The Witches of Northamptonshire

[This mise]rable man original: "rable man"; likely "miserable" based on the preceding page's context lying in prison from the 29th day of May to the 22nd of July following, many people visited him, urging him to leave off all pretense original: "colour" and hypocrisy, and not to allow his conscience to lie to his own tongue. Instead, they urged him to clear his heart and his thoughts before the Majesty of Him to whom no secrets are hidden, so that the world might be a witness of his confession and regret, praying with him and for him. For although he had wandered and gone astray, he might by his true repentance and their sincere prayers be brought back to the fold again.

But his conscience being hardened original: "seared" and his heart steeled, he could receive no impression, but stood like an image of adamant original: "Adamant"; a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness, often identified with diamond or magnets, easier to be broken into pieces than to be pierced. In this stubbornness of mind and spirit, he continued until the Assizes Assizes were periodic courts held around England and Wales for civil and criminal cases. There, being arraigned for several crimes committed, but especially for the murder of the said Martha Aspine—contrary to the peace of our Sovereign Lord the King, his Crown, and dignity—he pleaded "not guilty" to them all. Putting himself upon the country To "put oneself upon the country" was the legal term for requesting a trial by a jury of one's peers, he was by them found guilty.

Upon the verdict of the jury, his countenance changed, and he cried out that he had now found the Law to have a power above Justice, because it had condemned an innocent man.

It seems to me that these vile spirits—which these witches have at their command, and which by their employment are permitted to have power to hurt the bodies of others—have an even greater power over those who set them to work. For they do not only feed upon them, partaking of the blood of human flesh...