Barbadoes, and accounted a gentleman before he did run out into his evil practices. But cropping of ears did not stop these headstrong people, and they still coming, some were put to death. There were three of them to be hanged at one time. I do ’