“The Examination of Martha Corey.

     “Mr. HATHORNE:  You are now in the hands of
     authority.  Tell me, now, why you hurt these persons.—­I do
     not.

     “Who doth?—­Pray, give me leave to go to prayer.

     “(This request was made sundry times.)

     “We do not send for you to go to prayer; but tell me why you
     hurt these.—­I am an innocent person.  I never had to do with
     witchcraft since I was born.  I am a gospel woman.

     “Do not you see these complain of you?—­The Lord open the
     eyes of the magistrates and ministers:  the Lord show his
     power to discover the guilty.

     “Tell us who hurts these children.—­I do not know.

     “If you be guilty of this fact, do you think you can hide
     it?—­The Lord knows.

     “Well, tell us what you know of this matter.—­Why, I am a
     gospel woman; and do you think I can have to do with
     witchcraft too?

     “How could you tell, then, that the child was bid to
     observe what clothes you wore, when some came to speak with
     you?

     “(Cheever interrupted her, and bid her not begin with a lie;
     and so Edward Putnam declared the matter.)

     “Mr. HATHORNE:  Who told you that?—­He said the
     child said.

     “CHEEVER:  You speak falsely.

     “(Then Edward Putnam read again.)

     “Mr. HATHORNE:  Why did you ask if the child told
     what clothes you wore?—­My husband told me the others told.

     “Who told you about the clothes?  Why did you ask that
     question?—­Because I heard the children told what clothes
     the others wore.

     “Goodman Corey, did you tell her?

     “(The old man denied that he told her so.)

     “Did you not say your husband told you so?

     “(No answer.)

     “Who hurts these children?  Now look upon them.—­I cannot
     help it.

     “Did you not say you would tell the truth why you asked that
     question? how came you to the knowledge?—­I did but ask.

     “You dare thus to lie in all this assembly.  You are now
     before authority.  I expect the truth:  you promised it.  Speak
     now, and tell who told you what clothes.—­Nobody.

     “How came you to know that the children would be examined
     what clothes you wore?—­Because I thought the child was
     wiser than anybody if she knew.

     “Give an answer:  you said your husband told you.—­He told me
     the children said I afflicted them.

“How do you know what they came for?  Answer me this truly:  will you say how you came to know what they came for?—­I had heard speech that the children said I troubled them, and I thought that they might come to examine.

     “But how did you know it?—­I thought they did.