they had undertaken to describe the clothes she then wore.  They answered that they had not, and proceeded to repeat what Ann Putnam had said to them about her blinding her so that she could not see her clothes.  At this she smiled, no doubt at Ann’s cunning artifice to escape having to say what dress she then had on.  She declared to the two brethren, that “she did not think that there were any witches.”  After considerable talk, in which they did not get much to further their purpose, they took their leave.  The account of this interview, given by Putnam and Cheever, indicates that Martha Corey was a sensible, enlightened, and sprightly woman, perfectly free from the delusion of the day, courteous in her manners and bearing, and a Christian, well grounded in Scripture.

The two brethren returned forthwith to Thomas Putnam’s house.  Ann told them that Goody Corey had not troubled her, nor her spectre appeared, in their absence.  She was not inclined to afford them an opportunity to apply the test of the dress.  Both the women showed great acuteness and caution.  As Corey expected the visit, and had heard that the girls pretended to be able to say what dress persons were wearing, she probably had attired herself in an unusual way on the occasion, to put them at fault, and expose the falseness of their claims to preternatural knowledge; and Ann Putnam—­her sagacity suggesting the risk she was running in the matter of Corey’s dress—­took refuge in the pretence of blindness.  The brethren were too much under delusion to see through the sharp practice of both of them, but considered the fact of Corey’s inquiring of them whether Ann described her dress, as, under the circumstances, proof positive against the former.

Wishing to make assurance doubly sure, and to fasten the charge upon Martha Corey, the managers of the affair sent for her to come to the house of Thomas Putnam two days after this conference.  Edward Putnam was present, and testified that his niece Ann, immediately upon the entrance of Goodwife Corey, experienced the most dreadful convulsions and tortures and distinctly and positively declared that Corey was the author of her sufferings.  This was regarded as conclusive evidence; and, on the 19th of March, a warrant was issued for her arrest.  She was brought to the house of Nathaniel Ingersoll, on Monday the 21st; and the following is the account of her examination, in the handwriting of Mr. Parris.  The proceedings took place in the meeting-house at the village.  They were introduced by a prayer from the Rev. Nicholas Noyes.  On some of these occasions Mr. Hale and perhaps others, but usually Mr. Noyes or Mr. Parris officiated.  We may suppose, from what we know of their general deportment in connection with these scenes, that their performances, under the cover of a devotional exercise, expressed and enforced a decided prejudgment of the case in hand against the prisoners, and partook of the character of indictments as much as of prayers.