The examination of Sarah Good before the Worshipful Assistants, John Hathorne, Jonathan Corwin
(Hathorne) Sarah Good, what evil spirit have you familiarity with?
(Sarah Good) None
(Hathorne) Have you made no contract withe the devil?
Good answered, "No."
(Hathorne) Why do you hurt these children?
(Good) I do not hurt them. I scorn it.
(Hathorne) Who do you employ then to do it?
(Good) I employ nobody.
(Hathorne) What creature do you employ then?
(Good) No creature, but I am falsely accused.
(Hathorne) Why did you go away muttering from Mr. Parris' house?
(Good) I did not mutter but I thanked him for what he gave my child.
(Hathorne) Have you made no contract with the devil?
(Good) No.
Hathorne desired the children all of them to look upon her, and see if this were the person that hurt them, and so they all did look upon her and said this was one of the persons that did torment them. Presently they were all tormented.
(Hathorne) Sarah Good, do you not see now what you have done? Why do you not tell us the truth? Why do you thus torment these poor children?
(Good) I do not torment them,
(Hathorne) Who do you employ then
(Good) I employ nobody. I scorn it.
(Hathorne) How came they thus tormented?
(Good) What do I know? You bring others here and now you charge me with it.
(Hathorne) Why, who was it?
(Good) I do not know, but it was some you brought into the meeting house with you.
(Hathorne) We brought you into the meeting house.
(Good) But you brought in two more.
(Hathorne) Who was it then that tormented the children?
(Good) It was Osburn.
(Hathorne) What is it that you say when you go muttering away from persons' houses? (Good) If I must tell, I will tell.
(Hathorne) Do tell us then.
(Good) If I must tell, I will tell it is the Commandments. I may say my commandments, I hope.
(Hathorne) What Commandment is it?
(Good) If I must tell you, I will tell it is a Psalm.
(Hathorne) What Psalm?
(Good) After a long time, she muttered over some part of a Psalm.
(Hathorne) Who do you serve?
(Good) I serve God.
(Hathorne) What God do you serve?
(Good) The God that made heaven and earth.
Though she was not willing to mention the word God, her answers were in a very wicked, spiteful manner, reflecting and retorting against the authority with base and abusive words and many lies. She was taken in. It was here said that her husband had said that he was afraid that she either was a witch or would be one very quickly. The worshipful Mr. Hathorne asked him his reason why he said so of her, whether he had ever seen anything by her. He answered no, not in this nature, but it was her bad carriage to him and indeed, said he, I may say with tears that she is an enemy to all good.
Sarah Osburn, her examination
(Hathorne) What evil spirit have you familiarity with?
(Osburn) None.
(Hathorne) Have you made no contract with the Devil?
(Osburn) No, I never saw the Devil in my life.
(Hathorne) Why do you hurt these children?
(Osburn) I do not hurt them.
(Hathorne) Who do you employ then to hurt them?
(Osburn) I employ nobody.
(Hathorne) What familiarity have you with Sarah Good?
(Osburn) None. I have not seen her these two years.
(Hathorne) Where did you see her then?
(Osburn) One day, going to Town.
(Hathorne) What communications had you with her?
(Osburn) I had none, only "how do you do" or so. I did not know her by name.
(Hathorne) What did you call her then?
Osburn made a stand at that, at last said she called her "Sarah."
(Hathorne) Sarah Good says that it was you that hurt the children?
(Osburn) I do not know that the Devil goes about in my likeness to do any hurt.
Mr. Hathorne desired all these children to stand up and look upon her and see if they did know her, which they all did, and every one of them said that this was one of the women that did afflict them, and that they had constantly seen her in the very habit that she was now in. Three evidences do stand that she said this morning that she was more like to be bewitched then that she was a witch. Mr. Hathorne asked her what made her say so. She answered that she was frightened one time in her sleep, and either saw or dreamed that she saw a thing like an Indian, all black, which did pinch her in her neck and pulled her by the back part of her head to the door of the house.
(Hathorne) Did you never see anything else?
(Osburn) No.
It was said by some in the meeting house that she had said that she would never believe that lying spirit any more.
(Hathorne) What lying spirit is this? Has the devil ever deceived you and been false to you?
(Osburn) I do not know the Devil. I never did see him.
(Hathorne) What lying spirit was it then?
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(Osburn) It was a voice that I thought I heard.
(Hathorne) What did it propound to you?
(Osburn) That I should go no more to meeting but I said I would and did go the next Sabbath day.
(Hathorne) were you never tempted further?
(Osburn) No.
(Hathorne) Why did you yield thus far to the Devil as never to go to meeting since?
(Osburn) Alas, I have been sick and not able to go.
Her husband and others said that she had not been at meeting this year and two months.
The Examination of Tituba
(Hathorne) Tituba, what evil spirit have you familiarity with?
(Tituba) None.
(Hathorne) Why do you hurt these children?
(Tituba) I do not hurt them.
(Hathorne) Who is it then?
(Tituba) The Devil, for aught I know.
(Hathorne) Did you never see the Devil?
(Tituba) The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.
(Hathorne) Who have you seen?
(Tituba) Four women sometimes hurt the children.
(Hathorne) Who were they?
(Tituba) Goody Osburn and Sarah Good and I do not know who the others were. Sarah Good and Osburn would have me hurt the children but I would not.
She further says there was a tall man of Boston that she did see.
(Hathorne) when did you see them?
(Tituba) Last night at Boston
(Hathorne) What did they say to you?
[(Tituba)] They said, "Hurt the children."
(Hathorne) And did you hurt them?
(Tituba) No. There is four women and one man. They hurt the children and then lay all upon her and they tell me if I will not hurt the children, they will hurt me.
(Hathorne) But did you not hurt them?
(Tituba) Yes, but I will hurt them no more.
(Hathorne) Are you not sorry that you did hurt them?
(Tituba) Yes.
(Hathorne) And why then do you hurt them?
(Tituba) They say, "Hurt children or we will do worse to you."
(Hathorne) What have you seen?
[(Tituba)] A man come to me and say, "Serve me."
(Hathorne) What service?
(Tituba) Hurt the children. And last night there was an appearance that said, "Kill the children." and if I would no go on hurting the children, they would do worse to me.
(Hathorne) What is this appearance you see?
(Tituba) Sometimes it is like a hog and some times like a great dog.
This appearance she says she did see four times.
(Hathorne) what did it say to you?
(Tituba) The black dog said, "Serve me," but I said, "I am afraid." He said if I did not, he would do worse to me.
(Hathorne) What did you say to it?
(Tituba) "I will serve you no longer." Then he said he would hurt me and then he looks like a man and threatens to hurt me.
She said that this man had a yellow bird that kept with him.
[(Tituba)] And he told me he had more pretty things that he would give me if I would serve him.
(Hathorne) What were these pretty things?
(Tituba) He did not show me them?
(Hathorne) What else have you seen?
(Tituba) Two cats. A red cat and a black cat.
(Hathorne) What did they say to you?
(Tituba) They said, "Serve me."
(Hathorne) When did you see them?
(Tituba) Last night and they said, "Serve me," but I said I would not.
(Hathorne) What service?
(Tituba) She said, "Hurt the children."
(Hathorne) Did you not pinch Elizabeth Hubbard this morning?
(Tituba) The man brought her to me and made pinch her.
(Hathorne) Why did you go to Thomas Putnam's last night and hurt his child?
(Tituba) Phey pull and haul me and make go.
(Hathorne) And what would [they] have you do?
[(Tituba)] Kill her with a knife.
Lieutenant Fuller and others said at this time, when the child saw these persons and was tormented by them, that she did complain of a knife that they would have her cut her head off with a knife.
(Hathorne) How did you go?
(Tituba) We ride upon sticks and are there presently.
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(Hathorne) Do you go through the trees or over them?
(Tituba) We see nothing but are there presently.
(Hathorne) Why did you not tell your master?
(Tituba) I was afraid. They said they would cut off my head if I told.
(Hathorne) Would you not have hurt others if you could?
(Tituba) They said they would hurt others, but they could not.
(Hathorne) What attendants has Sarah Good?
(Tituba) A yellow bird and she would have given me one.
(Hathorne) What meat did she give it?
(Tituba) It did suck her, between her fingers.
(Hathorne) Did not you hurt Mr. Corwin's child?
(Tituba) Goody Good and Goody Osburn told that they did hurt Mr. Corwin's child and would have had me hurt him, too, but I did not.
(Hathorne) What has Sarah Osburn?
(Tituba) Yesterday she had a thing with a head like a woman with two legs and wings. Abigail Williams that lives with her uncle, Mr. Parris, said that she did see this same creature with Goody Osburn and yesterday being and it turned into the shape of Goody Osburn.
(Hathorne) What else have you seen with Goody Osburn?
(Tituba) Another thing, hairy. It goes upright like a man. It has only two legs.
(Hathorne) Did you not see Sarah Good upon Elizabeth Williams Hubbard last Saturday?
(Tituba) I did see her set a wolf upon her to afflict her.
The persons with this maid did say that she did complain of a wolf .
Tituba, she further said that she saw a cat with Good at another time.
(Hathorne) What clothes does the man go in?
(Tituba) He goes in black clothes. A tall man with white hair, I think.
(Hathorne) How does the woman go?
(Tituba) In a white hood and a black hood with a top knot.
(Hathorne) Do you see who it is that torments these children now?
(Tituba) Yes. It is Goody Good. She hurts them in her own shape.
(Hathorne) And who is it that hurts them now?
(Tituba) I am blind now. I cannot see.
Salem Village
March the 1st 1692
Written by. Ezekiel Cheevers
Salem Village
March the 1st 1692
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Sarah Good's Examination | 
