“Who next?—­Goody Cloyse.

     “But who hurt you next?—­Goody Procter.

     “What did she do to you?—­She choked me, and brought the
     book.

     “How oft did she come to torment you?—­A good many times,
     she and Goody Cloyse.

     “Do they come to you in the night, as well as the day?—­They
     come most in the day.

     “Who?—­Goody Cloyse and Goody Procter.

     “Where did she take hold of you?—­Upon my throat, to stop my
     breath.

     “Do you know Goody Cloyse and Goody Procter?—­Yes:  here is
     Goody Cloyse.”

We may well suppose that these two respectable women must have been filled with indignation, shocked, and amazed at the statements made by the Indian, following the leading interrogatories of the Court.  Sarah Cloyse broke out, “When did I hurt thee?” He answered, “A great many times.”  She exclaimed, “Oh, you are a grievous liar!” The Court proceeded with their questions:—­

     “What did this Goody Cloyse do to you?—­She pinched and bit
     me till the blood came.

     “How long since this woman came and hurt you?—­Yesterday, at
     meeting.

     “At any time before?—­Yes:  a great many times.”

Having drawn out John Indian, the Court turned to the other afflicted ones:—­

     “Mary Walcot, who hurts you?—­Goody Cloyse.

     “What did she do to you?—­She hurt me.

     “Did she bring the book?—­Yes.

     “What was you to do with it?—­To touch it, and be well.

     “(Then she fell into a fit.)”

This put a stop to the examination for a time; but it was generally quite easy to bring witnesses out of a fit, and restore entire calmness of mind.  All that was necessary was to lift them up, and carry them to the accused person, the touch of any part of whose body would, in an instant, relieve the sufferer.  This having been done, the examination proceeded:—­

     “Doth she come alone?—­Sometimes alone, and sometimes in
     company with Goody Nurse and Goody Corey, and a great many I
     do not know.

     “(Then she fell into a fit again.)”

She was, probably, restored in the same way as before; but, her part being finished for that stage of the proceeding, another of the afflicted children took the stand:—­

     “Abigail Williams, did you see a company at Mr. Parris’s
     house eat and drink?—­Yes, sir:  that was in the sacrament.”

I would call attention to the form of the foregoing questions.  Hutchinson says that “Mr. Parris was over-officious:  most of the examinations, although in the presence of one or more magistrates, were taken by him.”  He put the questions.  They show, on this occasion, a minute knowledge beforehand of what the witnesses are to say, which it cannot be supposed Danforth, Russell, Addington, Appleton, and Sewall, strangers, as they were, to the place and the details of the affair, could have had.  The examination proceeded:—­