The examination of Bridget Bishop before the Worshipfull 
John Harthon and Jonathan Curren esq'rs

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Bridget Bishop being now comeing in to be examined relating 
to her accusation of suspicon of sundry acts of witchcrafts the 
afflicted persons are now dreadfully afflicted by her as they doe 
say

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( m'r Harthon ) Bishop what doe you say you here stand charged 
with sundry acts of witchcraft by you done or commited upon the 
bodyes of mercy Lews and An Putnum and others

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( Bushop ) I am innocent I know nothing of it I have done no 
witchcraft

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( m'r Har ) Looke upon this woman and see if this be the woman 
that you have seen hurting you mercy Lewes and An Putnum and 
others doe doe now charge her to her face with hurting of them

M'r Harthon ) what doe you say now you see they charge you to 
your face

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( Bish ) I never did hurt them in my life I did never see these 
persons before I am as innocent as the child unborn

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( m'r Harth ) is not your coate cut

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( Bish ) answers no but her garment being Looked upon they find 
it cut or toren two wayes Jonathan walcoate saith that the sword 
that he strucke at goo#o]de Bishop with was not naked but was within 
the scabberd so that the rent may very probablie be the very same 
that mary walcoate #[tell] did tell that shee had in her coate by Jonathans
 stricking at her apperance

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The afflicted persons charge her, with having hurt them 
many wayes and by tempting them to sine to the devils Booke at which 
charge shee seemed to be very angrie and shaking her head at them 
saying it was false they are all greatly tormented (as I conceive) by 
the shaking of her head

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( m'r Har ) good Bishop what contract have you made with the 
devill

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( Bish ). I have made no contract with the devill I never saw him in 
my life. An Putnam sayeth that shee calls the devill her God

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( M'r Har ) what say you to all this that you are charged with can 
you not find in your []art to tell the truth

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( Bish ) I doe tell the truth I never hurt these persons in y life 
I never saw them before.

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(mercy Lewes) oh goode Bishop did you not come to our house 
the Last night and did you not tell me that your master made you 
tell more then you were willing to tell

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( m'r Har ) tell us the truth in this matter how comes these persons 
to be thus tormented and to charge you with doing

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( Bish ) I am not come here to say I am a witch to take away my 
life

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( m'r H ) who is it that doth it if you doe not they say it is your 
likenes that comes and torments them and tempts them to write in 
the booke what Booke is that you tempt them with.

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( Bish ) I know nothing of it I am innocent.

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( m'r Harth ) doe you not see how they are tormented you are 
acting witchcraft before us what doe you say to this why have you 
not an heart to confese the truth

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( Bsh ) I am innocent I know nothing of it I am no witch I know 
not what a witch is.

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( m'r H ) have you not given consent that some evill spirit should 
doe this in your likenes.

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( B ) no I am innocent of being a witch I know no man woman or 
child here

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( Marshall Herrik ) how came you into my bedchamber one 
morning then and asked me whither I had any curtains to sell shee 
is by some of the afflicted persons charged with murder

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( m'r Harth ) what doe you say to these murders you are charged 
with

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(B) I am innocent I know nothing of it

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now shee lifts up her eyes and they are greatly tormented [again]

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( m'r Har ) what doe you say to these things here horrible acts of 
witch craft

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( Bish ) I know nothing of it I doe not know whither be any 
witches or no

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( m'r Har ) no have you not heard that some have confessed.

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( Bish ) no I did not. two men told her to her face that they had 
told her here shee is taken in a plain lie now shee is going away they 
are dreadfully afflicted 5 afflicted persons doe charge this woman to 
be the very woman that hurts them is a true account of what I have

taken down at her examina- tion according to best understanding and

observation I have also in her examination taken notice that all her

actions [ ]e great influence upon the afflicted persons and that have

ben tortered by her

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*Ezekiel Cheever. 

(Reverse) Examinacon ag't B B
Bishop