were not natural, but wrought strangely by the
touch of the prisoners. Wherefore to avoid this scruple it was
privately desired by the Judge, that the Lord Cornwallis, Sir
Edmund Bacon, and Mr. Serjeant Keeling, and some other gentlemen
there in court, would attend one of the distempered persons in
the farther part of the Hall, whilst she was in her fits, and
then to send for one of the witches, to try what would then
happen, which they did accordingly: and Amy Duny was conveyed
from the bar and brought to the maid: they put an apron before
her eyes, and then one other person touched her hand, which
produced the same effect as the touch of the witch did in the
Court. Whereupon the gentlemen returned, openly protesting, that
they did believe the whole transaction of this business was a
mere imposture. This put the Court and all persons into a stand.
But at length Mr. Pacy did declare, That possibly the maid might
be deceived by a suspicion that the witch touched her when she
did not. For he had observed divers times, that although they
could not speak, but were deprived of the use of their tongues
and limbs, that their understandings were perfect, for that they
had related divers things which have been when they were in
their fits, after they had recovered out of them. This saying of
Mr. Pacy was found to be true afterwards when his daughter was
fully recovered (as she afterwards was) as shall in due time be
related: For she was asked, whether she did hear and understand
anything that was done and acted in the Court, during the time
that she lay as one deprived of her understanding? and she said,
She did: and by the opinions of some, this experiment (which
others would have a fallacy) was rather a confirmation that the
parties were really bewitched, than otherwise: for say they, it
is not possible that any should counterfeit such distempers,
being acquainted with such various circumstances, much less
children; and for so long time, and yet undiscovered by their
parents and relations: For no man can suppose that they should
all conspire together (being out of several families, and as
they affirm, no way related one to the other, and scarce of
familiar acquaintance) to do an act of this nature whereby no
benefit or advantage could redound to any of the parties, but a
guilty co