As Maine entered the 18th century, Massachussets had bought up most of the land claims in this wilderness territory, an arrangement which lasted till 1820 when Maine separated from Massachusettes to become a separate state. By law, in 1694 they were still part of the Colony of Massachussettes.

European Immigrants explicitly believed in female inferiority, even the Protestant revolt against the male Catholic hierarchy, convinced of the equality of souls before God, nevertheless insisted on woman's proper subordination within the family.

The old Meeting house was crowded with Magistrates, Governor Phips, Alistar Stoke Crane, the local clergy, Abigail Winthrop, Jeremiah Fitzgerald and the Standish sisters. Jeremiah had contacted Sam Bennett, the Magistrate to call an emergency meeting to stop the execution of Tabitha Lennox. He had know him to be a fair and well liked captain of the army.

The governor of Massachusettes Province, William Phips had journeyed north from Boston overnight. He thought he had seen the last of the witch executions in Salem, having executed some 18 souls before it seemed to get out of hand. However, having gone over the court documents early that morning---he surmised that it was out of his hands and jurisdiction. He sat at the long table in the front of the hall. The meeting had come to order.

"The law in this judgement commands and directs that the sentence of death be carried out to the fullest extent of the law! It is to our peril to alter or fail. The Lennox woman escaped her punishment there, and is by our right as English subjects to carry out sentence as commanded here."

"I protest!" Abigail stood up. "Burning an innocent woman at the stake is unjust, it's a barbaric act of cruelty in any civilized society!"

There were very few executions for witchcraft in England after the Restoration. By the 1680's most witchcraft trials ended in acquittals.

"Let the woman be satisfied with her state of subjection and not take it amiss that she is made inferior to the more distinguished sex." Reverend Harlow quoted John Calvin to the people in the Meeting House. Male voices uttered their agreement.

Abigail glanced at Sam Bennett across the hall on his wooden bench, seated beside Mary Standish and the other Magistrates. She wanted to see his reaction to that statement, whether he shared the opinion with other men. Sam and Abigail had been secretly meeting since that Christmas Ball at the Cranes. Her father would not permit her to court a lowly Magistrate, a mere farmer. As Magistrate, Sam could only share a look of sympathy with Abigail, but said nothing out loud. Abigail sat down with fury.

"No English court since the reign of James the First has burned a witch!" Silas Russell said. "The punishment should be death by hanging."

"Aye-aye" The townspeople agreed.

"The countries of Europe consider witchcraft heresy against their Popish faith and burn them at the stake!" A Magistrate added.

Phips nodded his head. "Yes, it is true. The sentence is an old punishment. Under British law, for which our legal structure is based, those accused of consorting with the devil are considered felons, not heretics. Having committed a crime against the government, the usual sentence is punishable by death by hanging. I am at odds with this strange pronouncement of sentence, however, we must comply and carry out the sentence that has been laid out before us in this most legal of documents."

Jeremiah crushed his hat in his hands. He thought that by bringing this emergency meeting together, that they would come to their senses and appeal the death sentence, perhaps lower it to a fee or jailtime. Now, all they were doing was quibbling with how the death sentence should be carried out! He stood up.

"You people are backward and ignorant to torture any woman as you have done to Tabitha Lennox. You are cut off from the real world, clinging to old superstitions and fears of hobgoblins that do not exist. Our world is not at the center of the Universe! And you people are not fit to judge Tabitha Lennox." Jeremiah had read the writings of Johanness Keplar and Galileo on his road to becoming a modern man, a modern thinker. "To allow a woman to give birth in a filthy jail no better than a beast, without midwives present...shows that you are not capable or fit to determine what is right from wrong." Jeremiah said full of conviction.

Some "Here, here's" could be heard. Alistar Crane twisted around and took a good look at his indentured captain, who had been running his merchant trade between England and the colony. For the first time, he realized that this man was very dangerous.

"You will desist with your outbursts, captain." Governor Phips admonished.

"There's been no proof, no evidence that Tabitha Lennox has harmed anyone or done anything that your untrustworthy document accuses her of. Halt this foolishness once and for all! Let the woman go!"

Childbirth, in a village or town, was a female ritual. The expectant mother would wait for the women who would gather when labor began. Midwife, neighbors and kin stayed with her through her exertion and for several days afterward. Women knew that they faced death with each birth. Ministers reminded them that this was the price for the sin of Eve. Whenever possible, women were attended by other women, for women served as doctors as well.

Reverend Harlow stood up, his head bent low in thought. "There is proof, Captain Fitzgerald." The Minister's face blushed. "I-can attest to it. The woman---had bewitched me."

Everyone gasped with shock. Murmers and whipsers waved through the meeting house.

"Order! This meeting house will come to order!"

"---she nearly tempted me to fall into perdition-a man of God!" The Minister was so ashamed that he collapsed in his seat and commenced weeping like a baby. Alistar Crane's eyebrows raised to the confession, and he smiled with the thought of it.

"Oh-for God's sake!" Jeremiah muttered in utter disgust. "What man in this room can honestly admit that he hasn't found a pretty girl tempting?"

The men fidgeted in their seats, while the women glared at them. Women were often denounced as witches in explicitly sexual terms. The stereotype witch is an independent adult woman who does not conform to the male idea of proper female behaviour. She is assertive; she does not require or give love (though she may enchant) she does not nurture men or children, nor care for the weak. She has the power to defend herself or to curse. This threat is responded to with accusations of witchcraft, in particular of unnatural sexuality.

Stella Standish stood up and agreed. "Tis all true, my Lords. I was there when the wanton whore came to the church and did try her hand at casting a spell to tempt the good Minister. She laid down in his bed inviting him to----to---fornicate with her, like the unclean wicked woman of Satan whom she has had intercourse with!"

Mary Standish glanced over at Jeremiah, hoping he would visualize Tabitha Lennox in that unfavorable light, as she did. She leaned over to him, "Jeremiah, that unclean whorish woman is not for you."

Women who bore children outside of the bounds of marriage faced many burdens. They could be hauled before courts by neighbors and tried for fornication or adultery. Puritan ministers railed against the "uncleanness," the "mother of bastards" for whom the "fire of lust" led to the "fires of hell." More often than not, it was women accusing women of "lewd carriage" and witchcraft. It illustrated the strains of the Protestant emphasis on spiritual equality in a society based on female subordination.

"Here now!" Alistar Stoke Crane cleared his throat and stood up to speak. "Let's get back to the point. What purpose or right has this assemblage to question the court of England on their judgement? Are we to ignore the will of the English court? Our only duty as English citizens lies in carrying out the sentence of death, not hold a new trial. I vote to terminate this ludicrous appeal. The documents clearly point out, without a shadow of a doubt---that Tabitha Lennox was found guilty of burning down a house with 4 innocent souls in it, and she did it by consorting with the Devil."

"He's nothing but a liar, a cheat and a violator of women!" Jeremiah claimed outloud.

"Order---Order! This meeting will come to order!" Governor Phips hammered the gavel on the table. When the room quieted down, they took of vote of yeah's and nays as to whether they should hold a new trial. The nays were overpowering. Phips began to speak.

"As representative of the Crown, I will now conclude this provincial problem and do what I think is appropriate." Phips was not a legal scholar. He was originally a ships captian. He had gained his position by bringing the King a recovered treasure of gold from Spanish ships. As a result of his efforts, the king knighted Phips and appointed him as the first Governor of Massachusetts. On the European continent, witchcraft was generally looked upon as a heresy against the church, and heretics were burned. In England and New England, witchcraft was a civil felony, and felons were hanged. Witchcraft was a hard crime to prove. On the continent of Europe, there were massive witch-hunts.

"Whereas Tabitha Lennox of Harmony in the County of Cumberland in their Majesties Province of Massachusetts in New England held by the Adjournment for our Sovereign Lord and Lady King William and Queen Mary for the said county of Cumberland in Harmony on the 13th of April, has been found guilty to the horrible Crime of Witchcraft. The court and country has found her guilty by the jury and did pass sentence of death by burning at the stake, as these judges have directed.

"I am compelled by law, to deny the petitioners appeal for the accused!" He hammered the gavel. "I uphold the verdict and sentence of punishment contained in this document, that bears the King's seal."

The Meeting house filled with whisperings and some grumbling.

"Therefore, in their Majesties name King William and Mary, by the Grace of God of England Scottland, France and Ireland, King and Queen, defenders of the Faith have judged that Tabitha Lennox be guilty of the Arts called Witchcraft and sorceries that she wickedly and felonioiusly hath used. This shall be your suffcient warrant given under my hand and seal at Harmony, the 13th day of April in the sixth year of Reign of our Sovereign Lord and Lady William and Mary, their Crown and Dignity the form of statute in this case provided---I will and command that upon the morrow between the hours of eight and forenoon, you will safely conduct Tabitha Lennox from her majesty's goal in the Township of Harmony to the place of Execution and there cause her to be burnt at the stake until she be dead, according to the tenure of the law."

Jeremiah didn't wait around to hear the rest. He got up and left. Abigail tried in vain to persuade her father, Lord Winthrop to do something but he quickly hushed her up. Abigail would not look at Sam, who she had fallen in love with. She was angry with him for keeping his silence in the matter.

Hecuba and Prosperina stood soberly in the back of the meeting house, watching the people leave.

"Why won't the fledgling Invoke the Master! Look at how Grand Warlock Crane is basking in his glory....it's enough to bring all witches to an out and out War with the warlocks!"

"Be patient. As I said, Tabitha is almost ready. And Master Crane will soon feel the effects when he loses his power."

"I cannot bear to see another witch burned without Invoking the Master! Most of the women these idiots burned as witches were nothing more than old feeble women. They were not witches, As IF! It's still a terrible insult to our ranks. Although Governor Phips himself has enough blood on his hands, it's a wonder he hasn't joined the dark side..."

"Don't worry about Phips. He'll soon be meeting his real maker." Hecuba said with conviction.

Phips, first governor of Massachusetts, who presided over the Salem witch trials died in 1695.

"What about Tabitha?"

"Yes--well. I have a few more tricks up my sleeve."

"It's too chancy to wait this long. What if she dies a mortal death before she Invokes the Master? We need to bring her over-at once! She is destined to lead the Witches against the tyranny of the Warlocks!" Prosperina said.

"I don't' know about your little rebellion, Prosperina...but I will see that she behaves."

The witches vanished.