all that she had confessed. On hearing this, Mrs. Throckmorton and the minister went to her house, and as they entered the door, heard her husband say, "Believe them not, believe them not, for all their fair speeches;" but they denied this afterwards. Upon being threatened to be taken before justices, she said she had only confessed from joy, that her prayers had so soon recovered them. Mr. Throckmorton said as the thing was published, and one of them must bear the shame, things should not pass so; and on her refusing to make a second confession in the church, he gave both her and her daughter in charge of the constables, to go with him to the Bishop of Lincoln. She then confessed again, saying she had been intimidated by her husband and daughter. Mr. Throckmorton had secretly sent for some of his neighbours from the church, and placed them under the parlour window, where he contrived to make her speak loud, so that they might hear her confession. She was then brought into the hall, where she denied it all; but the doctor read the confession, and the neighbours told her it was too late to deny. Upon this came in John Samuel, and abusing his wife, would have struck her; upon which she pretended to fall into a swoon. Mr. Throckmorton being determined to clear himself of that matter in the minds of the common people, brought the case before the bishop, and Francis

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Cromwell, and Richard Joyce, justices of the peace at Buckden.

The following is a condensation of the examinations on the 26th of December, 1592:- Alice Samuel of Warboyse deposed that a spirit in the shape of a dun chicken sucked at her chin twice only since Christmas-eve; that being the cause of the evil that happened to the children, the chicken was now in her belly, and made her feel full and heavy. She never did hurt to any but those children. It was a beggar (upright man) who gave her the three spirits to torment Mr. Throckmorton, who she said was a hard man. She saw the spirits when the children had fits, and gave them private signs with her finger or head. She had three spirits, Pluck, Catch, and White, in the shape of dun chickens, and three others that she called by three smacks of her mouth. Two of these she sent to Mr. Throckmorton and his wife, but they returned, telling her that God would not suffer them to prevail; upon which she sent them to the children. Upon being taken to another chamber, and conjuring the devil three times in the name of the Trinity, she found out that the upright man's name was Langland, and that he was now gone on a voyage beyond seas. After this confession, Mother Samuel and her daughter were committed to Huntingdon Gaol; but with much difficulty, Mr. Throckmorton persuaded the

high sheriff and justices to accept bail of Agnes Samuel, that he might take her home and test the evidence of her guiltiness.

The following is an epitome of Dr. Dorington's report of this examination, read at the Huntingdon Sessions on Tuesday the 9th of the ensuing January:-About 12 o'clock, Mary, Jane, and Grace fell into fits, repeating continually, 'I am glad, I am glad, none so glad as I!' and foretold the coming of Agnes Samuel. When the woman was first brought they had no fits for some days, and then they began again with renewed violence. She then said the mother had given over her spirits to the daughter. One of them declared she saw a spirit named Blue, tumbling like a football or a puppet player, and in shape like the witches thrumb cap. She then said Agnes Samuel had too much liberty, and was at that moment talking with her spirits in the kitchen chamber. The spirit told her that another spirit named Smack was often with him.

The next day being sabbath, a gentleman came to see Mary from Brampton, and as she entered the door she fell in a fit. Mrs. Throckmorton then called Agnes Samuel, and bade her say, "I charge thee thou devil as I love thee, and have authority over thee, and am a witch and guilty of this matter, that thou suffer this child to be

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well at this present." The child instantly wiped its eyes, and stood up recovered. In another fit Jane Throckmorton said, Smack had been fighting with Pluck with great cowl staves in Mother Samuel's yard, and Pluck's head been broken. The next day she had another fit, and Agnes Samuel prayed for her with the rest, and declared the diseases must proceed from some supernatural power. She said Catch came to her limping, and said Smack had broken his leg; she tried to strike him, but he leapt over the stick. At another time, Blue came with his arm in a sling, and said that Smack had broken his arm, but when it got well they would beat him. In a third fit she spoke of a spirit called Hardname, whose appellation consisted of eight letters, and every letter standing for a word. Smack told her that he had two cousins, and promised her she should have no more fits. She told him he and his fellows might hang, for she cared for none of them. Smack tried to induce her to love him, and offered to do anything for her, but she defied his temptations. Another time Smack came to her and said he had been fighting with Pluck and Catch, and had beaten them much, so that they would not dare to come to her any more. It also prophesied that she should scratch Agnes Samuel shortly, accusing her then of consenting to the death of Lady Cromwell. Rising early, it was found,

prevented the fits, and the children, it was observed, were generally able to foretel each other's attacks. When Agnes Samuel took them in her arms they grew well.

On the Huntingdon Session day, Mary Throckmorton being seized with a fit, declared the day was come in which she must scratch the witch; and when the maid was brought into the room, cried out, "Art thou come, thou young witch, who hath done all this mischief?" As the child could not move, it was then put in Alice Samuel's lap, the child clasped her hands about her neck and fell, scratching very fiercely till she had scratched off a piece of skin of the breadth of a shilling. The child expressed sorrow for the act, but said the spirit compelled her. The next day she said Catch had been with her and threatened her strongly for daring to encourage Smack, telling them she would not be well till she went to stay at Sommers, at an uncle's house two miles distant. A day or two afterwards, Elizabeth, another daughter, hitherto quiet and gentle fell into a fit, and dropping on her knees, scratched Alice Samuel's hand, crying out, "O! thou young witch, oh! thou young witch, fie upon thee, fie upon thee, who ever heard of a young witch before?" and when she recovered cried at having hurt her. During this scene, the girl Samuel cried on the Lord to help her, as the child wiped her hands and rubbed them with her blood,