The witches of Huntingdon, their examinations and confessions; exactly taken by his Majesties justices of peace for that county. Whereby will appeare haw craftily and dangerously the devill tempteth and seizeth on poore soules. The reader may make use hereof against hypocrisie, anger, malice, swearing, idolatry, lust, covetousnesse, and other grievous sins, which occasioned this their downfall.

The Examination of John Winnick of Molseworth in the said County, Labourer, taken upon the 11. day of Aprill, 1646. before Robert Bernard Esquire, one of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for this County.

HEe saith, that about 29. yeares since, the 29^th yeare ending about Midsommer last past, he being a Batchellour, lived at Thropston with one Bu••eman, who then kept the Inne at the George, and withall kept Husbandry: this Examinate being a ser∣vant to him in his husbandry, did then loose a p••••••e with 7 s. in it, for which he suspected one in the Family. He saith that on a Friday being in the barne, making hay-bottles for his horses a∣bout noon, swearing, cursing, raging, and wishing to himselfe that some wise body (or Wizzard) would helpe him to his purse and money again: there appeare•• unto him a Spirit, blacke and shaggy, and having pawes like a Beare, but in bulk not fully so big as a Coney. The Spirit asked him what he ailed to be so sor∣rowfull, this Examinate answered that he had lost a purse and money, and knew not how to come by it againe. The Spirit re∣plied, if you will forsake God and Christ, and fall down & wor∣ship me for your God, I will help you to your purse and mony a∣gaine: This Examinate said he would, and thereupon fell down upon his knees and held up his hands. Then the Spirit said, to morrow about this time of the day, you shall find your purse up∣on the floor where you are now making bottles, I will send it to you, and will also come my selfe. Whereupon this Examinate told the Spirit he would meete him there, and receive it, & wor∣ship him. Whereupon at the time prefixed, this Examinate went unto the place, and found his purse upon the floore and tooke it up, and looking afterwards into it, he found there all the money that was formerly lost: but before he had looked into it, the same Spirit appears unto him and said, there is your purse and your money in it: and t••en this Examinate fell downe upon his knees and said, my Lord and God I thanke you. The said Spirit at that

time brought with him two other Spirits, for shape, bignesse, & colour, the one like a white Cat, the other like a grey Coney: and while this Examinate was upon his knees, the Beare Spirit spake to him, saying, you must worship these two Spirits as you worship me, and take them for your Gods also: then this Exami∣nate directed his bodie towards them, and call'd them his Lords and Gods. Then the Beare Spirit told him that when he dyed he must have his soule, whereunto this Examinate yielded. Hee told him then also that they must suck of his body, to which this Examinate also yielded, but they did not sucke at that time. The Beare Spirit promised him that he should never want victualls. The Cat Spirit that it would hurt cattel when he would desire it. And the Coney-like Spirit that it would hurt men when he desi∣red. The bear spirit told him that it must have some of his blood wherewith to seale the Covenant, whereunto this Examinate yeelded, and then the beare Spirit leapt upon his shoulder, and prickt him on the head, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thence tooke blood: and after thus doing, the said three spirits vanisht away. The next day a∣bout noone, the said Spirits came to him while hee was in the field, and told him they were come to suck of his body, to which he yielded, and they suckt his body at the places where the marks are found, and from that time to this, they have come constantly to him once every 24. hours, sometimes by day, and most com∣monly by night. And being demanded what mischiefe he caused any of the said Spirits to do, he answered never any, onely hee sent his beare Spirit to provoke the Maid-servant of Mr. Say of Molmesworth to steale victualls for him out of her Masters house, which she did, and this Examinate received the same.

The marke of

• ...John Winnicke.
• ROE. BERNARD.