nder his
personal observation: it is a fair example of the trivial origin
and of the facility of this sort of charges. 'At the assizes
holden at Rochester, anno 1581, one Margaret Simons, wife of John
Simons, of Brenchly in Kent, was arraigned for witchcraft, at the
instigation and complaint of divers fond and malicious persons,
and especially by the means of one John Farral, vicar of that
parish, with whom I talked about the matter, and found him both
fondly assotted in the cause and enviously bent towards her: and,
which is worse, as unable to make a good account of his faith as
she whom he accused. That which he laid to the poor woman's
charge was this. His son, being an ungracious boy, and 'prentice
to one Robert Scotchford, clothier, dwelling in that parish of
Brenchly, passed on a day by her house; at whom, by chance, her
little dog barked, which thing the boy taking in evil part, drew
his knife and pursued him therewith even to her door, whom
she rebuked with such words as the boy disdained, and yet
nevertheless would not be persuaded to depart in a long time. At
the last he returned to his master's house, and within five or
six days fell sick. Then was called to mind the fray betwixt the
dog and the boy: insomuch as the vicar (who thought himself so
privileged as he little mistrusted that God would visit his
children with sickness) did so calculate as he found, partly
through his own judgment and partly (as he himself told me) by
the relation of other witches, that his said son was by her
bewitched. Yea, he told me that his son being, as it were, past
all cure, received perfect health at the hands of another witch.'
Not satisfied with this accusation, the vicar 'proceeded yet
further against her, affirming that always in his parish church,
when he desired to read most plainly his voice so failed him that
he could scant be heard at all: which he could impute, he said,
to nothing else but to her enchantment. When I advertised the
poor woman thereof, as being desirous to hear what she could say
for herself, she told me that in very deed his voice did fail
him, specially when he strained himself to speak loudest.
Howbeit, she said, that at all times his voice was hoarse and
low; which thing I perceived to be true. But sir, said she, you
shall understand that this our vicar is diseased with such a kind
of hoarseness as divers of our neighbours in this parish not
long ago doubted ... and in that respect utterly refu