But--would your worship believe it?--my broomstick hath strangely disappeared, stolen, as I suspect, by that unhanged witch, Goody Cory, and that, too, when I was all anointed with the juice of
smallage, and cinquefoil, and wolf's bane"
(32) Careawey, cirmunteyn, comyn, fenel,
smallage, persile, sauge, myntis, ruwe, calamynte, origanum: and a half unce or moore or lasse, as bee likip.
A literal reading of the tale renders Goody Cloyse a self-proclaimed witch: "my broomstick hath strangely disappeared, stolen, as I suspect, by that unhanged witch, Goody Cory, and that, too, when I was all anointed with the juice of
smallage and cinque-foil and wolf's bane--" she declares (10:79).