The point was now reached when the accusers could safely strike at higher game.  But time was taken to mature arrangements.  Great curiosity was felt to know who the other two were whom Tituba saw in connection with Good and Osburn in their hellish operations.  The girls continued to suffer torments and fall in fits, and were constantly urged by large numbers of people, going from house to house to witness their sufferings, to reveal who the witches were that still afflicted them.  When all was prepared, they began to cry out, with more or less distinctness; at first, in significant but general descriptions, and at last calling names.  The next victim was also well chosen.  An account has been given, in the First Part, of the notoriety which circumstances had attached to Giles Corey.  In 1691 he became a member of the church, being then (Vol.  I. p. 182) eighty years of age.  Four daughters, all probably by his first wife Margaret, the only children of whom there is any mention, were married to John Moulton, John Parker, and Henry Crosby, of Salem, and William Cleaves, of Beverly.  On the 11th of April, 1664, Corey was married to Mary Britt, who died, as appears by the inscription on her gravestone in the old Salem burial-ground, Aug. 27, 1684.  Martha was his third wife.  Her age is unknown.  It was entered on the record of the village church, at the time of her admission to it, April 27, 1690; but the figures are worn away from the edge of the page.  She was a very intelligent and devout person.

When the proceedings relating to witchcraft began, she did not approve of them, and expressed her want of faith in the “afflicted children.”  She discountenanced the whole affair, and would not follow the multitude to the examinations; but was said to have spoken freely of the course of the magistrates, saying that their eyes were blinded, and that she could open them.  It seemed to her clear that they were violating common sense and the Word of God, and she was confident that she could convince them of their errors.  Instead of falling into the delusion, she applied herself with renewed earnestness to keep her own mind under the influence of prayer, and spent more time in devotion than ever before.  Her husband, however, was completely carried away by the prevalent fanaticism, believed all he heard, and frequented the examinations and the exhibitions of the afflicted children.  This disagreement became quite serious.  Her preferring to stay at home, shunning the proceedings, and expressing her disapprobation of what was going on, caused an estrangement between them.  Her peculiar course created comment, in which he and two of his sons-in-law took part.  Some strong expressions were used by him, because she acted so strangely at variance with everybody else.  Her spending so much time on her knees in devotion was looked upon as a matter of suspicion.  It was said that she tried to prevent him from following up the examinations, and went so