THE Life and Conversation OF Temperance Floyd, Mary Lloyd; and Susanna Edwards THREE Eminent Witches.  
Lately condemned at Exeter Assizes; togerher with a full Account of their first Agreement with the Devil: With the manner how they prosecuted their devilish Sorceries.  
Also a full Account of their trial, Examination, Condemnation, and Confession, at the place of Execution: with many other Things Remarkable, and worthy Observation.  
 woodcut of eminent witch  
LONDON: Printed by J. W. 1687.   

The Life and Conversation of Temperance Floyd, Mary Lloyd, and Susanna Edwards Three Notorious Witches, &c.  
TEmperance Floyd, the most notorious of thes●… Three Witches, being a poor Woman and earning her living by the Sweat of her Brows, the cunin●… Old Serpent takes hold of her poverty as an opportunity of laying his bait, for tis a Maxaim in th●… Devils politics always to Fish in troubled waters which course he commonly takes to erect his trophy upon the Destruction of such Miserable Creatures.  
The first time the Devil tempted her was in an A●…ternoon, when the poor Woman labouring unde●… an almost▪ Insupportable Burden of broom; a●…costed her in the Shape of a comely Black Man: Wit●…( as it were) a civil offer of Friendly assistance, b●… she viewing him discerned his Feet to resemble tho●… of an ox, and thereupon returnig him an answ●… in which she used the Name of GOD: ( For I ha●… not charity enough to think she had Grace to speak in th●… Sacred Name, otherwise then profanely) the Temp●… immediately transformed himself into a flamme, so 〈…〉 appeared. The Woman walks on with her Burd●… until she arrives at her own poor Habitation, whe●… going along the entry she saw( in appearance) a Black dog, which as she thought grew still bigger, and bigger, but that Vanishing she presently saw the same Black Gentleman, who but a little before met her in the Broome-Field, who being now grown a little wiser then he was before, proceeded with those Suttile In sinuations that he prevailed with her to consent to his compact ( Drawn up in writing, wherein he bound himself for a time, and her his forever) which she Signed with her own Blood, which the Devil( as an ingenious Chyrugion) drew from her with little or no pain.  
Now has this poor wretch Struck Hands with the Devil, and is become his Bon-slave; for indeed you may observe( as in this, so in all cases of the like Nature) that where the Devil once becomes a familiar there he always makes himself an insulting Master; for no sooner was the Instrument Signed, but he immediately issues out his commands; the First of which was for her to go to one Madam Thomas, the Wife of a worthy Gentleman of Biddiford in the County of Devon, and hurt her, which she could not have done without the assistance of her Patron who conveyed her Invisible into the Room where the Gentleman and his Lady were asleep in Bed, and there did this Devilized creature bruise the Side of the said Madam Thomas in a most cruel manner and then left her.  
I spppose this Witch( Woman I shall no more call ge●) might have been taken in the Room if the Devil had been Knave enough to have left her there, but it seems he was to honest to break covenant; Yet certain it is, he is not only Knave enough, but the original Source of all Knavery and 'vice, and it is not for any respect to breach of Covenant, or other good motive that makes him for a time true to his Proselytes, but to make them further and greater Instruments of Hell, and Mischief, as his next essay makes appear.  
When she had performed his first command he then enjoins her upon a 2d. and more pernicious enterprise ( viz.) to Kill the Gentlewoman, but she was not yet become Devil enough, and therefore refuses: Whereupon the Devil struck her a slap on the Face, where he left the print of his Fist But however, he prevailed with her so far as to be come a Thirteen Years Tormentor, to this poo● Gentlewoman, who during all that time was afflicted with some supernatural affliction or other; th●… cause of all which was hidden from Physicians, no●… could she obtain from them any remedy; sometime she would be seized with fits of raveing, some times of laughing, but always of pain.  
The Minister of the Parish, observing her Fit of laughter and by his Reading, knowing somethin●… more than those country Physicians, had a strong presumption that they must be the Effects of Sorcery, and therefore desired that in those fits, the bottoms of her Feet might be held, and covered with Hands, which Project had good success for it always stayed her laughter, and proved consequently more effectual then the magical charm by which she was enchanted.  
From hence I offer the Learned,( for this is certain Truth) whether or no it may not be thought, that Witches do torment in effigy,( as surely this did by Tickling) and if they do whether there may not be infallible countercharmes, successfully and laudably applied, as we find this was, and if so whether or no it will not be highly beneficial to the public,( especially to those of Scotland,) to publish something to that end efectual.  
The Minister abovesaid caused this Witch to be apprehended, and committed to Exeter goal; where she remained a Month before she would confess anything, but at last she made a free confession of all that is abovesaid, with many more exploits too long here to incert, as that the Devil assumeing a could Body had frequent carnal knowledge of her, that she used often to put to sea( in an Egg-shell as she affirmed) where she has been the destruction of many Ships: But that of which she said she most repented was that 〈◇〉 once 〈◇〉 overboard a Pretty Youth whose shape and Beauty; she spoken of with great commendation.  
She also impeached one Mary Floyd and one Susanna Edwards both which had been too long and great actors in such sort of Devilising, but because my Paper will not Permit, I shall give you no trouble with them.  
By the report spread abroad came many from all parts, to see this grand Witch, and among the rest the Minister of her own Parish, at the Sight of whom she seemed Extraordinary Joyful, and desired to Touch his Hands; which the Minister refused not, and having him by the Hand she  told him she knew not but that his advice and prayers might do her good: She also put him in mind of his once riding between Banton and Taunton wherein the midst of the Water, his Horse would neither go forward nor backward until he used these, or words to this effect, Well Satan thou hast not long time to continue a Torment to human Nature before thou shalt be chained up &c. at which words the Devi● fled away in the Shape of a Bull, and roaring most terribly: And  told him that then she was there though invisible.  
This Minister gave them all 3 good and whole some advice, and desired them to say the Lords Prayer; of which the last could not repeat one word, but Temperance Floyd said all, with these alterations; when she should have said led us not into Temptation, she said led us into Temptation, and instead of Deliver us from evil, said deliver us to evil; and protested she could say no otherwaise: This Witch was 70 Years old, and had been the Devils Slave 30 Years of that time.  
At the Assizes being brought upon their trial, they all three pleaded Guilty: Thereupon the judge ordered the gaoler to Secure the Prisoners, but in his charge to the Jury, gave his Opinion that these three poor Women( as he supposed) were weary of their Lives, and that he thought it proper for them to be carried to the Parish from whence thoy came, and that the Parish should be charged with their maintenance; for that he thought their oppressing Poverty had constrained them to wish for Death: Whereupon several Neighbours, who had been great Sufferers by their diabolical Practices, moved that if these nymphs went home in peace, none of them could promise themselves a minutes Security, either of their Persons or Estates, and one of the Evidence offering to prove one act of their Witchery and alleging a door to be shut, one of the Three cried out, that is false, for the door was open; which tacitly implyed that she was then an Actor, and consequently convinced both judge and Jury that she was guilty, and so of the other two.  
At the place of Execution, Temperance Floyd made a full Confession of all that is aforesaid, with many more Particulars, too tedious here to incert: She desired all the Spectators to take warning by her and then requesting of the Minister that the 40th Psalm might be Sung, begged the Prayers of all there present; and she her self uttered this short Prayer.  

The Prayer.  
LOrd God almighty, who desirest not the Death of a Sinner, but that he should turn from his Wickedness, and live; grant, I beseech thee, that this my late Repentance, may be true, and not too late: I do protest Sincerely( as far, as I know my own Heart that were I to live my Days over again, I would led such a Life, as should leave no room for Doubt; but, seeing my Minutes are but few, I can do no more than can be done in such a Time: And my confidence is, that through the Merits of my Saviour, all my former Iniquities, shall be blotted out; which I beg for his sake alone, in whom I hope to find mercy.  
At the turning over she said Lord receive my Soul.   
FINIS.   

licenced and Entred according to Order.