Giles Corey, Yeoman | Page 9

'tis witchcraft, Nancy?
Nancy. I know 'tis. 'Tis Goody Bishop in her fine silk hood afflicts me. Oh, massy!
Phoebe. There, you are up, Nancy.
Nancy. I ain't half undoubled.
Phoebe. You can walk so, can't you, Nancy? Oh, come, quick! I think I hear somebody on the stairs. (_Catches up her doll and seizes Nancy's hand._) Quick! quick!
Nancy. I tell ye I can't go quick; I ain't undoubled enough. Devil take Goody Bishop!
[Exit, hobbling and bent almost double, Phoebe _urging her along. Curtain falls._

Act III.
The Meeting-house in Salem Village. Enter People of Salem Village and take seats. The Afflicted Girls, among whom are Ann Hutchins and Mercy Lewis, occupy the front seats. Nancy Fox and Phoebe. Enter the magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin with Minister Parris, escorted by the Marshal, Aids, and four Constables. _They place themselves at a long table in front of the pulpit._
Hathorne (rising). We are now prepared to enter upon the examination. We invoke the blessing of God upon our proceedings, and call upon the Marshal to produce the bodies of the accused.
[Exeunt Marshal and Constables. Afflicted Girls _twist about and groan. Great excitement among the people._
Enter Marshal and Constables leading Martha and Olive Corey in chains. Giles _follows. The prisoners are placed facing the assembly, with the Constables holding their hands. Giles stands near. The Afflicted Girls make a great clamor._
Ann. Oh, they are tormenting! They will be the death of me! I will not! I will not!
Giles. Hush your noise, will ye, Ann Hutchins!
Parris. Peace, Goodman Corey!
Hathorne. Martha Corey, you are now in the hands of authority. Tell me now why you hurt these persons.
Martha. I do not. I pray your worships give me leave to go to prayer.
Hathorne. We have not sent for you to go to prayer, but to confess that you are a witch.
Martha. I am no witch. I am a gospel woman. There is no such thing as a witch. Shall I confess that I am what doth not exist? It were not only a lie, but a fool's lie.
Mercy. There is a black man whispering in her ears.
Hathorne. What saith the black man to you, goodwife?
Martha. I pray your worships to ask the maid. Perchance, since she sees him, she can also hear what he saith better than I.
Hathorne. Why do you not tell how the devil comes in your shape and hurts these maids?
Martha. How can I tell how? I was never acquaint with the ways of the devil. I leave it to those wise maids who are so well acquaint to tell how. Perchance he hath whispered it in their ears.
Afflicted Girls. Oh, there is a yellow bird! There is a yellow bird perched on her head!
Hathorne. What say you to that, Goodwife Corey?
Martha. What can I say to such folly?
Hathorne. Constables, let go the hands of Martha Corey.
[The Constables _let go her hands, and immediately there is a great outcry from the_ Afflicted Girls.
Afflicted Girls. She pinches us! Hold her hands! Hold her hands again! Oh! oh!
Ann. She is upon me again! She digs her fingers into my throat! Hold her hands! Hold her hands! She will be the death of me!
Giles. Devil take ye, ye lying trollop! 'Tis a pity somebody had not been the death of ye before this happened!
Hathorne. Constables, hold the hands of the accused.
[Constables obey, and at once the afflicted are quiet.
Hathorne. Goodwife Corey, what do you say to this?
Martha. I see with whom we have to do. May the Lord have mercy upon us!
Hathorne. What say you to the charges that your husband, Giles Corey, hath many a time brought against you in the presence of witnesses--that you hindered him when he would go to prayer, causing the words to go from him strangely; that you were out after nightfall, and did ride home on a broomstick; and that you scoffed at these maids and their affliction, as if you were a witch yourself?
Giles. I said not so! Martha, I said it not so!
Hathorne. What say you to your husband's charge that you did afflict his ox and cat, causing his ox to fall in the yard, and the cat to be strangely sick?
Giles. Devil take the ox and the cat! I said not that she did afflict them.
Hathorne. Peace, Goodman Corey; you are now in court.
Martha. I say, if a gospel woman is to be hung as a witch for every stumbling ox and sick cat, 'tis setting a high value upon oxen and cats.
Giles. I would mine had all been knocked in the head, lass, and me too!
Hathorne. Peace! Ann Hutchins, what saw you when Goodwife Corey went home with you through the wood?
Ann. Hold fast her hands, I pray, or she will kill me. The trees were so full of yellow birds that it sounded as if a mighty