pentance, for the fafegard of your Soules, and after, an humble, penitent, and heartie acknowledgement of your grieuous finnes and offences committed both against GoD and Man. Firft, yeeld humble and heartie thankes to Almightie GOD for taking hold of you in your beginning, and making Stay of your intended bloudie practifes (although Go D knowes there is too much done alreadie) which would in time have cast fo great a weight of Iudgement vpon your Soules. Then praife GOD that it pleafed him not to furprize or Strike you fuddenly, even in the execution of your bloudie Murthers, and in the middest of your wicked practifes, but hath given you time, and takes you away by a iudiciall courfe and triall of the Law. Laft of all, craue pardon of the World, and especially of all fuch as you haue iuftly offended, either by tormenting themfelues, children, or friends, murder of their kinsfolks, or loffe of any their goods. And for leaving to future times the prefident of fo many barbarous and bloudie murders, with fuch meetings, practifes, confultations, and meanes to execute reuenge, being the greateft part of your comfort in all your actions, which may inftruct others to hold the like courfe, or fall in the like fort: It only remaines I pronounce the Iudgement of the Court against you by the Kings authoritie, which is; You shall all goe from hence to the Castle, from whence you came; from thence you fhall bee carried to the place of Execution for this Countie: where your bodies fhall bee hanged vntill you be dead; And GOD HAVE MERCIE VPON YOVR SOVLES; For your comfort in this world I fhall commend a learned and worthie Preacher to to inftruct you, and prepare you, for an other World: All I can doe for you is to pray for your Repentance in this World, for the fatisfaction of many; And forgiueneffe in the next world, for sauing of your Soules. And God graunt you may make good vfe of the time you haue in this world, to his glorie and your owne com fort. Margaret Pearfon. He Iudgement of the Court against you, is, You TH stand upon the Pillarie in at Cli theroe, Paddiham, Whalley, and Lancaster, foure Market dayes, with a Paper vpon your head, in great Letters, declaring your offence, and there you fhall confeffe your offence, and after to remaine in Prifon for one yeare without Baile, and after to be bound with good Sureties, to be of the good behauiour. To To the Prifoners found not guiltie by the IVRIES. Elizabeth Aftley. you that are found not guiltie, and are by the Law to bee acquited, prefume no further of your Innocencie then you haue juft caufe: for although it pleafed God out of his Mercie, to fpare you at this time, yet without queftion there are amongst you, that are as deepe in this Action, as any of them that are condemned to die for their offences: The time is now for you to forfake the Deuill: Remember how, and in what fort hee hath dealt with all of you make good vfe of this great mercie and fauour and pray unto God you fall not againe: For great is your happineffe to have time in this World, to prepare your felues against the day when you shall appeare before the Great Iudge of all. Notwithstanding, the iudgement of the Court, is, You fhall all enter Recognizances with good fufficient Suerties, to appeare at the next Affizes at Lancaster, and in the meane time to be of the good behauiour. All I can fay to you: Jennet Bierley, Jane Southworth, is, That Go D hath deliuered you beyond expectation, I pray GOD you may vse this mercie and fauour well; and take heed you fall not hereafter And fo the Court doth order you fhall be deliuered. What more can bee written or published of the proceedings of this honourable Court: but to conclude with the Execution of the Witches, who were executed the next day following at the common place of Execution, neare vnto Lancaster. Yet in the end giue mee leaue to intreate fome fauour that haue beene afraid to speake vntill my worke were finished. If I haue omitted any thing materiall, or published any thing imperfect, excufe me for that I haue done: It was a worke impofed vpon me by the Iudges, in refpect I was fo wel inftructed in euery particular. In haft I haue vndertaken to finish it in a bufie Tearme amongst my other imploiments. My charge was to publish the proceedings of Iuftice, and matter of Fact, wherein I wanted libertie to write what I would, and am limited to fet forth nothing against them, but matter vpon Record, euen in their owne Countrie tearmes, which may seeme ftrange. And this I hope will giue good fatisfaction to fuch as vnderftand how to iudge of a bufineffe of this nature. Such as haue no other imploiment but to question other mens Actions, I leaue them to cenfure what they please, It is no part of my profeffion to publifh any thing in |