COREY.Take it up.MARTHA. I won't!COREY. Then let it lie there. I'll ride to the village, And say you are a Witch.MARTHA.No, not that, Giles.She takes up the saddle.COREY.Now come with me, and saddle the gray mareWith your own hands; and you shall see me rideAlong the village road as is becomingGiles Corey of the Salem Farms, your husband![Exeunt.SCENE II. — The Green in front of the Meeting-house in Salem village. People coming and going. Enter GILES COREY.COREY. A melancholy end! Who would have thought That Bridget Bishop e'er would come to this? Accused, convicted, and condemned to death For Witchcraft! And so good a woman too!A FARMER. Good morrow, neighbor Corey.COREY (not hearing him).Who is safe?How do I know but under my own roofI too may harbor Witches, and some DevilBe plotting and contriving against me?FARMER. He does not hear. Good morrow, neighbor Corey!COREY Good morrow.FARMER.Have you seen John Proctor lately?COREY. No, I have not.FARMER.Then do not see him, Corey.COREY. Why should I not?FARMER.Because he's angry with you.So keep out of his way. Avoid a quarrel.COREY. Why does he seek to fix a quarrel on me?FARMER. He says you burned his house.COREY.I burn his house?If he says that, John Proctor is a liar!The night his house was burned I was in bed,And I can prove it! Why, we are old friends!He could not say that of me.FARMER.He did say it.I heard him say it.COREY.Then he shall unsay it.FARMER.He said you did it out of spite to himFor taking part against you in the quarrelYou had with your John Gloyd about his wages.He says you murdered Goodell; that you trampledUpon his body till he breathed no more.And so beware of him; that's my advice![Exit.COREY. By heaven! this is too much! I'll seek him out, And make him eat his words, or strangle him. I'll not be slandered at a time like this, When every word is made an accusation, When every whisper kills, and every man Walks with a halter round his neck!Enter GLOYD in haste.What now?GLOYD.I came to look for you. The cattle—COREY.Well,What of them? Have you found them?GLOYD.They are dead.I followed them through the woods, across the meadows;Then they all leaped into the Ipswich River,And swam across, but could not climb the bank,And so were drowned.COREY.You are to blame for this;For you took down the bars, and let them loose.GLOYD. That I deny. They broke the fences down. You know they were bewitched.COREY.Ah, my poor cattle!The Evil Eye was on them; that is true.Day of disaster! Most unlucky day!Why did I leave my ploughing and my reapingTo plough and reap this Sodom and Gomorrah?Oh, I could drown myself for sheer vexation![Exit.GLOYD.He's going for his cattle. He won't find them.By this time they have drifted out to sea.They will not break his fences any more,Though they may break his heart. And what care I?[Exit.SCENE III. — COREY's kitchen. A table with supper. MARTHA knitting.MARTHA.He's come at last. I hear him in the passage. Something has gone amiss with him today; I know it by his step, and by the sound The door made as he shut it. He is angry.Enter COREY with his riding-whip. As he speaks he takes off his hat and gloves and throws them down violently.COREY. I say if Satan ever entered man He's in John Proctor!MARTHA.Giles, what is the matter?You frighten me.COREY.I say if any manCan have a Devil in him, then that manIs Proctor,—is John Proctor, and no other!MARTHA. Why, what has he been doing?COREY.Everything!What do you think I heard there in the village?MARTHA. I'm sure I cannot guess. What did you hear?COREY. He says I burned his house!MARTHA.Does he say that?COREY. He says I burned his house. I was in bed And fast asleep that night; and I can prove it.MARTHA. If he says that, I think the Father of Lies Is surely in the man.COREY.He does say thatAnd that I did it to wreak vengeance on himFor taking sides against me in the quarrelI had with that John Gloyd about his wages.And God knows that I never bore him maliceFor that, as I have told him twenty timesMARTHA. It is John Gloyd has stirred him up to this. I do not like that Gloyd. I think him crafty, Not to be trusted, sullen and untruthful. Come, have your supper. You are tired and hungry.COREY. I'm angry, and not hungry.MARTHA.Do eat something.You'll be the better for it.COREY (sitting down).I'm not hungry.MARTHA. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.COREY. It has gone down upon it, and will rise To-morrow, and go down again upon it. They have trumped up against me the old story Of causing Goodell's death by trampling on him.MARTHA. Oh, that is false. I know it to be false.COREY. He has been dead these fourteen years or more. Why can't they let him rest? Why must they drag him Out of his grave to give me a bad name? I did not kill him. In his bed he died, As most men die, because his hour had come. I have wronged no man. Why should Proctor say Such things bout me? I will not forgive him Till he confesses he has slandered me. Then, I've more trouble. All my cattle gone.MARTHA. They will come back again.COREY.Not in this world.Did I not tell you they were overlooked?They ran down through the woods, into the meadows,And tried to swim the river, and were drowned.It is a heavy loss.MARTHA.I'm sorry for it.COREY. All my dear oxen dead. I loved them, Martha, Next to yourself. I liked to look at them, And watch the breath come out of their wide nostrils, And see their patient eyes. Somehow I thought It gave me strength only to look at them. And how they strained their necks against the yoke If I but spoke, or touched them with the goad! They were my friends; and when Gloyd came and told me They were all drowned, I could have drowned myself From sheer vexation; and I said as much To Gloyd and others.MARTHA.Do not trust John GloydWith anything you would not have repeated.COREY. As I came through the woods this afternoon, Impatient at my loss, and much perplexed With all that I had heard there in the village, The yellow leaves lit up the trees about me Like an enchanted palace, and I wished I knew enough of magic or of Witchcraft To change them into gold. Then suddenly A tree shook down some crimson leaves upon me, Like drops of blood, and in the path before me Stood Tituba the Indian, the old crone.MARTHA. Were you not frightened?COREY.No, I do not thinkI know the meaning of that word. Why frightened?I am not one of those who think the LordIs waiting till He catches them some dayIn the back yard alone! What should I fear?She started from the bushes by the path,And had a basket full of herbs and rootsFor some witch-broth or other,—the old hag.MARTHA. She has been here to-day.COREY.With hand outstretchedShe said: "Giles Corey, will you sign the Book?""Avaunt!" I cried: "Get thee behind me, Satan!"At which she laughed and left me. But a voiceWas whispering in my ear continually:"Self-murder is no crime. The life of manIs his, to keep it or to throw away!"MARTHA. 'T was a temptation of the Evil One! Giles, Giles! why will you harbor these dark thoughts?COREY (rising). I am too tired to talk. I'll go to bed.MARTHA. First tell me something about Bridget Bishop. How did she look? You saw her? You were there?COREY. I'll tell you that to-morrow, not to-night. I'll go to bed.MARTHA.First let us pray together.COREY. I cannot pray to-night.MARTHA.Say the Lord's Prayer,And that will comfort you.COREY.I cannot say,"As we forgive those that have sinned against us,"When I do not forgive them.MARTHA (kneeling on the hearth).God forgive you!COREY. I will not make believe! I say to-night There's something thwarts me when I wish to pray, And thrusts into my mind, instead of prayers, Hate and revenge, and things that are not prayers. Something of my old self,—my old, bad life,— And the old Adam in me rises up, And will not let me pray. I am afraid The Devil hinders me. You know I say Just what I think, and nothing more nor less, And, when I pray, my heart is in my prayer. I cannot say one thing and mean another. If I can't pray, I will not make believe![Exit COREY. MARTHA continues kneeling.ACT III.SCENE I. — GILES COREY'S kitchen. Morning. COREY and MARTHA sitting at the breakfast-table.COREY (rising). Well, now I've told you all I saw and heard Of Bridget Bishop; and I must be gone.MARTHA. Don't go into the village, Giles, to-day. Last night you came back tired and out of humor.COREY. Say, angry; say, right angry. I was never In a more devilish temper in my life. All things went wrong with me.MARTHA.You were much vexed;So don't go to the village.COREY (going).No, I won't.I won't go near it. We are going to mowThe Ipswich meadows for the aftermath,The crop of sedge and rowens.MARTHA.Stay a moment,I want to tell you what I dreamed last night.Do you believe in dreams?COREY.Why, yes and no.When they come true, then I believe in themWhen they come false, I don't believe in them.But let me hear. What did you dream about?MARTHA. I dreamed that you and I were both in prison; That we had fetters on our hands and feet; That we were taken before the Magistrates, And tried for Witchcraft, and condemned to death! I wished to pray; they would not let me pray; You tried to comfort me, and they forbade it. But the most dreadful thing in all my dream Was that they made you testify against me! And then there came a kind of mist between us; I could not see you; and I woke in terror. I never was more thankful in my life Than when I found you sleeping at my side!COREY (with tenderness).It was our talk last night that made you dream.I'm sorry for it. I'll control myselfAnother time, and keep my temper down!I do not like such dreams.—Remember, Martha,I'm going to mow the Ipswich River meadows;If Gardner comes, you'll tell him where to find me.[Exit.MARTHA.So this delusion grows from bad to worseFirst, a forsaken and forlorn old woman,Ragged and wretched, and without a friend;Then something higher. Now it's Bridget Bishop;God only knows whose turn it will be next!The Magistrates are blind, the people mad!If they would only seize the Afflicted Children,And put them in the Workhouse, where they should be,There'd be an end of all this wickedness.[Exit.SCENE II. — A street in Salem Village. Enter MATHER and HATHORNE.MATHER. Yet one thing troubles me.HATHORNE.And what is that?MATHER. May not the Devil take the outward shape Of innocent persons? Are we not in danger, Perhaps, of punishing some who are not guilty?HATHORNE. As I have said, we do not trust alone To spectral evidence.MATHER.And then again,If any shall be put to death for Witchcraft,We do but kill the body, not the soul.The Unclean Spirits that possessed them onceLive still, to enter into other bodies.What have we gained? Surely, there's nothing gained.HATHORNE. Doth not the Scripture say, "Thou shalt not suffer A Witch to live"?MATHER.The Scripture sayeth it,But speaketh to the Jews; and we are Christians.What say the laws of England?HATHORNE.They make WitchcraftFelony without the benefit of Clergy.Witches are burned in England. You have read—For you read all things, not a book escapes you—The famous Demonology of King James?MATHER. A curious volume. I remember also The plot of the Two Hundred, with one Fian, The Registrar of the Devil, at their head, To drown his Majesty on his return From Denmark; how they sailed in sieves or riddles Unto North Berwick Kirk in Lothian, And, landing there, danced hand in hand, and sang, "Goodwife, go ye before! good wife, go ye! If ye'll not go before, goodwife, let me!" While Geilis Duncan played the Witches' Reel Upon a jews-harp.HATHORNE.Then you know full wellThe English law, and that in England Witches,When lawfully convicted and attainted,Are put to death.MATHER.When lawfully convicted;That is the point.HATHORNE.You heard the evidenceProduced before us yesterday at the trialOf Bridget Bishop.MATHER.One of the Afflicted,I know, bore witness to the apparitionOf ghosts unto the spectre of this Bishop,Saying, "You murdered us!" of the truth whereofThere was in matter of fact too much Suspicion.HATHORNE. And when she cast her eyes on the Afflicted, They were struck down; and this in such a manner There could be no collusion in the business. And when the accused but laid her hand upon them, As they lay in their swoons, they straight revived, Although they stirred not when the others touched them.MATHER. What most convinced me of the woman's guilt Was finding hidden in her cellar wall Those poppets made of rags, with headless pins Stuck into them point outwards, and whereof She could not give a reasonable account.HATHORNE.When you shall read the testimony givenBefore the Court in all the other cases,I am persuaded you will find the proofNo less conclusive than it was in this.Come, then, with me, and I will tax your patienceWith reading of the documents so farAs may convince you that these sorcerersAre lawfully convicted and attainted.Like doubting Thomas, you shall lay your handUpon these wounds, and you will doubt no more.{Exeunt.SCENE III. — A room in COREY's house. MARTHA and two Deacons of the church.MARTHA. Be seated. I am glad to see you here. I know what you are come for. You are come To question me, and learn from my own lips If I have any dealings with the Devil; In short, if I'm a Witch.DEACON (sitting down).Such is our purpose.How could you know beforehand why we came?MARTHA. 'T was only a surmise.DEACON.We came to ask you,You being with us in church covenant,What part you have, if any, in these matters.MARTHA. And I make answer, No part whatsoever. I am a farmer's wife, a working woman; You see my spinning-wheel, you see my loom, You know the duties of a farmer's wife, And are not ignorant that my life among you Has been without reproach until this day. Is it not true?DEACON.So much we're bound to own,And say it frankly, and without reserve.MARTHA. I've heard the idle tales that are abroad; I've heard it whispered that I am a Witch; I cannot help it. I do not believe In any Witchcraft. It is a delusion.DEACON. How can you say that it is a delusion, When all our learned and good men believe it,— Our Ministers and worshipful Magistrates?MARTHA. Their eyes are blinded and see not the truth. Perhaps one day they will be open to it.DEACON. You answer boldly. The Afflicted Children Say you appeared to them.MARTHA.And did they sayWhat clothes I came in?DEACON.No, they could not tell.They said that you foresaw our visit here,And blinded them, so that they could not seeThe clothes you wore.MARTHA.The cunning, crafty girls!I say to you, in all sincerity,I never have appeared to anyoneIn my own person. If the Devil takesMy shape to hurt these children, or afflict them,I am not guilty of it. And I sayIt's all a mere delusion of the senses.DEACON. I greatly fear that you will find too late It is not so.MARTHA (rising).They do accuse me falsely.It is delusion, or it is deceit.There is a story in the ancient ScripturesWhich I much wonder comes not to your minds.Let me repeat it to you.DEACON.We will hear it.MARTHA. It came to pass that Naboth had a vineyard Hard by the palace of the King called Ahab. And Ahab, King of Israel, spake to Naboth, And said to him, Give unto me thy vineyard, That I may have it for a garden of herbs, And I will give a better vineyard for it, Or, if it seemeth good to thee, its worth In money. And then Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me that I should give The inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house displeased And heavy at the words which Naboth spake, And laid him down upon his bed, and turned His face away; and he would eat no bread. And Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, came And said to him, Why is thy spirit sad? And he said unto her, Because I spake To Naboth, to the Jezreelite, and said, Give me thy vineyard; and he answered, saying, I will not give my vineyard unto thee. And Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, said, Dost thou not rule the realm of Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let thy heart be merry; I will give Naboth's vineyard unto thee. So she wrote letters in King Ahab's name, And sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters Unto the elders that were in his city Dwelling with Naboth, and unto the nobles; And in the letters wrote, Proclaim a fast; And set this Naboth high among the people, And set two men, the sons of Belial, Before him, to bear witness and to say, Thou didst blaspheme against God and the King; And carry him out and stone him, that he die! And the elders and the nobles in the city Did even as Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, Had sent to them and written in the letters.And then it came to pass, when Ahab heard Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose to go Down unto Naboth's vineyard, and to take Possession of it. And the word of God Came to Elijah, saying to him, Arise, Go down to meet the King of Israel In Naboth's vineyard, whither he hath gone To take possession. Thou shalt speak to him, Saying, Thus saith the Lord! What! hast thou killed And also taken possession? In the place Wherein the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth Shall the dogs lick thy blood,—ay, even thine!Both of the Deacons start from their seats.And Ahab then, the King of Israel,Said, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?Elijah the Prophet answered, I have found thee!So will it be with those who have stirred upThe Sons of Belial here to bear false witnessAnd swear away the lives of innocent people;Their enemy will find them out at last,The Prophet's voice will thunder, I have found thee![Exeunt.SCENE IV. — Meadows on Ipswich River, COREY and his men mowing; COREY in advance.COREY. Well done, my men. You see, I lead the field! I'm an old man, but I can swing a scythe Better than most of you, though you be younger.Hangs his scythe upon a tree.GLOYD (aside to the others). How strong he is! It's supernatural. No man so old as he is has such strength. The Devil helps him!COREY (wiping his forehead).Now we'll rest awhile,And take our nooning. What's the matter with you?You are not angry with me,—are you, Gloyd?Come, come, we will not quarrel. Let's be friends.It's an old story, that the Raven said,"Read the Third of Colossians and fifteenth."GLOYD. You're handier at the scythe, but I can beat you At wrestling.COREY.Well, perhaps so. I don't know.I never wrestled with you. Why, you're vexed!Come, come, don't bear a grudge.GLOYD.You are afraid.COREY. What should I be afraid of? All bear witness The challenge comes from him. Now, then, my man.They wrestle, and GLOYD is thrown.ONE OF THE MEN. That's a fair fall.ANOTHER.'T was nothing but a foil!OTHERS. You've hurt him!COREY (helping GLOYD rise).No; this meadow-land is soft.You're not hurt,—are you, Gloyd?GLOYD (rising).No, not much hurt.COREY. Well, then, shake hands; and there's an end of it. How do you like that Cornish hug, my lad? And now we'll see what's in our basket here.GLOYD (aside). The Devil and all his imps are in that man! The clutch of his ten fingers burns like fire!COREY (reverentially taking off his hat). God bless the food He hath provided for us, And make us thankful for it, for Christ's sake!He lifts up a keg of cider, and drinks from it.GLOYD. Do you see that? Don't tell me it's not Witchcraft Two of us could not lift that cask as he does!COREY puts down the keg, and opens a basket. A voice is heard calling.VOICE. Ho! Corey, Corey!COREY.What is that? I surelyHeard some one calling me by name!VOICE.Giles Corey!Enter a boy, running, and out of breath.BOY. Is Master Corey here?COREY.Yes, here I am.BOY.O Master Corey!COREY.Well?BOY.Your wife—your wife—COREY. What's happened to my wife?BOY.She's sent to prison!COREY. The dream! the dream! O God, be merciful!BOY. She sent me here to tell you.COREY (putting on his jacket).Where's my horse?Don't stand there staring, fellows.Where's my horse?[Exit COREY.GLOYD. Under the trees there. Run, old man, run, run! You've got some one to wrestle with you now Who'll trip your heels up, with your Cornish hug. If there's a Devil, he has got you now. Ah, there he goes! His horse is snorting fire!ONE OF THE MEN. John Gloyd, don't talk so! It's a shame to talk so! He's a good master, though you quarrel with him.GLOYD. If hard work and low wages make good masters, Then he is one. But I think otherwise. Come, let us have our dinner and be merry, And talk about the old man and the Witches. I know some stories that will make you laugh.They sit down on the grass, and eat.Now there are Goody Cloyse and Goody Good, Who have not got a decent tooth between them, And yet these children—the Afflicted Children— Say that they bite them, and show marks of teeth Upon their arms!ONE OF THE MEN.That makes the wonder greater.That's Witchcraft. Why, if they had teeth like yours,'T would be no wonder if the girls were bitten!GLOYD. And then those ghosts that come out of their graves And cry, "You murdered us! you murdered us!"ONE OF THE MEN. And all those Apparitions that stick pins Into the flesh of the Afflicted Children!GLOYD. Oh those Afflicted Children! They know well Where the pins come from. I can tell you that. And there's old Corey, he has got a horseshoe Nailed on his doorstep to keep off the Witches, And all the same his wife has gone to prison.ONE OF THE MEN. Oh, she's no Witch. I'll swear that Goodwife Corey Never did harm to any living creature. She's a good woman, if there ever was one.GLOYD. Well, we shall see. As for that Bridget Bishop, She has been tried before; some years ago A negro testified he saw her shape Sitting upon the rafters in a barn, And holding in its hand an egg; and while He went to fetch his pitchfork, she had vanished. And now be quiet, will you? I am tired, And want to sleep here on the grass a little.They stretch themselves on the grass.ONE OF THE MEN. There may be Witches riding through the air Over our heads on broomsticks at this moment, Bound for some Satan's Sabbath in the woods To be baptized.GLOYD.I wish they'd take you with them,And hold you under water, head and ears,Till you were drowned; and that would stop your talking,If nothing else will. Let me sleep, I say.ACT IVSCENE I. — The Green in front of the village Meeting-house. An excited crowd gathering. Enter JOHN GLOYD.A FARMER. Who will be tried to-day?A SECOND.I do not know.Here is John Gloyd. Ask him; he knows.FARMER.John Gloyd,Whose turn is it to-day?GLOYD.It's Goodwife Corey's.FARMER. Giles Corey's wife?GLOYD.The same. She is not mine.It will go hard with her with all her praying.The hypocrite! She's always on her knees;But she prays to the Devil when she prays.Let us go in.A trumpet blows.FARMER.Here come the Magistrates.SECOND FARMER. Who's the tall man in front?GLOYD.Oh, that is Hathorne,A Justice of the Court, and a Quarter-masterIn the Three County Troop. He'll sift the matter.That's Corwin with him; and the man in blackIs Cotton Mather, Minister of Boston.Enter HATHORNE and other Magistrates on horseback, followed by the Sheriff, constables, and attendants on foot. The Magistrates dismount, and enter the Meeting-house, with the rest.FARMER.The Meeting-house is full. I never saw So great a crowd before.GLOYD.No matter. Come.We shall find room enough by elbowingOur way among them. Put your shoulder to it.FARMER. There were not half so many at the trial Of Goodwife Bishop.GLOYD.Keep close after me.I'll find a place for you. They'll want me there.I am a friend of Corey's, as you know,And he can't do without me just at present.[Exeunt.SCENE II. — Interior of the Meeting-house. MATHER and the Magistrates seated in front of the pulpit. Before them a raised platform. MARTHA in chains. COREY near her. MARY WALCOT in a chair. A crowd of spectators, among them GLOYD. Confusion and murmurs during the scene.HATHORNE. Call Martha Corey.MARTHA.I am here.HATHORNE.Come forward.She ascends the platform.The Jurors of our Sovereign Lord and Lady The King and Queen, here present, do accuse you Of having on the tenth of June last past, And divers other times before and after, Wickedly used and practised certain arts Called Witchcrafts, Sorceries, and Incantations, Against one Mary Walcot, single woman, Of Salem Village; by which wicked arts The aforesaid Mary Walcot was tormented, Tortured, afflicted, pined, consumed, and wasted, Against the peace of our Sovereign Lord and Lady The King and Queen, as well as of the Statute Made and provided in that case. What say you?MARTHA. Before I answer, give me leave to pray.HATHORNE. We have not sent for you, nor are we here, To hear you pray, but to examine you In whatsoever is alleged against you. Why do you hurt this person?MARTHA.I do not.I am not guilty of the charge against me.MARY. Avoid, she-devil! You may torment me now! Avoid, avoid, Witch!MARTHA.I am innocent.I never had to do with any WitchcraftSince I was born. I am a gospel woman.MARY. You are a gospel Witch!MARTHA (clasping her hands).Ah me! ah me!Oh, give me leave to pray!MARY (stretching out her hands).She hurts me now.See, she has pinched my hands!HATHORNE.Who made these marksUpon her hands?MARTHA.I do not know. I standApart from her. I did not touch her hands.HATHORNE. Who hurt her then?MARTHA.I know not.HATHORNE.Do you thinkShe is bewitched?MARTHA.Indeed I do not think so.I am no Witch, and have no faith in Witches.HATHORNE. Then answer me: When certain persons came To see you yesterday, how did you know Beforehand why they came?MARTHA.I had had speech;The children said I hurt them, and I thoughtThese people came to question me about it.HATHORNE. How did you know the children had been told To note the clothes you wore?MARTHA.My husband told meWhat others said about it.HATHORNE.Goodman Corey,Say, did you tell her?COREY.I must speak the truth;I did not tell her. It was some one else.HATHORNE. Did you not say your husband told you so? How dare you tell a lie in this assembly? Who told you of the clothes? Confess the truth.MARTHA bites her lips, and is silent.You bite your lips, but do not answer me!MARY. Ah, she is biting me! Avoid, avoid!HATHORNE. You said your husband told you.MARTHA.Yes, he told meThe children said I troubled them.HATHORNE.Then tell me,Why do you trouble them?MARTHA.I have denied it.MARY. She threatened me; stabbed at me with her spindle; And, when my brother thrust her with his sword, He tore her gown, and cut a piece away. Here are they both, the spindle and the cloth.Shows them.HATHORNE. And there are persons here who know the truth Of what has now been said. What answer make you?MARTHA. I make no answer. Give me leave to pray.HATHORNE. Whom would you pray to?MARTHA.To my God and Father.HATHORNE. Who is your God and Father?MARTHA.The Almighty!HATHORNE. Doth he you pray to say that he is God? It is the Prince of Darkness, and not God.MARY. There is a dark shape whispering in her ear.HATHORNE. What does it say to you?MARTHA.I see no shape.HATHORNE. Did you not hear it whisper?MARTHA.I heard nothing.MARY. What torture! Ah, what agony I suffer!Falls into a swoon.HATHORNE. You see this woman cannot stand before you. If you would look for mercy, you must look In God's way, by confession of your guilt. Why does your spectre haunt and hurt this person?MARTHA. I do not know. He who appeared of old In Samuel's shape, a saint and glorified, May come in whatsoever shape he chooses. I cannot help it. I am sick at heart!COREY. O Martha, Martha! let me hold your hand.HATHORNE. No; stand aside, old man.MARY (starting up).Look there! Look there!I see a little bird, a yellow birdPerched on her finger; and it pecks at me.Ah, it will tear mine eyes out!MARTHA.I see nothing.HATHORNE. 'T is the Familiar Spirit that attends her.MARY. Now it has flown away. It sits up there Upon the rafters. It is gone; is vanished.MARTHA. Giles, wipe these tears of anger from mine eyes. Wipe the sweat from my forehead. I am faint.She leans against the railing.MARY. Oh, she is crushing me with all her weight!HATHORNE. Did you not carry once the Devil's Book To this young woman?
COREY.Take it up.
MARTHA. I won't!
COREY. Then let it lie there. I'll ride to the village, And say you are a Witch.
MARTHA.No, not that, Giles.
She takes up the saddle.
COREY.Now come with me, and saddle the gray mareWith your own hands; and you shall see me rideAlong the village road as is becomingGiles Corey of the Salem Farms, your husband![Exeunt.
SCENE II. — The Green in front of the Meeting-house in Salem village. People coming and going. Enter GILES COREY.
COREY. A melancholy end! Who would have thought That Bridget Bishop e'er would come to this? Accused, convicted, and condemned to death For Witchcraft! And so good a woman too!
A FARMER. Good morrow, neighbor Corey.
COREY (not hearing him).Who is safe?How do I know but under my own roofI too may harbor Witches, and some DevilBe plotting and contriving against me?
FARMER. He does not hear. Good morrow, neighbor Corey!
COREY Good morrow.
FARMER.Have you seen John Proctor lately?
COREY. No, I have not.
FARMER.Then do not see him, Corey.
COREY. Why should I not?
FARMER.Because he's angry with you.So keep out of his way. Avoid a quarrel.
COREY. Why does he seek to fix a quarrel on me?
FARMER. He says you burned his house.
COREY.I burn his house?If he says that, John Proctor is a liar!The night his house was burned I was in bed,And I can prove it! Why, we are old friends!He could not say that of me.
FARMER.He did say it.I heard him say it.
COREY.Then he shall unsay it.
FARMER.He said you did it out of spite to himFor taking part against you in the quarrelYou had with your John Gloyd about his wages.He says you murdered Goodell; that you trampledUpon his body till he breathed no more.And so beware of him; that's my advice![Exit.
COREY. By heaven! this is too much! I'll seek him out, And make him eat his words, or strangle him. I'll not be slandered at a time like this, When every word is made an accusation, When every whisper kills, and every man Walks with a halter round his neck!
Enter GLOYD in haste.
What now?GLOYD.I came to look for you. The cattle—
COREY.Well,What of them? Have you found them?
GLOYD.They are dead.I followed them through the woods, across the meadows;Then they all leaped into the Ipswich River,And swam across, but could not climb the bank,And so were drowned.
COREY.You are to blame for this;For you took down the bars, and let them loose.
GLOYD. That I deny. They broke the fences down. You know they were bewitched.
COREY.Ah, my poor cattle!The Evil Eye was on them; that is true.Day of disaster! Most unlucky day!Why did I leave my ploughing and my reapingTo plough and reap this Sodom and Gomorrah?Oh, I could drown myself for sheer vexation![Exit.
GLOYD.He's going for his cattle. He won't find them.By this time they have drifted out to sea.They will not break his fences any more,Though they may break his heart. And what care I?[Exit.
SCENE III. — COREY's kitchen. A table with supper. MARTHA knitting.
MARTHA.
He's come at last. I hear him in the passage. Something has gone amiss with him today; I know it by his step, and by the sound The door made as he shut it. He is angry.
Enter COREY with his riding-whip. As he speaks he takes off his hat and gloves and throws them down violently.
COREY. I say if Satan ever entered man He's in John Proctor!
MARTHA.Giles, what is the matter?You frighten me.
COREY.I say if any manCan have a Devil in him, then that manIs Proctor,—is John Proctor, and no other!
MARTHA. Why, what has he been doing?
COREY.Everything!What do you think I heard there in the village?
MARTHA. I'm sure I cannot guess. What did you hear?
COREY. He says I burned his house!
MARTHA.Does he say that?
COREY. He says I burned his house. I was in bed And fast asleep that night; and I can prove it.
MARTHA. If he says that, I think the Father of Lies Is surely in the man.
COREY.He does say thatAnd that I did it to wreak vengeance on himFor taking sides against me in the quarrelI had with that John Gloyd about his wages.And God knows that I never bore him maliceFor that, as I have told him twenty times
MARTHA. It is John Gloyd has stirred him up to this. I do not like that Gloyd. I think him crafty, Not to be trusted, sullen and untruthful. Come, have your supper. You are tired and hungry.
COREY. I'm angry, and not hungry.
MARTHA.Do eat something.You'll be the better for it.
COREY (sitting down).I'm not hungry.
MARTHA. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
COREY. It has gone down upon it, and will rise To-morrow, and go down again upon it. They have trumped up against me the old story Of causing Goodell's death by trampling on him.
MARTHA. Oh, that is false. I know it to be false.
COREY. He has been dead these fourteen years or more. Why can't they let him rest? Why must they drag him Out of his grave to give me a bad name? I did not kill him. In his bed he died, As most men die, because his hour had come. I have wronged no man. Why should Proctor say Such things bout me? I will not forgive him Till he confesses he has slandered me. Then, I've more trouble. All my cattle gone.
MARTHA. They will come back again.
COREY.Not in this world.Did I not tell you they were overlooked?They ran down through the woods, into the meadows,And tried to swim the river, and were drowned.It is a heavy loss.
MARTHA.I'm sorry for it.
COREY. All my dear oxen dead. I loved them, Martha, Next to yourself. I liked to look at them, And watch the breath come out of their wide nostrils, And see their patient eyes. Somehow I thought It gave me strength only to look at them. And how they strained their necks against the yoke If I but spoke, or touched them with the goad! They were my friends; and when Gloyd came and told me They were all drowned, I could have drowned myself From sheer vexation; and I said as much To Gloyd and others.
MARTHA.Do not trust John GloydWith anything you would not have repeated.
COREY. As I came through the woods this afternoon, Impatient at my loss, and much perplexed With all that I had heard there in the village, The yellow leaves lit up the trees about me Like an enchanted palace, and I wished I knew enough of magic or of Witchcraft To change them into gold. Then suddenly A tree shook down some crimson leaves upon me, Like drops of blood, and in the path before me Stood Tituba the Indian, the old crone.
MARTHA. Were you not frightened?
COREY.No, I do not thinkI know the meaning of that word. Why frightened?I am not one of those who think the LordIs waiting till He catches them some dayIn the back yard alone! What should I fear?She started from the bushes by the path,And had a basket full of herbs and rootsFor some witch-broth or other,—the old hag.
MARTHA. She has been here to-day.
COREY.With hand outstretchedShe said: "Giles Corey, will you sign the Book?""Avaunt!" I cried: "Get thee behind me, Satan!"At which she laughed and left me. But a voiceWas whispering in my ear continually:"Self-murder is no crime. The life of manIs his, to keep it or to throw away!"
MARTHA. 'T was a temptation of the Evil One! Giles, Giles! why will you harbor these dark thoughts?
COREY (rising). I am too tired to talk. I'll go to bed.
MARTHA. First tell me something about Bridget Bishop. How did she look? You saw her? You were there?
COREY. I'll tell you that to-morrow, not to-night. I'll go to bed.
MARTHA.First let us pray together.
COREY. I cannot pray to-night.
MARTHA.Say the Lord's Prayer,And that will comfort you.
COREY.I cannot say,"As we forgive those that have sinned against us,"When I do not forgive them.
MARTHA (kneeling on the hearth).God forgive you!
COREY. I will not make believe! I say to-night There's something thwarts me when I wish to pray, And thrusts into my mind, instead of prayers, Hate and revenge, and things that are not prayers. Something of my old self,—my old, bad life,— And the old Adam in me rises up, And will not let me pray. I am afraid The Devil hinders me. You know I say Just what I think, and nothing more nor less, And, when I pray, my heart is in my prayer. I cannot say one thing and mean another. If I can't pray, I will not make believe!
[Exit COREY. MARTHA continues kneeling.
SCENE I. — GILES COREY'S kitchen. Morning. COREY and MARTHA sitting at the breakfast-table.
COREY (rising). Well, now I've told you all I saw and heard Of Bridget Bishop; and I must be gone.
MARTHA. Don't go into the village, Giles, to-day. Last night you came back tired and out of humor.
COREY. Say, angry; say, right angry. I was never In a more devilish temper in my life. All things went wrong with me.
MARTHA.You were much vexed;So don't go to the village.
COREY (going).No, I won't.I won't go near it. We are going to mowThe Ipswich meadows for the aftermath,The crop of sedge and rowens.
MARTHA.Stay a moment,I want to tell you what I dreamed last night.Do you believe in dreams?
COREY.Why, yes and no.When they come true, then I believe in themWhen they come false, I don't believe in them.But let me hear. What did you dream about?
MARTHA. I dreamed that you and I were both in prison; That we had fetters on our hands and feet; That we were taken before the Magistrates, And tried for Witchcraft, and condemned to death! I wished to pray; they would not let me pray; You tried to comfort me, and they forbade it. But the most dreadful thing in all my dream Was that they made you testify against me! And then there came a kind of mist between us; I could not see you; and I woke in terror. I never was more thankful in my life Than when I found you sleeping at my side!
COREY (with tenderness).It was our talk last night that made you dream.I'm sorry for it. I'll control myselfAnother time, and keep my temper down!I do not like such dreams.—Remember, Martha,I'm going to mow the Ipswich River meadows;If Gardner comes, you'll tell him where to find me.[Exit.
MARTHA.So this delusion grows from bad to worseFirst, a forsaken and forlorn old woman,Ragged and wretched, and without a friend;Then something higher. Now it's Bridget Bishop;God only knows whose turn it will be next!The Magistrates are blind, the people mad!If they would only seize the Afflicted Children,And put them in the Workhouse, where they should be,There'd be an end of all this wickedness.[Exit.
SCENE II. — A street in Salem Village. Enter MATHER and HATHORNE.
MATHER. Yet one thing troubles me.
HATHORNE.And what is that?
MATHER. May not the Devil take the outward shape Of innocent persons? Are we not in danger, Perhaps, of punishing some who are not guilty?
HATHORNE. As I have said, we do not trust alone To spectral evidence.
MATHER.And then again,If any shall be put to death for Witchcraft,We do but kill the body, not the soul.The Unclean Spirits that possessed them onceLive still, to enter into other bodies.What have we gained? Surely, there's nothing gained.
HATHORNE. Doth not the Scripture say, "Thou shalt not suffer A Witch to live"?
MATHER.The Scripture sayeth it,But speaketh to the Jews; and we are Christians.What say the laws of England?
HATHORNE.They make WitchcraftFelony without the benefit of Clergy.Witches are burned in England. You have read—For you read all things, not a book escapes you—The famous Demonology of King James?
MATHER. A curious volume. I remember also The plot of the Two Hundred, with one Fian, The Registrar of the Devil, at their head, To drown his Majesty on his return From Denmark; how they sailed in sieves or riddles Unto North Berwick Kirk in Lothian, And, landing there, danced hand in hand, and sang, "Goodwife, go ye before! good wife, go ye! If ye'll not go before, goodwife, let me!" While Geilis Duncan played the Witches' Reel Upon a jews-harp.
HATHORNE.Then you know full wellThe English law, and that in England Witches,When lawfully convicted and attainted,Are put to death.
MATHER.When lawfully convicted;That is the point.
HATHORNE.You heard the evidenceProduced before us yesterday at the trialOf Bridget Bishop.
MATHER.One of the Afflicted,I know, bore witness to the apparitionOf ghosts unto the spectre of this Bishop,Saying, "You murdered us!" of the truth whereofThere was in matter of fact too much Suspicion.
HATHORNE. And when she cast her eyes on the Afflicted, They were struck down; and this in such a manner There could be no collusion in the business. And when the accused but laid her hand upon them, As they lay in their swoons, they straight revived, Although they stirred not when the others touched them.
MATHER. What most convinced me of the woman's guilt Was finding hidden in her cellar wall Those poppets made of rags, with headless pins Stuck into them point outwards, and whereof She could not give a reasonable account.
HATHORNE.When you shall read the testimony givenBefore the Court in all the other cases,I am persuaded you will find the proofNo less conclusive than it was in this.Come, then, with me, and I will tax your patienceWith reading of the documents so farAs may convince you that these sorcerersAre lawfully convicted and attainted.Like doubting Thomas, you shall lay your handUpon these wounds, and you will doubt no more.{Exeunt.
SCENE III. — A room in COREY's house. MARTHA and two Deacons of the church.
MARTHA. Be seated. I am glad to see you here. I know what you are come for. You are come To question me, and learn from my own lips If I have any dealings with the Devil; In short, if I'm a Witch.
DEACON (sitting down).Such is our purpose.How could you know beforehand why we came?
MARTHA. 'T was only a surmise.
DEACON.We came to ask you,You being with us in church covenant,What part you have, if any, in these matters.
MARTHA. And I make answer, No part whatsoever. I am a farmer's wife, a working woman; You see my spinning-wheel, you see my loom, You know the duties of a farmer's wife, And are not ignorant that my life among you Has been without reproach until this day. Is it not true?
DEACON.So much we're bound to own,And say it frankly, and without reserve.
MARTHA. I've heard the idle tales that are abroad; I've heard it whispered that I am a Witch; I cannot help it. I do not believe In any Witchcraft. It is a delusion.
DEACON. How can you say that it is a delusion, When all our learned and good men believe it,— Our Ministers and worshipful Magistrates?
MARTHA. Their eyes are blinded and see not the truth. Perhaps one day they will be open to it.
DEACON. You answer boldly. The Afflicted Children Say you appeared to them.
MARTHA.And did they sayWhat clothes I came in?
DEACON.No, they could not tell.They said that you foresaw our visit here,And blinded them, so that they could not seeThe clothes you wore.
MARTHA.The cunning, crafty girls!I say to you, in all sincerity,I never have appeared to anyoneIn my own person. If the Devil takesMy shape to hurt these children, or afflict them,I am not guilty of it. And I sayIt's all a mere delusion of the senses.
DEACON. I greatly fear that you will find too late It is not so.
MARTHA (rising).They do accuse me falsely.It is delusion, or it is deceit.There is a story in the ancient ScripturesWhich I much wonder comes not to your minds.Let me repeat it to you.
DEACON.We will hear it.
MARTHA. It came to pass that Naboth had a vineyard Hard by the palace of the King called Ahab. And Ahab, King of Israel, spake to Naboth, And said to him, Give unto me thy vineyard, That I may have it for a garden of herbs, And I will give a better vineyard for it, Or, if it seemeth good to thee, its worth In money. And then Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me that I should give The inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house displeased And heavy at the words which Naboth spake, And laid him down upon his bed, and turned His face away; and he would eat no bread. And Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, came And said to him, Why is thy spirit sad? And he said unto her, Because I spake To Naboth, to the Jezreelite, and said, Give me thy vineyard; and he answered, saying, I will not give my vineyard unto thee. And Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, said, Dost thou not rule the realm of Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let thy heart be merry; I will give Naboth's vineyard unto thee. So she wrote letters in King Ahab's name, And sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters Unto the elders that were in his city Dwelling with Naboth, and unto the nobles; And in the letters wrote, Proclaim a fast; And set this Naboth high among the people, And set two men, the sons of Belial, Before him, to bear witness and to say, Thou didst blaspheme against God and the King; And carry him out and stone him, that he die! And the elders and the nobles in the city Did even as Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, Had sent to them and written in the letters.
And then it came to pass, when Ahab heard Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose to go Down unto Naboth's vineyard, and to take Possession of it. And the word of God Came to Elijah, saying to him, Arise, Go down to meet the King of Israel In Naboth's vineyard, whither he hath gone To take possession. Thou shalt speak to him, Saying, Thus saith the Lord! What! hast thou killed And also taken possession? In the place Wherein the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth Shall the dogs lick thy blood,—ay, even thine!
Both of the Deacons start from their seats.
And Ahab then, the King of Israel,Said, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?Elijah the Prophet answered, I have found thee!So will it be with those who have stirred upThe Sons of Belial here to bear false witnessAnd swear away the lives of innocent people;Their enemy will find them out at last,The Prophet's voice will thunder, I have found thee![Exeunt.
SCENE IV. — Meadows on Ipswich River, COREY and his men mowing; COREY in advance.
COREY. Well done, my men. You see, I lead the field! I'm an old man, but I can swing a scythe Better than most of you, though you be younger.
Hangs his scythe upon a tree.
GLOYD (aside to the others). How strong he is! It's supernatural. No man so old as he is has such strength. The Devil helps him!
COREY (wiping his forehead).Now we'll rest awhile,And take our nooning. What's the matter with you?You are not angry with me,—are you, Gloyd?Come, come, we will not quarrel. Let's be friends.It's an old story, that the Raven said,"Read the Third of Colossians and fifteenth."
GLOYD. You're handier at the scythe, but I can beat you At wrestling.
COREY.Well, perhaps so. I don't know.I never wrestled with you. Why, you're vexed!Come, come, don't bear a grudge.
GLOYD.You are afraid.
COREY. What should I be afraid of? All bear witness The challenge comes from him. Now, then, my man.
They wrestle, and GLOYD is thrown.
ONE OF THE MEN. That's a fair fall.
ANOTHER.'T was nothing but a foil!
OTHERS. You've hurt him!
COREY (helping GLOYD rise).No; this meadow-land is soft.You're not hurt,—are you, Gloyd?
GLOYD (rising).No, not much hurt.
COREY. Well, then, shake hands; and there's an end of it. How do you like that Cornish hug, my lad? And now we'll see what's in our basket here.
GLOYD (aside). The Devil and all his imps are in that man! The clutch of his ten fingers burns like fire!
COREY (reverentially taking off his hat). God bless the food He hath provided for us, And make us thankful for it, for Christ's sake!
He lifts up a keg of cider, and drinks from it.
GLOYD. Do you see that? Don't tell me it's not Witchcraft Two of us could not lift that cask as he does!
COREY puts down the keg, and opens a basket. A voice is heard calling.
VOICE. Ho! Corey, Corey!
COREY.What is that? I surelyHeard some one calling me by name!
VOICE.Giles Corey!
Enter a boy, running, and out of breath.
BOY. Is Master Corey here?
COREY.Yes, here I am.BOY.O Master Corey!
COREY.Well?
BOY.Your wife—your wife—
COREY. What's happened to my wife?
BOY.She's sent to prison!
COREY. The dream! the dream! O God, be merciful!
BOY. She sent me here to tell you.
COREY (putting on his jacket).Where's my horse?Don't stand there staring, fellows.Where's my horse?[Exit COREY.
GLOYD. Under the trees there. Run, old man, run, run! You've got some one to wrestle with you now Who'll trip your heels up, with your Cornish hug. If there's a Devil, he has got you now. Ah, there he goes! His horse is snorting fire!
ONE OF THE MEN. John Gloyd, don't talk so! It's a shame to talk so! He's a good master, though you quarrel with him.
GLOYD. If hard work and low wages make good masters, Then he is one. But I think otherwise. Come, let us have our dinner and be merry, And talk about the old man and the Witches. I know some stories that will make you laugh.
They sit down on the grass, and eat.
Now there are Goody Cloyse and Goody Good, Who have not got a decent tooth between them, And yet these children—the Afflicted Children— Say that they bite them, and show marks of teeth Upon their arms!
ONE OF THE MEN.That makes the wonder greater.That's Witchcraft. Why, if they had teeth like yours,'T would be no wonder if the girls were bitten!
GLOYD. And then those ghosts that come out of their graves And cry, "You murdered us! you murdered us!"
ONE OF THE MEN. And all those Apparitions that stick pins Into the flesh of the Afflicted Children!
GLOYD. Oh those Afflicted Children! They know well Where the pins come from. I can tell you that. And there's old Corey, he has got a horseshoe Nailed on his doorstep to keep off the Witches, And all the same his wife has gone to prison.
ONE OF THE MEN. Oh, she's no Witch. I'll swear that Goodwife Corey Never did harm to any living creature. She's a good woman, if there ever was one.
GLOYD. Well, we shall see. As for that Bridget Bishop, She has been tried before; some years ago A negro testified he saw her shape Sitting upon the rafters in a barn, And holding in its hand an egg; and while He went to fetch his pitchfork, she had vanished. And now be quiet, will you? I am tired, And want to sleep here on the grass a little.
They stretch themselves on the grass.
ONE OF THE MEN. There may be Witches riding through the air Over our heads on broomsticks at this moment, Bound for some Satan's Sabbath in the woods To be baptized.
GLOYD.I wish they'd take you with them,And hold you under water, head and ears,Till you were drowned; and that would stop your talking,If nothing else will. Let me sleep, I say.
SCENE I. — The Green in front of the village Meeting-house. An excited crowd gathering. Enter JOHN GLOYD.
A FARMER. Who will be tried to-day?
A SECOND.I do not know.Here is John Gloyd. Ask him; he knows.
FARMER.John Gloyd,Whose turn is it to-day?
GLOYD.It's Goodwife Corey's.
FARMER. Giles Corey's wife?
GLOYD.The same. She is not mine.It will go hard with her with all her praying.The hypocrite! She's always on her knees;But she prays to the Devil when she prays.Let us go in.
A trumpet blows.
FARMER.Here come the Magistrates.
SECOND FARMER. Who's the tall man in front?
GLOYD.Oh, that is Hathorne,A Justice of the Court, and a Quarter-masterIn the Three County Troop. He'll sift the matter.That's Corwin with him; and the man in blackIs Cotton Mather, Minister of Boston.
Enter HATHORNE and other Magistrates on horseback, followed by the Sheriff, constables, and attendants on foot. The Magistrates dismount, and enter the Meeting-house, with the rest.
FARMER.
The Meeting-house is full. I never saw So great a crowd before.
GLOYD.No matter. Come.We shall find room enough by elbowingOur way among them. Put your shoulder to it.
FARMER. There were not half so many at the trial Of Goodwife Bishop.
GLOYD.Keep close after me.I'll find a place for you. They'll want me there.I am a friend of Corey's, as you know,And he can't do without me just at present.[Exeunt.
SCENE II. — Interior of the Meeting-house. MATHER and the Magistrates seated in front of the pulpit. Before them a raised platform. MARTHA in chains. COREY near her. MARY WALCOT in a chair. A crowd of spectators, among them GLOYD. Confusion and murmurs during the scene.
HATHORNE. Call Martha Corey.
MARTHA.I am here.
HATHORNE.Come forward.
She ascends the platform.
The Jurors of our Sovereign Lord and Lady The King and Queen, here present, do accuse you Of having on the tenth of June last past, And divers other times before and after, Wickedly used and practised certain arts Called Witchcrafts, Sorceries, and Incantations, Against one Mary Walcot, single woman, Of Salem Village; by which wicked arts The aforesaid Mary Walcot was tormented, Tortured, afflicted, pined, consumed, and wasted, Against the peace of our Sovereign Lord and Lady The King and Queen, as well as of the Statute Made and provided in that case. What say you?
MARTHA. Before I answer, give me leave to pray.
HATHORNE. We have not sent for you, nor are we here, To hear you pray, but to examine you In whatsoever is alleged against you. Why do you hurt this person?
MARTHA.I do not.I am not guilty of the charge against me.
MARY. Avoid, she-devil! You may torment me now! Avoid, avoid, Witch!
MARTHA.I am innocent.I never had to do with any WitchcraftSince I was born. I am a gospel woman.
MARY. You are a gospel Witch!
MARTHA (clasping her hands).Ah me! ah me!Oh, give me leave to pray!
MARY (stretching out her hands).She hurts me now.See, she has pinched my hands!
HATHORNE.Who made these marksUpon her hands?
MARTHA.I do not know. I standApart from her. I did not touch her hands.
HATHORNE. Who hurt her then?
MARTHA.I know not.
HATHORNE.Do you thinkShe is bewitched?
MARTHA.Indeed I do not think so.I am no Witch, and have no faith in Witches.
HATHORNE. Then answer me: When certain persons came To see you yesterday, how did you know Beforehand why they came?
MARTHA.I had had speech;The children said I hurt them, and I thoughtThese people came to question me about it.
HATHORNE. How did you know the children had been told To note the clothes you wore?
MARTHA.My husband told meWhat others said about it.
HATHORNE.Goodman Corey,Say, did you tell her?
COREY.I must speak the truth;I did not tell her. It was some one else.
HATHORNE. Did you not say your husband told you so? How dare you tell a lie in this assembly? Who told you of the clothes? Confess the truth.
MARTHA bites her lips, and is silent.
You bite your lips, but do not answer me!
MARY. Ah, she is biting me! Avoid, avoid!
HATHORNE. You said your husband told you.
MARTHA.Yes, he told meThe children said I troubled them.
HATHORNE.Then tell me,Why do you trouble them?
MARTHA.I have denied it.
MARY. She threatened me; stabbed at me with her spindle; And, when my brother thrust her with his sword, He tore her gown, and cut a piece away. Here are they both, the spindle and the cloth.
Shows them.
HATHORNE. And there are persons here who know the truth Of what has now been said. What answer make you?
MARTHA. I make no answer. Give me leave to pray.
HATHORNE. Whom would you pray to?
MARTHA.To my God and Father.
HATHORNE. Who is your God and Father?
MARTHA.The Almighty!
HATHORNE. Doth he you pray to say that he is God? It is the Prince of Darkness, and not God.
MARY. There is a dark shape whispering in her ear.
HATHORNE. What does it say to you?
MARTHA.I see no shape.
HATHORNE. Did you not hear it whisper?
MARTHA.I heard nothing.
MARY. What torture! Ah, what agony I suffer!
Falls into a swoon.
HATHORNE. You see this woman cannot stand before you. If you would look for mercy, you must look In God's way, by confession of your guilt. Why does your spectre haunt and hurt this person?
MARTHA. I do not know. He who appeared of old In Samuel's shape, a saint and glorified, May come in whatsoever shape he chooses. I cannot help it. I am sick at heart!
COREY. O Martha, Martha! let me hold your hand.
HATHORNE. No; stand aside, old man.
MARY (starting up).Look there! Look there!I see a little bird, a yellow birdPerched on her finger; and it pecks at me.Ah, it will tear mine eyes out!
MARTHA.I see nothing.
HATHORNE. 'T is the Familiar Spirit that attends her.
MARY. Now it has flown away. It sits up there Upon the rafters. It is gone; is vanished.
MARTHA. Giles, wipe these tears of anger from mine eyes. Wipe the sweat from my forehead. I am faint.
She leans against the railing.
MARY. Oh, she is crushing me with all her weight!
HATHORNE. Did you not carry once the Devil's Book To this young woman?