hen the country had long
lain pretty quiet," was "seized by the Evil Angels, both as to
molestations and accusations from the Invisible World". On the Lord's
Day, the tenth of September, 1693, "after some hours of previous
disturbance of the public assembly, she fell into odd fits," and had to
be taken out of the congregation and carried home, "where her fits, in a
few hours, grew into a figure that satisfied the spectators of their
being supernatural." He further says, that, "from the 10th of September
to the 18th, she kept an entire fast, and yet, she was to all appearance
as fresh, as lively, as hearty, at the nine days end, as before they
began. In all this time she had a very eager hunger upon her stomach,
yet if any refreshment were brought unto her, her teeth would be set,
and she would be thrown into many miseries. Indeed, once, or twice, or
so, in all this time, her tormentors permitted her to swallow a mouthful
of somewhat that might increase her miseries, whereof a spoonful of rum
was the most considerable."

The affair, of course, was noised abroad. It reached the ears of Robert
Calef. On the thirteenth, after sunset, accompanied by some others, he
went to the house, "drawn," as he says, "by curiosity to see Margaret
Rule, and so much the rather, because it was reported Mr. Mather would
be there, that night." They were taken into the chamber where she was in
bed. They found her of a healthy countenance. She was about seventeen
years of age. Increase and Cotton Mather came in, shortly afterwards,
with others. Altogether, there were between thirty and forty persons in
the room. Calef drew up Minutes of what was said and done. He repeated
his visit, on the evening of the nineteenth. Cotton Mather had been with
Margaret half an hour; and had gone before his arrival. Each night,
Calef made written minutes of what was said and done, the accuracy of
which was affirmed by the signatures of two persons, which they were
ready to confirm with their oaths. He showed them to some of Mather's
particular friends. Whereupon Mather preached about him; sent word that
he should have him arrested for slander; and called him "one of the
worst of liars." Calef wrote him a letter, on the twenty-ninth of
September; and, in reference to the complaints and charges Mather was
making, proposed that they should meet, in either of two places he
mentioned, each accompanied by a friend, at which time he, Calef, would
read to him the minute