Contemporary: Susanna Martin<br>
Susanna Martin<br>
By John Allison and Claudine Langille of the band Touchstone, first<br>
recorded on their album The New Land<br>
One verse and chorus (high quality): .mp3<br>
(195 KB)<br>
"Susanna Martin" is performed by<br>
the Liza Kay.<br>
<br>
Notes: Susanna Martin was a real person,<br>
convicted of witchcraft in Salem, Massachussetts and executed by hanging on<br>
July<br>
19, 1692. The town of Amesbury has marker at the Some other interesting<br>
sbackground material:<br>
National Geographic has an interactive<br>
of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, with biographies of the accused<br>
Salem Witchcraft Hysteria An interactive history of the Salem<br>
witchcraft trials by National Geographic magazine.<br>
Susanna Martin was acte witch who dwelt in Amesbury<br>
With brilliant eye and saucy tongue she worked her sorcery<br>
And when into the judges court the sheriffs brought her<br>
hither<br>
The lilacs drooped as she passed by<br>
And then were seen to wither<br>
A witch she was, though trim and neat with comely head held<br>
high<br>
It did not seem that one as she with Satan so would vie<br>
And when in court when the afflicted ones proclaimed her evil<br>
ways<br>
She laughed aloud and boldly then<br>
Met Cotton Mathers gaze<br>
"Who hath bewitched these maids," he asked, and<br>
strong was her reply<br>
"If they be dealing in black arts, ye know as well as<br>
I"<br>
And then the stricken ones made moan as she approached near<br>
They saw her shaped upon the beam<br>
So none could doubt 'twas there<br>
The neighbors 'round swore to the truth of her Satanic powers<br>
That she could fly o'er land and stream and come dry shod<br>
through showers<br>
At night, twas said, she had appeared a cat of fearsome mien<br>
"Avoid she-devil,"they had cried<br>
To keep their spirits clean<br>
The spectral evidence was weighed, then stern the parson<br>
spoke<br>
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live, 'tis written in<br>
the Book"<br>
Susanna Martin so accused, spoke with flaming eyes<br>
"I scorn these things for they are naught<br>
But filthy gossips lies"<br>
Now those bewitched, they cried her out, and loud their voice<br>
did ring<br>
they saw a bird above her head, an evil yellow thing<br>
And so, beneath a summer sky, Susanna Martin died<br>
And still in scorn she faced the rope<br>
Her comely head held high<br>
Susanna Martin was a witch who lived in Amesbury<br>
With brilliant eye and saucy tongue she worked her sorcery<br>
And when into the judges court the sheriffs brought her<br>
hither<br>
The lilacs drooped as she passed by<br>
And then were seen to wither<br>
<br>