RICHARD MOUNTAGUE—­Over the great river to Nabuck—­The mystery of the swarming bees

“Richard Mountague, aged 52 years, testifieth as followeth, that meeting with Goodwife Harrison in Weathersfield the saide Katherin Harrison saide that a swarm of her beese flew away over her neighbour Boreman’s lott and into the great meadow, and thence over the greate river to Nabuck side, but the said Katherin saide that shee had fetched them againe; this seemed very strange to the saide Richard, because this was acted in a little tyme and he did believe the said Katherin neither went nor used any lawful meanes to fetch the said beese as aforesaid.”  Dated the 13 of August, 1668.  Hadley, taken upon oath before us, Henry Clarke, Samuel Smith.  Exhibited in Court, October 29:  68, as attests John Allyn Secretry.

JOHN GRAVES—­Bucolic reflections—­The trespass on his neighbor’s “rowing”—­The cartrope adventure—­The runaway oxen

“John Graves aged about 39 years testifieth that formerly going to reap in the meadow at Wethersfield, his land he was to work on lay near to John Harrison’s land.  It came into the thoughts of the said John Graves that the said John Harrison and Katherine his wife being rumored to be suspicious of witchcraft, therefore he would graze his cattle on the rowing of the land of goodman Harrison, thinking that if the said Harrisons were witches then something would disturb the quiet feeding of the cattle.  He thereupon adventured and tied his oxen to his cart rope, one to one end and the other to the other end, making the oxen surely fast as he could, tieing 3 or 4 fast knots at each end, and tying his yoke to the cartrope about the middle of the rope between the oxen; and himself went about 10 or 12 pole distant, to see if the cattle would quietly feed as in other places.  The cattle stood staring and fed not, and looking stedfastly on them he saw the cartrope of its own accord untie and fall to the ground; thereupon he went and tied the rope more fast and more knots in it and stood apart as before to see the issue.  In a little time the oxen as affrighted fell to running, and ran with such violence that he judgeth that the force and speed of their running made the yoke so tied fly above six foot high to his best discerning.  The cattle were used ordinarily before to be so tied and fed—­in other places, & presently after being so tied on other men’s ground they fed—­peaceably as at other times.”  Dated August, 1668.  Hadley; taken upon oath before us Henry Clarke, Samuel Smith.  Exhibited in court Oct. 29th, 1668, attests John Allyn, Sec.

JOANE FRANCIS—­The sick child—­The spectre

Joane Francis her testimony.  “About 4 years ago, about the beginning of November, in the night just before my child was struck ill, goodwife Harrison or her shape appeared, and I said, the Lord bless me and my child, here is goody Harrison.  And the child lying on the outside I took it and laid it between me and my husband.  The child continued strangely ill about three weeks, wanting a day, and then died, had fits.  We felt a thing run along the sides or side like a whetstone.  Robert Francis saith he remembers his wife said that night the child was taken ill, the Lord bless me and my child, here is goody Harrison.”