During the witchcraft episode at Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, one of the earliest of the accused "witches" to be interrogated was Sarah Good.

To understand her "examination," you need to know the following things: "Parris" was Samuel Parris, the minister of the church at Salem Village. The two "assistants" who conducted the examination were Salem's representatives in the colony's legislature. "Osborne"was Sarah Osborne, one of two other women (in addition to Good) who were the first people to be accused of witchcraft in Salem. The "meeting house" was an all-purpose public building, used for both civil and religious gatherings. The "children" were a group of girls and young women who claimed that they were being "tormented" and "afflicted" by witches. The record of the examination was made by a man named Ezekiel Cheever, who did not hesitate to insert comments and judgments of his own.

The examination of Sarah Good before the worshipful Assistants John Hathorne and Jonathan Curran.

Q. Sarah Good, what evil spirit have you familiarity with?
A. None.
Q. Have you made no contract with the devil?
Good answered no.
Q. Why do you hurt these children?
A. I do not hurt them. I scorn it.
Q. Who do you employ, then, to do it?
A. I employ nobody.
Q. What creature do you employ then?
A. No creature. But I am falsely accused.
Q. Why did you go away muttering from Mr. Parris's house?
A. I did not mutter, but I thanked him for what he gave my child?
Q. Have you made no contract with the devil?
A. No.
H[athorne] desired the children, all of them, to look upon her and see if this were the person that had hurt them, and so they all did look upon her and said this was one of the persons that did torment them. Presently they were all tormented.
Q. Sarah Good, do you not see now what you have done? Why do you not tell us the truth? Why do you thus torment these poor children?
A. I do not torment them.
Q. Who do you employ then?
A. I employ nobody. I scorn it.
Q. How came they thus tormented?
A. What do I know? You bring others here and now you charge me with it.
Q. Why, who was it?
A. I do not know but it was some you brought into the meeting house with you.
Q. We brought you into the meeting house.
A. But you brought in two more.
Q. Who was it, then, that tormented the children?
A. It was Osborne.
Q. What is it you say when you go muttering from person's houses?
A. If I must tell, I will tell.
Q. Do tell us, then.
A. If I must tell, I will tell. It is the commandments. I may say my commandments, I hope.
Q. What commandment is it?
A. If I must tell you, I will tell. It is a psalm.
Q. What psalm?
After a long time, she muttered over some part of a psalm.
Q. Who do you serve?
A. I serve God.
Q. What God do you serve?
A. The God that made heaven and earth.
Though she was not willing to mention the word God. Her answers were in a very wicked, spiteful manner, reflecting and retorting against the authority with base and abusive words, and many lies. She was taken in [into custody].

It was here that her husband had said that he was afraid that she either was a witch or would be one very quickly. The worshipful Mr. Hathorne asked him his reason why he said so of her, whether he had ever seen anything by her. He answered no, not in this nature, but was her bad carriage to him. And indeed, said he, I may say with tears that she is an enemy to all good.