CHAPTER XXII.

‘“Commer goe ye before, commer goe ye,Gif ye will not goe before, commer let me.”

‘At which time shee confessed, that this Geillis Duncane did goe before them, playing this reill or daunce, uppon a small trumpe, called a Jewe’s trump, untill they entred into the Kirk of North Barrick.’

This Agnes Sampson was tried on January 27, 1591, for conspiring the King’s death, witchcraft, sorcery, incantation, etc., and her ultimate fate was ‘to be tane to the Castle (hill) of Edinburgh, and thair bund to ane staik and werreit (strangled), quhill sche wes deid; and thairefter her body to be brunt in assis.’

‘Item, fylit and convict, ffor as mekle as sche confest before his Maiestie, That the Dewill, in mannis liknes, mett hir going out in the fieldis frome hir awin hous att Keyth, betwix fyve and sax at ewin, being hir allane; and commandit hir to be at North Bervick Kirk the nixt nycht: And she passit thair on horsbak, and lychtit at the Kirk yaird. Or a lytill before sche come to itt, about ellewin houris att ewin, they danceit alangis the Kirk yaird, Gelie Duncan playit to thame one a trump.’

She then gives the names of many who were present. ‘Quhairof thair wes sax men, and all the rest wemen. The wemen maid fyrst thair homage, and nixt the men. The men wer turnit nyne tymes widderschinnes about, and the wemen sax tymes. Johnne Fien blew up the duris, and blew in the lychtis, quhilkis wer lyke mekle blak candillis, stiking round about the pulpett. The Devill start up himselff in the pulpett, lyke are mekle blak man, and callit ewerie man be his name, and ewerie ane ansuerit: “Heir, Mr.” The fyrst thing he demandit, was “Gif thay kepit all promeis, and bene guid servandis?” and “Quhat thay had done since the last tyme thay had convenit?”—One his command, thay opnit up the graves, twa within and ane without the kirk, and tuik of the jountis of thair fingaris, tais and neife,[64]and partit thame amangis thame: and the said Agnes Sampsoune gatt for hir pairt, ane windene scheit and twa jountis, quhilk sche tint negligentlie. The Devill commandit thame to keip the jountis upoun thame, quhill thay wer dry,and thane to mak ane powder of thame, to do ewill withall. Then he commandit thame to keip his commandmentis, quhilkis war, to do all the ewill they could.’

Their initiation was similar to their English sisters’, as the aforesaid Agnes Sampson affirms. ‘The fyrst tyme sche begane to serue the Dewill, was eftir the death of hir husband; and that he apperit to hir, in liknes of ane man, quha commandit hir to acknowledge him as hir maister, and to renunce Chryste; quhairunto sche grant it, being movit be pouertie and his promesis, that sche and hir bairnis sould be maid ritch, and sould gif hir power to be revangeit of hir inimeis; and eftir that, he appointit tyme and place for thair nycht meting; and that tyme, in signe that sche wes becum his seruand, he markit hir in the rycht kne, quhilk mark sche belevit to haif bene ane hurt ressavit be hir fra ane of hir bairnies that wes lyand in the bed with hir; quhilk hurt wes nocht haill for half ane yeir.’

Before finishing with this lady, I must give another portion of her most extraordinary confession. ‘Moreover she confessed, that, at the time when his Majestie was in Denmarke, shee being accompanied by the parties before speciallie named, took a cat, and christened it, and afterwards bounde to each part of that cat, the cheefest part of a dead man, and severall joyntis of his bodie: And that, in the night following, the saide cat was convayed into the middest of the sea by all these witches, sayling in their riddles or cives, and so left the saide cat right before the towne of Leith in Scotland. This doone, there didarise such a tempest in the sea, as a greater hath not beene seene.’

This was the way they baptized the cat: ‘In the wobstaris[65]hous, in maner following: Fyrst, twa of thame held ane fingar,[66]in the ane syd of the chimnay cruik, and ane uther held ane uther fingar in the uther syd, the twa nebbis[67]of the fingaris meeting togidder; than thay patt the catt thryis throw the linkis of the cruik, and passit itt thryis under the chimnay.’

The confession of Issobell Gowdie, May 3, 1662, although it is somewhat mutilated, gives us a good insight into the manners and customs of Scotch witches:

‘Efter that tym ther vold meit bot sometymes aCoven, somtymes mor, somtymes les; bot a Grand Meitting vold be about the end of ilk Quarter. Ther is threttein persones in ilkCoven; and ilk on of us has aSpiritto wait wpon us, quhan ve pleas to call wpon him. I remember not all the Spritis names; bot thair is on calledSwein, quhilk waitis wpon the said Margaret Wilson in Aulderne; he is still[68]clothed in grass grein; and the said Margret Wilson hes an niknam calledPikle neirest the Wind. The nixt Sprit is calledRoriewho waitis wpon Bessie Wilsone, in Aulderne; he is still clothed in yallow; and hir nikname isThrow the Corne yaird. The third Sprit is calledThe Roring Lyon, who waitis wpon Issobell Nicoll in Locklow; and [he is still clothed] in sea grein; her niknam isBessie Rule. The fowrth Sprit is calledMak Hector, qwho waitiswpon Jean Martein, dawghter to the said Margaret Wilson; he is a yowng-lik Devill, clothed still in grass [green. Jean Martein is]Maidento the Coven that I am of; and hir nikname isOver the Dyke with it, becaws theDivill[alwayis takis the] Maiden in his hand nix him, quhan ve daunce Gillatrypes, and quhan he vold lowp from ...[69]he and she will say, “Ower the dyk with it.” The name of the fyft Sprit isRobert the[Ruleand he is still clothed in] sadd dun, and seimis to be a Comander of the rest of the Spiritis; and he waittis wpon Margret Brodie, in Aulderne. [The name of the saxt Spirit] is calledThieff of Hell wait upon hir selfe, and he waitis also on the said Bessie Wilson. The name of the sevinth [Sprit is called]The Read Reiver, and he is my owin Spirit, that waittis on my selfe, and is still clothed in blak. The aught Spirit [is called]Robert the Jackis, still clothed in dune, and seimes to be aiged. He is ane glaiked gowked Spirit! The woman’s [nikname] that he waitis on, isAble and Stowt! The nynth Spirit is calledLaing, and the womans nikname that he vaitis wpon isBessie Bauld. The Tenth Spirit is namedThomas a Fearie, &c.—Ther wil be many uther Divellis, waiting wpon [our]Maister Divell; bot he is bigger and mor awfull than the rest of the Divellis, and they all reverence him. I will ken them all, on by on, from utheris, quhan they appeir lyk a man.

‘Quhan we rease the wind, we tak a rag of cloth, and weitts[70]it in water; and we take a beetle[71]andknokis the rage on a stone, and we say thryse ower:

‘“Iknokthis ragg wpon this stane,To raise the wind, inthe Divellisname;It sall not lye,[72]untill I please againe!”

‘[Whan] we wold lay the wind, we dry the ragg, and say [thryse ower]:

‘“We lay the wind inthe Divellisname,[It sall not] ryse quhill we lyk to rease it again!”

‘And if the wind will not lye instantlie [after we say this] we call wpon owr Spirit, and say to him:

‘“Thieffe! Thieffe! conjure the wind, and caws it to [lye ...]”

‘We haw no power of rain, bot ve will rease the wind quhan ve pleas.—He maid us beliew [...] that ther wes noGodbesyd him.

‘As for Elf-arrow-heidis,the Diuellshapes them with his awin hand, and syne deliueris thame to Elf-boyes, who whyttis and dightis[73]them with a sharp thing lyk a paking neidle; bot [quhan I was in Elfland?] I saw them whytting and dighting them. Quhan I wes in the Elfes howssis, they will haw werie ... them whytting and dighting: andthe Diwellgiwes them to ws, each of ws so many, quhen.... Thes that dightis thaim ar litle ones, holow, and boss baked![74]They speak gowstie[75]lyk. Quhenthe Divellgiwes them to ws, he sayes:

‘“Shoot thes in my name,And they sall not goe heall hame!”

‘And quhan we shoot these arrowes we say:

‘“Ishootyon man inthe Divellisname,He sall not win heall hame!And this sal be alswa trw;Thair sall not be an bit of him on lieiw.”[76]

‘We haw no bow to shoot with, but spang[77]them from the naillis of our thowmbes. Som tymes we will misse, bot if thay twitch[78]be it beast, or man, or woman, it will kill, tho’ they haid an jack[79]wpon them. Qwhen we goe in the shape of an haire, we say thryse owr:

‘“I sall goe intill ane haire,With sorrow, and sych, and meikle caire;And I sall goe inthe Divellisnam,Ay whill I com hom [againe]!”

‘And instantlie we start in an hair, And when we wold be owt of that shape, we vill say:

‘“Haire [haire, God send the caire!]I am in an hairis liknes just now,But I sal be in a womanis liknes ewin [now]!”

‘When we vold goe in the liknes of an Cat, we say thryse ower:

‘“I sall go [intill ane catt,][With sorrow, and sych, and a blak] shot!And I sall goe inthe Divellisnam,Ay quhill I com hom again!”

‘And if ve [wold goe in ane Craw,[80]then] we say thryse ower:

‘“I sall goe intill a craw,With sorrow and sych, and a blak [thraw!And I sall goe inthe Divellisnam,]Ay quhill I com hom again!”

‘And quhen ve vold be owt of thes shapes, we say:

“Catt, catt, (or craw, craw,) [God] send the a blak shott! (or thraw)I wes a catt (or craw) just now,Bot I sal be [in a woman’s liknes evin now.]Catt, catt, (or craw, craw,) God send the a blak shot! (or thraw).”

‘Giff we in the [shape of an catt, an craw, an] haire, or ony uther liknes, &c., go to any of our neighbouris howssis, being Witches, we will [say]:

“[I (or we)conjure] the Goe with ws (or me)!”

‘And presentlie they becom as we ar, either cats, hearis, crowes, &c., and goe [with ws whither we wold. Quhan] we wold ryd, we tak windlestrawes, or bean stakes,[81]and put them betwixt owr foot, and say thryse:

‘“[Horse] and hattok, horse and goe,Horse and pellatis, ho! ho!”

‘And immediatlie we flie away whair [evir we wold]; and least our husbandis sould miss vs owt of owr beddis, we put in a boosom,[82]or a thrie [leggit stoole besyde thame] and say thryse ower:

“Ilaydown this boosom (or stooll) inthe DevillisnameLet it not steir ... [Quhill I] com again!”

‘And immediatlie it seimis a voman, besyd our husbandis.

‘Ve can not turn in the lik[nes of ...] Quhen my husband sold beeff, I used to put a swellowes feather in the hyd of the beast, and [say thryse]:

“[I]puttout this beeff inthe Divellisnam,That meikle silver and good pryce com hame!”

‘I did ewin so [quhenevir I putt] furth either horse, noat,[83]vebs,[84]or any uther thing to be sold, and still put in this feather, and said the [samin wordis thryse] ower, to caws the comodities sell weill.

“Our Lord to hunting he [is gone]... marble stone,He sent vord to Saint Knitt....”

Quhan we vold heall ony sor or brokin limb, we say thryse ower

“He pat the blood to the blood, Till all up stood!The lith to the lith, Till all look with;Owr Ladie charmed her deirlie Sone, with hir tooth and her townge,And her ten fingeris——In the name ofthe Father,the Son, andthe Halie Ghaist!”

‘And this we say thryse ower, straiking[85]the sor, and it becomes heall.

‘2dliFor the Bean-straw,[86]or pain in the heaunce,[87]Weear heir thrieMaidenscharming for the bean-straw; yeman of the Midle-earth, blew beaver, land-feaver, maneris of stooris, The Lord fleigged[88]the Feind with his holy candles and yeird foot stone!—Thair she sittis, and heir she is gon!—Let hir nevir com heir again!

3dliForthe Feaveris, we say thrise ower, Iforbidthe qwaking-feavers, the sea-feaveris, the land-feaveris, and all the feaveris that ewir God ordained, owt of the head, owt of the heart, owt of the bak, owt of the sydis, owt of the kneyis, owt of the thieghes, fra the pointis of the fingeris, to the nebes[89]of the toes; owt fall the feaveris goe, [som] to thehill, som to the hap, som to the stone, som to the stok. In Saint Peiteris nam, Saint Paullis nam, and all the Saintis of Hevin: In the nam ofThe Father,the Sone, andThe Halie Gost!

‘And when we took the frwit of the fishes from [the] fisheris, we went to the shore, before the boat wold com to it; and we wold say, on the shore syd, thrie seuerall tymes ower,

‘“The fisheris ar gon to the sea,And they vill bring hom fishe to me;They will bring them hom intill the boat,Bot they sall get of thaim bot the smaller sort!”

So we either steall a fish, or buy a fish, or get a fish from them [for nowght] an or ma.[90]And with that we haw all the fruit of the heall fishes in the boat; and the fishes that the fishermen thamselues will haw, will be bot froath &c.

‘The first woyag that ewer I went with the rest of owrCovenswes to Plewghlandis; and thair we shot an man betwixt the plewgh-stiltis, and he presentlie fell to the ground, wpon his neise and his mowth; and thenthe Divellgaw me an arrow, and cawsed me shoot an voman in that fieldis; quhilk I did, and she fell down dead. In Winter 1660, quhen Mr. Harie Forbes, Minister at Aulderne, was seik, we maid an bagg of the gallis, flesh, and guttis of toadis, pickles of bear,[91]pairingis of the nailis of fingeris and toes, the liewer of ane hair, and bittis of clowtis. We steipit this all together, all night among watter, all haked[92]throw uther. And whanwe did put it among the water,Satanwes with ws, and learned ws the wordis following, to say thryse ower. They ar thus.

‘“Heis lying in his bed,—he is lyeing seik and sair;Let him lye intill his bed two monethes and [thrie] dayes mair!2li. Let him lye intill his bed—let him lye intill it seik and sore;Let him lye intill his bed, monthis two and thrie dayes mor!3li. He sall lye intill his bed, he sall lye in it seik and sore;He sall lye intill his bed, two monethis and thrie dayes mor!”

‘Quhan we haid learned all these wordis fromthe Devill, as said is, we all fell down [wpon owr] kneis, with owr hear down ower owr showlderis and eyes, and owr handis lifted wp, and owr eyes [stedfastlie fixed wpon]the Divell; and said the forsaidis wordis thryse ower tothe Divell, striktlie, against Maister Harie Forbes [his recowering from the said seiknes]. In the night tym we cam into Mr. Harie Forbes chalmer, quhair he lay, with owr handis all smeared [... out] of the bagg to swing it upon Mr. Harie, quhair he wes seik in his bed; and, in the day tyme [... ane of owr] nwmber, quho wes most familiar and intimat with him, to wring or swing the bagg wpon the said Mr. Harie, as we could not prevaill in the night tym against him; quhilk wes accordinglie done.’

‘Johne Taylorand his wyff,Bessie, andMargret Wilsones, and I, maid a pictur for theLaird of Parkismaill children.Johnne Taylorbrought hom the clay in his plaid newk;[93]his wyff sifted it; we poured in water in a cowg[94]amongst it, and wrought it sor,[95]and maid a pictor of it, lyk a child, als big as a pow. It vanted no mark of the imag of abairn, eyes, nose, mouth, little lippies, and the hands of it folded down by its sydis. The vordis, quhan we maid it, ver thes:

‘“We put this water among this meall,For long divining,[96]and ill heall;We put it intill the fyr,To burn them up both stik and stour,That be burnt with our will,As any stikill[97]on a kill!”

The Divellsitton on an blak kist. Ve wer al on owr kneyis, and owr hair about our eyes, looking onthe Divellstedfastlie, and our handis lifted up to him, saying the vordes ower. And by this the bairnis died.’

Early Witchcraft in Scotland—Lady Glamys—Bessie Dunlop—Lady Foulis—Numerous Cases.

Witchcraft in Scotland began early, for we hear of some dozen or more people being burnt at Edinburgh in 1479, for attempting to bewitch the King, James III., to death, by means of a waxen image. In the proclamation of 1510, for regulating the proceedings at circuit courts the judges are instructed to ask the question, ‘Gif thair be ony Wichecraift or Soffary wsit in yerealme?’ but it was not until the passing of the Act of 1563 that the regular persecution of these deluded people began.

The first recorded case of witchcraft that I can find in Pitcairn’s ‘Criminal Trials in Scotland,’ is that of Lady Glamys, where we read:

‘31 Jan. 1532.Jonet, Lady GlammysfoundJohn DrummondofInnerpefferyas surety for her appearance at the next Justice-aire ofForfar, to underly the law for art and part of the Intoxication ofJohn, Lord Glammys, her husband.’

That considerable sympathy was felt with her is shown by the number of gentlemen who preferred being fined to giving evidence in her case. Butthis can scarcely be called a case of witchcraft. She was certainly accused of trying to poison her husband by means of charmed drinks, but the chief accusation brought against her at her trial in 1537, by the malice of her husband’s brother, was attempting to poison the King, a charge which she disposed of easily in her defence. Said she:

‘I am here accus’d for purposing to killthe King; and, to make my pretended crime appear more frightful, it is given out that the way was to be by poison. With what strange impudence can any accuse me of such wickedness who never saw any poison, nor know I anything about the preparation of it? Let them tell where I bought it, or who procur’d it for me? Or, though I had it, how could I use it, since I never come nearthe King’sperson, his table, nor Palace? It is well known, that, since my last marriage with this unfortunate gentleman, I have liv’d in the country, at a great distance from the Court. What opportunity could I have to poisonthe King?’

But it was of no avail, she was to die, and this is her sentence:

‘For the quhilkis tressonable crimes, the said Jonet, Lady of Glammys hes foirfallit to oure souerane lord, hir life, hir landis, gudis movable and unmovable: And that scho sall be had to Castell hill of Edinburghe, and their BRYNT in ane fyre to the deid, as ane Traytour. And that I gif for Dome.’

An historian[98]says: ‘She heard the sentence pronounced without the least signe of terrour orconcern. On the day appointed for her Execution, she suffered on theCastle-HillofEdinburgh, where she appear’d with so much beauty and little concern, that all the spectators were so deeply afflicted for her, that they burst out with tears and loud lamentations for her untimely end, and were so confident of her Innocence, that they design’d to rescue her. Butthe King’sOfficers and Guards being present, hinder’d their attempting anything that way.’

The foregoing is evidently more a political case than one of witchcraft, the earliest of which existing in the records of the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland is June 26, 1563: ‘Agnes Mullikine, aliasBessie Boswell, in Dunfermeling, wesBanistandexilitfor Witchcraft.’ The next is December 29, 1572: ‘Jonet Boyman, spous toWilliame Steill, Delatit of diuerse crymes of Witchcraft.Convict and Brint.’

The next is most interesting, although it savours more of Elfland than ofdiablerie, and is dated November 8, 1576:

‘Elizabeth, orBessie Dunlop, spous toAndro JakinLyne.[99]Dilatit of the using of Sorcerie, Witchcraft, and Incantatione of spretis of the devill; continewand in familiaritie with thame, at all sic tymes as sche thocht expedient: deling with charmes, and abusing the peple with devillisch craft of sorcerie foresaid, be the meanis after specefeit; usit thir diuerse geiris bypast; specialie, at the tymes and in the maner following.

‘In the first, That fforsamekle as the said Elizabethbeing demandit, be quhat art and knaulege sche could tell diuerse personnes of thingis thai tynt, or was stollin away, or help seik personnes? Ansuerit and declarit, that sche hirself had na kynd of art nor science swa to do; but diuerse tymes, quhen onye sic personnes come ather to hir, sche wald inquire at ane Thome Reid, quha deit at Pinkye,[100]as he himselff affirmit; wha wald tell hir, quhen euer sche askit.—

‘(2) Item. Sche being inquirit, quhat kynd of man this Thom Reid was? Declarit, he was ane honest wele elderlie man, gray beardit, and had ane gray coitt with Lumbart slevis of the auld fassoun; ane pair of gray brekis, and quhyte schankis, gartanit aboue the kne: ane blak bonet on his heid, cloise behind and plane befoir, with silkin laissis drawin throw the lippis thairof; and ane quhyte wand in his hand.

‘(3) Item. Being interrogat, how and in quhat maner of place the said Thome Reid came to hir? Ansuerit, as sche was gangand betwix hir awin hous, and the yard of Monk castell, dryvand hir ky to the pasture; and makand hevye sair dule[101]with hir self, gretand[102]verrie fast for hir kow that was deid, hir husband and chyld, that wer lyand seik in the land, and sche new rissine out of gissane.[103]The forsaid Thom mett her by the way, healsit[104]hir, and said, “Gude day, Bessie;” and sche said, “God speid yow, gude man.” “Sancta Marie” saide he,“Bessie quhy makis thow sa grit dule and sair greting for ony warldlie thing?” Sche ansuerit, “Allace! haif I nocht grit caus to mak grit dule? ffor our geir is trakit;[105]and my husband is on the point of deid, and ane babie of my awin will nocht leve; and myself at ane waik point; haif I nocht gude caus thane to haif ane sair hart?” But Thom said, “Bessie, thow hes crabit[106]God, and askit sum thing you suld nocht haif done; and, thairfor, I counsell thee to mend to him: for I tell thee thy barne sall die, and the seik kow, or you cum hame; thy twa scheip sall de to; bot thy husband sall mend, and be als haill and feir as euir he was.” And, than, I was sum thing blyther, fra he tauld me that my gudeman wald mend. Than Thome Reid went away fra me, in throw the yard of Monk castell; and I thocht he gait in at ane naroware hoill of the dyke, nor ony erdlie man culd haif gane throw, and swa I was sum thing fleit.[107]

‘(4) Item. The thrid [? second] tyme, he apperit to hir, as sche was gangand betwix hir awin hous and the Thome of Damwstarnok, quhair he tareit ane gude quhyle with hir, and sperit at hir, “Gif sche wald nocht trow[108]in him?” Sche said, “Sche wald trow in ony bodye did her gude.” And Thom promeist hir baith geir, horsis, and ky, and uther graith, gif scho wald denye hir Christindome, and the faith sche tuke at the funt stane?[109]Quhairunto sche ansuerit, “That gif sche suld be revin[110]at horsis-taillis sche suld neuir do that:” bot promeist to be leill and trewto him in onye thing sche culd do. And, forder, he was sumthing angrie with hir that sche wald nocht grant to him that quhilk he spak.

‘(5) Item. The ferd tyme he apperit in hir awin hous to hir, about the XII hour of the day, quhair thair was sittand thre tailyeouris, and hir awin gudeman; and he tuke hir apperoun and led hir to the dure with him, and sche followit, and geid[111]up with him to the kill end, quhair he forbaid hir to speik or feir for ony thing sche hard or saw; and quhene thai had gane ane lytle pece fordwerd, sche saw twelf personnes, aucht wemene and four men: The men wer clad in gentlemennis clething, and the wemene had all plaiddis round about thame, and wer verrie semelie lyke to se; and Thome was with theme: And demandit, “Gif sche knew ony of thame?” Ansuerit, “Nane, except Thom.” Demandit, “What said thai to hir?” Ansuerit, “Thai baid hir sit doun, and said, Welcome Bessie, will thow go with ws?” Bot sche ansuerit nocht; because Thom had forbidden hir. And, forder, declarit, That sche knew nocht quhat purpois thai had amangis thaime, onlie sche saw thair lippis move; and within a schort space thai pairtit all away; and ane hiddeous uglie sowche of wind followit thame; and sche lay seik quhill Thom came agane bak fra thame.

‘(6) Item. Sche being demandit, Gif sche sperit at Thom quhat personnes thai war? Ansuerit, That thai war the gude wychtis that wynnit in the Court of Elfame,[112]quha come thair to desyre hir togo with thame; and, forder, Thom desyrit hir to do the sam; quha ansuerit, “Sche saw na proffeit to gang thai kynd of gaittis, unles sche kend quhairfor!” Thom said, “Seis thow nocht me, baith meit-worth, claith-worth, and gude eneugh lyke in personn; and he suld make hir far better nor euer sche was?” Sche ansuerit, “That sche duelt with hir awin husband and bairnis, and culd nocht leif thame.” And swa Thom began to be verrie crabit with hir, and said, “Gif swo sche thocht, sche wald get lytill gude of him.”

‘(7) Interrogat. Gif sche had socht ony thing at Thom, to help hir self, or ony uther with? Ansuerit, That quhen sundrie personnes cam to hir to seik help for thair beist, their kow, or yow,[113]or for ane barne that was tane away with ane evill blast of wind, or elf-grippit, she gait[114]and sperit at Thom, Quhat mycht help thame? And Thom wald pull ane herb, and gif hir out of his awin hand; and baid hir scheir[115]the samin with onye uthir kynd of herbis, and oppin the beistis mouth, and put thame in, and the beist wald mend.’

Altogether, she seems to have been a kindly-disposed and beneficent witch; but that did not save her from the sentence—‘Convict and Brynt.’

The annals of Scotch witchcraft are tame until we come to the case of Katherine Ross, Lady Foulis, July 22, 1590, who had enough to answer for, as she was accused of witchcraft, incantation, sorcery, and poisoning, her object being to poison her stepson, Robert Munro, then Lord Foulis, and MargeryCampbell, wife to George Ross, Lord of Balnagowan. Several of her confederates had been tried and burnt, confessing the plot, before Lady Foulis’s trial; but she had great interest, and both she and her stepson Hector Munro were acquitted. Her accusation is very long, so that I must leave all mention of the poisoning, and only take a portion of that relating to the witchcraft:

‘Thou art now accusit, for the making of twa pictouris of clay, in cumpany with the said Cristiane Roiss and Marionne Neyne McAllester, aliasLoskie Loucart, in the said Cristian Roissis westir chalmer in Canorth; the ane, maid for the distructioune and consumptioune of the young Laird of Fowlis, and the uthir for the young Ladie Balnagoune; to the effect that the are thairof sould be putt at the Brigend of Fowles, and the uther at Ardmoir, for distructioun of the saidis young Laird and Lady: And this sould haif bene performit at Allhallow-mes, in the year of God ImVclxxvij yeiris: Quhilkis twa pictouris, being sett on the north syd of the Chalmer, the said Loskie Loucart tuik twa elf arrow heides, and delyuerit ane to you Katherene, and the uther, the said Cristian Rois Malcumsone held in her awin hand; and thow schott twa schottis with the said arrow held, att the said Lady Balnagowne, and Loskie Loucart schott thrie schottis at the said young Laird of Fowlis. In the meanetyme, baith the pictouris brak, and thou commandit Loskie Loucart to mak of new uthir twa pictouris thereaftir, for the said personnes: quhilk the said Loskie Loucart tuik upon hand to do.... Thou art now accusit, forassisting the said Thomas, Cristaine Malcomsone and Marionne Nieyn McAllaster, upoun the secund day of Julij, anno threscoir sevintene yeiris, for making of ane pictur of butter to the said young Robert Munro, Laird of Fowlis, in the said house of Caynort, be the devyse and consultatioune of the said Donald and Williame McGilleuerie, and the said pictur of buttir, aftir it wes maid, wes set at the wall-syd, in the vester chalmer of the said hous of Coynard, and wes schot at with ane elf-arrow-heid be the said Marionne Neyuen McAlester, aliasLoske Loucart, aucht tymes; quhilk pictur scho mist, and haid hit no pairt thairof: And thow and Cristane Malcomsoune being present in the said chalmer, att the schotting of the said pictur, thinkand gane[116]the pictur were hit, it wald be for the distructioune of the young Laird of Fowlis: Lykas,[117]said Thomas was convict for the samin, and sufferit the deid.

‘Als. thow art accusit, for being in cumpanie with Cristaine Malcomsonne and Marionne Neyn McAllester,alias Loske Loucart, with the deuyse and consultatioune of Donald and William McGilliourois, made ane uther pictur of clay to the said Robert Munro, young Laird of Fowlis, in the said hous of Conord; and so it was maid upoune the morne, the vj day of Julij anno lxxvij yeiris; They sat the pictur at the wall-syd of the chalmer of the said hous, and wes schott be the said Loske Loucart, with the said elf-arrow, tuelf tymes, and mist the said pictur: And persauing that ye mist the samin efter euerie schott, and maid the said pictur diuerseand sindrie tymes, yit the samin tuk nocht effect to thair purpoise; thow and the said tua womene, thy collegis, being present for the tyme, and uising[118]ane takin of the samin; the said Cristaine Ross Malcomsoune haid provydeit thre quarteris of fine linning claithe for the picturis, gif thay haid bene hit with the elf-arrow-heid, and the linning to be bound about the said picturis, and the picturis to haue bene erdit[119]under the Brig end of the Stauk of Fowlis, fornent the get,’[120]etc.

The Scotch stories of witchcraft are quite as many as the English, and the so-called witches executed are far more numerous; the last one being burnt, as I have said, in 1727. In June, 1736, the Acts anent witchcraft were repealed; but I much fear that there is still a hankering after belief in it in many parts of Scotland.

Witchcraft in America—In Illinois: Moreau and Emmanuel—In Virginia: Case of Grace Sherwood—In Pennsylvania: Two Swedish Women—In South Carolina—In Connecticut: Many Cases—In Massachusetts: Margaret Jones; Mary Parsons; Ann Hibbins; Other Cases.

North America has been colonized by the British long enough to have enjoyed the visitations of the Devil. And the present Americans, judging by the amount of literature written thereon,[121]seem rather proud of his having dwelt among them; it gives an air of antiquity, and an old-world tone, to the favoured States, which is sadly lacking, and not otherwise procurable, in those unvisited by his Satanic Majesty. As far as I know, there have been but six or seven States troubled with witchcraft: Virginia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Illinois.

The latter is somewhat remarkable, as it was only received into the Union, as a State, in 1818; yet I read, in ‘The Pioneer History of Illinois,’ by ex-Governor John Reynolds (Bellville, Ill., 1852), pp. 142, 143, the following:

‘In early times the inhabitants of Illinois were ina small degree tinctured with the absurdity and nonsense of witchcraft and fortune-telling; but in after-days this ignorant superstition has entirely disappeared.... It was the belief of some people, and families, that an old woman living on Silver Creek, Illinois, had the power of witchcraft, to take milk from her neighbours’ cows, without seeing or touching them....

‘In Cahokia, about the year 1790, this superstition [witchcraft] got the upper hand of reason, and several poor African slaves were immolated at the shrine of ignorance for this imaginary offence. An African negro, named Moreau, was hung for this crime on a tree not far south-east of Cahokia. It is stated that he had said, “he poisoned his master, but his mistress was too strong for his necromancy.” Another slave, Emmanuel, was shot, in Cahokia, for this crime, and an old woman, Janette, was supposed to have the power to destroy persons and property by her incantations. Many grown people, and all the children, were terrified at her approach.’

These two cases are verified by extracts from the ‘Record Book’ of Colonel John Todd, Lieutenant-Commandant of the County of Illinois, under Governor Patrick Henry, of the Commonwealth of Virginia:

‘Illinois to wit.‘To Richard Winston, Esqre, Sheriff in chief of the District of Kaskaskia.‘Negro Manuel, a Slave, in your custody, is condemned by the Court of Kaskaskia, after havingmade honorable fine at the door of the church, to be chained to a post at the water side, and then to be burnt alive, and his ashes scattered, as appears to me by record. This sentence you are hereby required to put in execution, on tuesday next at 9 o’clock in the morning, and this shall be your warrant.‘Given under my hand and seal at Kaskaskia, the 13thday of June, in the 3rdyear of the Commonwealth.’‘To Capt. Nicolas Janis.‘You are hereby required to call upon a party of your militia to guard Moreau, a slave condemned to execution, up to the town of Kohos. Put them under an officer. They shall be entitled to pay, rashions and refreshment during the time they shall be upon duty, to be certifyed hereafter by you.‘I am, Sir, your hble servant,‘John Todd.‘15thJune 1779.’

‘Illinois to wit.

‘To Richard Winston, Esqre, Sheriff in chief of the District of Kaskaskia.

‘Negro Manuel, a Slave, in your custody, is condemned by the Court of Kaskaskia, after havingmade honorable fine at the door of the church, to be chained to a post at the water side, and then to be burnt alive, and his ashes scattered, as appears to me by record. This sentence you are hereby required to put in execution, on tuesday next at 9 o’clock in the morning, and this shall be your warrant.

‘Given under my hand and seal at Kaskaskia, the 13thday of June, in the 3rdyear of the Commonwealth.’

‘To Capt. Nicolas Janis.

‘You are hereby required to call upon a party of your militia to guard Moreau, a slave condemned to execution, up to the town of Kohos. Put them under an officer. They shall be entitled to pay, rashions and refreshment during the time they shall be upon duty, to be certifyed hereafter by you.

‘I am, Sir, your hble servant,‘John Todd.

‘15thJune 1779.’

Virginia, I believe, can only boast of one witch, and her case is not very widely known. Princess Anne is the southernmost county of Virginia, bounded on the north by Chesapeake Bay, and on the east by the Atlantic. Lynhaven Bay is on the Chesapeake River; and there lived, in the days of ‘good Queen Anne,’ a young woman named Grace Sherwood, who was somewhat shy in her dealings with her neighbours, probably because they invested her with uncanny powers, and even said that shehad voyaged across the Atlantic, as far as the Mediterranean, in an eggshell; that on her arrival, at the end of her journey, she had been so pleased with the smell of the rosemary she had found growing there, that she brought back some of the plants with her, and set them about her cottage. These evil rumours were brought to the ears of the authorities, and Grace Sherwood was haled before the justices assembled at Princess Anne Court House; and the entry of her examination, etc., in the court record is as follows:

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