We copy first Ezekiel Cheever’s account of her examination. Cheever was temporary clerk or scribe employed by the examining magistrates to take minutes of the testimony.
“‘Sarah Good, what evil spirit have you familiarity with?’ Ans. ‘None.’ ‘Have you made no contract with the devil?’ Good answered, ‘No.’ ‘Why do you hurt these children?’ Ans. ‘I do not hurt them. I scorn it.’ ‘Who do you employ, then, to do it?’ Ans. ‘I employ nobody.’”
This question was doubtless based on belief then held, that one who was in covenant with the devil had, by the terms of the covenant, received power to command the devil and his imps to execute any desired mischief.
“‘What creature do you employ, then?’ Ans. ‘No creature, but I am falsely accused.’”
Her statement that she employed nobody, seems not to have covered all classes of possible servants in such business. Therefore she was asked what creature she employed. This question suggests the probable supposition by the magistrate that such dogs, cats, birds, and hairy nondescripts as Tituba saw, might be subservient to the commands of a witch.
“‘Why did you go away muttering from Mr. Parris’s house?’ Ans. ‘I did not mutter; but I thanked him for what he gave my child.’ ‘Have you made no contract with the devil?’ Ans. ‘No.’”
The magistrate then “desired the children, all of them, to look upon her and see if this were the person that had hurt them; and so they all did look upon her, and said that this was one of the persons that did torment them. Presently they were all tormented.”
“‘Sarah Good, do you not see now what you have done? Why do you not tell us the truth? Why do you thus torment these poor children?’ Ans. ‘I do not torment them.’ ‘Who do you employ, then?’ Ans. ‘I employ nobody. I scorn it.’ ‘How came they thus tormented?’ Ans. ‘What do I know? You bring others here, and now you charge me with it.’ ‘Why, who was it?’ Ans. ‘I do not know but it was some you brought into the meeting-house with you.’ Response. ‘We brought you into the meeting-house.’ Reply. ‘But you brought in two more.’ ‘Who was it, then, that tormented the children?’ Ans. ‘It was Osburn.’ ‘What is it you say when you go muttering away from persons’ houses?’ Ans. ‘If I must tell, I will tell.’ ‘Do tell us then.’ Reply. ‘If I must tell, I will tell. It is the commandments. I may say my commandments, I hope.’ ‘What commandment is it?’ Ans. ‘If I must tell, I will. It is a psalm.’ ‘What psalm?’ Statement by reporter. ‘After a long time she muttered over some part of a psalm.’ ‘Who do you serve?’ Ans. ‘I serve God.’ ‘What God do you serve?’ Ans. ‘The God that made heaven and earth.’”
Comments by the reporter. “She was not willing to mention the word God. Her answers were in a very wicked, spiteful manner, reflecting and retorting against the authority with base and abusing words, and many lies she was taken in. It was here said that her husband had said that he was afraid that she either was a witch or would be one very quickly. The worshipful Mr. Hathorne asked him his reason why he said so of her; whether he had seen anything by her. He answered, no, not in this nature; but it was her bad carriage to him; and indeed, said he, I may say with tears that she is an enemy to all good.”
Reason for asking the children to look upon the accused, Cheever says, was, that they might “see if this was the person that hurt them.” That statement fails to cover the whole ground. According to Cotton Mather, belief then prevailed that “when the party suspected looks on the parties supposed to be bewitched, and they are thereupon struck down into a fit ... it is a proof that the accused is a witch in covenant with the devil.”