and notified to his Majesty the death of the said Duke.
Friday, Jan 29.
Sig. Vignola had private Audience of leave of the Prince and Duke.
Ended the Poll for a Member of Parliament for Bedford, the numbers were, for.
Sir Jer Vanaker Sambroke, Bar. 375
Dr. Thomas Brown, ——— 346
29. The court received advice that on the death of the duke of Parma, the dutchess his widow had declared herself four months gone with child; that the duke had made a will in favour of Don Carlos, declaring him lawful heir to his dominions in failure of male issue to his said dutchess, and that the dutchess has likewise made another will to the same purport; and that 10,000 Imperialists had taken possession of the dutchies of Parma and Placentia, on pretence of the dutchess being with child.
A justice of the peace, who had challeng'd Mr. York, a council against him in a ceartin affair, came to Westminster-hall, and asked pardon in open court, upon which by consent the rule for an information against him was withdrawn.
About 3 o'clock this morning a woman of distinction fell in labour at the masquerade, was carried home in her habit, and deliver'd of a son in two hours after.
Saturday, Jan. 30.
This being the anniversary of the martyrdom of K. Cha. I. Dr. Middleton preached before the Ld Mayor and Aldermen of this City, at St. Paul's; the Bp. of Peterborough, before the Lords at Westminster-Abby, and Dr. Littleton at St. Margaret's before the Commons.
Sunday, Jan. 31.
His Majesty did not go to chapel, nor dine in publick.
Divine service was performed in the new church of St. George's Bloomsbury, for the first time since the consecration, by the Rev. Mr. Vernon in the forenoon, and by the Rev. Mr. Copper in the afternoon.
Melancholy Effects of Credulity in
Witchcraft.
From Burlington in Pensilvania we have an acount, that the owners of several Cattle believing them to be bewitch'd, caused some suspected men and women to be taken up, and trials to be made for detecting them. Above 300 people assembled near the governor's house, and a pair of scales being erected, the suspected persons were each weigh'd against a large Bible; but all of them vastly outweighing it, the accused were then to be tied head and feet together, and put into a river, on supposition that if they swam they must be guilty. This trial they offer'd to undergo, in case as many of their accusers think be served in the like manner; which being done, they all swam very buoyant, to the no small diversion of the spectators, and clearing of the accused.———This has revived a like transaction in Somersetshire in Sept. last, and another in France.
The first is from Frome publish'd in the Daily Journal, Jan. 15. relating, That a child of one Wheeler being seized with strange unaccountable fits, the mother goes to a Cunning Man, who advis'd her to hang a bottle of the child's water, mix'd with some of it's hair, close stopt over the fire, that the witch would thereupon come and break it: Does not mention the success, but a poor old woman, in the neighbourhood, was taken up, and the old trial by Water Ordeal reviv'd. They dragg'd her, shivering with an ague, out of her house, set her astride on the pomel of a saddle, and carried her about two miles to a mill-pond, stript off her upper cloaths, tied her legs, and with a rope about her middle, threw her in, 200 spectators huzza-ing
