had extreme fits,
crying out: "'Now she comes, now my Tormentor comes!' writhing and tearing
and twisting himself into such Shapes as bred at once Amazement and Pity
in the Spectators:" so the old woman was sent to Stafford gaol, but,
because this was a Popish matter, acquitted without long delay. Then the
Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, desirous of testing the matter, and
unwilling that the Catholics should take any glory to themselves for their
holy oils and their anointings which were said to have calmed the most
"sounding fits," took William Perry home to the Castle, and there had him
watched: and watched so well that certain dirty tricks not to be spoken of
here were found out, and the physiological part of the "miracle" set at
rest. But before this the Bishop tried the devils with Greek. For they
could not abide the first verse of the first chapter of St. John, and
always fell on the boy with fury when it was read; so, said the Bishop,
whose wits sectarian hatred had sharpened--one bigotry driving out
another--"Boy, it is either thou or the Devil that abhorrest those Words
of the Gospel: and if it be the Devil (he being so ancient a Scholar, as
of almost six Thousand Years' standing) knows, and understands all
Languages; so that he cannot but know when I recite the same sentence out
of the Greek Text: But if it be thyself then art thou an execrable Wretch,
who plays the Devil's part; wherefore look to thyself, for now thou art to
be put to Trial, and mark diligently, whether it be that same Scripture
which shall be read." Then was read the twelfth verse of the first
chapter, at which William, supposing it to be the abhorred first, fell
into his customary fits; but when, immediately after, the first verse was
read, he, supposing it was another, was not moved at all. By which means
this part of the fraud was discovered also; and when, moving his eyes and
staring about him wildly, he declared that he saw mice running round the
bed, no one gave any credit to his words. When the whole thing was blown
to the winds, and the Greek test had failed, and the dirty tricks had been
found out, the boy made a pretended confession, which was evidently no
more true than anything else had been. He said that one day as he was
coming home, an old man called Thomas, with gray hair and a cradle of
glasses on his shoulders, met him, and after asking him if he went to
school and how he liked it, told him that he could teach him a few tric