The Penguin Book of Witches Read Online Free PDF Page B

out a spirit to do harm (often against children) are wholly consistent with English thinking about witchcraft. These details are perfectly consistent with English witchcraft manuals—too consistent. For someone who could not read (Tituba made her mark rather than sign her name) this kind of knowledge could only have come from someone else. Such details about witchcraft were scholastic, rather than common folk knowledge. These details coming from the mouth of an illiterate slave from Barbados strongly suggests coercion both in the act of the confession, as well as instruction in what specifically to say.
    The First Examination of Tituba 1
    Tituba the Indian Woman’s Examination, March 1, 1691/2
    [Q]: Why do you hurt these poor children? What harm have they done unto you?
    [A]: They do no harm to me. I no hurt them at all.
    [Q]: Why have you done it?
    [A]: I have done nothing. I can’t tell when the Devil works.
    [Q]: What, doth the Devil tell you that he hurts them?
    [A]: No. He tells me nothing.
    [Q]: Do you never see something appear in some shape?
    [A]: No. Never see anything.
    [Q]: What familiarity have you with the Devil, or what is it that you converse withal? Tell the truth. Who it is that hurts them?
    [A]: The Devil for aught I know.
    [Q]: What appearance or how doth he appear when he hurts them? With what shape or what is he like that hurts them?
    [A]: Like a man. I think yesterday I being in the lentoe chamber I saw a thing like a man, that told me serve him and I told him no, I would not do such thing. 2
    She charges Goody Osburn and Sarah Good as those that hurt the children, and would have had her do it. She saith she hath seen four, two of which she knew not.
3
She saw them last night as she was washing the room.
    [A]: They told me hurt the children and would have had me go to Boston. There was five of them with the man. They told me if I would not go and hurt them they would do so to me. At first I did agree with them but afterward I told them I do so no more.
    [Q]: Would they have had you hurt the children the last night?
    [A]: Yes, but I was sorry and I said I would do so no more, but told I would fear God.
    [Q]: But why [scored out] did not you do so before?
    [A]: Why, they tell me I had done so before and therefore I must go on. These were the four women and the man, but she knew none but Osburn and Good; only the others were of Boston. 4
    [Q]: At first being with them, what then appeared to you? What was it like that got you to do it?
    [A]: One like a man just as I was going to sleep came to me. This was when the children was first hurt. He said he would kill the children and she would never be well and he said if I would not serve him, he would do so to me.
    [Q]: Is that the same man that appeared before to you? That appeared the last night and told you this?
    [A]: Yes.
    [Q]: What other likenesses besides a man hath appeared to you?
    [A]: Sometimes like a hog. Sometimes like a great black dog. Four times.
    [Q]: But what d [torn] they say unto you?
    [A]: They told me serve him and that was a good way. That was the black dog. I told him I was afraid. He told me he would be worse than to me.
    [Q]: What did you say to him then after that?
    [A]: I answered, I will serve you no longer. He told me he would do me hurt then.
    [Q]: What other creatures have you seen?
    [A]: A bird.
    [Q]: What bird?
    [A]: A little yellow bird.
    [Q]: Where doth it keep?
    [A]: With the man who hath pretty things here besides. 5
    [Q]: What other pretty things?
    [A]: He hath not showed them yet unto me, but he said he would show them me tomorrow, and he told me if I would serve him, I should have the bird.
    [Q]: What other creatures did you see?
    [A]: I saw two cats, one red, another black as big as a little dog.
    [Q]: What did these cats do?
    [A]: I don’t know. I have seen them two times.
    [Q]: What did they say?
    [A]: They say serve them.
    [Q]: When did you see them?
    [A]: I saw them last night.
    [Q]: Did they do any hurt to you or