'My mother is a witch,' I began. She has a friend, a dog called Ball. When she wants to kill somebody, she tells Ball . . .'
I talked and talked; I told the judge everything. Judge Bromley listened carefully. 'My child, is this the truth?'
'Yes,' I answered. 'I'm telling you the truth.'
The guards brought my mother back into the room again. Her face looked tired and her eyes were red.
'Elizabeth Device, your daughter told us about your dog, Ball. Your son, too, told us about the clay pictures. We know everything.'
My mother said nothing. She didn't look at the judge and she didn't look at me.
Next, the guards brought my brother James into the room. When I saw James, I wanted to cry. James was thin and dirty and his hair was very long. He looked at the judge and at all the rich and important men in the room and he began to cry. Then he sat down on the floor.
'Stand up, James Device,' Judge Bromley said.
The guards pulled James up, but he fell to the floor again.
'You killed Mr Duckworth,' Judge Bromley said.
'I wanted a shirt,' James cried.
'Is your brother a witch?' Judge Bromley asked me.
'Yes,' I said. My brother sat on the floor, his mouth open. He looked at me, but he didn't know me. I was clean, and fat because of all the good food at Read Hall.
'James told me about his friend, Dandy,' I began.
'Dandy was the Devil and...
James heard the name Dandy, and he began to cry again. 'I want Dandy! I want to go home!'
The guards pulled him up from the floor and took him out of the room. I never saw my brother again.
When the guards brought my sister Alizon in front of the judge, I said nothing. John Law, the pedlar, came into the room. He was a thin man now. He walked slowly and he talked slowly and his face looked ill. He told the judge about that day near Colne when Alizon cursed him and her dog ran after him.
'I'm sorry!' Alizon said. 'I was angry with you that day, but I'm sorry now.' Alizon's eyes were dark and afraid, but she had no friends in that room and nobody wanted to listen to her.
Then Mr Nowell took me out and I waited with his servant in a different room. An hour later, there was the noise of many people shouting and crying.
The servant smiled. 'The trial is finished,' he said.
'You're a good child, Jennet. You told the judge the truth about the witches.'
Mr Nowell took me home to Read Hall. And on the twentieth day of August 1612, the guards took my mother, my sister and my brother out of prison, and hanged them in front of Lancaster Castle.
And so I lost my family.
When I was a child, I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be warm, to wear shoes, to eat good food. I wanted someone to take care of me. That's all. My mother gave me nothing. She gave me no love. She never took care of me.
Because my mother was a witch, my father ran away and I never knew him. My father was a rich man without a name, and I lived hungry and cold with a witch. And so I told Judge Bromley the truth about my family. Was I wrong?
I don't know.
I was happy for years at Read Hall. For twenty one years, I forgot my family. I learned to cook for the Nowell family; I worked many hours every day but I was warm and I ate good food. Every Sunday, in my best dress, I went to church; every summer I walked over Pendle Hill. I never thought about my family, because I was happy at Read Hall.
In August 1612, the guards hanged my family in front of Lancaster Castle. But their dead faces waited for me there; and a year ago, in 1633, when the guards put me in the prison in Lancaster Castle, I met them again. Day after day, I see their ugly, dead faces and hear their cold, angry voices. I think of them all the time. God is with me here, in prison. I believe that. But my dead family is with me too.
Mr Webster, from the church at Kildwick, visits me again. His blue eyes are tired, but he smiles at me.
'Edmund Robinson and his father told the truth in London,' he says quietly. 'The child told lies about you because he was afraid of his father. He wanted his father to love him.'
I say nothing. Mr Webster wants to be kind, but he cannot help me. Mr Nowell cannot help me because he is dead. Edmund Robinson is only a child; he tells lies one day, and the truth the next day. But the truth cannot help me. What can I do against hate, and lies? When Mr Nowell was alive, the villagers didn't talk about me. But when Mr Nowell died, the lies began. The villagers are all afraid of me - because my name is Device. They hate me - because my name is Device. They say I am a witch - because my name is Device.
I come from a family of witches, but I am not a witch.
Nobody died because I cursed them. I never made clay pictures, I never had a cat or dog. I only wanted to live quietly at Read Hall and watch the changing skies over Pendle Hill.
When I was a child, I was always cold and hungry, and I hated my family because they were witches. In 1612, I told the truth, and the truth killed my family. Now, twenty two years later, l
'My mother is a witch,' I began. She has a friend, a dog called Ball. When she wants to kill somebody, she tells Ball . . .'I talked and talked; I told the judge everything. Judge Bromley listened carefully. 'My child, is this the truth?''Yes,' I answered. 'I'm telling you the truth.'The guards brought my mother back into the room again. Her face looked tired and her eyes were red.'Elizabeth Device, your daughter told us about your dog, Ball. Your son, too, told us about the clay pictures. We know everything.'My mother said nothing. She didn't look at the judge and she didn't look at me.Next, the guards brought my brother James into the room. When I saw James, I wanted to cry. James was thin and dirty and his hair was very long. He looked at the judge and at all the rich and important men in the room and he began to cry. Then he sat down on the floor.'Stand up, James Device,' Judge Bromley said.The guards pulled James up, but he fell to the floor again.'You killed Mr Duckworth,' Judge Bromley said.'I wanted a shirt,' James cried.'Is your brother a witch?' Judge Bromley asked me.'Yes,' I said. My brother sat on the floor, his mouth open. He looked at me, but he didn't know me. I was clean, and fat because of all the good food at Read Hall.'James told me about his friend, Dandy,' I began.'Dandy was the Devil and...James heard the name Dandy, and he began to cry again. 'I want Dandy! I want to go home!'The guards pulled him up from the floor and took him out of the room. I never saw my brother again.When the guards brought my sister Alizon in front of the judge, I said nothing. John Law, the pedlar, came into the room. He was a thin man now. He walked slowly and he talked slowly and his face looked ill. He told the judge about that day near Colne when Alizon cursed him and her dog ran after him.'I'm sorry!' Alizon said. 'I was angry with you that day, but I'm sorry now.' Alizon's eyes were dark and afraid, but she had no friends in that room and nobody wanted to listen to her.Then Mr Nowell took me out and I waited with his servant in a different room. An hour later, there was the noise of many people shouting and crying.The servant smiled. 'The trial is finished,' he said.'You're a good child, Jennet. You told the judge the truth about the witches.'Mr Nowell took me home to Read Hall. And on the twentieth day of August 1612, the guards took my mother, my sister and my brother out of prison, and hanged them in front of Lancaster Castle.And so I lost my family.When I was a child, I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be warm, to wear shoes, to eat good food. I wanted someone to take care of me. That's all. My mother gave me nothing. She gave me no love. She never took care of me.Because my mother was a witch, my father ran away and I never knew him. My father was a rich man without a name, and I lived hungry and cold with a witch. And so I told Judge Bromley the truth about my family. Was I wrong?I don't know.I was happy for years at Read Hall. For twenty one years, I forgot my family. I learned to cook for the Nowell family; I worked many hours every day but I was warm and I ate good food. Every Sunday, in my best dress, I went to church; every summer I walked over Pendle Hill. I never thought about my family, because I was happy at Read Hall.In August 1612, the guards hanged my family in front of Lancaster Castle. But their dead faces waited for me there; and a year ago, in 1633, when the guards put me in the prison in Lancaster Castle, I met them again. Day after day, I see their ugly, dead faces and hear their cold, angry voices. I think of them all the time. God is with me here, in prison. I believe that. But my dead family is with me too.Mr Webster, from the church at Kildwick, visits me again. His blue eyes are tired, but he smiles at me.'Edmund Robinson and his father told the truth in London,' he says quietly. 'The child told lies about you because he was afraid of his father. He wanted his father to love him.'I say nothing. Mr Webster wants to be kind, but he cannot help me. Mr Nowell cannot help me because he is dead. Edmund Robinson is only a child; he tells lies one day, and the truth the next day. But the truth cannot help me. What can I do against hate, and lies? When Mr Nowell was alive, the villagers didn't talk about me. But when Mr Nowell died, the lies began. The villagers are all afraid of me - because my name is Device. They hate me - because my name is Device. They say I am a witch - because my name is Device.I come from a family of witches, but I am not a witch.Nobody died because I cursed them. I never made clay pictures, I never had a cat or dog. I only wanted to live quietly at Read Hall and watch the changing skies over Pendle Hill.When I was a child, I was always cold and hungry, and I hated my family because they were witches. In 1612, I told the truth, and the truth killed my family. Now, twenty two years later, l
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