Transcription

[Front]
The testimony of Samuel Phillips aged about 67, minister of the word
of God in Rowly, who sayth, that mr payson (minister of gods word alsoe
in Rowly) and my self. went, being desired, to Samuel pearly of ipswich
to se their young daughter who was viseted with strang fitts & in her fitts
(as her father & mother affirmed) did mention goodwife How the wife of James
How Junior of Ipswich, as if she was in the house & did affl<ic>te her; when we
were in the house the child had one of her fitts but made noe mention of goodwife
how; & when the fitt was over & she come to herself, goodwife ^{How} went to the child
and <?> took her by the hand & askt her whither she had ever done her any hurt
And she answered no never, and if I did complain of you in my fitts I know not that
I did soe; I further can affirm vpon oath that young Sam<uel> P<earl>y Brother to the
afflicted Girle looking out of a chamber window (I and the afflicted child being
without dores together) and sayd to his sister say goodwif<e> <How is> a witch, say she is
a witch. & the child spake not a word that way, but I lookt vp to the window wher
the youth stood & rebuked him for his boldness to stirr vp his sister to accuse
the sayd goodw: How whereas she had cleared her from doing any hurt to his
sister in both our hearing. & I added noe wonder that the child in her fitts did
mention Goodwife How, when her nearest relations were soe frequent in expres <si>ng
their suspitions [1 word overstruck] in the childs hearing when she was out of her fitts, that
the sayd Goodwife How, was an Instrument of mischeif {to} the child:
Rowley 3 June 1692
Samuel phillips

I Edward Paison of y^e Town aboves^d thô present at
y^e place & time aforesd, yet cannot evidenc in all the
particulars mentioned: Thus much is yet in my remembrance
{vizt} being in y^e abovesd Pearley's house some considerable time
before y^e s^d Goodw. How came in; their afflicted Daughter,
upon something that her Mother spake to her with tartnes<s>,
she presently fell into one of her usu<a>ll strange fitts, during
which, she made no mention (as I observed) of y^e above s^d How
her name, or any thing relating to her. some time after, the
s^d How came in, when s^d Girl had recovered her capacity,
her fitt being over, s^d How took s^d Girl by y^e hand, asked
her whether she had ever done her any hurt,? y^e child
answ^Ed no never; with several expressions to y^t purpose
which I am not able particularly to recount, &c.
Rowley Jun -3- 1692.
Edward Paison

[Reverse]
m^r Philips & m^r Paison in behalfe of Eliz: How

Testimony of Samuel Phillips and Edward Payson for Elizabeth How, June 3, 1692, Phillips Library, on deposit from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives, DEP 01, box 8, folder 13