It was necessary for the safety of the accusers and prosecutors to prevent a revulsion of the public mind, or even the least diminution of the popular violence against the supposed witches.  As they all protested their innocence to the moment of death, and exhibited a remarkably Christian deportment throughout the dreadful scenes they were called to encounter from their arrest to their execution, there was reason to apprehend that the people would gradually be led to feel a sympathy for them, if not to entertain doubts of their guilt.  To prevent this, and remove any impressions favorable to them that might be made by the conduct and declarations of the convicts, the prosecutors were on the alert.  After the prisoners had been swung off, on the 22d of September, “turning him to the bodies, Mr. Noyes said, ’What a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of hell hanging there!’” It was the last time his eyes were regaled by such a sight.  There were no more executions on Witch Hill.

Three days before, a life had been taken by the officers of the law in a manner so extraordinary, and marked by features so shocking, that they find no parallel in the annals of America, and will continue to arrest for ever the notice of mankind.  The history and character of old Giles Corey have been given in preceding parts of this work.  The only papers relating to him, on file as having been sworn to before the Grand Jury, are a few brief depositions.  If he had been put on trial, we might have had more.  Elizabeth Woodwell testifies, that “she saw Giles Corey at meeting at Salem on a lecture-day, since he has been in prison.  He or his apparition came in, and sat in the middlemost seat of the men’s seats, by the post.  This was the lecture-day before Bridget Bishop was hanged.  And I saw him come out with the rest of the people.”  Mary Walcot, of course, swore to the same.  And Mary Warren swore that Corey was hostile to her and afflicted her, because he thought she “caused her master (John Procter) to ask more for a piece of meadow than he (Corey) was willing to give.”  She also charged him with “afflicting of her” by his spectre while he was in prison, and “described him in all his garments, both of hat, coat, and the color of them,—­with a cord about his waist and a white cap on his head, and in chains.”  There is reason to believe, that, while in prison, he experienced great distress of mind.  Although he had been a rough character in earlier life, and given occasion to much scandal by his disregard of public opinion, he always exhibited symptoms of a generous and sensitive nature.  His foolish conduct in becoming so passionately engaged in the witchcraft proceedings, at their earliest stage, as to be incensed against his wife because she did not approve of or believe in them, and which led him to utter sentiments and expressions that had been used against her; and so far yielding to the accusers as to allow them to get from him the deposition, which, while it failed