tried
also in 1664, whom poor hysterical Christian Green had delated, for she
did nothing beyond curse her enemies and those who offended her, whereupon
they died "as if stabbed with daggers," or were "consumed and pined away;"
some with one disease, some with another; but all dying without reprieve
because of her curse. She also, in company with many others, was proved to
have met "a little man in black clothes," whom they called "Robin," and to
whom they all made obeisance, the little man putting his hand to his head,
saying, "How do ye?" speaking low, but big. And they made "pictures" of
wax into which the little black man stuck thorns, one in the crown,
another in the breast, and a third in the side, which then Margaret would
fling down saying, "This is Cornish's figure with a murrain to it," and
Elizabeth Cornish would languish and die; or "This is Bess Hill's;" or any
other person's whom it was desired to "forespeak" and destroy; who of
course were forespoken and destroyed from that hour. Margaret Agar was a
"rampant hag" indeed in one sense, being evidently an ill-conditioned old
woman, quick at a curse, and passionately eager to avenge herself, but her
magical arts appear to have been of the lowest possible order, and pale
and lifeless compared with the more highly-coloured doings of others.
Anything, however, was sufficient for the worshipful Master Robert Hunt
and his fellow justices, and curses did as well as the rest; so poor old
Margaret Agar was taken to the tree whereon grew the fatal fruit of death,
to meditate there on Christian charity and the wise compassionateness of
men, before learning by what steps the weary soul passes from earth to
immortality. She was probably no great loss to the community, but her
death placed her among the martyrs to superstition, and left her for ever
as an object of historic pity.

SIR MATTHEW HALE'S JUDGMENT.[149]

At Bury St. Edmonds, in the county of Suffolk, a remarkable "Tryal of
witches" was held on the tenth day of March, 1664, before Sir Matthew
Hale, Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer. Rose Cullender and Amy
Duny, both widows and both of Leystoff, were indicted for bewitching
Elizabeth and Ann Durent, Jane Bocking, Susan Chandler, William Durent,
and Elizabeth and Deborah Pacy. William Durent, being an infant, was sworn
by grace of his mother Dorothy, and she deposed that some little time ago,
having occasion to go from home, she desired Amy, who was her