Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

  CHAPTER XIX.

  Antipas Works a Miracle.

  The next morning Antipas Newton was brought before the Magistrates forexamination. Antipas seemed so quiet and peaceful in his demeanor, thatSquire Hathorne could hardly credit the story told by the constables ofhis violent behavior on the night of the arrest.

  "I thought you were a Quaker," said he to the prisoner.

  "No, only half Quaker; the other half gospeller," replied the old manmeekly.

  Mistress Ann was not present; her husband brought report that she wassick in bed. Probably she did not care to come, the game being tooinsignificant. Perhaps she had not quite recovered from the stunningeffect of Dulcibel's prediction. Though it was not likely that a doomthat was to be seven years in coming, would, after the first impressionwas past, be felt very keenly. There was time for so much to happenduring seven years.

  But the Rev. Master Parris's little niece, Abigail Williams, waspresent, and several other older members of the "circle," prepared towitness against the old man to any extent that seemed to be necessary.

  After these had made their customary charges, and had gone through someof their usual paroxysms, Joseph Putnam, accompanied by Goodman Buckley,came forward.

  "This is all folly," said Joseph Putnam stoutly. "We all know AntipasNewton; and that he has been deranged in his intellects, and of unsoundmind for the last twenty years. He is generally peaceful and quiet;though in times of excitement like the present, liable to be driven intooutbreaks of violent madness. Here is his employer, Goodman Buckley, whoof course knows him best, and who will testify to all this even moreconclusively than I can."

  Then Goodman Buckley took the oath with uplifted hand, and gave similarevidence. No one had even doubted for twenty years past, that Antipaswas simple-minded. He often said and did strange things; but only wheneverybody around him was greatly excited, was he at all liable toviolent outbreaks of passion.

  Squire Hathorne seemed half-convinced; but the Reverend Master Parrisrose from the bench where he had been sitting, and said he would liketo be heard for a few moments. Permission being accorded: "What isinsanity?" said he. "What is the scriptural view of it? Is it anythingbut a judgment of the Lord for sin, as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar; ora possession by a devil, or devils, as in the Case of the Gadarene whomade his dwelling among the tombs as told in the fifth chapter of Markand the eighth of Luke? That these were real devils is evident--for whenpermission was given them to enter into the herd of swine, they enteredinto them, and the swine ran down a steep place into the sea and weredrowned. And as there were about two thousand swine, there must havebeen at least two thousand devils in that one so-called insane man;which no doubt accounted for his excessive violence. After the devilshad left him, we are told that his countrymen came and saw him sittingat the feet of Jesus, no longer naked, but clothed and in his rightmind. Therefore it follows as a logical deduction, that his not beingbefore in his right mind was because he was possessed with devils."

  The magistrates and people evidently were greatly impressed with whatMaster Parris had said. And, as he sat down, Master Noyes, who wassitting beside his reverend brother, rose and said that he consideredthe argument they had just heard unanswerable. It could only be refutedby doubting the infallibility of the Scripture itself. And he wouldfurther add, as to the case before them, that this so-called insanity ofthe prisoner had not manifested itself until he had been repeatedlyguilty of harboring two of that heretical and abominable sect calledQuakers and had incurred imprisonment and heavy fines for so doing; topay which fines his property had been rightfully sold. This punishment,and the death of his daughter by the decree of a just God, apparentlynot being sufficient to persuade him of the error of his ways, no doubthe had been given over to the devil, that he might become a sign and awarning to evil-doers. But, instead of repenting of his evil ways, heseems to have entered the service of Captain Burton, who was alwaysknown to be very loose in his religious views and observances; and whoit now seems was himself a witch, or, as he might be rather morecorrectly termed, a wizard, and the father of the dangerous girl who wasproperly committed for trial yesterday. Going thus downward from bad toworse, this Antipas had at last become a witch himself; roaming aroundtormenting godly and unoffending people to please his mistress and herSatanic master. In conclusion he said that he fully agreed with hisreverend brother, that what some of the world's people, who thoughtthemselves wise above that which was written, called insanity, wassimply, as taught in the holy scriptures, a possession by the devil.

  Magistrate Hathorne nodded to Magistrate Corwin, and Magistrate Corwinnodded in turn decidedly to his learned brother. They evidentlyconsidered that the ministers had settled that point.

  "Well, then," said Joseph Putnam, a little roughly to the ministers,"why do you not do as the Savior did, cast out the devils, that Antipasmay sit down here in his right mind? We do not read that any of theseafflicted people in Judea were cast into prison. In all cases they werepitied, not punished."

  "This is an unseemly interruption, Master Putnam," said Squire Hathornesternly. "We all know that the early disciples were given the power tocast out devils and that they exercised the power continually, but thatin later times the power has been withdrawn. If it were not so, ourfaithful elders would cast out the spectres that are continuallytormenting these poor afflicted persons."

  While this discussion had been going on, Antipas had been listening toall that was said with the greatest attention. Once only had hemanifested any emotion; that was when the reference had been made to thedeath of his daughter, who had died from her exposure to the severity ofthe winter season in Salem jail. At this time he put his hand to hiseyes and wiped away a few tears. Before and after this, the expressionof his face was rather as of one who was pleased and amused at the ideaof being the center of attraction to such a large and goodly company. Atthe conclusion of Squire Hathorne's last remark, a new idea seemed toenter the old man's confused brain. He looked steadily at the line ofthe "afflicted" before him, who were now beginning a new display ofparoxysms and contortions, and putting his right hand into one of hispockets, he drew forth a coil of stout leather strap. Grasping one endof it, he shouted, "I can heal them! I know what will cure them!" andspringing from between the two constables that guarded him, beganbelaboring the "afflicted" with his strap over their backs and shouldersin a very energetic fashion.

  Dividing his energies between keeping off the constable and "healing theafflicted," and aided rather than hindered by Joseph Putnam'sintentionally ill-directed efforts to restrain him, the insane manmanaged to administer in a short time no small amount of very exemplarypunishment. And, as Masters Putnam and Raymond agreed in talking overthe scene afterwards, he certainly did seem to effect an instantaneouscure of the "afflicted," for they came to their sober senses at thefirst cut of the leather strap, and rushed pell-mell down the passage asrapidly as they could regardless of the other tormenting "spectres."

  "This is outrageous!" said Squire Hathorne hotly to the constables asAntipas was at last overpowered by a host of assailants, and stood nowfirmly secured and panting between the two officers. "How dared youbring him here without being handcuffed?"

  "We had no idea of his breaking out anew, he seemed as meek as a lamb,"said constable Herrick.

  "Why, we thought he was a Quaker!" added his assistant.

  "I am a Quaker!" said Antipas, looking a little dangerous again.

  "You are not."

  "Thou liest!" said the insane man. "This is one of my off days."

  Joseph Putnam laughed outright; and a few others, who were notchurch-members, laughed with him.

  "Silence!" thundered Squire Hathorne. "Is this a time for idle levity?"and he glared around the room.

  "We have heard enough," continued the Squire, after a few words with hiscolleague. "This is a dangerous man. Take him off again to prison; andsee that his chains are strong enough to keep him out of mischief."