Woodstock | Page 7

with it. Captain Cockaine and his fellow arose,

and took their swords to go unto the Crooks. The noise ceased at their
rising, so that they came to the door and called. The two brothers,
though fully awaked, and heard them call, were so amazed, that they
made no answer until Captain Cockaine had recovered the boldness to
call very loud, and came unto the bed-side; then faintly first, after some
more assurance, they came to understand one another, and comforted
the lawyer. Whilst this was thus, no noise was heard, which made them
think the time was past of that night's trouble, so that, after some little
conference, they applied themselves to take some rest. When Captain
Cockaine was come to his own bed, which he had left open, he found it
closely covered, which he much wondered at; but turning the clothes
down, and opening it to get in, he found the lower sheet strewed over
with trenchers. Their whole three dozen of trenchers were orderly
disposed between the sheets, which he and his fellow endeavoring to
cast out, such noise arose about the room, that they were glad to get
into bed with some of the trenchers. The noise lasted, a full half hour
after this. This entertainment so ill did like the lawyer, and being not so
well studied in the point as to resolve this the devil's law case, that he
next day resolved to be gone; but having not dispatcht all that he came
for, profit and perswasions prevailed with him to stay the other hearing,
so that he lodged as he did the night before.
October 26. This night each room was better furnished with fire and
candle than before; yet about twelve at night came something in that
dasht all out, then did walk about the room, making a noise, not to be
set forth by the comparison with any other thing; sometimes came it to
the bedsides, and drew the curtains to and fro, then twerle them, then
walk about again, and return to the bed-posts, shake them with all the
bed, so that they in bed were put to hold one upon the other, then walk
about the room again, and come to the servants' bed, and gnaw and
scratch the wainscot head, and shake altogether in that room; at the
time of this being in doing, they in the bed-chamber heard such strange
dropping down from the roof of the room, that they supposed 'twas like
the fall of money by the sound. Captain Cockaine, not frightened with
so small a noise, (and lying near the chimney) stept out, and made shift
to light a candle, by the light of which he perceived the room strewed
over with broken glass, green, and some of it as it were pieces of

broken bottles; he had not been long considering what it was, when
suddenly his candle was hit out, and glass flew about the room, that he
made haste to the protection of the coverlets; the noise of thundering
rose more hideous than at any time before; yet, at a certain time, all
vanisht into calmness. The morning after was the glass about the room,
which the maid that was to make clean the rooms swept up into a
corner, and many came to see it. But Mr. Richard Crook would stay no
longer, yet as he stopt, going through Woodstock town, he was there
heard to say, that he would not lodge amongst them another night for a
fee of 500 L.
October 27. The Commissioners had not yet done their work,
wherefore they must stay; and being all men of the sword, they must
not seem afraid to encounter with any thing, though it be the devil;
therefore, with pistols charged, and drawn swords laied by their
bedsides, they applied themselves to take some rest, when something in
the midst of night, so opened and shut the window casements with such
claps, that it awakened all that slept; some of them peeping out to look
what was the matter with the windows, stones flew about the rooms as
if hurled with many hands; some hit the walls, and some the beds'
heads close above the pillows, the dints of which were then, and yet (it
is conceived) are to be seen, thus sometime throwing stones, and
sometime making thundering noise for two hours space it ceast, and all
was quiet till the morn. After their rising, and the maid come in to make
the fire, they looked about the rooms; they found fourscore stones
brought in that night, and going to lay them together in the corner
where the glass (before mentioned) had been swept up, they found that
every piece of glass had been carried away that night. Many