presence of Sir Thomas Chamberlain of Oxfordshire, and divers others.
On Saturday Morning, an Hour before Day, Jan. 10 a Drum was heard beat upon the outsides of Mr. Mompesson's Chamber, from whence it went to the other end of the House, where some Gentlemen strangers lay, playing at their Door and without, four or five several Tunes, and so went off into the Air.
The next Night, a Smith in the Village lying with John the Man, they heard a noise in the Room, as one had been a Shoeing of an Horse, and somewhat came, as if it were with a Pair of Pincers, snipping at the Smiths Nose most part of the Night.
One Morning Mr. Mompesson rising early to go a Journey, heard a great noise below, where the Children lay, and running down with a Pistol in his Hand, he heard a Voice, crying, A Witch, a Witch, as they also had heard it once before. Upon his entrance all was quiet.
Having one Night played some little Tricks at Mr. Mompesson's Beds-feet, it went into another Bed, where one of his Daughters lay; there it passed from side to side, lifting her up as it passed under. At that time there were three kinds of noises in the Bed, they endeavoured to thrust at it with a Sword, but it still shifted and carefully avoided the Thrust, still getting under the Child, when they offered at it. The Night after it came panting like a Dog out of Breath; upon which one took a Bed-staff to knock, which was caught out of her Hand, and thrown away, and Company coming up, the Room was presently filled with a bloomy noisome Smell, and was very hot, though without Fire, in a very sharp and severe Winter. It continued in the Bed panting and scratching an Hour and half, and then went into the next Chamber, where it knockt a little, and seemed to rattle a Chain; thus it did for two or three Nights together.
After this, the Gentlewomans Bible was found in the Ashes, the Paper-sides being downards. Mr. Mompesson took it up, and observed that it lay open at the third Chapter of St. Mark, where there is mention of the unclean Spirits falling down before our Saviour, and of his giving power to the Twelve to craft out Devils, and of the Scribes Opinion, that he cast them out through Beelzebub.
The next Night they strewed Ashes over the Chamber, to see what Impressions it would leave; in the Morning they found in one place, the resemblance of a great Claw, in another of a lesser, some Letters in another, which they could make nothing of, besides many Circles and Scratches in the Ashes.
