Chapter 29
III. It has been a frequent thing for the Bewitched People to be
entertained with Apparitions of _Ghosts_ of Murdered People, at the same time that the _Spectres_ of the Witches trouble them. These Ghosts do always affright the Beholders more than all the other spectral Representations; and when they exhibit themselves, they cry out, of being Murdered by the Witchcrafts or other Violences of the Persons who are then in Spectre present. It is further considerable, that once or twice, these _Apparitions_ have been seen by others, at the very same time that they have shewn themselves to the Bewitched; and seldom have there been these _Apparitions_, but when something unusual or suspected, have attended the Death of the Party thus Appearing. Some that have been accused by these _Apparitions_ accosting of the Bewitched People, who had never heard a word of any such Persons ever being in the World, have upon a fair Examination, freely and fully confessed the Murthers of those very Persons, altho these also did not know how the Apparitions had complained of them. Accordingly several of the Bewitched, had given in their Testimony, that they had been troubled with the Apparitions of two Women, who said, that they were _G. B's_ two Wives, and that he had been the Death of them; and that the Magistrates must be told of it, before whom if _B._ upon his Tryal denied it, they did not know but that they should appear again in the Court. Now, _G. B._ had been Infamous for the Barbarous usage of his two late Wifes, all the Country over. Moreover, it was testified, the Spectre of _G. B._ threatning of the Sufferers, told them, he had Killed (besides others) Mrs. _Lawson_ and her Daughter _Ann_.[152] And it was noted, that these were the Vertuous Wife and Daughter of one at whom this _G. B._ might have a prejudice for his being serviceable at _Salem Village_, from whence himself had in ill Terms removed some Years before: And that when they dy'd, which was long since, there were some odd Circumstances about them, which made some of the Attendents there suspect something of Witchcraft, tho none Imagined from what Quarter it should come. Well, _G. B._ being now upon his Tryal, one of the Bewitched Persons was cast into Horror at the Ghost of _B's_ two Deceased Wives then appearing before him, and crying for _Vengeance_ against him. Hereupon seve[63]ral of the Bewitched Persons were successively called in, who all not knowing what the former had seen and said, concurred in their Horror of the Apparition, which they affirmed that he had before him. But he, tho much appalled, utterly deny'd that he discerned any thing of it; nor was it any part of his _Conviction_.
