FOOTNOTES:

'Pour le lieu ordinaire c'est és carrefours, com̃e disoit Isaac de Queyran, qui deposoit y auoir esté au carrefour du Palays Galienne, près la ville de Bourdeaux; ou aux places des paroisses au deuant des Eglises, & le plus souuent au droict de la grand' porte, si l'Eglise est plantée au milieu de la place comme elle est souuent, afin que le Diable plante sa chaire tout vis à vis du grand autel où on met le Sainct sacrement: comme il est en la place d'Ascain, où tous les tesmoins du lieu, nous ont dict que le Sabbat se faisoit. Il a aussi accoustumé les tenir en quelque lieu desert, & sauuage, comme au milieu d'vne lande; & encore en lieu du tout hors de passage, de voisinage, d'habitation, & de rencontre: Et communement ils s'appellent Aquelarre[435]qui signifie Lane de Bouc, comme qui diroit la lane ou lãde, où le Bouc conuoque ses assemblées.'[436]

Danaeus emphasizes the variation of both site and date: 'They meete togither in certen apointed places, not al of them togither, nor at once, but certen of them whom he pleaseth to call, so that he apointeth where they shall meete, and at what houre of the day, or of the nighte.'[437]The Windsorwitches, however, 'did accustome to meete within the backeside of Maister Dodges in the Pittes there'.[438]Boguet's evidence also points to there being a settled site for the Esbat in each village:

'Les Sorciers du costé de Longchamois s'assembloient en vn pré, qui est sur le grand chemin tirant à S. Claude, où l'on voit les ruines d'vne maison. Ceux du costé de Coirieres tenoient leur Sabbat, sous le village de Coirieres proche l'eau, en vn lieu appellé és Combes, qui est du tout sans chemin. [Autres] se retrouuoient en vn lieu dict és Fontenelles, sous le village de Nezan, qui est vn lieu assez descouuert ... le Sabbat des Sorciers de la Moüille se tenoit en la Cour du Prioré du mesme lieu.'[439]

Jane Bosdeau (1594) went twice a week regularly to 'a Rendezvous of above Sixty Witches at Puy de dome'.[440]And the Swedish witches went so uniformly to one place that there was a special building for their rites:

'They unanimously confessed thatBlockulais scituated in a delicate large Meadow whereof you can see no end. The place or house they met at, had before it a Gate painted with divers colours; through this Gate they went into a little Meadow distinct from the other.... In a huge large Room of this House, they said, there stood a very long Table, at which the Witches did sit down: And that hard by this Room was another Chamber where there were very lovely and delicate Beds.'[441]

On the whole, the weight of evidence in England and Scotland is in favour of Danaeus's statement that there was no fixed site, though this should be taken as referring to the local meetings only, not to the Great Assemblies. The Forfar witch-trials give much information: Helen Guthrie

'wes at a meitting in the church yeard of Forfar in the Holfe therof.... Betwixt the oatseid and the bearseid [barleysowing], she wes at ane other meitting at the Pavilione hollis.... This same year, betwixt the oatseid and bearseid, she was at a thrid meiting in the church yeard of Forfar in the holfe thereof, about the same tyme of the night as at the [former] meitings, viz. at midnight.—About the beginning of the last oat seidtyme, Isabell Syrie did cary hir [Jonet Howat] to the Insch within the loch of Forfar, shoe saw at this tyme, about threteen witches with the divill, and they daunced togither.... About four wiekes after the forsaid meiting in the Insch, the said Isabell Syrie caried hir to ane other meiting at Muryknowes.—About three and a halfe yeares since, she [Elspet Alexander] was at a meiting with the divill at Peterden, midway betwixt Forfar and Dondie.... About four wiekes after this mieting at Petterden, shoe was at ane second mieting at the Muryknowes ... shoe was present at ane thrid mieting near Kerymure.'[442]

Isobel Gowdie's evidence is detailed as usual: 'The last tyme that owr Coven met, we, and an vther Coven, wer dauncing at the Hill of Earlseat; and befor that, betwixt Moynes and Bowgholl; and befor that we ves beyond the Meikleburne; and the vther Coven being at the Downie-hillis we went from beyond the Meikle-burne, and went besyd them, to the howssis at the Wood-end of Inshoch.... Befor Candlemas, we went be-east Kinlosse.'[443]The same facts were elicited from the Kinross-shire witches; Robert Wilson 'confessed ye had ane meeting with the Devill at the Stanriegate, bewest the Cruick of Devon ... the Devil appointed them to meet at the Bents of Balruddrie'.—Margaret Huggon confessed 'that ye was at another meeting with Sathan at the Stanriegate, bewest the Cruik of Devon ... lykeways ye confessed ye was at another meeting with Satan at the Heathrie Knowe be-east the Cruik of Devon, where the Gallows stands ... a meeting at the back of Knocktinnie at the Gaitside ... and another at the bents of Newbiggin'.—Janet Brugh 'confessed that ye was at ane meeting at Stanriegate ... ye confessed that about Yule last bypast ye was at ane meeting with Sathan at Turfhills ... lykeways ye confessed that ye was at the Bents of Balruddrie and Gibson's Craig, where Sathan was present at them both'.—Christian Grieve 'freely confessed that ye was at ane meeting with Sathan at the back of Andrew Dowie his house'.[444]The Somerset witches (1664) varied in this respect. Those of Wincanton met in different places: Elizabeth Style 'hath been at several general meetings in the night at High Common, and a Common nearMotcombe, at a place nearMarnhull, and atother places'.—Alice Duke 'hath been at several meetings in Lie Common, and other places in the night'. But the Brewham Coven appear to have met commonly at Hussey's Knap in Brewham Forest.[445]

Occasionally a reason is given for the change of site. 'Parfois vn Sabbat finy à vn coin de paroisse, on s'en va le tenir à vne autre, où le Diable mene les mesmes personnes: mais là, on y en rencontred'autres'.[446]Sometimes also a sidelight is thrown upon these gatherings, which explains the fact that in many cases the witches said that they did not know all the people present at a given meeting:

'Antoine Tornier, Et Iaquema Paget ont confessé, que comme elles retournoient à certain iour par ensemble de glanner, passans au long du p̄ré de Longchamois, elles apperçeurent que l'on y tenoit le Sabbat; Surquoy elles poserent bas leurs fardeaux, & allerent au lieu predict, où elles firent comme les autres, & puis se retirerent chacune en leurs maisons, apres auoir reprins leurs fardeaux.'[447]

The Salem Witches (1692) met 'upon a plain grassy place, by which was a Cart path and sandy ground in the path, in which were the tracks of Horses feet'.[448]

Date and Hour.—There was no fixed day or hour for the Esbat, and in this it differed from the Sabbath, which was always at night. The Devil let his followers know the time, either by going to them himself or by sending a message by the officer. The message might be by word of mouth, or by some signal understood by the initiated.

Though there was no fixed day for the Esbat, it seems probable that one day in the week was observed in each locality.

Danaeus, in his general survey of the cult in 1575, says: 'He apointeth where they shall meete, and at what houre of the day, or of the night: wherein they haue no surenes, nor certentie. For these meetinges are not weekely, nor monthly, nor yeerely, but when and how often it shall seeme good to this their maister. And many times himself warneth them tomeete, sometimes hee apoynteth others to warne them in his staede. But when he doth it himself, he appeareth vnto them in likenesse of a man.'[449]De Lancre says that in the Basses-Pyrénées 'le lieu où on le trouue ordinairement s'appelle Lanne de bouc, & en BasqueAquelarre de verros, prado del Cabron, & là les Sorciers le vont adorer trois nuicts durant, celle du Lundy, du Mercredy, & du Vendredy.—Les iours ordinaires de la conuocation du Sabbat, ou pour mieux dire les nuicts, sont celles du Mercredy venant au Ieudy, & du Vendredy venant au Samedy.—Catherine de Naguille de la paroisse d'Vstarits, aagee de onze ans, & sa compagne, nous out asseuré qu'elles auoiẽt esté au Sabbat en plein midy.'[450]Jane Bosdeau (1594) 'every Wednesday and Friday met a Rendezvous of aboue Sixty Witches at Puy de dome'.[451]Boguet says that the day of the Sabbath was variable, usually Thursday night;[452]while, according to Bodin, the most frequent was 'entre la nuict du Lundi & Mardi'.[453]Boguet also goes on to say, 'Le Sabbat ne se tient pas tousiours de nuict, ains que les Sorciers y vont aussi quelquefois de iour, selon que firent Antoine Tornier, & Iaquema Paget, & plusieurs autres de leur secte le confessent.'[454]The Lorraine witches also had the same custom:

'Alle zugleich, so viel ihrer bisher in Lotharingen peinlich sind verhöret worden, bekandten, dass solche Versammlung in keiner andern Nacht, als welche zu nechst vor dem Donnerstag oder Sambstag hergehet, gehalten werden.—Johannes a Villa und Agathina des Schneiders Francisci weib, sagt, eine oder zwey Stunde vor Mitternacht, were die bequemste Zeit darzu, und zwar nicht allein zu diesen Gespensten, sondern auch sonsten zu allerhand Gespensten, Bollergeisten, Irrgeisten, &c. Aber die Stunde nach Mitternacht diene nicht darzu.'[455]

The English and Scotch evidence is to the same effect. The witches 'are likewise reported to have each of them a Spirit or Imp attending on, or assigned to them.... These give the Witches notice to be ready on all Solemn appointments, and meetings, which are ordinarily on Tuesday or Wednesday night'.[456]Janet Breadheid of the Auldearne Coven emphasizesthe irregularity of the dates: 'Efter that, we vold still meit euerie ten, twelve, or twantie dayes continwally.'[457]Marie Lamont merely notes that the meetings were at night: 'The devil came to Kattrein Scott's house in the midst of the night.... When she had been at a mietting sine Zowle last, with other witches, in the night, the devill convoyed her home in the dawing.'[458]The Somerset witches had no special night: 'At every meeting before the Spirit vanisheth away, he appoints the next meeting place and time,'[459]and Mary Green went to a meeting 'on Thursday Night before Whitsunday last.'[460]At Paisley the meeting was on Thursday, the 4th of January, 1678, in the night, in John Stuart's house.[461]The Swedish witches were much harder worked: 'whereas formerly one journey a week would serve his turn, from their own Town to the place aforesaid, now they were forced to run to other Towns and places for Children, and that some of them did bring with them some fifteen, some sixteen Children every night.'[462]

The more modern examples suggest that the date became more fixed: 'On croit que c'est toujours un vendredi soir que les sorciers et sorcières se réunissent.'[463]'Sorciers et sorcières vont ausabbatle vendredi, à travers les airs.'[464]

FOOTNOTES:[328]Boguet, pp. 106-7.[329]Pitcairn, ii, pp. 542-3.[330]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 148.[331]Id.,L'Incredulité, p. 808.[332]Kinloch, pp. 122-3.[333]Burns Begg, p. 239.[334]Bourignon,Vie, p. 211; Hale, p. 29.[335]Stewart, p. 174.[336]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239. Spelling modernized.[337]Boguet, p. 104.[338]Potts, G 4.[339]Whitaker, p. 216.[340]Pitcairn, iii, p. 604.[341]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 320.[342]Bodin,Fléau, p. 178.[343]Scot, pp. 41, 184. Scot is as usual, extraordinarily inaccurate in his statements. The correct formulae, as given by Wierus, will be found in Appendix V, with notes on the ingredients by Prof. A. J. Clark.[344]Boguet, p. 96.[345]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 148.[346]H. G. van Elven,La Tradition, 1891, p. 215. Unfortunately neither name nor place are given in the transcription.[347]Burns Begg, p. 223.[348]Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 139, 141, 148-9, 151.[349]Scot, Bk. iii, p. 66; Lea, iii, p. 493. I give Scot's translation as being more racily expressed.[350]J. Bournon, p. 19.[351]Boguet, p. 96.[352]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 123.[353]Whitaker, p. 216.[354]Bourignon,Vie, p. 214; Hale, p. 31.[355]Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 316, 317, 318, 319, 321.[356]Kinloch, p. 129.[357]Surtees Society, xl, pp. 191-2, 194, 197; Denham Tracts, ii, pp. 299-301, 304, 307.[358]Holinshed,Ireland, p. 58.[359]Chartier, iii, p. 45; Lea, iii, p. 536.[360]From a trial in the Greffe, Guernsey.[361]Danaeus, ch. iv.[362]Boguet, p. 104.[363]Id., pp. 9, 104.[364]A marginal note against the wordramassegives 'autrement balait, & en Lyonnois coiue'.[365]Boguet, pp. 9, 97, 104.[366]Cannaert, p. 49.[367]Pitcairn, iii, pp. 604, 608, 613.[368]Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 194.[369]Howell, vi, 660; J. Hutchinson,Hist. of Massachusetts Bay, p. 31.[370]Cotton Mather, p. 158; Burr, p. 244.See alsoJ. Hutchinson, ii, pp. 35-6.[371]Burr, p. 418.[372]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 65.[373]Id. ib., p. 72.[374]Bodin,Fléau, p. 181.[375]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 123.[376]Bodin, p. 187.[377]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 97-8, 114, 149, 153, 165, 167.[378]Whitaker, p. 216; Baines, i, p. 607 note, where the name is given asHartford. The importance of the stone in the Sabbath ceremonies is very marked in the account of a meeting in Northumberland (1673). Ann Armstrong declared that 'she and the rest had drawne their compasse nigh to a bridg end, and the devil placed a stone in the middle of the compasse, they sett themselves downe, and bending towards the stone, repeated the Lord's prayer backwards'. Denham Tracts, ii, p. 307; Surtees Soc., xl, p. 197.[379]Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 321, 324.[380]Mather, p. 131.[381]Harou,La Tradition, vi (1892), p. 367.[382]Monseur, pp. 2, 88.[383]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 64.[384]Id. ib., p. 123.[385]Kinloch, p. 133.[386]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 245. Spelling modernized.[387]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 97-8.[388]Ib., i, Christen Michell, p. 165; Bessie Thom, p. 167.[389]Ib., i, Issobell Richie, p. 142; Margrat Og, p. 144; Helene Rogie, p. 147; Jonet Lucas, p. 149; Jonet Dauidsone, p. 150; Issobell Oige, p. 152; Beatrice Robbie, p. 153.[390]Pitcairn, ii, p. 478.[391]Baines, i, p. 607 note.[392]Pitcairn, iii, p. 606.[393]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 398.[394]F. Hutchinson,Historical Essay, p. 42.[395]Boguet, p. 125.[396]Chetham Society, vi, p. lxxiii; Whitaker, p. 216.[397]Pitcairn, iii, p. 601.[398]Burns Begg, pp. 219, 226, 237.[399]J. Hutchinson,History of Massachusetts Bay, ii, p. 17; Taylor, p. 98.[400]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 154.[401]Bournon, p. 23.[402]Remigius, pt. i, p. 72.[403]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239.[404]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 97, 114, 165, 167.[405]Boguet, pp. 119, 125.[406]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 165, 167.[407]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 123.[408]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 163.[409]From the record in the Justiciary Court of Edinburgh.[410]Arnot, p. 358.[411]Id., p. 358.[412]Kinloch, pp. 120, 121.[413]Id., p. 122.[414]Pitcairn, iii, p. 613.[415]Sharpe, pp. 131, 134.[416]Scots Magazine, 1814, p. 200.[417]Remigius, pt. i, p. 91.[418]Pitcairn, iii, p. 603; see below, p. 171.[419]Id., i, pt. ii, pp. 210-11, 217, 239.[420]Id., ii, pp. 542-3.[421]Potts, C 3, G 3, I 2, I 3.[422]From the trial of 'Alexr Hamiltoun, warlok', in the Justiciary Court, Edinburgh.[423]Whitaker, p. 216.[424]Kinloch, p. 122.[425]Pitcairn, iii, pp. 609, 613.[426]Sharpe, pp. 132-4.[427]Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 137-8, 164.[428]Id., pt. ii, p. 294.[429]Scots Magazine, 1814, p. 201.[430]Mather, p. 125.[431]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 135.[432]Kinloch, pp. 122, 133.[433]Burns Begg, p. 224.[434]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 323.[435]The full name is Aquelarre de verros, prado del Cabron.[436]De Lancre, Tableau, pp. 64-5.[437]Danaeus, ch. iv.[438]Rehearsall, p. 7.[439]Boguet, pp. 126-7.[440]F. Hutchinson,Historical Essay, p. 43.[441]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 321.[442]Kinloch, pp. 120 seq.[443]Pitcairn, iii, p. 603.[444]Burns Begg, pp. 226 seq.[445]Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 140, 148, 156, 161.[446]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 64.[447]Boguet, p. 102.[448]Burr, p. 418.[449]Danaeus, ch. iv.[450]De Lancre,Tableau, pp. 62, 398.[451]F. Hutchinson, p. 43.[452]Boguet, p. 124.[453]Bodin,Fléau, p. 182.[454]Boguet, p. 123.[455]Remigius, pp. 71, 72.[456]Pleasant Treatise, p. 4.[457]Pitcairn, iii, p. 617.[458]Sharpe, pp. 131, 133.[459]Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 139.[460]Id., pt. ii, p. 164.[461]Id., pt. ii, pp. 293, 297.[462]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 318.[463]Monseur, p. 87.[464]Lemoine,La Tradition, 1892, vi, p. 106.

[328]Boguet, pp. 106-7.

[329]Pitcairn, ii, pp. 542-3.

[330]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 148.

[331]Id.,L'Incredulité, p. 808.

[332]Kinloch, pp. 122-3.

[333]Burns Begg, p. 239.

[334]Bourignon,Vie, p. 211; Hale, p. 29.

[335]Stewart, p. 174.

[336]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239. Spelling modernized.

[337]Boguet, p. 104.

[338]Potts, G 4.

[339]Whitaker, p. 216.

[340]Pitcairn, iii, p. 604.

[341]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 320.

[342]Bodin,Fléau, p. 178.

[343]Scot, pp. 41, 184. Scot is as usual, extraordinarily inaccurate in his statements. The correct formulae, as given by Wierus, will be found in Appendix V, with notes on the ingredients by Prof. A. J. Clark.

[344]Boguet, p. 96.

[345]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 148.

[346]H. G. van Elven,La Tradition, 1891, p. 215. Unfortunately neither name nor place are given in the transcription.

[347]Burns Begg, p. 223.

[348]Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 139, 141, 148-9, 151.

[349]Scot, Bk. iii, p. 66; Lea, iii, p. 493. I give Scot's translation as being more racily expressed.

[350]J. Bournon, p. 19.

[351]Boguet, p. 96.

[352]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 123.

[353]Whitaker, p. 216.

[354]Bourignon,Vie, p. 214; Hale, p. 31.

[355]Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 316, 317, 318, 319, 321.

[356]Kinloch, p. 129.

[357]Surtees Society, xl, pp. 191-2, 194, 197; Denham Tracts, ii, pp. 299-301, 304, 307.

[358]Holinshed,Ireland, p. 58.

[359]Chartier, iii, p. 45; Lea, iii, p. 536.

[360]From a trial in the Greffe, Guernsey.

[361]Danaeus, ch. iv.

[362]Boguet, p. 104.

[363]Id., pp. 9, 104.

[364]A marginal note against the wordramassegives 'autrement balait, & en Lyonnois coiue'.

[365]Boguet, pp. 9, 97, 104.

[366]Cannaert, p. 49.

[367]Pitcairn, iii, pp. 604, 608, 613.

[368]Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 194.

[369]Howell, vi, 660; J. Hutchinson,Hist. of Massachusetts Bay, p. 31.

[370]Cotton Mather, p. 158; Burr, p. 244.See alsoJ. Hutchinson, ii, pp. 35-6.

[371]Burr, p. 418.

[372]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 65.

[373]Id. ib., p. 72.

[374]Bodin,Fléau, p. 181.

[375]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 123.

[376]Bodin, p. 187.

[377]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 97-8, 114, 149, 153, 165, 167.

[378]Whitaker, p. 216; Baines, i, p. 607 note, where the name is given asHartford. The importance of the stone in the Sabbath ceremonies is very marked in the account of a meeting in Northumberland (1673). Ann Armstrong declared that 'she and the rest had drawne their compasse nigh to a bridg end, and the devil placed a stone in the middle of the compasse, they sett themselves downe, and bending towards the stone, repeated the Lord's prayer backwards'. Denham Tracts, ii, p. 307; Surtees Soc., xl, p. 197.

[379]Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 321, 324.

[380]Mather, p. 131.

[381]Harou,La Tradition, vi (1892), p. 367.

[382]Monseur, pp. 2, 88.

[383]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 64.

[384]Id. ib., p. 123.

[385]Kinloch, p. 133.

[386]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 245. Spelling modernized.

[387]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 97-8.

[388]Ib., i, Christen Michell, p. 165; Bessie Thom, p. 167.

[389]Ib., i, Issobell Richie, p. 142; Margrat Og, p. 144; Helene Rogie, p. 147; Jonet Lucas, p. 149; Jonet Dauidsone, p. 150; Issobell Oige, p. 152; Beatrice Robbie, p. 153.

[390]Pitcairn, ii, p. 478.

[391]Baines, i, p. 607 note.

[392]Pitcairn, iii, p. 606.

[393]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 398.

[394]F. Hutchinson,Historical Essay, p. 42.

[395]Boguet, p. 125.

[396]Chetham Society, vi, p. lxxiii; Whitaker, p. 216.

[397]Pitcairn, iii, p. 601.

[398]Burns Begg, pp. 219, 226, 237.

[399]J. Hutchinson,History of Massachusetts Bay, ii, p. 17; Taylor, p. 98.

[400]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 154.

[401]Bournon, p. 23.

[402]Remigius, pt. i, p. 72.

[403]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239.

[404]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 97, 114, 165, 167.

[405]Boguet, pp. 119, 125.

[406]Spalding Club Misc., i, pp. 165, 167.

[407]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 123.

[408]Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 163.

[409]From the record in the Justiciary Court of Edinburgh.

[410]Arnot, p. 358.

[411]Id., p. 358.

[412]Kinloch, pp. 120, 121.

[413]Id., p. 122.

[414]Pitcairn, iii, p. 613.

[415]Sharpe, pp. 131, 134.

[416]Scots Magazine, 1814, p. 200.

[417]Remigius, pt. i, p. 91.

[418]Pitcairn, iii, p. 603; see below, p. 171.

[419]Id., i, pt. ii, pp. 210-11, 217, 239.

[420]Id., ii, pp. 542-3.

[421]Potts, C 3, G 3, I 2, I 3.

[422]From the trial of 'Alexr Hamiltoun, warlok', in the Justiciary Court, Edinburgh.

[423]Whitaker, p. 216.

[424]Kinloch, p. 122.

[425]Pitcairn, iii, pp. 609, 613.

[426]Sharpe, pp. 132-4.

[427]Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 137-8, 164.

[428]Id., pt. ii, p. 294.

[429]Scots Magazine, 1814, p. 201.

[430]Mather, p. 125.

[431]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 135.

[432]Kinloch, pp. 122, 133.

[433]Burns Begg, p. 224.

[434]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 323.

[435]The full name is Aquelarre de verros, prado del Cabron.

[436]De Lancre, Tableau, pp. 64-5.

[437]Danaeus, ch. iv.

[438]Rehearsall, p. 7.

[439]Boguet, pp. 126-7.

[440]F. Hutchinson,Historical Essay, p. 43.

[441]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 321.

[442]Kinloch, pp. 120 seq.

[443]Pitcairn, iii, p. 603.

[444]Burns Begg, pp. 226 seq.

[445]Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 140, 148, 156, 161.

[446]De Lancre,Tableau, p. 64.

[447]Boguet, p. 102.

[448]Burr, p. 418.

[449]Danaeus, ch. iv.

[450]De Lancre,Tableau, pp. 62, 398.

[451]F. Hutchinson, p. 43.

[452]Boguet, p. 124.

[453]Bodin,Fléau, p. 182.

[454]Boguet, p. 123.

[455]Remigius, pp. 71, 72.

[456]Pleasant Treatise, p. 4.

[457]Pitcairn, iii, p. 617.

[458]Sharpe, pp. 131, 133.

[459]Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 139.

[460]Id., pt. ii, p. 164.

[461]Id., pt. ii, pp. 293, 297.

[462]Horneck, pt. ii, p. 318.

[463]Monseur, p. 87.

[464]Lemoine,La Tradition, 1892, vi, p. 106.

The exact order of the ceremonies is never given and probably varied in different localities, but the general rule of the ritual at the Sabbath seems to have been that proceedings began by the worshippers paying homage to the Devil, who sat or stood in a convenient place. The homage consisted in renewing the vows of fidelity and obedience, in kissing the Devil on any part of his person that he chose to indicate, and sometimes in turning a certain number of times widdershins. Then followed the reports of all magic worked since the previous Sabbath, either by individuals or at the Esbats, and at the same time the witches consulted the Master as to their cases and received instructions from him how to proceed; after which came admissions to the society or marriages of the members. This ended the business part of the meeting. Immediately after all the business was transacted, the religious service was celebrated, the ceremonial of which varied according to the season of the year; and it was followed by the 'obscene' fertility rites. The whole ceremony ended with feasting and dancing, and the assembly broke up at dawn.

This was apparently the usual course of the ritual of the Sabbath; the Esbat had less ceremonial, and the religious service was not performed. The Devil himself often went round and collected the congregation; and, not being in his 'grand arroy', he appeared as a man in ordinary dress. Instead of the religious service with the adoration of the god, the witches worked the spells and charms with which they bewitched or unbewitched their enemies and friends, or they exercised new methods which they learnt from their Master, or received instructions how to practise the arts of healing and secret poisoning, of causing and blasting fertility.

There are a few general accounts of the usual course of the Sabbath ritual. Danaeus (1575) does not distinguish clearlybetween the two classes of meetings, but at the same time he seems to have realized that a certain order was followed:

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