The displaying of supposed witchcraft

by John Webster

1. That this is the full and punctual relation of this bloody and execrable murder from Haworths Wife (who then was a very old Woman) and the Son, and differs not a jot from what Sir Richard Baker writes, but only they say his brains were dashed out with an Axe, and he saith he was strangled, which is only a circumstance of the manner, but in the matter they both agree, that it was a certain truth that Waters was murdered, and Sir Richard Bakers information might fail in that particular of the manner of it. And if it be thought strange that the two little Children did know nothing of it, it is certain that they were much too young, and said that they were twins, not above half a year old. But the only matter that we have brought it for, is the extraordinary way of its discovery by Thomas Haworths dreaming, in which point both the relations closely agree, and was the chief and only reason why Sir Richard Baker put it in his Chronicle. And the same also more at large Stow hath recorded in his Chronicle. Now what should the cause be that Thomas Haworth should be hindred of his sleep, and have restless dreams, and that his dream should hit so punctually of the place where he was buried, more than any other person in the same Town? certainly it cannot be referred to fortune and chance, for they have no causality at all, and are but only names that we impose upon certain effects and accidents: Te facimus fortuna Deum, cœloq; locamus, as said the Poet. Neither can it rationally be thought to be melancholy, because that though it be a subtil humour, and render those that are affected therewith very imaginative and thoughtful, yet supposing Thomas Haworth to be of that temperament and disposition, it might make him more deeply to think and meditate upon the rumour of Waters being awanting or upon suspicion of his murder, but could not in dreams inform him to know precisely the place where he was buried. And if some should imagine it to be the Soul of the murthered person Waters, as doubtless a Papist would be ready to affirm, yet is that opinion directly contrary to the Scriptures, and sufficiently confuted by the reformed Divines. And if it should be referred to the operation of the Astral or Sydereal spirit, that is an opinion but imbraced by few, and is hard to prove to be a certain verity, of which we shall speak largely anon. Neither can it by any sound reason be thought to be the Devil, because it is manifest that God doth not use the ministry of evil Angels for any good end, as for the discovery of murther, and the bringing of the guilty persons to condign punishment; but on the contrary he useth their service for to tempt, seduce, deceive, punish and torment. Therefore we conceive that it was brought to pass by the finger of God, who either immediately by himself, or by the ministry of a good Angel, did represent those dreams to Thomas Haworth, and revealed the precise place of Waters burial.

Hist. 3.

3. “About the year of our Lord 1623 or 24 one Fletcher of Rascal, a Town in the North Riding of Yorkshire near unto the Forest of Gantress, a Yeoman of good Estate, did marry a young lusty Woman from Thornton Brigs, who had been formerly kind with one Ralph Raynard, who kept an Inn within half a mile from Rascall in the high road way betwixt York and Thuske, his Sister living with him. This Raynard continued in unlawful lust with the said Fletchers Wife, who not content therewith conspired the death of Fletcher, one Mark Dunn being made privy and hired to assist in the murther. Which Raynard and Dunn accomplished upon the May-day by drowning Fletcher, as they came all three together from a Town called Huby, and acquainting the wife with the deed she gave them a Sack therein to convey his body, which they did and buried it in Raynards backside or Croft where an old Oak-root had been stubbed up, and sowed Mustard seed upon the place thereby to hide it. So they continued their wicked course of lust and drunkenness, and the neighbours did much wonder at Fletchers absence, but his wife did excuse it, and said that he was but gone aside for fear of some Writs being served upon him. And so it continued until about the seventh day of July, when Raynard going to Topcliffe Fair, and setting up his Horse in the Stable, the spirit of Fletcher in his usual shape and habit did appear unto him, and said, Oh Raph, repent, repent, for my revenge is at hand; and ever after until he was put in the Gaol, it seemed to stand before him, whereby he became sad and restless: And his own Sister over-hearing his confession and relation of it to another person, did through fear of losing her own life, immediately reveal it to Sir William Sheffield, who lived in Rascall, and was a Justice of Peace. Whereupon they were all three apprehended and sent to the Gaol at York, where they were all three condemned, and so executed accordingly near to the place where Raynard lived, and where Fletcher was buried, the two men being hung up in irons, and the woman buried under the Gallows.” I have recited this story punctually as a thing that hath been very much fixed in my memory, being then but young, and as a certain truth, I being (with many more) an ear-witness of their confessions and an eye-witness of their Executions, and likewise saw Fletcher when he was taken up, where they had buried him in his cloaths, which were a green fustian doublet pinkt upon white, gray breeches, and his walking boots and brass spurrs without rowels.

Observ.

Some will say there was no extrinsick apparition to Raynard at all, but that all this did only arise from the guilt of his own conscience, which represented the shape of Fletcher in his fancy. But then why was it precisely done at that time, and not at any others? it being far from the place of the murder, or the place where they had buried Fletcher, and nothing there that might bring it to his remembrance more than at another time, and if it had only arisen from within, and appeared so in his fancy, it had been more likely to have been moved, when he was in, or near his backside where the murthered body of Fletcher lay. But certain it is that he affirmed that it was the shape and voice of Fletcher, as assuredly to his eyes and ears, as ever he had seen or heard him in his life. And if it were granted that it was only intrinsick, yet that will not exclude the Divine Power, which doubtless at that time did labour to make him sensible of the cruel murther, and to mind him of the revenge approaching. And it could not be brought to pass either by the Devil, or Fletchers Soul, as we have proved before; and therefore in reason we conclude that either it was wrought by the Divine Power, to shew his detestation of murther, or that it was the Astral or Sydereal Spirit of Fletcher, seeking revenge for the murther, of which more anon.

Hist. 4.

4. About the year of our Lord 1632. (as near as I can remember having lost my notes, and the copy of the Letter to Serjeant Hutton, but am sure that I do most perfectly remember the substance of the story) near unto Chester in the street, there lived “one Walker a Yeoman-man of good Estate, and a Widower, who had a young Woman to his Kinswoman that kept his House, who was by the Neighbours suspected to be with child, and was towards the dark of the evening one night sent away with one Mark Sharp who was a Collier, or one that digged coals under ground, and one that had been born in Blakeburn Hundred in Lancashire, and so she was not heard of a long time, and no noise, or little was made about it. In the winter time after one James Graham or Grime (for so in that Country they call them) being a Miller, and living about two miles from the place where Walker lived, was one night alone very late in the Mill grinding Corn, and as about twelve or one a clock at night he came down the stairs from having been putting Corn in the Hopper, the Mill doors being shut, there stood a Woman upon the midst of the floor with her hair about her head, hanging down, and all bloody, with five large wounds in her head: He being much affrighted and amazed, begun to bless him, and at last asked her who she was, and what she wanted; to which she said, I am the Spirit of such a Woman, who lived with Walker, and being got with child by him, he promised me to send me to a private place, where I should be well lookt to until I was brought in bed, and well again, and then I should come again, and keep his house. And accordingly (said the apparition) I was one night late sent away with one Mark Sharp, who upon a Moor (naming a place that the Miller knew) slew me with a pick (such as men dig coals withal) and gave me these five wounds, and after threw my body into a coal-pit hard by; and hid the pick under a bank; and his shoos and stockings being bloody he endeavoured to wash, but seeing the blood would not wash forth he hid them there. And the apparition further told the Miller that he must be the Man to reveal it, or else that she must still appear, and haunt him. The Miller returned home very sad and heavy, but spoke not one word of what he had seen, but eschewed as much as he could to stay in the Mill within night without company, thinking thereby to escape the seeing again of that frightful apparition. But notwithstanding one night when it begun to be dark, the apparition met him again, and seemed very fierce and cruel, and threatned him that if he did not reveal the murder she would continually pursue and haunt him. Yet for all this he still concealed it, until S. Thomas Eve before Christmas, when being soon after Sunset walking in his Garden she appeared again, and then so threatened and affrighted him that he faithfully promised to reveal it next morning. In the morning he went to a Magistrate and made the whole matter known with all the circumstances, and diligent search being made, the body was found in a coal-pit, with five wounds in the head, and the pick and shooes and stockings yet bloody, in every circumstance as the apparition had related unto the Miller. Whereupon Walker and Mark Sharp were both apprehended, but would confess nothing. At the Assizes following (I think it was at Durham) they were arraigned, found guilty, condemned and executed, but I could never hear that they confessed the fact. There were some that reported that the apparition did appear to the Judge or the Foreman of the Jury, (who was alive in Chester in the street about ten years ago, as I have been credibly informed) but of that I know no certainty.” There are many persons yet alive that can remember this strange murder, and the discovery of it, for it was, and sometimes yet is as much discoursed of in the North Countrey as any thing that almost hath ever been heard of, and the relation printed, though now not to be gotten. I relate this with the greater confidence (though I may fail in some of the circumstances) because I saw and read the Letter that was sent to Serjeant Hutton, who then lived at Goldsbrugh in Yorkshire, from the Judge before whom Walker and Mark Sharp were tried, and by whom they were condemned, and had a Copy of it until about the year 1658. when I had it and many other books and papers taken from me.

Observ.

Rom. 11. 33.

And this I confess to be one of the most convincing stories (being of undoubted verity) that ever I read, heard or knew of, and carrieth with it the most evident force to make the most incredulous spirit, to be satisfied that there are really sometimes such things as apparitions. And though it be not easy to assign the true and proper cause of such a strange effect, yet must we not measure all things to be, or not to be, to be true or false, according to the extent of our understandings, for if there be many of the magnalia naturæ that yet lie hidden from the wisest of men, then much more may the magnalia Dei be unknown unto us, whose judgments are unsearchable, and his wayes past finding out. And as in the rest we cannot ascribe this strange apparition, to any diabolical operation, nor to the Soul of the Woman murthered, so we must conclude that either it was meerly wrought by the Divine Power, or by the Astral spirit of the murthered Woman, which last doth seem most rational, as we shall shew hereafter.