Jane's Execution

Chapter 1 - Accused

Jane created great interest in the village from the day she arrived. The lord of the manor had returned from a period away in the big city with a new wife. Jane stood out in many ways from the local villagers, who were largely dark haired and of stocky build. At around 5 foot 9 Jane was taller than any woman in the village and most of the men. She was slim of build with small breasts. People noticed that, topping her long legs her buttocks were pleasingly full, creating attractive bulges in the long dresses she favoured. Jane was also pale blonde, with eyes of cornflower blue. It was also shorter than that of any of the local women, being cut just above shoulder height so that it framed her pretty, intelligent face, in a neat bob.

The lord of the manor was a fair landlord to the many tenant farmers and villagers that leased his land and buildings, but he was aloof. The villagers saw the couple often riding together but were left to speculate about the exotic blonde that had been brought into their village.

When the lord of the manor died six months later in a hunting accident the villagers assumed that Jane would return to the city. Instead, she stayed at the big manor house and continued to collect rents, deal with queries and act in the same fair manner that her late husband had. Those that dealt with her started to speak well of her.

The woman was the other major landowner in the area. Her own husband had passed away several years earlier. From the moment the woman had seen Jane, she had disliked her. Now, as she heard only good things about her fairness, the dislike turned to something deeper. But she kept the resentment in check.

Six months after the death of her husband, Jane announced her plans to open a school for the local children at the manor. There she said, she would teach children to read and write and basic numeracy. There would be no charge and all were free to come. Many villagers were dismissive of the idea, but several children from the farms on land that Jane owned started going and soon the numbers grew greater. Jane’s popularity soared still further and the woman could take no more.

She started carefully, asking people who lived under her control to ask questions and spread rumours about what exactly Jane was teaching to the children. The underlying theme of the questions and rumours that began to circulate was that Jane was teaching the children sorcery, that she was guilty of witchcraft. Knowing that she needed more evidence the woman went to the house of a family that were struggling to pay for the cottage they rented. She explained to the mother that she would like her eldest daughter to  attend Jane’s school and to report back on what she found. The girl was perfect in that although she was already eighteen, she looked younger and would not arouse Jane’s suspicions. She then explained carefully to the the girl that if they could provide evidence that Jane was a witch then her gratitude would be so great that the rental would be waived for the remainder of the time they lived in the cottage.

Jane was delighted when a new girl began to attend, especially as she came from the other main landowner’s property. The girl, Heather, was quiet at first, but soon began to ask more questions. Jane found some of the questions quite odd but hoping to encourage her she did her best to engage and answer.

One day the girl began asking questions about the weather, which had been unusually wet and windy. “Why are we getting so much bad weather ?” Heather asked Jane, her face strangely impassive. “It brings misfortune to the farmers at the time to gather crops”.

“Well,” Jane hesitated, “weather patterns are difficult to predict, some people are trying to understand what affects these things but I am afraid that I believe it’s too early to say”

“So, it can’t be witchcraft then?” said Heather.

Jane looked at her steadily, the girl’s eyes locked onto hers. “No” she said, “it is not witchcraft”.

“Why not?” the girl asked, “a witch may wish misfortune on the village”.

“It can’t be witchcraft because there are no witches” Jane replied, “in the city where I came from we stopped believing in them years ago”. For the first time since joining the school Heather smiled.

When the woman heard that Jane had denied the existence of witches she was delighted. The next day her head servant took her by carriage to the nearest large town, a days travel away. The next morning she went to see the area’s only witchfinder. Quickly she laid out her suspicions about Jane and told him of the evidence that a “brave girl” had unearthed.

The witchfinder was a tall skinny grey-haired man in his late 50s. In truth the original puritan zeal that had led him into his profession had faded. He looked at the woman wearily. “You say this Jane came from a city far in the south?” he said, “the belief that there are no witches has gained ground there, it is a foolish belief but does not prove she is a witch”.

The woman looked at him steadily, “I realise you are busy” she said, “which is why the fee I am offering is rather generous”. She nodded to her servant who placed a large purse in front of the witchfinder. He peered inside to see that it was full of gold sovereigns. “This is the fee I offer merely for you to come and investigate” the woman told him. “Should you find her guilty and determine a suitable punishment then there will be two more purses of the same size”.

The witchfinder swallowed, the first bag alone was more money than he had earned in the previous five years. He smiled at the woman and leant forwards. “And what would be a suitable punishment?” he asked.

“Public execution” the woman replied and then she told him the  method of execution she wanted.

The next day the witchfinder travelled , with the woman to the village. Arriving late they dined and rested at her large estate house. In the morning he first went to meet Heather and hear her story. With his two guards and the woman he then made his way to Jane’s house. Heather, and several other villagers followed along excitedly.

The Witchfinder and his party rang on the bell at the large manor house and when the maid opened the door swept past her and burst into Jane’s classroom, where she was readying herself for the day.

The witchfinder began questioning Jane who at first responded angrily. Gradually however the gravity of her situation dawned on her and she began to show signs of fear. He asked her about her denial of witchcraft, reminding her he had multiple witnesses of it.

Jane’s voice trembled a little as she answered “I did say that” she said “I meant no more than I didn’t think witches affected the weather. I wanted to reassure Heather as she always seemed so serious”. She paused and then gave a small sob, “I have done nothing wrong”.

The witchfinder looked at her steadily, “You admit to denial of witchcraft” he said “this is already evidence of your guilt. I also see that you become increasingly nervous now that an experienced witchfinder is questioning you”. He paused for effect, “and yet I cannot be sure. There are however proven methods to determine whether you are innocent or guilty”.

The guards shackled Jane’s hands and led her on a short chain from her house. As the woman followed the party out, she glanced back into the impressive building. With no heirs, and with Jane having been condemned of witchcraft it would be easy for her to gain ownership of this and all Jane’s lands for herself. It made the, not inconsiderable, outlay she was making very worthwhile.

As Jane was dragged back to the village a crowd of onlookers began to gather. By the time they had reached the village square a large crowd was awaiting them so that most of the village were watching. The witchfinder cleared an area of people in the middle of the square. As requested, four of the village men fetched a wooden table from in front of the Inn, and one stout wooden chair which was placed upon it.

Aware that this was not a sight for children, several of the older women rounded up those that were in the crowd and took them away.

The witchfinder climbed up onto the table. He raised his hand and the babble of excited chatter died down. “Jane Green of the Manor is accused of witchcraft”. There were a number of catcalls, “She’s a witch that tried corrupting children” Heather’s mother cried. “Burn her”. The witchfinder raised his hand again. “There is evidence” he said “but also there is doubt. I must test to ensure that we do not condemn an innocent woman.” He looked out at the crowd who were now silent and intent on his words. “There is one sure test, pricking. A witch when pricked will not bleed, it is a sure and certain sign.” He paused to let this sink in, then continued  “some witches the very worst and most cunning have found ways to disguise this. They are able to bleed from parts that are more exposed and might accidently cause suspicion. Finger’s hands arms and feet may all bleed like any normal god-fearing person. But in her intimate places, her breasts, the inner thighs and the very entrance to her body itself she cannot ever bleed when pricked or feel pain”. He paused for full dramatic effect “this is because she is the Devil’s plaything and in order to fulfil her duty to copulate with the fiery beast these parts are protected by deep magic”.

There were  gasps and shouts of amazement at the witchfinders words. One of the guards climbed up onto the table and reaching down lifted a struggling Jane up onto the makeshift platform before forcing her into the chair. From his robe the witchfinder drew the polished wooden handled bodkin with a sharp steel needle around a quarter of an inch long. “Those of you nearest the front will see most clearly the results” he told the people in front. “Bear witness of what you see to your fellows” He was pleased to see the nodding heads of the nearest villagers.

“This volunteer” the witchfinder said loudly “is willing to be pricked in order to show how a god-fearing woman reacts”. The woman was helped up onto the table by those around her. Taking the woman’s left hand the witchfinder hovered the sharp point above the flesh part of her lower palm. “Ready?” he asked and when the woman nodded, he drove the needle firmly into her hand. The woman gave a sharp cry of pain and raised her hand turning it to the crowd who could see the trickle of blood running from the wound and dripping from her wrist. “She bleeds” several people called so that those further back could understand.

The witchfinder moved to where Jane was seated. He nodded to the guards who dragged Jane to her feet. He took Jane’s left hand in his, he could see the fear in her pretty cornflower blue eyes, and she trembled slightly. He drove the needle into the fleshy mound of her palm felt her flinch, then whimper loudly and saw blood spreading. He raised her left hand so that those in the crowd that could see most clearly were able to call out to others, “she bleeds!”

The witchfinder raised his hand again to silence the crowd. “As I have explained” he said “this does not prove innocence. It was done to see if we could avoid the necessity of the second test. We must now test the parts of her body where no witch can conceal herself”.

With that he stepped back to where Jane stood, held firmly by the two guards. Grabbing her pale silky gown at the neck he pulled sharply, rendering the garment in two. He tossed it behind him into the dirt. Jane had a white linen slip covering her breasts this too the witchfinder tore away. He paused and moved aside a little so that the crowd could see Jane’s small but well formed and firm breasts. Finally he removed her pants to reveal her neat bush of white blond pubic hair.

The sight of the naked blonde excited the crowd further and the witchfinder felt growing confidence that they were ready to be convinced. The guards now forced Jane to sit in the chair. Using leather cuffs that he had in his robe the witchfinder bound Jane to the chair at her upper ankle, above the knee and on her upper arm. She sat naked and helpless with her, nipples slightly erect in the cool air and her legs splayed a chair width apart.

The witchfinder turned to the crowd “witches have the duty to copulate with the devil and his demons” he said. “Let us see if Jane Green of the Manor had dark magic protecting those parts of her body”.

The witchfinder stepped behind Jane’s chair cupping her right breast in his left hand he squeezed the skin slightly to make it tighter. He looked at the crowd raised the bodkin so that they could see and drove it down onto the top of Jane’s breast. The witchfinder’s thumbnail was pressing firmly on the tiny button in the barely visible indent in the bodkin’s handle. The button allowed the needle to readily retract into the handle, springing back out again only as he raised it back up dramatically. He stared down at Jane’s breast the faint pink mark where the needle had pressed being the only damage visible. “She is uninjured” the witchfinder called out to the crowd, “there is no blood”.

The guards helped several of the villagers at the front up onto the table one by one. Each confirmed what the witchfinder had told them. “She is intact”, “there is no blood”, “she cannot bleed, she is a witch”.

The witchfinder invited two of the villagers near the front up onto the table. “Let me repeat the test in front of witnesses” he intoned. Holding Jane’s left breast this time.  he told the witnesses to observe and showed them the sharp needle. He drove the needle horizontally into Jane’s nipple, where it once again retracted leaving no visible mark against the darker flesh of the Aureola. The woman screamed “she is a witch” she cried “she felt no pain and does not bleed”.

“She’s a witch” people in the crowd began shouting. Angry voices rose, “kill her” someone called. “Burn her, Burn her” called one of Jane’s farmer’s wife. The woman smiled to herself as she saw that even those who lived on Jane’s land and had praised her had turned against her now.

The witchfinder silenced the crowd again. “There is one final test” he said, “to be certain”. He knelt beside Jane and looked up into her terror-stricken eyes. At this level he had a close-up view of the fleshy lips of her vagina and could smell the sweet scent of expensive bath oils on her skin. He jabbed at the top of Jane’s curved but firm thighs allowing his fingers to brush her labia. Turning he pointed to the undamaged flesh and stood.

“The test is conclusive” he told the, now silent, crowd. “She cannot be damaged in those areas of the body she uses for licentious acts with demons. By the powers granted to me by our royal sovereign I declare her to be a witch of the most dangerous kind. He turned to look at Jane. She was staring up at him tears rolling down her cheeks and unable it seemed at this moment to speak. “Your punishment is death”.

The witchfinder paused allowing the buzz to die down. “It is my duty to declare that Jane Green of the Manor will be executed in public 5 days hence. The method of execution will be impalement”. He waited for the buzz of excitement to cease. “The impalement is to be carried out over a prolonged period to ensure that the witch suffers as greatly possible”.

He could see only excitement in the crowd now, the whole process had convinced the simple villagers and he was happy no one would now step forward to intercede on Jane’s behalf. “As I have other business to attend to, I appoint the brave woman who brought this to my attention as my  agent to ensure that the execution is carried out in line with my wishes.” The woman was helped onto the table again, where the witchfinder handed her the official decree that he had prepared the previous day.

The woman smiled at him warmly “thank you” she said. “You will stay at my home again this evening?” The witchfinder nodded and after Jane had been led away, they returned to the woman’s home for him to both receive his reward and introduce the woman to the executioner would carry out the killing.