ing on her examination a wife who had been
apprehended, the husband was involved in the same prosecution, and was
condemned and executed. In the presence of the magistrates these
flagitious accusers affected extreme agony, and attributed to those
whom they accused, the power of torturing them by a look. The
examinations were all taken in writing, and several of them are
detailed at full length in Mr. Hutchinson's history of Massachusetts.
They exhibit a deplorable degree of blind infatuation on one side, and
of atrocious profligacy on the other, which if not well attested,
could scarcely be supposed to have existed.

Many persons of sober lives, and unblemished characters, were
committed to prison; and the public prejudices had already pronounced
their doom. Against charges of this nature, thus conducted, no defence
could possibly be made. To be accused was to be found guilty. The very
grossness of the imposition seemed to secure its success, and the
absurdity of the accusation to establish the verity of the charge.

The consternation became almost universal. It was soon perceived that
all attempts to establish innocence must be ineffectual; and the
person accused could only hope to obtain safety, by confessing the
truth of the charge, and criminating others. The extent of crime
introduced by such a state of things almost surpasses belief. Every
feeling of humanity is shocked when we learn that to save themselves,
children accused their parents; in some instances, parents their
children; and in one case, sentence of death was pronounced against a
husband on the testimony of his wife.

There were examples of persons who under the terrors of examination
confessed themselves guilty, and accused others; but unable afterwards
to support the reproaches of conscience, retracted their confessions
under the persuasion that death would be the consequence of doing so.

During this reign of popular frenzy, the bounds of probability were so
far transcended, that we scarcely know how to give credit to the well
attested fact, that among those who were permitted to save themselves
by confessing that they were witches, and joining in the accusation of
their parents, were to be found children from seven to ten years of
age! Among the numbers who were accused, only one person was
acquitted. For this he was indebted to one of the girls who would not
join the others in criminating him.

The examination had commenced in February, and th