THe said Abraham Vandenbemde with o­ther the said confederates (having laid a Plot to take away the life of Mrs. Anne Levingston, because the La­dy Powel had given her an estate which some of them expected) in December last repaired to one Jone Simpson, and proffered her 10 l. in hand, and 500 l. more in Hillary term following, if she would swear that Mrs. Levingston had used sorcery & withcrast to take away the Lady Powels life. And on the 10 of Jan. then following, one Anne Hook (who pretends her self to be a cunning woman) being imployed by the said confederates, did per­swade her thereunto, offering her six score pounds, and half the money which the said Vandenbemde and the said Cr [...]mp­ton were to give her and her husband for making their Affi­davits, if she would do the like. But the said Simpson ab­hominating so wicked a practice, to take away an innocent Gentlewomans life, discovered the Plot; for which conspi­racies of the said confederates, a speciall Supplicavit was granted out of Chancery, to bind them to the good beha­viour [Page 4] and other legal prosecutions are still depending a­gainst them. But the said confederates not resting there (in further prosecution of the Plot) did imploy the afore­said Hook, to procure witnesses to swear what they desired: who accordingly about January last came to the above-na­med Jone Peterson, at her house in Spruce Island near Wap­ping and there made offer of 100 l. to her, to swear, that the said Mrs. Levingston had received from her (the said Pe­terson) certain powders, and bags of seeds, to help her in her law suits, and to provoke unlawfull love (as the said Jone Peterson did affirm before her triall.) But she refusing to do the same, the said confederates to prevent the punish­ment, which justly and vnavoidably must have befallen them, in case the said Peterson should have revealed this their practice, as Simpson (before) had done the other, they lay a new design, to anticipate the same, as fol­loweth.

On the 7th of March last, the said confederates came to Wapping, and got a warrant from one Mr. Waterton a Justice of the Peace, to apprehend the said Petersons person, and to search her house for Images of Clay, Hair, & Nails, which accordingly they did; but upon strict search and dili­gent inquiry could find no such thing; whereupon the said confederates carried her before the said Justice, to have her examined where the said Vandenbemde, Collet (their Solli­citour) and two or three other persons whom they brought with them, sate at the table as the Justices Clerks to take her examination, where the said Justice examined the said Peterson upon oath (contrary to law) concerning her using of witchcraft and sorcery to take away the life of the Lady Powel of Chelsey. To which she answered, that she never u­sed sorcery or Witch-craft, neither had she ever heard of the Lady Powel, saving that not long before one Anne Hook [Page 5] (an Irish woman) came to her with one Goodwife Garland to have perswaded her to have made such an oath against Mrs. Levingston, as she the said Hook her self before had done, as the said Jone Peterson likewise did affirm before her death. Whereupon the said Iustice (contrary to law) gave order to search her, which was done; but the searchers could find nothing on her body which might create the least sus­pition in them of her being a witch; whereupon the said Justice took bayl for her appearance at the next Sessions. And on the 14 of March following (being the Sabboth day) was by the said confederates means, again apprehended, and examined a new, about the said Lady Powels death. And the Argument which they then made use of to perswade the said Peterson to confess, was, that she needed not fear what she confessed, for it was not her life they aimed at, but to have matter whereby to accuse one Mrs. Levingston, who had gotten the said Lady Powels estate, and thereby had un­done 36 Persons of the said Ladyes Kindred: And then told her, that they were shortly to question the said Mrs. Levingstone for the same, either in the Parliament house, or before a Committee (as the said Jone Peterson did like­wise affirme before her death.) Whereunto the said Jone Peterson replyed, that she never knew, nor heard of the said Lady Powell, otherwise as aforesaid; And that she had not heard from the said Mrs. Levingstone for above a yeare before that time: Then they caused her (contrary to Law) to be searched againe in a most unnaturall & Barbarous man­ner, by fower women whom they themselves for that purpose had brought along with them, on of which women told the Justice that there was a Teat Note that this Teat upon the view of the Physitians was the day before her death found to be natural' & lesse then in many other women, & the said Physitians also af­firmed that she was then quick with child. of flesh in her secret parts more then other women usually had, whereupon the said Justice committed her first to New-prison [Page 6] and from thence to Newgate, where she was left to the ordering and mercy of one Brooks, a Keeper there, and an Agent of the said confederates.

On Munday the 5th. of April instant, two Bills of indictment were preferred a­gainst her at Hicks-hall, Note, That Sir Jo. Danvers, Mr: Snape, Mr. Win­stanley, and Mrs Waterton Justice. of the Peace were with the confede­rates at a Tavern near Hicks-hall, consulting when the Bill of Indict­ment was prepa­ring, and that Sir John Danvers came and dined at the Sessions house and had much pri­vate discourse with the Recorder and many of the Justices and came and sate upon the Bench at her Trial, where he hath seldome or ne­ver been for these many years. and found by the Grand-Jury, upon which indictments upon the 6th. of April, she was arraigned before Mr. Recorder (who is of Councel for the conspirators,) and on the 7 of Apr. she was tried; at which triall the said con­federates (who before had spent three weeks time at Wapping in procuring wit­nesses) were present, with three Councellors to prosecute the said Peterson. Then the Court proceeded upon the first indict­ment, which was for bewitching the Lady Powel to death; whereupon many women persons of mean degree (and of ill fame and reputation) were produced against her, and interrogated by the said Councel, ac­cording to the Briefs delivered unto them, wherein were all the witnesses testimonies, written before hand. And being asked what she had to say for her self? (upon her knees) she took God to witnesse that she never knew the Lady Powel nor the house where she dwelt, nor was any wise guilty of her death; and delivered a paper of such wit­nesses as she had to defend her, desiring that they might be called, whereupon Dr. Bates, and Dr. Colledon Physitians, together with Mr. Stamford, and Mr. Page Chy­rurgians, [Page 7] and divers other persons of good quality, testifi­ed the disease, manner of sickness, and the cause of the said Ladies death, which were the Dropsie, the Scurvey, and the yellow Jaundies, and that they wondred how she was able to live so long, having most of those diseases growing on her for many years before; amongst which evidences the in­nocency of (Mrs. Levingstone) formerly by the confederates maliciously aspersed and bespattered, was now fully vindi­cated, to their great astonishment, trouble, and disgrace.

Then the Court proceeded to the other Indictment, which was for bewitching one Christopher Wilson (who doth not himself complain of any such thing, but the Confeder­ates only:) and the only materiall evidence that then was against her, was one Margaret Austin (who had formerly been a wandering person, but was in charity taken up, re­lieved, and kept, by the said Jone Peterson, until shee per­ceived that the said Austin had purloined some of her goods out of her house,) and two Witnesses more; the substance of whose Testimony was as followeth. That the said Wilson, having been a long time sick, and hearing that the said Peterson had done good to many, sent for her to come to him, who accordingly did and administred meanes for his Recovery, which at first was conceived to do him good; But he afterwards relapsed, and the reason that was urged to induce the Court and Jury to believe that he was Be­witched, was, that dureing his sickness, shee sent to him for monyes [...]or her Phisick; to whom Answer was return­ed that he could then send her none. Whereupon it was then deposed▪ that shee did reply, that he had better have sent her monies, for he should be to times worse then ever was; And that afterwards he became very ill again, and remain­ed languishing. Many other witnesses were produced, but could only swear to generallities, hear-says, and most ab­surd [Page 8] and rediculous impertinences: then being by [...] Court demanded what she could say for her selfe? she [...] sired that such Witnesses as she had then there prese [...] might be called (some of which durst not appeare becau [...] that the said Mr. Waterton, (as the witnesses them selves doe and will affirme) had threatned to send them to Ne [...] gate, if they did appeare.) Whereupon severall witness [...] were called, and being demanded what they could say for the Prisoner, they began to tell, that they had knowne her a long time, and that she had done many Cures, and much good amongst the Neighboures, but never knew that she did any ill; But the Officers of the Court interrupted them saying (in a taunting manner) are you for a Witch? and is this all you can say? and so turned severall of them away be­fore they could be further heard. Then one came to the Court (a Stranger to the prisoner) and offered to depose, that one in black, called Thomas Southwick (knowne to be servant to Thomas Cromton another of the confederats) stood in the Sessions yard, offering money to strangers there, to come in and swear) that the said Peterson was a Wtich, and amongst the rest offered to give her mony if she would doe the same, but he being called for, could not be had, nor would appeare, although Colonell Okey, and some other Justices upon the Bench, desired the Recorder to take notice of it, and to give Order that the said Thomas Southwick might be brought into Court. Whereupon the Jury went forth, and brought in their verdicts, that the said Peterson was not guilty upon the first Jndictment of be­wiching the Lady Powell to death; But found her guilty upon the second, for which she was then cast, and the next day condemned to dye as a witch, And after that the said confederates and their agents went very often to her promising her a Repreive or Pardon if she would confesse [Page 9] that Mrs. Levingstone had Imployed her to make away the life of the Lady Powell, to which she replyed she could not, because it was altogether false. But one of the said con­federates urging her againe to say something against Mrs. Levingstone, she told him he was a rogue, and gave him a blow on the face, which made his nose bleed: Where it is to be noted, that what for love of money they could not tempt her to, they resolved at last for love of her life to force her to, by necessitating her either unjustly to confesse a notorious falsehood against the said Mrs. Levingstone or else to dye without mercy or Repreive, which otherwise was proffered her by the said Confederates, to make her un­just in doing the same.

On the 12 day the said Jone Peterson (being brought to the place of Execution) was by the Ordinary nine or ten times earnestly pressed to confesse something against the said Mrs. Levingstone. Whereupon the Executioner told the Ordinary, he might be ashamed to trouble a dying woman so much, to which he replyed, he was commanded so to doe, and durst doe no otherwise And afterwards the said Ordinary still insisting in his discourse, and very often pressing the said Peterson to confesse and discharge her con­science before God and the world; she answered that she had already confessed before the Bench, all she had to confesse; that she had made her peace with God; and there­fore desired to dye in quiet, for now she was to appeare be­fore God who presently would Judge her, and that God was witnes, that she dyed Innocently, and was in no wise guilty of what was laid to her charge, and that she hoped he would freely forgive her all her sins, and to this effect she still replyed to his frequent importunities: And having gone to prayers, she shewed her selfe very attentive and penitent, and after Prayer called to sing the 25th Psalm, which she performed very Christianly and cheerfully, and so died, &c.