THo' by a wonderful Providence , God in his infinite Kindness to this our Nation has freed us from the Yoke and Tyranny of Popery , yet such are the restless endeavours of the busy Agents and Incendaries of Rome , that they still privately lurk about like Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing , seeking whom they may devour , of these it was of whom the Apostle says , they creep into Houses , and lead captive silly women laden with Sins , &c. The designs of the Jesuits are to bring a Scandal upon our Church and Church-men , that so by disgracing and lessening them they may the more commodiously extol and magnifie themselves , as evidently appears by their wicked tampering with one Susannah Fowls a poor ignorant Woman , Wife to an honest Labourer in Hammersmith , whom they perswaded , for filthy Gain , to counterfeit her self Possest ; that so it might happen when the ●ndeavours of our Protestant Divines fail'd , they of the Popish Communion , might seem to have the virtue , power , and efficacy to Cast out Devils : But to be methodical .

One Jordan a Papist , seems to be the principal Promoter of this Blasphemous Delusion , which , for some time past , has made a great Rumour both in Town and Country . The pretences of this Fowle's Accomplices were , That upon some Discontent she had wished several unlawful Wishes , such as , That the Devil might fetch her . Cursed her self , if she would live such a Life , &c. And she upon being visited said , She saw an Apparition in the shape of a Man , and afterwards seem'd to be P●ssess'd with a Devil , and had seemingly dreadful Fits , indeed very artificially counterfeited ; and made a great noi●e at Prayers , sometimes she said the Devil appear'd in one shape , and then in ●n●ther , and at the end of her Fits would commonly make two or three dismal Squeeks and say , Now he is gone .

Nay , to such a hight was her Blasphemy grown , that on the 1s . of January last , upon one of the Visiters repeating the Words Lord save us , she said , I 'll save you ; and frequently upon reading the Lords Prayer , to her , she said , Curse it , Dami it , Sink it ; and upon repeating the Words , I believe in God the Father Allmighty , she said , that 's me ; and at repeating the Words , And in Jesus Christ his only Son , she said that 's my Son . At another time when the Words Lord save us , were again repeated to her , she said , I 'll save you , I came to save you all , for which I shed my Blood . And always at the Naming of Jesus she would say , Curse him , Curse him .

Yet for all this our Protestant Divines were too knowing to be impos'd on by such feigned delusions , they first observ'd she never chang'd her Countenance during the time of her Fits , which together with divers Methods which were us'd to make her believe they were at Prayers , when they were not , increased the Belief she was a Cheat.

She said , that she had a Needle and P●per in writing given her by the Devil ; and that she had a Spell given her to put about her Neck by one Jordan a Papist , some of which Profession she said had sent to her several times , and told her she would never be cured till the Men with hair Coats and bare Legs came from the Portugal Embassador's : Which some of the Ministers , who were Visiters and Evidence against the Prisoner , declared , encreased their belief that it was a trick of the Papists to obtain the Credit of having done that which Protestants could not , viz. to cast out the Devil . It was also observ'd that at repeating the Lords Prayer in Latin , she did not fall into her Fits as usual when 't was said in English , which was a further Confirmation of the Cheat ,

To prove which more fully , one of her Visiters heated an Iron ; and when the Minister was at Prayer , and she in her Fits as usual , even when she pretended to be insensible , he put it to her Hand , which she drew away from it as soon as it touch'd her ; and filling a Pipe of Tobacco , he blew the Smoke of it into her Face , which was like to have stifled her : And afterwards disguising himself in an ugly dress , entered the Room where she was alone ; upon which she immediately run out , saying it was the Devil , and was much frightned ; which was a further demonstration she was a Cheat. After which the Evidence threatning to knock her on the head if she would not confess the Cheat , she did it freely , and said 't was purely to get money , which she also own'd to some others of the Evidence ,

After all this , being had before a Justice , her Mittimus was made , and she sent to Newgate : and on Saturday the 7th of May 1698. she was Indicted at the Sessions House in the Old-Baily , for uttering Blasphemous Words against Jesus Christ , and Cursing and Damning the Lords Prayer .

The prisoner in her Defence said , that great Troubles had occasioned her to fall into a dist●acted condition , and that she knew not what she did ; that she did verily believe she was either troubled with a Devil , or bewitchd ; that Jordan the papist had given her things both inwardly and outwardly ; and that what she had confest , was only to avoid being carried to prison . But all this being look'd upon as frivolous and evasion , and the Evidence being very full and clear , the Jury brought her in Guilty .

She was sentenc'd by the Court to pay a Fine of 100 Marks , and to lie in Prison till it be paid ; to stand three times on the Pillory , viz. at the May-pole in the Strand , at Charingcross , and at Hammersmith ; and so to find Surety for her good Behaviour fro a Twelve-month . ;