164 Witchcraft in Wiiltshire. 
woman was ignorantly a Witch, acting by a precedent contract, which might be 
unknowne to her. The last, and such as deserve the highest punishments, are 
those who are entered into an explicitt contract with some uncleane spirits, and 
have had knowingly and willingly conference with such spirits, and are taught 
by those spirits to hurt man or beast; if beasts are hurt by Witchcraft, and the 
author proved to. be so, it is pilloring in 4 townes of the county, and actionable 
at law, for the first offence: but if any of the King’s subjects be by those means 
kill’d, maym’d, or pyned, it is felony, without benefit of Clergy, for the first 
offence, and this is the charge against Peacock, Tilling, and Witchell. But I 
see not cleer evidence against Peacock or Witchell. The boyes information I 
think should have little streese put on it, for eyther he is an imposter, or indeed 
he is agitated by some foreigne or external power. If he imposes on us who 
are antient and should be prudent, it will be our perpetuall shame, that a boy of 
12 years old should not be discovered to impose on us; but if his fitts are not 
fayned, they must be effected by some spiritual foreigne power, and that power 
must be of light or darkness; that it is not of light, is as clear as he speaks in 
another tone and other words then hee was ever heard to speeke, when he was or 
is well; hee reviles his father and mother, swears and curses and blasphemes 
God, which he was never observed to doe formerly ; which deportment shows by 
whom hee is actuated; and truly if in such fitts he accuses any person I think 
hee is not greatly to be heeded, for as much as those murderers are likelyer to 
destroy the innoceut than their own confederates the nocent. As for Ann 
Tilling’s evidence against herselfe, Peacock, and Witchell, it may, for ought I 
yet see, bee a confederacy with the boyes parents, who are sayd to be ever good 
to her, to bring in Peacocke and Witchell, who are women of very bad fame, and 
terrible to the people. Peacocke having been lately acquitted at Salisbury upon 
a trial for Witchcraft, and proceeding boldly since as is sayd upon confidence, 
nobody will eyther be at the charge to prosecute her, or run the hazard of 
her revenge, if shee shall be acquitted, or of her confederates, if she is found 
guilty, except such a person as this Mr. Webb is reported to be, for him I doe 
not know there. I would persuade that the boy be very well observed ; and 
Tilling examined at several times, and with prudence, to observe whether she 
alters her confession or information.’ 
“The Alderman and the three other Justices approved what the last-come 
Justice had proposed, and desired him earnestly to propose some methode for 
their proceeding. Hee sayd his opinion was, that the eleven persons then in 
custody should be set at liberty, and that Pocock, Witchell, and Tilling should 
be retayned in restraint, but by no means to be ill used, or any tryals made on 
their persons, as had been so usual in the lately passed times; and alsoe hee 
thought it might be a safe course for the Justices to send immediately for 2 or 
more of the ablest Divines in those parts, to confer with Tilling and the other 2.” 
Dr. Straton is no doubt right in his assertion that the belief in 
witchcraft has died out—or almost died out—in Wiltshire ; certainly 
it has in the north of the county, where we are stolid unimaginative 
people, with very small tincture of either poetry, romance, or super- 
stition in our natures, and doubtless in comparison with many other 
