it was Mrs. Elizabeth Throckmorton who kept up the
ball. Mr. Pickering took her away with him to his own house, where she
fooled them all to the top of their bent, crying out to Mother Samuel to
take away her mouse, for she would have none of it, and exclaiming in
piteous tones that Mother Samuel was trying to force a cat, or a frog, or
sometimes a toad, into her mouth; hopping about on one leg, pretending to
be utterly incapable of putting the other to the ground; sometimes going
for two steps at a time, when "she would halt and give a beck with her
head as low as her knees;" asking if no one heard the spirit within her
lapping the milk she had just taken; playing at cards with her eyes shut,
or seemingly so; and falling into drowsy fits which took her even in the
midst of meals, or any while else specially untimely. Her bewitchment took
a certain controversial turn too, and witnessed for the Pope and the
Devil; for "on the Eleventh, one asked her if she loved the Word of God;
whereupon she was much troubled and tormented. When they asked, Love you
Witchcraft? she was content. Love you the Bible? it shaked her. Love you
Papistry? the Devil within her was quiet. Love you Prayer? it raged. Love
you the Mass? it was still. Love you the Gospel? it heaved up her Belly;
so that every good thing it disliked; but whatever concerned Popish
Idolatry it was pleased with." Mr. Pickering kept this sectarian young
lady from March to September, and then it pleased Mistress Elizabeth to
require change of air and scene, and she demanded to be taken back to her
father's house at Warbois. There she played off her tricks with new
vigour, when Lady Cromwell, wife of Sir Henry Cromwell, Knt., hearing of
these heavy afflictions came to visit the children and comfort the
parents. The children of course went off into their customary state; it
was not their game to disappoint my Lady; "and were so grievously
Tormented that it moved the good Lady's Heart with Pity, so that she could
not forbear Tears, and caused old Mother Samuel to be sent for, who durst
not deny to come, because her Husband was Tenant to Sir Henry Cromwell."
As soon as she came in, the children were so much worse that the Lady,
transported beyond herself, and exceedingly angry that Mother Samuel would
not confess to her crime, seized hold of her as she was struggling to get
free of their hands and slip out of the room, pulled off her kircher, and
cut off a lock of her hair, whic