Diary of Abigail Williams- April 11th 1692:

Today I was instructed to go to the meetinghouse for an examination. The Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth was there, as was Minister Samuel Sewall, Uncle Parris, and of course Mary and me. I was very impressed by the amount of people there to watch. The attention was overwhelming but I loved it and attempted to put on the best performance I could give for them. I was asked who had hurt me and I responded by naming Goody Cloyce and Goody Good and said they were the deacons of the witches.  My and Mary Wolcott’s frenzies were as spectacular as anything we had done previously and we pretended to be pinched and bitten by the accused for greater effect.. I accused Goody Proctor of trying to make me sign the devil’s book and when she tried to protest, I cried out that Goody Proctor’s specter was sitting on a beam.  Then we accused her husband John Proctor of being a wizard. John Proctor jumped up and shouted that we should be hanged so I began to go into a fit and soon, Mrs. Pope, Goodwife Bibber and Mary followed, each person trying to outdo the other. I think I provided the best show of all when I touched Goodman Proctor’s head and screamed out that my fingers were burning.  The entire room gasped and many cried out that Goodman Proctor should hang.  Serves him right for trying to accuse us of lying!