472 A. EF. Verrili— The Bermuda Islands. 884 
“Wee the Grand Inquest, Taking into our consideration how it hath pleased 
God upon slight & slender ground being carefully followed upon one person for 
suspition of witchcraft, what good successe & yssues hath followed upon it, 
Therefore wee desire that All such persons as wee have hereunder mentioned 
may have some careful eyes cast upon them, soe that if it shall please our God 
to discover more of them they may be persued after and proceeded agaynst 
until, as David saith, wee have cut of wicked doers from off this Island.” May, 
1653. 
5. Trial of Elisabeth Page, 1654. 
The following persons, tried for witchcraft, were two passengers 
on the ‘“‘ Mayflower,” whose captain stated that “hee did vehemently 
suspect them to be witches.” They were both tried at one session 
of the court, Jan., 1654, but with very different results. The evi- 
dence was equally worthless and absurd in both cases, but the jury 
of women could find no moles on the body of the first one, and to 
that fact she undoubtedly owed her life. 
‘*Charles Hancocke being sworne” ‘‘Saith that he being at the helme, Eliza- 
beth Page had her finger over the compas, And yt ran round from North to South, 
And turned backe againe, And said that any woman that was wth child may 
make yt doe soe, And about 3 days after she told him that she had a steele 
needle about her that caused yt, yet other being present she s’d, do you not see 
how it runs, and further saith not.” (Signed) CHARLES HANCOCKE. 
The jury of women appointed to search her body found no moles. 
Their report was as follows : ; 
““Who doe all affirm upon their oathes that they find not any marke or spotts 
or signes which may move them to judge Elizabeth Page to be a witch, only 
something more than ordinary (in a certain place,” 
““The Grand Inquest, 14 names. The Jury for life & death, 12 names. 
‘“Wee the grand Inquest do present Elizabeth Page, being a passenger in the 
good shipp called the Mayflower, for that she not having the fear of God before 
her eyes wickedly and felloneously consulted & covenanted with the devill con- 
trary to nature & to the law of God and man, And contrary to the peece of the 
comonwealth of England and the dignity thereof.” 
‘“To which Indictment Elizabeth Page pleaded not guilty &c., and for her 
triall put herselfe upon God & the country weh country being 12 sworne men, 
found her not Guilty and was quitt by proclamation.” 
6. Trial of Jane Hopkins, 1654. 
‘The attestation of Jeames Man before the grand Inquest the 8rd of January, 
1655.” 
‘“Who sworne saith that he being in the caben wth Jane Hopkins, she, said 
Jane, wished that God might showe some signe whether she was a witch or not, 
and emediately there was a thing in the likenes of a ratt appeared unto them 
& further saith not.” (Signed) JEAMES MAN. 
