Oct 18: The afflicted girls are reduced

Today in Salem: The ruthless judge Hathorne is holding a lengthy piece of paper at arm’s length, squinting at the curled words and skimming for the most important details. He has no patience for the wherefores and whatnots, but this petition has been signed by 26 men, including two ministers. What do they want?

“His Excellency” (yes yes) … “Righteous God” (yes of course) … “Honourable Assembly” (yes) …

Ah. Here it is. Their wives and friends have confessed to witchcraft, but “have wronged themselves and the truth in their confessions.” Now they wish to recant. (no surprise, others have said the same thing)

And, “our neighbors are like to be impoverished & ruin’d by the great charge they are at to maintain such of their familyes as are in Prison.” (true but again this isn’t new)

Finally, the thing that makes him stop. “Children.” For the first time, the afflicted girls are called children. “And we know not who can think himself safe, if the Accusations of children and others who are under a Diabolicall influence shall be received against persons of good fame.”

It is true that some of these girls are exceedingly young, some just 9 or 10 years old. And ordinarily they would be severely restricted from speaking even meekly in church, or court, or even the tavern. But it’s been months now of nearly constant shrieking, hysteria, and accusations. Somehow the children have become the most powerful members of the community, and no one has been spared – not even the governor’s wife.

Will it ever end?