Satan's Invisible World Discovered /

Thomas Goddard of Marleburgh, in the county of Wilts, weaver, on the 9th of November 1674, going to Ogburn, at a stile on the high-way, about nine in the morning, met the apparition of his father-in-law, one Edward Avon of this town, glover, having upon him, to appearance, the same clothes, hat, stockings, and shoes he did usually wear when he was living, standing by, and leaning over that stile; which when he came near, the apparition spake to him, with an audible voice, these words, “Are you afraid?” To which he answered, “I am thinking on one who is dead and buried, whom you are like.” To which the apparition replied with the like voice, “I am he you were thinking on; I am Edward Avon your father-in-law: come near to me, I will do you no harm.” To which Goddard answered, “I trust in him that bought my soul with his precious blood, you shall do me no harm.” Then the apparition said, “How stands cases at home?” Goddard asked, “What cases?” Then it asked him, “How do William and Mary?” Meaning, as he conceived, his son William Avon, a shoemaker here, and Mary his daughter, the said Goddard’s wife. Then it said, “What? Taylor is dead; meaning, as he thought, one Taylor of London, who married his daughter Sarah; which Taylor died at Michaelmas last. Then the apparition held out his hand, and in it, as Goddard conceived, 20s. or 30s. in silver, and then spake with a loud voice, “Take this money, and send it to Sarah; for I shut up my bowels of compassion toward her in my lifetime, and now there is somewhat for her.” And then said, “Mary (meaning the said Goddard’s wife, as he conceived,) is troubled for me: but tell her, God hath shewed mercy contrary to my deserts.” But the said Goddard answered, “In the name of Jesus I refuse all such money.” Then the apparition said, “I perceive you are afraid, I will meet you some other time.” And immediately it went up the lane to his appearance; so he went over the same stile, but saw it no more that day. He saith, the next night, about seven of the clock, it came and opened his shop windows, and stood in the like clothes, looking him in the face, but said nothing to him. And the next night after, as Goddard went forth into his back-shop, with a candle in his hand, it appeared to him again in the same shape; but he being in fear ran into his house, and saw it no more then. But he saith, that on Thursday the 12th instant, as he came from Chilton, riding down the hill between the manor-house and Axford-farm-field, he saw somewhat like a hare crossing his way, at which his horse was frighted, threw him into the dirt, and as soon as he could recover on his feet, the same apparition met him there again in the same habit: and there, standing about eight foot before him in the way, spake again to him with a loud voice, “Source (a word he commonly used when living) you have stayed long,” and said to him, “Thomas, bid William Avon take the sword he had of me, which is now in his house, and carry it into the wood, as we go to Aiton, to the upper end of the wood, by the way-side, for with that sword I did wrong thirty years ago, and he never prospered since he had that sword. And bid William Avon give his sister Sarah 20s. which he received of me; and do you talk with Edward Laurence, for I borrowed 20s. of him several years ago, and did say I had paid him, but I did not pay it him; and I would desire you to pay him 20s. out of the money which you had from James Elliot at two payments.” Which money the said Goddard now saith was £.5. which James Elliot, a baker here, owed the said Avon on bond; and which he, the said Goddard, had received from the said Elliot since Michaelmas, at two payments, viz. 35s. at one, and 3l. 5s. at another payment. And it further said to him, “Tell Margaret (meaning his own wife, as he conceived) that I would desire her to deliver up the little money which I gave to little Sarah Taylor the child, or any one she will trust for it; but if she will not speak to Edward Laurence, persuade her; but if she still will not, then tell her that I will see her very suddenly; and see that this be done within a twelvemonth and a day after my decease, and peace be with you” And so it went away over the rails into the wood there, in the like manner as any man would go over a stile, to his apprehension; and so he saw it no-more at that time. And he saith, that he paid the 20s. to Edward Laurence of this town; who being present now, doth remember he lent the said Avon 20s. about twenty years ago, which none knew but himself and his wife, and Avon and his wife, and was never paid it again before now by this Goddard. And this Goddard further says, that this very day, by Mr. Major’s order, he, with his brother-in-law, William, went with this sword, and about nine o’clock this morning, they laid down the sword in the copse, near the place the apparition had appointed Goddard to carry it; and then coming away thence, Goddard looking back, saw the same apparition again in the like habit as before; whereupon he called to his brother-in-law, and said, “Here is the apparition of our father;” who said, “I see nothing:” then Goddard fell on his knees, and said, “Lord open his eyes that he may see it, if it be thy blessed will.” And the apparition, to Goddard’s appearance, beckoned with his hand to come to it, and then Goddard said, “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, what would you have me to do?” To which it answered, “Thomas, take up the sword and follow me;” and so he took up the sword and followed the apparition about ten poles in length further into the copse, and then turning back, he stood still about a pole and a half from it, his brother-in-law staying behind at the place where they first laid down the sword; then Goddard laying down the sword upon the ground, saw something stand by the apparition like a mastiff dog of a brown colour. Then the apparition coming towards Goddard, he stept back about two steps; and the apparition said to him, “I have a permission to you, and a commission not to touch you;” and then it took up the sword, and went back to the place at which before it stood, with a mastiff-dog by it as before, and pointed the top of the sword into the ground, and said, “In this place lies buried the body of him whom I murdered in the year 1635, which is now rotten and turned to dust.” Whereupon Goddard said, “I do adjure you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, when did you commit this murder?” And it said, “I took money from the man, and he contended with me, and so I murdered him.” Then Goddard asked him, who was confederate with him in the said murder? and he said, “None but myself was accessory thereto.” Then Goddard said, “What would you have me to do in this thing?” and the apparition said, “That is, that the world may know that I murdered a man, and buried him in this place, in the year 1635.” Then the apparition laid down the sword on the bare ground there, whereon grew nothing, but seemed to Goddard as a grave sunk in; and the apparition running further into the copse, vanished, and he saw it no more; whereupon Goddard and his brother-in-law, Avon, went away together, leaving the sword there. Avon told Goddard he heard his voice, and understood what he said, and heard other words distinct from his, but could not understand a word of it, nor saw he any apparition at all, which he now, being present, affirmeth; and all which the said Goddard then attested under his hand; and affirmed he will depone to the same when he shall be thereto required.