This anecdote is related in the Brit. Biogr. vol. 7. and more at large in some other biographical works.
[747a] See Beauties of Engl. Vol. 7.
[747b] The above trial before lord chief justice Holt, is said to have been the last, but its date we cannot discover.
[749] The cart was overturned on the 5th of May, 1808. On the following Sunday Evening, the 8th of the same month, as the minister of the parish informs us, “a considerable number of people assembled together, as it grew dark, and taking with them the young women ridiculously supposed to be bewitched, about ten o’clock proceeded to the house of Wright Izzard, which stands alone at some distance from the body of the village. When they arrived at this solitary spot, so favourable for the execution of their villanous designs, they broke into the poor man’s house, dragged his wife out of bed, and threw her naked into the yard; where her arms were torn with pins, her head was dabbed against the large stones of the causeway—and her face, stomach, and breast were severely bruised with a thick stick that served as a bar to the door. Having thus satisfied themselves, the mob dispersed. The woman then crawled into her house, put on her clothes and went to the constable, who said, he could not protect her, because he was not sworn.” The humanity, protection, and assistance which she could not find at the constable’s very happily for herself she found under the roof of a poor widow; who unlocked her door at the first call, wrapped up her neighbour’s bleeding arms with the nicest linen rags she had, affectionately sympathized with and comforted her, and gave her a bed. But, horrible to relate! the compassion and kindness of this poor woman, were the means of shortening her days. “The protectors of a witch are just as bad as the witch, and deserve the same treatment!” cried the infatuated and savage populace, the next morning. This so affected and terrified the poor companionate widow that she actually died soon after.—The next evening, that of Monday the 9th of May, Ann Izzard was a second time dragged out of her house, when her arms were again torn with pins till they streamed afresh with blood. Alive the next morning, and apparently likely to survive this attack also, her enemies resolved to have her ducked, as soon as the labour of the day was over. On hearing this, she hastily quitted her home, and took refuge in the house of the minister of the parish; where the vile wretches durst not follow her.—The worthy clergyman, for taking her part, and becoming her protector, lost the good opinion, and incurred the detestation of a great part of his parishioners; and if he and his friends had not had recourse to the strong arm of the law it is impossible to say where the madness would have ended.—See Preface to a sermon against Witchcraft, preached in the parish church of Great Paxton, July 17. 1808. By the rev. J. Nicholson, curate of that parish.
[751] Of these occurrences, one relates to a certain farmer, not far off, with his neighbours, and a cunning man whom he went to consult on an interesting occasion.—It was intended to relate it somewhat circumstantially, as it proves the general belief in Witchcraft which still prevails among our country people: but for certain reasons, needless here to mention, we refrain for the present.—Another of those occurrences appertains to the town, and to such of its inhabitants who profess to think most freely for themselves, and to search most diligently after truth.—How little these good people have yet got beyond their blind and boorish country neighbours in some important points of doctrine, and how unlikely they are at present ever to make much progress in scriptural or religious knowledge, will appear from the mighty offence or alarm which many of them are said to have taken at a late attempt of one of their ministers to correct some of their absurd and stupid notions relating to the devil. Among these devout alarmists, or rather at their head, are said to be the revd. S. N. and the revd. I. A. two gentlemen of about equal respectability, as well as equal profoundness of understanding. But why need we to wonder at any thing of the kind at Lynn?—it is not very long ago since some of these very people took upon them to pronounce a certain case of insanity to be verily a case of diabolical possession: and as they thought the demon to be of that kind that would not go out but by prayer and fasting, they actually kept praying and fasting meetings for the express purpose of dislodging the foul fiend!—But these follies may, perhaps, be more properly castigated when we come to exhibit the present state of the town. We will therefore defer, till then, the final execution of the business. But it is really most disgusting to think, after the millions this nation pays annually to its moral and religious instructors, how ignorant the greatest part of the people still are. Most of these instructors must either be ignorant themselves, or desirous that the people should continue so. In either case, it is a shameful consideration.—With ten or twelve thousand pastors of our national church, and two rich and famous universities, nurseries of new pastors, all maintained at an annual expense, perhaps, of no less than ten millions sterling: (not to mention the numerous pastors and teachers belonging to all our other sects, maintained also at no small expense,)—with all these, we will venture to say, our country ought to be much better taught, and in a far more enlightened state than it now is. But while our pastors and teachers are either too ignorant to enlighten the people, or influenced by hypocrisy, fear, or worldly policy, so as to be loth to disturb the minds or offend their bigoted hearers, by attacking their favourite errors and endeavouring to undeceive them, there seems but little chance of our ever getting much further informed or enlightened.
[759a] It was a perfect Helter Skelter, no doubt; but it was well it passed so harmlessly.
[759b] In the same MS. it is added, that “a night or two before the surrender, most of the powder and shott were conveyed away by some of the town”—It was well, the commissioners of the besieging army, at the ensuing treaty, did not know of this, or they would probably have imposed upon the town much harder terms.
[760a] Rushworth.
[760b] Page 182.
[762a] Those sufferings, as to loss of lives, seem to have been inconsiderable: even during the siege we hear of but four of the townsmen killed, and a few wounded. They made not many sallies, nor did they wait till the town was stormed, or the case might have been very different. We have seen no account of the loss of the besiegers.