Chief-justice Stoughton appears to have kept his mind chained to his dogma to the last.  It rendered him wholly incapable of opening his eyes to the light of truth.  He held on to spectral evidence, and his corollary from it, when everybody else had abandoned both.  He would not admit that he, or any one concerned, had been in error.  He never could bear to hear any persons express penitence or regret for the part they had taken in the proceedings.  When the public delusion had so far subsided that it became difficult to procure the execution of a witch, he was disturbed and incensed to such a degree that he abandoned his seat on the bench.  During a session of the Court at Charlestown, in January, 1692-3, “word was brought in, that a reprieve was sent to Salem, and had prevented the execution of seven of those that were there condemned, which so moved the chief judge that he said to this effect:  ’We were in a way to have cleared the land of them; who it is that obstructs the cause of justice, I know not:  the Lord be merciful to the country!’ and so went off the bench, and came no more into that Court.”

I have spoken of the judges as appearing to be infatuated, not on account of the opinions they held on the subject of witchcraft, for these were the opinions of their age; nor from the peculiar doctrine their chief enforced upon them, for that was entertained by many, and, as a mere theory, was perhaps as logically deducible from the prevalent doctrines as any other.  Their infatuation consisted in not having eyes to see, or ears to hear, evidences continually occurring of the untruthful arts and tricks of the afflicted children, of their cunning evasions, and, in some instances, palpable falsehoods.  Then, further, there was solid and substantial evidence before them that ought to have made them pause and consider, if not doubt and disbelieve.  We find the following paper among the files:—­

THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN PUTNAM, SR., AND REBECCA HIS WIFE, saith that our son-in-law John Fuller, and our daughter Rebecca Shepard, did both of them die a most violent death (and died acting very strangely at the time of their death); further saith, that we did judge then that they both died of a malignant fever, and had no suspicion of withcraft [Transcriber’s Note:  so in original] of any, neither can we accuse the prisoner at the bar of any such thing.”

When we recall the testimony of Ann Putnam the mother, and find that the afflicted generally charged the death of the above-named persons upon the shape of Rebecca Nurse, we perceive how absolutely Captain John Putnam and his wife discredit their testimony.  The opinion of the father and mother of Fuller and Shepard ought to have had weight with the Court.  They were persons of the highest standing, and of recognized intelligence and judgment.  They were old church-members, and eminently orthodox in all their sentiments.  They were the heads of a great family.  He had represented the town in the General