The Midwife�s Trial

Part 2 of  �The Magistrate�s Dilemma�

 

By Donna M.

 

 

�Aye, sir,� The young midwife said, �the girl is a spritely one, though motherhood may prove her undoing.�

�She has proven herself to be MY undoing on several occasions, Hannah,� Samuel Miskoe said to the woman, hoping his innuendo became lost between his seasoned mouth and her ears.  �In thy opinion, will she have problems giving birth?  The immensity of her womb doest cause me concern.�

�Thy concern is justified, Sir, for she is a willowy one, not built in the pelvis for birthing.�

Miskoe thought, her pelvis was indeed built for an entirely different purpose.  His cock thickened at the idea of that most enjoyable one. 

Samuel Miskoe was a happy man.  Even as he took pleasure in the nightly rolls with his newly beloved, the widow Emily Hammond, he continued to play a part in the life of Sarah Godwin.  He would forever remember their first coupling by the stream outside his old village, wondering once more if he had sired the child growing within her.  Only its coloring and appearance someday would answer the question of the baby�s lineage, since Sarah�s rampant promiscuity precluded any logical analysis, even by a learned, former Magistrate.

He asked the midwife, Hannah Moses, �Art there ways in which thou could better prepare her for the ordeal?�

�Aye, there art ways in which her canal may be loosened,� she answered.  �Potions as well.�

Such a pity to loosen that tightness, Miskoe thought. 

He studied the young woman standing before him.  She was said to be of gypsy blood; her long, thick hair the color of a moonless night.  Her temperament equaled the wild creatures that inhabited such a night.  On a couple of occasions while he was feeling quite randy and his Emily was womanly indisposed, Miskoe had tried to uncover the mysteries under Hannah�s petticoats, but had been summarily rebuffed.  He yearned to feel her fire, but was resigned to seeing her only as young Sarah�s midwife.

Upon fleeing the old village for this more hospitable town, ex-Magistrate Miskoe used his knowledge of the law to gain occupation as a solicitor.  He also took on the role of Sarah Godwin�s guardian, shielding her from those who would judge her harshly.  Sarah had been close to swinging from the end of a rope, accused of witchcraft in their old village.  She may be a sexually insatiable, wanton young woman, but she, along with the others so accused, was not a witch.  Their escape and subsequent resettlement had allowed the three women the chance to start anew.  The widow Emily was in every way, other than with the Church�s blessing, his wife.  Sarah assumed the role of a widow as well, thus explaining away the child in her womb.  Her �sister� Anne Sawyer was really her lover, but the townspeople were judiciously shielded from that knowledge, lest the word �witch� be used in these new environs.

Sarah�s condition did not preclude her from experiencing the itch which dominated her very existence.  The day following Miskoe�s discussion with the midwife, he visited his adopted ward to find her lying in bed with her petticoats off.

�I shall come back at a more appropriate time,� Miskoe said, not missing the fact her hand had been working her womanly regions when he arrived.

�Thou will not come back�Sir�thou will instead provide me with the relief I so desperately seek.�

�Is it prudent, young lass, to trespass on the very same land soon to be used as a passageway to this earthly life?�

�I beseech thee.  Not only is it prudent, but I believe it to be solidly required,� she murmured.  �No self-administering shall provide that which I need the most.�

Miskoe easily saw the wetness of her womanhood.  Solidly required, indeed, he thought as he quickly disrobed.  His throbbing manhood was not about to let this opportunity lapse.  The girl�s belly was much too large for many of the usual positionings, so Miskoe kept her on her back with her legs lifted upward, and he slid into her from the side.

Sarah�s caterwauling as she approached release moved Samuel in the usual manner.  �Should I refrain from sowing�my seed?� he wheezed, knowing that moment was fast approaching, urged onward by the young girl�s spirited coupling (even with her limiting condition) and tight channel.

She laughed between yelps of pleasure.  �The boy may someday have dark dreams of a large, spitting snake chasing him, but his father need not worry about that at this most glorious mo�moh�moh� moment� ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!�

Her bellow was accompanied by turbulent pelvic spasms that clamped down on Samuel�s member, milking his seed much as the milkmaid squeezes nourishment from a cow�s teat.

As he lay next to her, holding her tenderly, Miskoe broached the elusive subject.  �Thou sayeth I am the father, but how doest thou know that fact with any measure of certainty?  And how doest thou know the child is a boy?  Is this only the secret wishes of a bawdy lass?� he said, rubbing her large belly in a circular motion, �Or am I to believe that thou art truly a witch?�  His hand had slowly moved from her belly to her pudenda, which was wet, and spilling his spent fluids upon the bedclothes.

  �Any other man should be as bewitched as thee, Sir Magistrate,� she said, teasing him with his old title.  �The strength and hefty volume of thy seed would push that of others to the wayside, I am sure of it.�  She laughed, �Yet perhaps I do have ungodly powers.  Perhaps I have the power to choose the seed that set forth the bloom within me.  What doest thou think of that?�

It was Miskoe�s turn to laugh heartily.  �I think it is nonsense, wench.  As nonsensical as predicting the child will be a boy.�

�It is not a prophecy, it is a fact.  I know it to be true.  It is a boy, and I will name him Samuel.�

Miskoe said, �I will await its birth with keen anticipation.�

Sarah said, �I will wait a much shorter duration to have thou poke once more at the threshold of my occupied womb.�  Soon, Miskoe was manipulated back to a tumescent condition, and thus able to temporarily sate the insatiable.

Miskoe had been so overcome, as he usually was when Sarah deemed to spread her youthful thighs, that he had failed to ask about Anne.  The Widow Sawyer had been their traveling companion when they escaped a witch�s fate.  From the beginning it was clear that the lady was partial to sleeping with a woman, and thus had become Sarah�s companion and lover.  It wasn�t Sarah�s pregnancy that kept Miskoe from thinking of her freely-given sex; it was her relationship with Anne.  So, where had she been?  Of course, he enjoyed their interlude immensely, yet it should have been Anne who satisfied the girl�s endless desires.  He pondered these things throughout the following day, deciding that he would consult his Emily to see if she knew anything of the matter.  After all, the women shared a bond well beyond their gender.

�I know that Anne has been homesick for the old village.  The threats, the accusations of witchcraft do not seem to be overcoming her longing,� Emily told Samuel later that day.

Miskoe wasn�t sure he should be bringing up Sarah�s name lest old jealousies be resurrected, but the need had arisen.  �I have just spoken with Sarah Godwin and she never mentioned Anne�s name.  Doest thou believe she may have found a transport to return to the village?�

Emily had a way to see right through her man.  By her expression, Miskoe knew that she guessed of his indiscretion, and most likely was resigned to it, since she was in completion of her monthly cycle, and well aware of Samuel�s (and the girl�s)  lusty needs.  She said, �I hope she was not foolish enough to so tempt fate.�

�Foolish, no; impetuous, perhaps.  I will enquire further.�

�I am certain thou will�enquire,� Emily said, her smile belying the sarcasm.

Miskoe thought, when her cycle is over, I had better mount her with great skill and endurance or I will forever regret this moment.  �I shall also speak with the midwife, Hannah, to see if she could spend more time with Sarah on the chance that Anne has indeed left her.� 

He attended to regular duties the following day.  Later in the afternoon, he went in search of Midwife Hannah to speak with her again about Sarah.  When he found her, she answered his questions with, �Aye, she will not mention Miss Sawyer to me, and by her�ahem�nether region itch she leads me to believe that her requirements in that regard art not being met.�

�I must say, Hannah, thy perception is better than most.  We both know that the girl has an unappeasable appetite in that area.  If her requirements are not being addressed, then that would be a solid indication that Anne has left her side.�

Hannah looked at Miskoe and smiled, saying �Aye, Sir, thou art correct about my power of perception.  I have perceived that the Magistrate hath met her requirements in the past, and young Sarah hath allowed her lips to slip that thou art quite proficient�and solid� in doing so.�

Miskoe chuckled.  �Yes, thy perception is as great a gift from our Maker as thy splendid physical form.�

It was her turn to chuckle.  �And I imagine that thou may be inclined to sample that form?�

�Aye, a lusty woman will never be turned away.�

�Perhaps thou will someday garner the opportunity, but that day will not be today.�  She said this even as she fondled the front of his breeches, which expanded noticeably at her touch.

Miskoe took note that she appeared pleased by the extent of that expansion.  �Then why don�t we visit Miss Godwin with thy soothing herbs?�

Hannah and Samuel walked back to her cottage to retrieve the necessary medicines, before walking in the opposite direction to where Anne and Sarah were residing.  Sarah welcomed them in, complaining without pause of her condition.

�I cannot live another day with this ungodly weight within me,� she declared.  �If there were only a way to rip it out.�

�Aye, if only a way existed to spare me the sight of a waif such as thyself waddling as a duck,� Miskoe teased her.

�And if only a duck would waddle onto thy expansive shaft, I would pay dearly to see it,� Sarah saltily teased back.

Miskoe turned to Hannah and said, smiling, �Would the town�s physician have anything to heal her?�

Hannah spit, as if attempting to clear a disagreeable taste from her mouth.  �If bleeding with leeches would do it, aye, I would suggest the town�s physician.  Step outside, Sir, and allow me to attend to this mare.�

Sarah scoffed, �A mare, thou sayeth!  I could take on twice the stallions that thou could, even whilst in this condition.�  She turned to Miskoe, �Stay.  It is not as if thou have not seen me splayed open before.�

Hannah laughed.  �Now I have had two questions answered.�

They retreated to the bedchamber where Sarah disrobed and lay down on the bed.  Hannah withdrew herbs and such from her satchel and began making a poultice by grinding the ingredients with a small mortar and pestle she brought with her.  Miskoe was surprised (and secretly aroused) by Hannah placing the poultice not on Sarah, but in her; stuffing her as someone would a game bird to be cooked at the hearth.

�I do not comprehend the intended purpose of thy insertion,� Sarah said in a hoarse voice, �But it is most assuredly bringing about imminent release as though mating in a more normal manner.�

Hannah explained the intended purpose, to loosen the walls of her canal for birth.  However whether from its bulk or warmth, the application proceeded to accomplish something else, for Sarah�s breath grew more haltingly rapid.

�I am�I am�ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!� she bellowed as her spread legs kicked, her back arched, and liquids expelled.

The midwife mirthfully spoke before Miskoe could get a word out.  �Perhaps thou hath proven a new usage for my medicines, young lady.  Thy release appeared more stimulating than even my own, and I must admit that I am not often cheated of the bedchamber�s pleasures.�  She turned to Miskoe and added, �Can thou attest to what I have said?�

Miskoe laughed heartily and then answered, �I can only attest to thy observations of Sarah here, as thou so astutely deduced.  However, I cannot swear to thine, since I have yet to discover thy aptitudes in the bedchamber.�

It was Hannah�s turn to laugh.  �That is such a large word for having so few letters��yet��since it assumes so much with little or no foretelling.�

Miskoe affectionately slapped her rump, saying, �Aye, but the word itself conveys an expectant certainty.  This humble man doest imagine thy lovely flower blossoming beneath me some day.�

Hannah brashly slapped him back, saying, �My flower opens for few men, Sir.  One would have to be quite a botanist to elicit nectar from my petals.�

Miskoe was about to continue the repartee, but Sarah interrupted, �Wilst thou two move to the other room, stop this banter and engage thyselves in fleshly congress, so we may quickly dispense with the howling of coupling dogs that I may rest?�

All three gleefully laughed as Hannah returned to applying ointments and salves to Sarah�s womanhood after shooing Miskoe from the room.  He was a man, after all, so the ex-Magistrate stood just out of sight on the other side of the room�s door and watched.  Hannah rubbed Sarah�s pelvic area, saying soothing words that Miskoe couldn�t quite make out.  Occasionally he heard them laugh.  Then the most amazing thing happened, for which Miskoe thanked God he stayed to watch; Hannah removed her clothing and slid into bed with the younger woman.  Their light laughter soon turned to womanly cries of consummation, as Hannah used her ointments to bring Sarah to another rapid climax at the same time Sarah used her fingers to ignite passion in the midwife.

�Perhaps thy wondrous releases will bring about a smoother channel for the babe to follow, much more than my humble potions could facilitate,� Hannah declared before she succumbed to Sarah�s ministrations, crying out in sweet surrender to the ultimate gift of the flesh.

Miskoe�s ardor at espying the midwife�s splendid arse and equally splendid bosom would be well evident if someone had been there to look at him.  He left the two women, silently slipping from the cottage, and returned to the home he and Emily shared.

His arousal was evident to Emily, for she said upon his arrival home, �Which wench lifted her petticoat for thee to bring my solicitor home in such a mood?�

�Could it be that it is thy petticoat I wish to raise?�

�Thou may indeed do so, my love,� she said with a beguiling smile as they proceeded to their bed.  After they had disrobed, Emily was delighted to discover (though also troubled by it) Samuel�s fleshy shaft to be fully rigid, straining at its skin covering, and oozing liquid.  He lay on his back and she mounted him in the manner he so happily enjoyed.  Soon she was bounding up and down as a ship in stormy seas, riding the waves building within her as surely as she rode her man�s mast.

Miscoe hummed a tune of developing pleasure, enjoying as he usually did the bounce and sway of her ample breasts above him.  �I am�about to�spew��

Emily sighed.  �Thou had�better not�complete thy�rapture before�I do,� she uttered as her up-and-down motion accelerated.

�I shall�do�my�best��

�Thy best...has�accomplished�its�task�Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Samuelllllllllllllllllll!� she cried as she pressed down fully around him, her body quaking.  She emitted further wails as she felt his seed being propelled deeply within her.

As they lay together following lovemaking, they spoke of Anne Sawyer, worrying about her fate.  Miskoe humorously commented that he often found the three women who fled from the old village with him to be witches after all, for which Emily punched his arm in protest.  �A man will not accept a woman who refuses to be mastered by him.  Many, as thou hast done in jest, equate a woman�s lusty nature and craft as ungodly.  I sayeth that we art amongst God�s finest creations.�

�Aye!  Witch or no witch, God hath created in thee an impressive array of bodily charms along with the skills to use them.�

�Yes, indeed She has.�

�Now a blasphemer!  Be thankful a preacher did not hear thy heresy even in jest, for thy neck would most assuredly be fitted for the witch�s noose.�

�Samuel, thou art indeed a man who thinks best not with his head but mostly with that which is between his legs, though that smaller of heads is exceedingly impressive too.  No preacher will hear me since I no longer wish to be near a church whose God allows innocents such as Abigail and the others to die so horribly.�

�I am in sympathy with them and with thee, but I believe God to be a benign deity, One lacking the delivery of fire and brimstone so often preached by lesser men.  Many horrible things happen to we sorry lot, yet it is not always a form of His punishment.  Bad things happen, that is all.�

�If only others had the understanding that thou possess.  There would not be fear of women, fear that makes differences appear as witchcraft.  Men can be such ignorant beasts, though thou art not one of them and I love thee for it, even as a beast lies in close proximity.�  She said this while stroking his now dormant manhood.

�I am blessed to have this beast awakened by such a special woman as thyself.�

�Thy beast has not only been awakened by me,� Emily said with melancholy, thinking of Samuel�s attachment to Sarah even as she remained ignorant of their latest intimacies.

Miskoe judiciously said nothing in reply.

Time progressed.

 

Sarah�s time drew nearer still.  The Midwife Hannah ministered to her in preparation, and Miskoe took much pleasure in watching such preparations take place.  Hannah confirmed that which Miskoe�s eyes and ears witnessed; the �sex ointments� (as Miskoe thought of them) not only brought sought-after release to Sarah but indeed seemed to be loosening the birth canal, as proven by the ease of which Hannah�s hand could proceed into it.

Miskoe said to Hannah, �By the look of things, I believe thou should be selling such salves to some of the frigid wives my drinking mates carp about in the public house.�

She smiled, �How doest thou know I have not already done so?  Perhaps these �frigid� women art now rolling in the hay with younger lovers who possess the skills to please them, skills not gained by their slovenly husbands over a lager at the pub.�

�Oh Hannah, if only I could roll in the hay with thee, for thou art a fine catch for any man, though not one easily domesticated.�

She laughed and waggled a finger at him.  �What am I?  The trout, to be a �catch?�  The sow, to be �domesticated?� Hah! Perhaps I am the doe in the woods, one that demands great skill to hunt.�

�I will not be so stupid as to claim such a skill, after claiming thou art less of a woman than thou obviously art.�

Hannah kissed him on the cheek.  �There is hope for thee yet, Sir,� she said, and off she went to see another of her many patients.

�Patients� were indeed what they were.  Miskoe saw Hannah, and many midwives like her in the colonies, as the true healers, unlike the quacks who declared themselves physicians.  Little did he know at the time how precious her very existence to be.

 

�Samuel, my dear friend,� spouted William between indelicate swallows of his favorite brew.  �Thou knoweth the midwife, Hannah Moses, yes?  Have thee heard the accusations?�

�Accusations?�

�That she is a witch, Samuel.�  The pub crowd grew quiet as those around them strained to listen.

�Pshaw, she is no such thing.  Thou doest realize witchcraft accusations follow midwives like flies after a cows arse?  Which ignorant bastard made such an allegation?�

�Michael Poole and Richard Fish, Sir,� William said.

�Mister Poole, the physician?  Thou bloody well know that his envy of the woman�s medicinal skills drives him to sayeth such a thing.  And what of the elder Mister Fish?  His wife is too old for the Midwife�s services, is she not?�

�Aye, my friend, but it has been said that Hannah cast a spell over Missus Fish, causing her to grow wanton and seek out male companionship outside of her marriage.�

Miskoe laughed, �Maybe Mister Fish should seek out Hannah�s services, for I�m sure one of her medicines�and not some damned spell�could harden his shaft so the Missus would not have to go elsewhere.�

William was aghast.  �This is not a laughing matter, Samuel!  The Physician, Poole, has made his accusation formally to the King�s Court of Justice.�

�And if this matter is debated in open Court, the Midwife shall have the best solicitor by her side, rest assured my good friend, William.�  Miskoe finished his ale and went off to find Hannah.

When he found her, she seemed not to be put off by the accusations.  �I shall be fine, Sir.  Do not worry about me.�

�No doubt thou will be fine, for if the matter finds its way to Court, I will defend thee to the best of my ability.�

�I have much faith in thy ability, yet I have little faith in being able to pay thee thy fee.�

I can surely think of a way, he thought.  �Do not worry about such trifling details, Miss.  I shall keep thee safe.�

�I have heard from others that thou art trustworthy in keeping women safe.�  Unlike at other times, her voice held no guile or folly as she spoke.

As blithely as Hannah downplayed her situation, Sarah was in a state of panic.  When Miskoe went to visit her, she nearly shouted, �Thou cannot allow her to be hurt.  If they condemn her, then she will not be the only one to die, for certainly without her services I shall not be able to safely give birth.�

�I will not allow it,� he assured her.

Emily was equally distraught upon hearing the news.  �Oh, Samuel, why must these grotesque accusations return?  Can we not live in peace?�

�They thrive wherever the pea-brains of men allow them to.  We will not flee again.  I will defend Hannah and go the gallows myself in doing so, if I must.�

�Please make no such oath, my love.  I cannot lose another.�

�Thou will not lose me, rest assured.�  Later that night they made love with a great deal of tenderness, their coupling more as glowing embers than raging fires; each lost as much in the thoughts of dangers ahead as lost in pleasures of the flesh.

 

Sadly, as was usual for the times, witchcraft accusations drew much public froth and frenzy.  For this reason the charge against the midwife moved swiftly up the Court�s docket, and with plenty of accompanying fanfare.  On the morning of Hannah�s hearing before the Court of Justice, Samuel Miskoe was extremely nervous.  He knew well his skills as a barrister, and he knew the presiding King�s Judge in town respected him as a former Magistrate.  However, he also knew that the logic of law can be easily superseded by the emotions of the mob, having witnessed this cruelty first-hand.   He commissioned Emily and her friend, the Widow Mary Johnson, to dress and otherwise prepare Hannah to appear less a gypsy and more a scholarly woman.  Her impetuousness may strain the new appearance, yet Miskoe could only do so much.

Called to session, the first and most important witness would be the physician, Doctor Michael Poole.  After the King�s Prosecutor asked meager questions that allowed the Doctor to ramble on about the �evil� of midwifery in general and Hannah Moses in particular, Miskoe would have his most critical turn.

�Good Morning, Doctor.  May I inquire where thou received thy medical training?�

�In France,� Poole answered, naming the school.

�Why not, say, Cambridge?  This humble barrister and former magistrate received training at Cambridge.  Would it not have been simpler to attend university close to thy home, Doctor?�

�I�I�wanted to learn�to gain broader knowledge.�

�Aye, �broader knowledge���  Miskoe paused.  �Why doest thou claim the Midwife Hannah Moses be a witch?�

�She heals people with potions and spells.  It is not God�s work.�

�Yes, she heals people.  Mmm, how many people hath thou healed in recent memory?�  Before Poole could answer, Miskoe asked a different question, �Never mind memory and counting, who hath thou most recently healed?�

Poole thought for an interval, then said, �Mister Adams had the poison in him, causing much suffering.  I bled the poison from him and he regained his health shortly thereafter.�

Miskoe knew of Seth Adams and his problems, having suffered alongside the man as he told of his affliction in the most disagreeable detail over a pint at the pub.  �Bleeding out seems to be quite the answer to many ailments, is that true, Doctor?�

�Aye, it is Sir.  Foul blood is the source of many afflictions.�

�Then I am curious as to the method thou employed to bleed Mister Adams� kidney stone from him.  That must have been a most�ahem�delicate technique, to say the least.�

The spectators laughed at the image thus created.  The Judge gaveled the proceedings back to silence.  �That is not the method I utilized,� Poole finally answered.

�I would hope not,� Miskoe said.  More laughter; more raps of the gavel.  �Any others so miraculously healed?�  Pooled named two men, one of which was the farmer, Richard Fish.  Miskoe glanced at the Judge and then back to Doctor Poole.  �Considering the disparity of numbers between those purportedly healed by the Midwife�s�potions�and those healed by thy scalpel, I sayeth thou should be thankful not to be confused with a warlock.�

Poole sputtered, and the Judge glared malevolently at Miskoe, but the ex-Magistrate and present Solicitor knew he had driven home one of his main points.  He looked into the eyes of Hannah Moses for the first time since the proceedings began, and he saw the fire within as well as a miniscule smile that told all.  He turned back to the witness.

�Doctor Poole, hast thou ever been told who attended thy mother at thy birth?�

�Yes, it was�ah�actually no, I was never told.�

�Which one is it, yes or no?  Perhaps as it has been the custom for ages, thy mother had a midwife at her side to assist in the birthing process.�  Poole wanted to object by Miskoe wouldn�t let him.  �Of course thou hath no memory of thy own birth, but in keeping with thy specious claims, may it be that a witch brought thee into this world, and now thou wish to usher an innocent midwife off from it in her stead?�

�I object wholeheartedly to these silly questions,� Poole shouted.  �Perhaps thou art the warlock here, coming to this peaceful town and sowing hysteria.

�I see; more careful scientific observations from our learned Physician.  Thou hast used the word �hysteria.�  Doest thou know its root?�

�I do not understand.�

�Oh, I am sure a learned Physician such as thyself knows classical languages of Latin and Greek, do thee not?�

�I am sorry, but I do not know of what thou art asking.�

�The word �hysteria� hath Latin, and some would say Greek origins,� he paused for effect, �but I am sure thou studied this at thy medical university�ah, in France.�

Poole held silent.

�Allow me to explain its root.  �Hysteria� is from the Latin form to mean �of the womb.�  Many medical texts sayeth that it is a women�s affliction, where the reflex anxiety is exaggerated, losing control of logical emotion.�  He moved closer to the witness box.  �Art thou certain this is not known to thee?�

Poole continued to remain mute.

Miskoe continued, �I see no women swearing complaints of witchcraft before this Court.  Doest thou still believe an hysteria hath been released?�

The Doctor sneered and said, �There art no women here because they art either too weak to stand before this Court or they too art witches.�

Miskoe chuckled and said, �Thou hath never been married, is that correct, Sir?�  Even as he rapped his gavel, the Judge laughed along with everyone else.  Miskoe turned to the Judge and spoke, �May I petition the Court that what we have heard hath been the false claims of an envious man, one who fears the woman in town who can perform the healing he so pitifully cannot.�

The Judge answered, �I tend to agree, Sir, yet I believe we should hear from the other complainant, Mister Fish.�  Richard Fish came forward, and as it had been with Doctor Poole, he prattled on and on about how his wife had abandoned him for another, and that it was �that witch�s doing.�

When it was his time to address the witness, Miskoe was more than ready.  �Sir, can thou explain how one woman may force another to abandon her husband?�

�Aye, it was the Midwife�s spells and potions that did it, Sir.�

�How doest thou know this of the Midwife?  Were the potions used�or the�ahem�spells cast witnessed by thee?�

�Ah�no�but she is a different woman now.  She has been bewitched!�

�Shall thee be reminded that thou art a witness here, Mister Fish?  �Witness� means that thou have actually seen or heard something to support thy claim.   Pray tell, what hath thee seen?�

Richard Fish blushed, and everyone saw it.  �Sir, I have not had relations with my wife for many a month now.  She turns away from me�and her wifely duties, and I have seen her in the company of younger men.�

�Ah, �company� thou sayeth.  I have been in the company lately of Miss Moses, the accused.  Doest that infer that we art having�ahem�relations?�

�I don�t know of it, Sir, but she may have bewitched thee into it.�

Miskoe looked once more at Hannah, catching her eye.  �Aye, she is a beauty, and probably is in no need of witches� spells to draw a man to her.�  The Judge admonished Miskoe for the remark, reminding him that he should be questioning the witness, not witnessing things himself.

Indeed, Miskoe would ask a question next; one that he knew the answer and also knew would cause quite a stir.  �Have thou conferred with Doctor Poole on healing thy problem, Mister Fish?�

�I have no problem save what that witch hath brought me.�

�Doest that mean thou hath no problem in performing thy husbandly duties?  That thou cannot�shall we say�rise to it?�

Fish protested loudly as the spectators either gasped or tittered.  �How doest thou know this?� he shouted in apparent lack of forethought.

�No witch whispered it to me in my ear, Mister Fish.  In fact, thou hath told me.  Evenings when perhaps thy wife needed companionship, thou spent many a farthing at the pub, sorrowfully telling all within earshot of thy troubles.�

�But�but�the witch!� Fish hollered.

�Since thou failed in thy quest to be a witness to anything before the Court, why don�t we ask Miss Hannah Moses herself?�

With the Judge�s blessing, Richard Fish slinked away from the witness box, probably pondering his reception in town now that his secret was revealed.  Hannah strode to the box with dignity, careful not to overdo it and convey haughtiness as Miskoe had warned her.

�I have but one question for thee, Miss Moses, and it is not the foolish question as to whether thou art a witch or not, since learned men�� glancing over at Doctor Poole as he said �learned,� ��know that answer.  I inquire upon thy service to Missus Fish.�

In a mannerly way, Hannah described how the lady approached her looking for a cure for her husband�s inability to perform.  �I inquired as to whether she had spoken with the Physician.  Missus Fish told me that the good Doctor shouted at her that she should accept her husband�s failing as an indictment of her �failings as a wife.�  I provided a poultice that could possibly provide �ahem�expansion, upon its application, Sir.  That is all.�

Although highly irregular, Miskoe turned to the gallery and staring at Richard Fish, said, �Did this poultice perform its magic?�

Fish jumped up and said, �I would never use such an ungodly remedy!�

Turning back to the Judge, Miskoe said, �Honored Judge, Sir, I see no reason to continue with this travesty.  Please allow me to excuse this witness, the wrongly accused, and provide my summary to the Court.�

�Thou art so allowed.�

�Thank you, Sir.�  Miskoe spoke thusly, as much to the assembled crowd as to the King�s Court.  �We as God-fearing folks cannot continue to allow ignorance to rule us.  Women such as this Midwife art not witches, even as scorned or lesser men believe them to be.  I can attest to this woman�s ability as a healer, though not for the same affliction as Mister Fish.�  A few chuckles escaped mouths, but otherwise the gallery remained quiet, and attentive.  �That which this woman knows of the healing sciences did not come from�France��  A few more chuckles could be heard.  ��but has proven superior to what the Doctor is able to do, and rest assured, I would not even present a carbuncle to him for fear he would lance me into my grave.�

Just then a commotion erupted by the doorway.  Miskoe turned to see his Emily rushing up to him.  �Samuel!  Sarah�s labors have begun!  She needs the Midwife now!�

The Judge shouted �Here, here!� in response to the interruption.

Doctor Poole shouted �The witch cannot go anywhere.  A physician is necessary.�

Miskoe turned back to the Judge.  �Please, Sir.  Make thy judgment now, for we have two lives in the balance here, not one.  If the Midwife is prevented from assisting in her most capable manner, Miss��  He caught himself, remembering their subterfuge.  ��Missus Godwin will surely die in childbirth, since she is small in the hips and the child cannot pass.�  He hesitated before adding, �And no amount of therapeutic blood-letting can alleviate her dire condition.�

The Judge banged his gavel on the bench before saying, �I will therefore make my decision known.  The accused is not a witch, and I am inclined to throw Doctor Poole into the gaol instead for wasting the King�s Court�s time with this matter.�

Miskoe, Emily and Hannah tuned out the hubbub around them as they raced out of the building and toward Sarah�s cottage.  When they arrived, they heard Sarah�s unholy screams long before they laid eyes upon her.  When she saw Hannah, she begged, �Please help me�please�I am dying��

Hannah soothed her, saying, �Thou wilst not die, not today and not for many years to come.�

She didn�t bother to shoo Samuel and Emily away.  Hannah silently removed her clothing and lay next to the sobbing Sarah Godwin, who was herself naked.  �Remember what I told thee before?� Hannah whispered.  �The child will come out the same way a suitor would go in, with rapturous pleasure, with gleeful release only a lusty woman would know.� 

Watching with eyes wide open, Miskoe was astonished as Hannah moved between the suffering girl�s thighs as a lover would.  She began to place her lips and tongue in forbidden places, causing Sarah to moan and spread her legs farther apart.  Hannah�s ministrations grew ever more intense, until Sarah writhed in the throes of her climax.  That�s when her water broke, splashing all over Hannah�s face.  Hannah paid no mind to it, urging Sarah to exert force now that her sexual release facilitated it.  Miskoe failed to imagine the nature of this treatment though he fully trusted the Midwife.  Oblivious to the mess which was expelled, Hannah�s tongue went back to work on Sarah�s womanhood.

Emily whispered in Samuel�s ear, �Thou art aroused by this sight, yes?�

�Aye, I have risen quite splendidly whilst viewing this�ahem�treatment.�

�Thou hast risen because thou art looking at Hannah�s tender rump.�

�I declare my innocence in this accusation.�

�Would it be a witch�s sign that I am also aroused by this?�

�No, but some punishment is due.� 

Emily had lifted her petticoats and moved in front of Samuel.  He loosened his breeches, freeing his manhood; and finding her opening quite wet and thusly prepared for entry, he did so.  Their throes of sexual activity were not lost on the otherwise preoccupied Miss Godwin.  The dual stimulation of Hannah�s tongue, and watching Emily�s face as her rapture approached (she of course knew that feeling well, having been skewered by Miskoe�s long and thick man-cock on several occasions) brought about a quaking convulsion that transformed her.

Hannah yelped with glee as first a head and then the rest of him�yes, a �him� as she predicted�squeezed out of her.  While Emily screamed in pleasure, and Miskoe groaned as his seed flew from him, the baby let out a wail of his own.

Four loving people had become five.  Seed dripping from both of them, Emily and Samuel danced about the room in thankfulness to Almighty God.

 

Miskoe visited Sarah one day with news of Anne Sawyer.  �I am most sorry to convey this.  Sadly, she has felt the noose.  I do not comprehend why she went back to that ungodly village.�

�Neither do I,� Sarah said, tears in her eyes as the baby Samuel suckled at her swollen breast.  �I have tried to assign reason to it but cannot.�

Just then, Hannah entered to check on her patients.  Afterward, she pulled Miskoe from the room and said, �I have not adequately thanked thee for thy splendid defense of my neck.�  She moved closer to him and felt for his manhood.  �Perhaps thou could follow me to my house and I could thank thee in an appropriate manner.�

�Thou have said in the past that thy favors art not granted lightly.�

�Lightly is not how I envision our coupling.�

They wished a good day upon Sarah and child, and proceeded to Hannah�s humble house where they coupled like wild animals.  Once they had both experienced release, Miskoe asked about the poultice offered to Mrs. Fish.  Hannah rose from the bed (and Miskoe admired her perfect form as she did so) and soon returned with said remedy.  She wrapped the poultice around his wilted staff, and they both watched in wonder as it sprang back to its thick and rigid majesty.

�What is this magical potion?  Perhaps thou art a witch.�

�No magic, Sir, simply a weed found on the Spanish plains.�

�And such a wondrous weed it must be!  We shall put it to the test!�  Hannah fell to her back as Miskoe mounted her.  He thrust into her with renewed, and surprising, vigor.  Her rapture this time was not as one episode but as a continual event. 

When he wheezed that he was about to spew, she urged �Release thy seed outside of me, so I may witness the increased volume alleged to be an effect.�  Both were astounded by it, as not streams but rivers flowed from his swollen shaft, covering her from head to navel. 

Even following such a display, Miskoe would not wilt.  Hannah said, �Perhaps I am wrong, Samuel, and that it IS magical,� before placing her well-proportioned rump before him.  He was deep within her when she sang, �Aye�magical�indeed�ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!�

He was sore and perplexed upon leaving the Midwife�s bed, for he could not fasten his breeches closed because of the continued rigidity of his pole.  He limped home in discomfort, hoping no one, especially Emily, would notice his distress.  His hope, if a prayer, was not answered.

Instead of anger, Emily laughed upon seeing him.  �Oh Samuel, do not attempt to hide such an abomination from me.  It is quite obvious where thou hast been, and I must say that this moment wast inevitable since, once that beloved serpent of thine is loosed, it will find whatever hole it must to burrow into, even far from its home.�

Miskoe could do nothing but laugh at her humor, since it also presented forgiveness.  �Thou know me much too well, my dearest.  I am sorry for these times that I wrong thee.�

�Thy contrition is not enough.  Thou shall not go unpunished, for that would be truly wasteful.�  She helped him out of his clothing and then allowed him to remove hers with the tenderness and delicacy that was all his own.

�Use care, my love, for I am hurting,� he said before she lowered herself onto him.

�I warn thee that my care shall only extend to my own needs.�  Her rapid up-and-down motions further abraded Miskoe�s manhood, but he did not react, for this was her time for pleasure, not his.

When he released, she yelped, feeling the great volume of his seed flood into her, most of which oozed out just as rapidly as it had entered.  As they fell to the bed, spent, she asked, �Wast that also an effect of Hannah�s medicines, or hast thou regressed in age to a younger man?�

�Tease me if thou must, wench, but it would seem as if thou hast benefited also from her potion.�  He glanced down at his deep-red and still solid shaft, and added, �Wilst this thing ever return to a relaxed state?�

�I am sure of it, since Hannah�s craft does not extend to cruelty.  Ah, in speaking of cruelty, I believe I shall avail myself of thy manhood again before the magic wanes.�

�I think I shall wane first,� Miskoe said, grimacing as she slid down upon him one more time.

�Is it not sad,� she said as she, slowly this time, moved upon him, �that Richard Fish was too ignorant�to see the remedy�for his affliction�set before�him?�

�His ignorance is not benign, or limited to him alone.� He said, picturing young Abigail Whitehead, and in turn Anne Sawyer, in his mind.

Emily cried out once more in supreme pleasure.  Miskoe enjoyed watching, hearing and feeling her release; though at the moment he was too damned sore to achieve such additional release himself.

Samuel Miskoe was too keen a man to believe the threat to these women��his women� as he thought of them�had passed with the recent Court proceedings.  He knew he must be ever vigilant in protecting his Emily and the other women he loved; for his love (and appetite, he grudgingly admitted to himself) was not bound to one alone.

As if reading his thoughts, Emily said while curled up next to him on their bed, �Protect Sarah.  For all her brashness, she is a fragile soul and needs protection, though by this I do not mean suckling at her breast in young Samuel�s stead.�

�I swear I will protect anyone who needs me.�

�Aye, as I am certain that there art women in town who yet do not know of that need and may discover otherwise in the future.  I am resigned to it.�

Miskoe drew the image in his mind of himself at one of Sarah Godwin�s firm yet milk-swollen breasts, and his painful though finally wilting cock stopped wilting altogether.

Emily saw this and said, �Men!�

Miskoe smiled and said, �Witches, all of thee!�

 

Donna M.

© 2011

 

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