m io u

'

(atoll

RA RE A ND C UR I O US TRA CTS

W I T CHC R AFT
A ND T H E

ZEB 3
Q II Q E

WI TH AN

O r ig ina l Essa y on PVz tck cra .

E
h iuurg b

IN
P R T ED F O R D . W EB ST ER, 3 5, W EST C O LLEG E ST R EET .

1 8 20 .
 E DNI B U RG H

P rinte d b y T ho ma s We b ste r
.
Ar O i
ri m l
g g E ssay. on W itchcraft ,

A, Tr u e Di scou rse of the Dam nable Life o f

Doctor Fian , a nd Su n dry o th e r W i tches
,

A nother Acco u nt o f the F ore goi n g T ra nsa c

tio ns fro m S ir James M e lvill s Me moirs,
,

Advertise ment
Ex tra cts from King James 3 Da e mo no lo gie con
cerning Sorcery and W itchcraft ,

Notic e to the Reader ,

Answer o f a Letter from a Gentlema n in Fife ,

t
, o
a N oble man co ntainin
, g e n Acco unt o f

the Barbaro u s and Illegal Treatm ent o f the

W itches inPittenweem ,

Another Letter conc erning the Witches o f Pit

t e nw e e m ,

A J u st Reproof to the False Reports contained

in the two Foregoing Letters ,

2 0 94 3 6 2
iv P a ge

A Copy of
the Indictm ent and Precept fo r
S u mmoning the J u ry and W itnesses with ,

the W arrant fo r the E xecu tion o f the ,

W itches at B o rro w sto u ne ss ,

Trial o f Isobel E lliot and others ,

Con fession o f Helen Taylor ,

Deposition o f Manie Halib u rton ,

Declaration o f John Kincaid the Pricker , ,

Trial o f W illi am Coke a nd Alli son Dick ,

A mo u nt o f the Kirk s S hare o f E xpense fo r

.
'

B u rning the said W il liam Co lie a nd A lli

' ' '

son Dick ,

Town s part on the above occasion

,

A c c ou nt o f the Eitpe nse o f B u rning Margaret

'

Denham ,

Min u tes and Proceedings o f the Kirk S ession -

o f Torryb u rn and the Con fession o f L illia s

,

Adie ,

Frazer on the S econd S ight ,

l

T h e P u b lish e r to the R eader

S hort Advertise m ent to the Reader ,

A Brief Discou rse concerning th e S econd S ight

c o mmo nlv so called
-

,
 ORI GI NA L E S S AY

W I T C HCRA FT .

I F we wish to for m a j u st e sti mate o f the h u man

c h a racte r 1 11 its pr ogr s s t h ro u gh the vari o u s s tages
e
o f c i vil iza t ion ,fro m i gnorance and barba ris m to ,

scie nce and re nem ent we m u st search into th e

,

nat ura l c a u ses that actu ate the h u man mind The .

'

li fe o f m a n is prolonged to a re moter period b u t ,

su bj ec te d to more ca s ua litie s and greater vic issi

,

t u de s o f fort une than m ost oth er ani mals From

, .

these ca u ses arises hi s anxio us solicit u de abou t fu

t u rity and an eager desire to kn ow his destin y
,

and th u s ma n beco mes the m ost su perstitiou s o f a ll

other creatu res In every nation there have been
.

mu ltit u de s o f orac les au gu rs soothsayers di viners

, , , ,

fortune tellers wi tc hes sor c erers &c wh o se b u si

-
, , , .

ness ha s been to co m m u nicate int elligence respect

ing fu t u ri ty to the rest o f m ankind

, I f we attend
.

to history we shall nd this theory su fcie ntly co n

,
.

rm ed b y e xperience The m ost su perstitio u s par t

.

o f the s ecie s a re sol die rs and sailo rs, who are m

p or e
 6 AN O RI G INAL ESS AY
exposed to accidents than any other class History .

is fu ll o f the s u perstitiou s observances o f the R0

m a n arm ies ; their regard to om ens the entrails o f
v icti m s the ight o f bird s &c and there are tho u
, .

sands o f brave sailors o f the present day who wo u ld ,

not sa il in the nest ship o f the B riti sh navy with ,

out a horse shoe were nailed on the m ain m ast

- -
.

This passion o f diving into fu t u rity nat u rally pro ,

du c e d a n u m ber o f de a le r s i n de s ti ny s da r k cou n

c il , who soon fou nd i t t u rn o u t a very l u crative
profession From knowing the secrets it was na
.
,

t u ra lly in ferred that they were th e favo u rites o f

,
-

those powers who are s u pposed to have the fu t u re

happi ness o f m ankind at their disposal This we .

appreh e nd is the r eal so u rce o f that power which

the priesthood hath ever exercised over the h u m an
m ind . Pleas u re and pain are t he two great princi
ples o f h u m an action which has given rise to the ,

good a nd ev il principle comm on to all nati ons .

Those who held co m m u nication and comm erce

wi th the evil principle are witches w iz z a rds sor
, , ,

c e re rs &c ,
Al thou gh we have vario u s laws and
.

inj u nctions against witchcraft in script u re yet we ,

are sti ll as m u ch in the dark as ever as no de ni ,

tion is given o f it nor is the partic u lar acti ons which

,

constit u te witchcraft en u m erated so as we can say ,

wherein it consists The sto ry o f the witch o f

.

E ndor is a case that throws m ore light on the su b

,

j cet than a n y other B u t she appears to have act

.

e d m ore in the character o f one o f o u r second sight

e d seers th a n one o f o u r m odern witches A o

,
.

c ordi n g to o u r no tions and ideas o f wi tc h cr a ft (as laid

 Yo u Wt rda c m r .
7

poor ignorant o ld wom an w ho th ro u gh m isery O D , ,

'

malice gives herse lf to the devil so u l a nd b od y

, , ,

and reno u nces her ba ptism ; fo r which considera ~

' '
'

tions Sa ta n e nga ge s to as sist her with his po we r to

' '

work a n u m ber o f petty m ischiefs on s u c h as she

:

has a spit e at ; and so m etim es he advance s a little o f

the needd which u nfort u natel y fo r the poo r o ld
,

,

ha g t u rns o u t to be
, naething b u t s k la te s ta n s c

,
.

and this m ost u nacco u ntable contract is genera lly

sealed by k ca r na l cop ula tio n A nd yet afte r b e .
,

lieving this we call o u rselves r a tio na l c r e a tu re s

, ,

and other ani mals we term b r u te s Ma ny peo ple

have wondered how so exalted a pers onage as t h e
,

devi l f ortne rly w a s in day s o f y o r e h o u ld latter ly ,

s

have taken u p with su ch lo w co m pany as o u r mo

dern witches He who tem pted the very fathers o f
.

the ch u rch in so m any vario u s ways w ho kept t he

whole priesthood o f the Catholic ch u rch constantly
on the a le rt with holy Water exorcis m s 81 0 only , , .

to keep h im in c he ck who often attacked L u th e r

and o u r other re for mers in very u nge nt le m a ny dis
,

gu ises ; and had even the a u dacity to insu lt o u r c o

v e na nte d saints by b ellowing like a b u ll gru nting
, ,

like a pig or groaning like a dying m a n These

, .

were pranks so met hing worthier o f a devil than the

tricks played o ff by the witches O u r Ki ng Jaines .

v e s th e rea s on u m ation o f the

'

g i beca u se the cons

,

world , and o u r de liverance drawing ne e re m akes ,

S atan so ra ge the more in his instru m ents knowing

'
,

hi s k ingdo m to be so ne e re a n end Ja mes was a .

little o u t in his recko ning here, the co ns umation

3 A N O RI GI N A L E SSAY

t h e w o rld no t havi ng take n pla c e as ye t a nd the
'

of
'

,

d e vil s kingdom t u rning o u t to b e gra t b e r be tte r e s
ta b lis h e d t han h is o wn So fa r was it fro m b e ing
.

near a n e nt ha t it wa s Iota t he increa se 51a m ,

c hie b y t h e abs u rd a nd st u pid la ws tha t Wer e e n

y t .

a cted agai nst i t b v hi mse lf a nd s u cce sso r s

1 T he .

d evil s kin gdo m is not to b e de str o y e d b y a c ts

of m lia me nt and b u rni ng o f witch es these ex e

p ; p
die nts have b e e n trie d 1 n va in a ll o ver Eu ro pe a nd
'

A m erica witho u t effect ; b ut DO W, wh en e very per,

,

s o n can bewitch with i m uni ty no t a wit ch is to b e

p ,

fou nd ; and the devil t h o u gh left a t l a r ge ha s re, ,

treate d to the Highlands a nd islan ds where he i s ,

sel do m seen e en b y t ho se who have the second

,
v

sight T h e t u e e ngm fo r b a t tering t he s trong

. r e s

ho ld s Satan a nd ( h iving him and h is i mps into

,

u t te r d a r knes s a re science a nd phi losophy

, the se
a re the we po ns th a t h a ve com pel le d h i m to re tr o
a
,

gade mo vem nts after la vi shing river s o f holy wa

e
,

t e r in va in T h us the te rric cl a ws o f the devil

.
,

when seen b y th e di ste mpered eyes o f ignorant b i

otry a ppear to u s r u ly ll a m a b l b u t when vie we d
g , t e t ,

throu gh ph ilos o phi ca l s pecta cle s loo k a s ha rmless ,

a s t he la m b skin gl oves o f a ne l a dy
-
.

Th ese s torie s howeve r p o nve y a strong lik eness

, ,

o f the t i me s in wh ich th ey w e re a c te d l nnu r da y

'

i t i s almos t im po s srb le t o b e lie ve, sha t 12 11131 8 3 he 7 3

i ngs c o u ld gi ve cr edi t to su ch gra ss a b sur ditie s a s .

we have da i d b e o re the p ub lic in this 'little work

.
,

w e re the e vidence not ind u bi tab le Fa r les s t ha t .

,

j u dges l awyers and 1i

, s h o u ld unit e in mur
, ,
 f o isz wri c nc a x r r 5
' '

.
9

tnrs, fo r su ch ina d chi meras r I S hard to ,

w h e n/ t

the pcio r victi m or the
l

sa
y ,
whether
_
,

were u nder the greater del u sion These wonder

'

fu l tales o f the doings b f the devil with the witches ,

are taken fro m their own con fessions and from their ,

r
l l

de la ti ng o f o ne another as it is called To u s it
, .

does not appear im probable b u t that too m any o f ,

the poor del u ded wre tches act u ally imagined the m
selves to be witches Nor will this appe a r so very.

s u rprizing if we consider the circ u m stan c es o f the

,

case At that period any person who dou b ted o f

.
,

witchcra ft was looked u pon as an a thie st a nd ,

worse than m a d ; the whole co u ntry from one e nd ,

to the other w a s contin u ally rin ging with ta l es o f

,

witches devils and fairies with s u c h other trash

, , , .

I s it not then i no st likely that people shou ld dream ,

a b o u t th e m ? and is there any thing u nnat u ral in

'

su ppo sing ,that they sho uld m istake these dr eam s

fo r realities ? as is evidently proved in several cases ,

and then confess not the actions they really did

, ,

b u t the e ffects o f their own disordered i m agination .

Moreover when conned fo r this i m aginary crim e

, ,

they were tort u red in all m anner o f ways deprived ,

o f sleep u ng into water and b r o di t as they called

, , ,

it being striped naked and searched fo r the devi l s

,

m ark in the m ost indecent m anner

, These con .

fessi ons after they were m ade were nothing m ore

, ,

than the wild ravings o f a distem pered i magination;

and s u ch a tiss u e o f inconsistencies as no person o f ,

the present day wou ld listen to An old woman in .

the Isle o f Terc e (as related b y Mr Frazer page ,

took in her hea d that she wa s in heaven no

 10 AN 9
. 3 1k
.
E SSAY
le ss, a nd h a d e a t a nd dra nk th ere . ; a nd so a s s ,

lie d the P ee r -
cre at u re imbibe d the . .
tha t; is ,

A cu riou s account o f a prete nded m ee ting wi th thgs

de vi l is gi ven by a gent le m a n o f Nor ma ndy inthe
, ,

Memoirs o f Literatu re fo r Nove mber 1 71 1 .

The pretended m eeting, a b o u t whi ch those who

b elie v e the y ha ve bee n at it ne la te so ma ny extra , i
,

v a ga nt thi ri s is only in th eir i m n t I w n

g , agi a ion o ,
.

now and the n r u b their skin with so me na rc o tiok ,

g reas e or o int me n ts, which ca st the m intg a so u nd

sl e ep ,a nd ll thei r im agi n ation wi tha tho usa n d

they see ever y thi n g that was tol d th e m concerning

the devil s m eet ing by their fa thers wh o we re al so

, ,

she phe rds o r wi z a rds if yo u Will ha ve w e ts ca ll

W
.

h
t e m so h
. w urm l ill a
w i fo rs
y ou of W
ha t . .

I ha ve been told b y a cou ntry frie nd o f m e, Who

'

pretended to have a mind to go to the devil s meet

,

.

i ng with his o w n shepherd who had the repu tation ,

o f bei ng a great so rcerer Hav ing freq u e ntly u rg

.

e d that shepherd to carry hi m thither at la st he ,

o bta ined his desire He w ent to hi m 1n th e nightj

.

a t the appointe d time T e shepherd immdi a te ly

h ;

g ave h i m so m e thing to grea se h im sel with a l He

f .

took th e grea se as if he h a d a mind to rob hisskin .

With it ; b u t he de sir ed th a t; the shepher ds a m

.
. , ,

who w a s to go to the de v il s meeting With b ia fs :

the r, shou l d a n oint hi mse lf rst, Which bei ng

don e that gen tle ma n tol d thg shep herd, t ha t he
,

sho uld b e gl a d to k now wha t w ou ld become o f the

 on wi r c nc s a
e
sr 1.

fa st a sleep, 1a nd Whe n h a waked , th o ugh he h a d

hb t stirr ed from tha t pl ce hegave a n
1
ac cou nt of
a
4
,

h t hh nght h e
i d
ha s ee n

e ver tb ng a t h de vil s ft e f
h
y
meeting ; a nd even na me ds e v e ra pperso ns wvh be
o
m
p re tend e d to have s e cil th ere
My frie ndeplsrce tv .

e d t h e n, th a t what 18 c o ni m o nl Sa id of the de vil s
.

y
mee ti ng ems a ime re fa ncy 1 ha ve to ld>ycu this
' '

that
story , y ou br e
m a y i mpart it
thren to yo ur ,

twho be i n
>
re o s se s t with po ular e rrors about

g p p p

witchcraft do frequ ently hang a nd b u rn poor

,
t

M o h e s wh ose Cri m e does only consist in th e

'

,
t

we akne ss h f t heir im aginati on .

A th o u sand m ore in stanc e s m ight be prod u ced

! r
a is h o w
tha v t hd e vi h h a th no m e h gs a ny wh ere
, ,

T he histo ry o f s upe rstit ion is ho wever o great u se ;

w e th ere se e its dangero u s i nu e nde : u pon the
'

pe a ce and happiness o f societyits degradi ng e f

fe c t s u pon the character and m anners o f nations ,

in m orality literat u re j u rispr u dence and science

, , ,
.

Theology see m s to have be en particu larly in fected

with this pes tiferou s contagion The clergy were .

generall y in the front rank o f witch h u nters and -

,

throu gh their in u ence , the m ost o f them were pu t

to death In places where the m inister was in
.

am ed with a ho ly s e a l against the devil and h is

em i ssari es s u ch as Pittenwee m and Torryb u rn
, ,

the parish became a perfect hot bed fo r the rearing -

o f Witches and so plenti fu l a crop did it produ ce ,

that it appeared nothing else cou ld thrive B u t in .

pl a c es where the minister had some portion o f h u .

12 a no mc ma r. E SS AY , 6m .

m anity, and a little com m on sense the devil very

rarely se t foot on hi s territo ries a nd witchcra ft was

,

no t to be fo u nd S ince the repe al o f the statu tes

.

against wi tc hm a ft several prosec u tions have be e n

'

,
!

institu ted against Witches who were convicted and

,

p u nished ; b u t it was bewitching silly igno rant pe o

ple o u t o f their m oney goods and com mon sen se
, , ,

by pretending a knowledge o f fu t u ritya power o f

relieving m aladies in m a n o r beast o r proc u ring
the affection o f som e favo u rite swain to a love sick -

m aiden The d u pes o f these i mpos tors do not a l to

.

gether escape as they are m ade the lau ghing stock

,

o f their neighbo u rs ; and by these m ean s even this

trade is now nearly annihilated Happily fo r o u r .

tim es the re fu lgent brightness o f philo sophy a nd

,

science hath di spelled these dark clou ds o f be night

,

ed su perstition and left u s in possession only o f

,

o u r nat u ral powers a nd fac u lties which a r e qu ite

,

Em r o a .
 5
2 111 fro m wtla n
DE IN HE CLAR G T

DA MNABL E L IF E O F D O CT O R
FIA N ,

NO TA B L E SO RCERER,

WHO WAS

B u rne d a t Ede nb ro ug i n Ja nua rie la s t, 1 5 91 .

W HICH DO CT O R W RE G I ST E H E E VILL THAT

AS R TO T B

SU ND E TIM ES P E ACH ED
RI N O TH R E AT R B A R R I CK

K I R E T N M E R NO T O I O S W ITCH ES
K O A U B OF R U .

WI TH T HE

T RU E EX A M I NA T I O NS O F THES A I D D OC T O R
A ND W I T C H ES, A S T H EY U T I

ER ED T H EM

I NT HE P RESENC E O F T H E SC O T T I SH K I NG .

D I SC O VER I NG

HO W TH EY P RE T E ND E D TO B E WITCH A ND D R O WN E
H I S M A JE ST I E I N T H E SEA CO M M I NG F R O M D EN
M AR E ; W ITH S CH O TH E W NDE
K U R . O R F U LL

MATT E S HE LI E HATH N EIN

R AST K OT B

EA D B ANI E TIM E
R AT .

P ub lis he d a c c rdi n o g to the Sco ttish Co nic .

P RI NTED F OR W ILLIAM WR I G HT .

E DI N BURGH
s r r a rx r r n ro
-
a D . t a r s u s , 3 5, WEST c o rn e r 5 11 15 2 1 .

1 8 20 .
 T O T HE R EAD ER .

T HE mani fold u ntru ths which are spred a b

roa d
co ncerning the detestable actions and apprehensi on
o f those witches whereo f this hi s to ri c followin tr ue
g
ly entrea teth hath ca us ed m e to p u blis h th e sam e
,

in print and the rather fo r that s undri e written

,

the said witches were rst di sc overed by m eanes o f

a poore pedla r travelling to the towne o f T re ne nt ;
and tha t by a wo nde rfu ll manner hee was in a mo
m ent conveyed at midnight from S cotland to B ur
de u x in France (being places o f no sm all distance ) ,

into a m erchant s sellar there and after bei ng sent

from B u r de u x into S cotland by certaine S cottish

m erchants to the King s Ma j e stie that he discover

ed those witches a nd was the cau se o f their a ppre

,
~

h e nsio n with a n u m ber o f matte rs m irac u lo u s and

incredible all w h ich in tr u th are m ost false Never
.

th e le ss to sa ti se a n u mber o f hones t minde s who

, ,

are des iro u s to be inform ed o f the v e ritie and tru th

 TO r nz B EADER .

o f their c onfe ssions wh ich fo r c e rta intie is more

,

s tra nger than the co mmon reporte r u nneth and ye t

,

wi th m ore tr u th I have u ndertaken to p u blish

.

t h is short Treatise which dec lareth the tr u e di s

c o ur s e o f all th at happen e d and as well what w a s

,

pretended by those wicked a nd detesta ble witch e s

against the King s Ma j e stie ; a s a l so by what mean s

t hey wro u ght t h e sa me .

which e x a mina uo ns (gentle reader) I hav e

A ll
here tru ly p u blish ed as th ey were taken and u tter
e d in th e presence o f the Ki ng s Maj estic prayin g

,

thee to accept o f it fo r v e ri tie the s am e be ing so

,

t ru e as cannot b e r ep roved .
18 NEWS F RO M S C O TL A ND .

in the end e they had sed u ced by their so rc e rie a

n u mber o f others to be as b a d as them selves dwell ,

ing in the bou nds o f w th e n which is a pri nci ,

all shire or part o f S cotland , where the X inges

p
M a j e stie u seth to m ak e his c he ife st residence or
a bode ; and to the ende that th eir detestable wick

e dne sse w h ich they r iv e l had pretended a a i nst

p y g
the X inges Ma je stie the c o mm o nwe a le o f that
,

c o u ntrie with the no b ilitie and su bj ects o f th e

,

s am e shou ld co m e to light
, God o f his u nspeak
.

a ble goodne ss di d r e v e a le and laie it open in v e rie

stran ge sorte, thereby to m ake known to the world

that their a ctions were contrarie to the lawe o f God
a nd the nat u r a li a ffection which we o u ght generally

to beare o ne to anoth er The m anner o f the re .

v eali ng w hereof was as followeth .

i v i th in the towne o f T re ne nt in the k ingdo m e ,

o f S cotland there dwelleth one David S eaton

, who ,

being de pu tie b a ilie in the said towne had a mai d

'

call ed G e illie s Du nc a ne who u sed se c re tlie to a h

,

s ent and lie for th o f her m aisters hou se every other

n ight . This G e illi e s D u nc a ne tooke in hand to

h elpe all s u ch as were tro u bled or gri eved with
a nie ki nde o f sickness or i nrm iti e a n d in short ,

space did per form e m any m atters m ost m irac u lou s

which things fo ra s rnu ch e as she began to do them

,

u pon a sodaine having never done the like be fore

, ,

m ade h er m aister and others to be in great ad mi

ration and wondered therea t : by m eanes whereof
,

t h e saide Davi d S eaton had his m aide in great s u s

it io n that shee did not those things b n a t u ra ll

p y

and lawfu l ] w a ie s b u t rather su pposed it to be do ne

,

b y so m e e x tra o rdina rie and u nla wfull meane s .

 m zws FR O M S C O T LAND 19

Wh er eu pon her maister b egan to grow in:

'

'
v e rie

qu is iti ve ,and ex a m ined her wh ich way a nd by w at

h
meanes sh e e was able to per forme m atters o f sb
great importa nce ; whereat shee gave him no a u n
sw e re : neverth eless her m aister to the i ntent tha t
,

h ee m ight the be tter trie and nde o u t the tr u th

o f the sam e did with the help o f others tor m ent
,

h e r with th e tortu re o f the pilliwink e s u pon her n '

~

g e t s which is a griveo u s tort u re

,
a nd binding or
,

wrinc hing her head with a cord or ro a pe which is ,

a m ost cr u el torm ent also yet wou ld shee not con

,

fe ss anie thing where u pon they s u specting that

shee had beene m arked by the de vill (as comm only

witches are ) m ade diligent search abo u t her and
, ,

fo u nd t he enem ies m ark to be in her fore crag o r ,

fore part o f her t h ro a te ; which being fou nd shee ,

c on fessed that all h e r doi n gs was done by the wick

e d all u rem ents and e nti se m e nts o f the dev il and ,

that shee did them by witchcraft .

After this her confession shee was committed to

,

prison where shee conti n u ed a season where im

, ,

m e diately shee accu sed these persons following to

bee notoriou s witches and ca u sed them forth with
,

to be apprehended one after another viz Agnes

, , .

S ampson th e eldest witche o f them all dwelling in

, ,

Haddington Agnes Tompson o f Ede nb ro u gh

Doctor Fian alias John C u ningh a m m aster o f the
, ,

s choole at S altpans in L o wthia n o f who se li fe and

,

strange acts yo u shall h e are m ore largely in the

end o f this discou rse .

These were by the saide Ge illie s D u nca ne a c

c u se d, a s a l so G eo r e Mot ts wife, d wellin in LO W

g g
20 s a w s FRO M SCO T LAND .

thian ; Robert Grierso n skipper ; a nd J anne t

,

B la ndila nds ; with the potter s Wi fe o f S eaton ; th e

sm ith at the B rigge Hallies with innu m erable
,

others in those parts a nd dwelling in those bou nd s

,

aforesa i d o f whom som e are a lre a die exec u ted the

, ,

rest re ma ine in prison to receive the do o me o f j u dge

me nt at the K inge s Maj e s ties will and pleasu re .

The saide Ge illies D u nca ne al so cau se d Ewpha

me Me ca lre a n to bee apprehended who conspired ,

and perform ed the death o f her god father and who ,

u sed her art u pon a gentlem an being one o f the

,

Lordes and J u stices o f th e S ession fo r bearing ,

good -
wil l to her da u gh ter S hee also ca
. u sed to b e

apprehended one Barbara Naper fo r bewitching to ,

death Ar c hb a lde lait E arle cf Angu s who lan ,

u ish e d to death by witchcraft and yet the s am e

g ,

was not su spected ; b u t that he died o f so str a nge a

di sease as the phisitio n k u ewe not how to c u re o r
rem edie the sam e B u t o f all other the said witches
.
,

these two last before r ecited were rep u ted fo r as

,

civil honest wom en as anie that dwell ed within the

c it ti e o f Ede nb ro u h be fore they were apprehend
g ,

ed Many other besides were taken dwelling in

.

Lieth who are de ta yne d in prison u ntil his Ma

,

e s tie s fu rther w ill and pleas u re be k no wne ; o f

j
whose wicked do o ings yo u shall partic ul arly heare,
w hich was as followeth .

This a fo re sa ide Agnes S am pson which was the ,

elder w itc he was taken and brou ght to Ha liriu d

,

Hou se before the K inge s Majestic and su ndr ie ,

other o f the no b ili tie o f S cotland where shee w a s ,

s tra tl
y y ex am ined b u t a ll the pe rs ua sio ns which
w
 ne ws n o n sc o r t s s n
. 21

the K inge s Ma j e s tie u se d to her, with the r est o f

'

his c o u nc e ll, m ight not pr ovoke or ind u ce her to

c on fess any thing b u t s to o de stie y in the da nia ll
,

o f all that was la yde to her charge ; where u pon

the y cau sed her to be con v eyed away u nto prison,
there to receive su ch tort u re as hath been lately
provided fo r wi tches in that co u ntri e ; and fo r a s
mu che a s by due exam ination o f witchcraft a nd
witches in S cotland it hath lately beene fo u nde
,

that the de vill do o th generally m ark e them with a

riv ie m arke by reason the witches have con fe ssed
p ,

them selves that the dc v ill doth li cke them with his
,

tong in so m e priv ie pa rt o f their bodie, before h e

do o th receive them to bee h is servants which m arke ,

c o mmo nlie is given them u nder the ha ir e in so m e

part o f th e ir bodie whereby it m a y not ea sily b e

,

fou nd o u t or seene al thou gh they bee searched ;

a nd generally so long as the m a rke is no t sc e ne t o

those which sea rch them so long the parties whi ch

,

h ave the m arke will ne ver c onfess anie thin g .

T here fore by Special co m m and ment this Agnes

'

Sam pson h a d all her haire shaven o ff 11 eac h part ,

o f her bodie and her head thra w a ne

, w i th a rope

a cc ording to th e c u sto m e o f that co u ntrie being a ,

payne most grie ve o u s which they c ontin u ed a l m ost

,

an hower d u ring which tim e sh ee wou ld not confess

,

anie thing u ntil] the div e l s ma rke was fo u nde u pon

her privities then shee imm edi ately co nfessed what

, .

soever was de m a u nde d o f her and j u stiying those

'

persons a fo re sa i de to b e notoriou s witches .

I te m the said Agnes Sam

, pson was after brou gh t
a a ine be fore the Kin e s Maj esti c a nd his co u nc e ll
g g ,
22 ne ws n o n S C O T LAND .

a nd be ing e x amined o f the m eeting a nd de testable

dealings o f those witches shee con fessed that u pon
, ,

t he n ight o f Allhallow E ven l a st shee was a e com

,

p a nie d as well with the

persons a fo re sa ide as also ,

with a great m any other witches to the n u mber o f,

two h u ndreth , and that all they t ogether went to

se a , ea ch one in a riddle or cive and went i nto the
,

e very su bstantially with a ggo ns o f wine,

,

m aking merrie and drinki n g by the way in the same

riddle s or cives to the K irke o f N orth Barrick in
,

Lo wthia n, and that after they h a d landed took e ,

h ands on the lande and da u nc e d this reill or shor t

de nu ce singing all with one voice
, ,

Co m me r g o e y e b ef o r e co m er g o e y e ,
,

e b g b r e co mme r le t me
s y e w ill no t g o ,
.

At which tim e shee confessed that this Ge illie s

,

D unca ne did go e before them playing this reil l

or da u nce u ppo n a sm all tru mpe called a Jewes
, ,

t ru m pe u ntil ] they e ntre d in to the K irke o f North

,

These confessions made the K inge in a wonder .

fu ll ad miration and sent fo r the saide Ge illie D u n

,

cane who u pon the like t ru mpe did play the saide
,

da u nce before the K inge s Ma j e s tie who in respect

"

o f the s trangeness o f these m atters tooke

great de
,

light to be present at their exa minations .

I tem the said Agnes S a m pson con fes sed that the
, ,

de v ill, being then at North B a rric k e K irke attend

ing their com ing in the habit or likeness o f a m a n,
,

and seeing that th ey tarried over long hee at their ,

com ing enjoined the m a ll to a pe nna nce which was, ,

tha t they shou ld kiss his b u tto c ke s, in sign o f d u ty

 s a ws n o n S O T C LAND .
23

to h im which being p u t over the p ulpit bare, every

'

o ne did as he had enjoined the m and h a v ing made

his u ngodly exhortations wherei n he did greatly
, .

inveigh against the Ki nge o f S cotland he rec e ived ,

their oathes fo r their good and tru e service towards

hi m and departed ; which do ne they ret u rned to
, ,

se a,
and so hom e again .

At which time the witches de m a u nde d o f th e

dc vi ll why he did b e a r c s u ch hatred to the Kinge
Who answered by reason the Kinge is the greatest
,

c ne mic h cc b a th in the world All which their .

c on fessions and deposi tions a re still extant u pon r e

co rd .

I te m the saide Agnes S am pson con fessed before

,

the X inges Maj esti c s u ndri e thi ngs whi ch were so ,

mirac ul o u s and strange as th a t his Majestic sa i de

,

the y were a ll extre m e liars ; whereat shee answer

ed,
shee wou ld not wish his Majestic to su ppose
her words to b e false b u t rather to believe the m
, ,

in that shee wo u ld discover su ch m atters u nto him

his Majestic sho u ld not anie way do u bt o f .

And there u pon taki ng his Majestic a little aside ,

sh e e declared u nto h im the veric wordes which pass

ed between the K inge s Maj estic and his Qu eene at
U pslo i n Norway the r st night o f m arriage with ,

the a ns wc rc c c h to other whereat th e K inge s Ma

Ja mes, who b ted tha t he wa s b o rn in th e pu re st c hurch

oa s

o n ea t h ; a nd who se c o urti e rs a lle d hi m th e Chil de o f Go d

r c ,

w a s no do u b t h igh ly gra tie d a t thi de cla ra ti o n f th e devi l s

s o

h a tre d be ca use he wa s his gre a te s t cne m ic o n e a rth T his

, .

wa s suc h a p ie ce o f a tte ry a s sui te d th e me ridia n o f the mo

na rch s inte lle c ts ED

. .
2 41 ne ws r no u s c o t t a x n .

je stic wo ndere d greatly and ,s wore b

y th e li ving
God , that he believed a ll the de v ills i n hell cou ld
no t ha ve di sco vered the
wo r ds to b e m os t
cr edit to the rest that is be fore declared .

T ou ching thi s Agnes Sa rnpsOn, shee is th e m i le

wo ma n Wb o by th e de vill s pe rs wa sio n sho u ld have

in tended a nd pu t in exec u tion th e K inge s Ma j es ties

dea th in this m anner .

Shee confesse d that shee tooke a b la cke tonde ,

and did ha ng th e same u p by th e he e lc s three dales

,

and collecte d and gathered th e v e no me it dropped

and fell from it in ane o istc r shell a nd kept th e ,

same v e no m c close covered u ntill shee sho u ld o b

,
-

ta inc anie pa rt or pe e c c o f fou le linnen cloth that

had apperta ined to th e K inge s Majestic as shirt

, ,

ha ndkercher , napkin or anie other thing which shee

, ,

ra c ti sed to o b ta i nc by m eanes o f o ne J ohn K ers

p ,

who being attendant in his Maj esties cham ber de ,

sired him fo r old acq u aintan ce betw e en the m to ,

help her to one or a pe e c c o f s uch a cloth a s is

a fo re sa ide , which thing th e saide J ohn K ers de nye d

to helpe her to saying he co nlde not helpe her u n

,

to it .

And the saide Agnes S ampson by her deposition s

since her apprehension saith , that if shee had ob
,
.

t a yne d anie o ne pe e cc o f linnen cloth which th e

Kinge had wo rnc a nd fo wle de shee ha d b e ivitch ed
,

him to de ath and pu t him to su ch e x tra o rdina rie

,

p a ine s , as if he had been lying u pon sharp thor n es

and endes o f needles .

Moreover shee confesse d, th a t a t the time whe nhi s

 2
6 me ws F O M S C O TLAND
R .

Moreover th e sa ide witches being de ma u nde d ,

h o w the divell wou ld u se them when he was in their

co mpanie th e y con fessed that when the di vc l did
, ,

r c c yc v c the m e fo r his serventes and that th e had

y ,

v owed them selves u nto him then he wo u ldc car ,

nally u se them albeit to their little pleas u re in re , ,

spect to his o olde nat u re and wo u ld doe th e like ,

at su ndri e other ti mes .

1As tou ching the a fo re sa ide Doctor Fian alias ,

John C u nningham th e examination o f his actes ,

sinc e his apprehension decl a reth the great su b tc l ,

ti c o f th e divell and therefore m aketh th inge s to ,

a e a rc th e m ore m irac u lo u s ; fo r being a re

pp pp
hended by th e accu sation o f th e sa i de G e illic s
D u nc a ne a fo re sa i de who con fessed he was their ,

r e gister a nd that there was not one m a n s u ffered

,

to com e to th e div e l s re a dingc s b u t o nl ic h e c the

saide Doctor was taken and im prisone d and u sed ,

with the accu stom ed paine provide d fo r those o f

fences inicted u pon the rest as is a fo re s a ide
, .

Frs t by thrawing o f his head with a rope

, ,

u h c rca t he wo u ld con fess nothi n g .

c o ndu c e d t th e exa t
m ina i o n o f th e wi t ch e s , no do u bt k ne w we ll

e no u gh h o w to t
e x ra c t t h i s li ttle pi e ce o f de lica t e a tte ry f o m r

th e b a
gs , so
gra tify ing to t h e pl a a te of th e ir ma s te r . ED .

I n th e b i Fif
re c o rds o f the ki k r -
se ss i o n o f T or y r ur n, n e

s hi l tre 7
, soi th f i
a e f L illi
a s Eddi
1 03 , s e co n e ss o n o o ne a s e , a

su pp d wit h wh imm di t ly ft h h d b i iti t d

o se c , o e a e a er s e a een n a e

i h i f
n t e l my t in e rna t k b hi d k i t (b i g
s e r e s, wa s a en e n a s toc , e n

h v t ti m )
a r d
es d b y h d v il
e Sh lik wi
, an m ca rrc sse t e e . e e se co

pl i th t h i mb
a ns a ld d ti f t y T h
s e ra c e s w er e co a n u nsa s a c or . e

g i d li
ro ss y f hn et i ly
ca c b q l d b
o y th i
su cr s o r e s a re o n to e e ua l e e

a b di ty W h t pi t d i p t
su r . d r
a f h
a c u re oe s t re se n t o re a e s o t e

p d y f h m
re se nt e f th t g h
a , o h t pi
t e ld a nn rs o a a e, w e n su c o cs co u

b e gra ve ly di scussed b y the K ing in co uncill l

 N E WS F RO M S C O TLAND
. . 27

Seco ndly, h cc was pers uaded by faire m eanes to

confesse his follies b u t that wou ld prevail a s little
,
.

La s tly h e c was pu t to th e m ost severe and cr u el ]

,

paine in the w o rldc called th e bootes who after he

, , ,

had received three st rokes being inqu ired if hee ,

wo u ld confess his damnable actes and wicked life ,

his toong wou ld not serve h im to speake in respect ,

whereof the rest o f th e witches willed to sc a rc hc his

toong u nder which was fou nd two pinnes th u rst u p
,

into th e heade ; where u pon the witches di d say ,

now i s the charm stinted and shewed that those , ,

charm ed pinnes were the ca u se he c o u ld not con fesse

a n thing then was he i mm ediately released o f the
y
bootes bro u ght before the King his con fession was
, ,

taken and his own hand wil lingly se t there u nto

, ,

which contained as followeth

F i r s t that at t he general ] m e c tinge s o f those
,

witc hes he was always present that he was clarke

, ,
-

to all those that were in s u bj ection to th e div e l s

service bearing the nam e o f witches that al ways

, ,

h e c did take their oathes fo r their tr u e service to

the dive] and that he wrote fo r them s u ch m atters
,

as th e dive] still pleased to co mmand h i m .

I te m hee con fessed that by his witchcra ft hee did

,

bewitch a gentlem an dwelling ne a re to the S altpans ,

where t he sa i d Doctor kept schoole only fo r being ,

enam o u red o f a gentlewo man w ho m c he loved h im

sel f ; by m eanes o f which his sorcery witchcraft , ,

and di ve lish practices h c c ca u sed the said gentle

,

m a n that once in x x iiii h o we rs he fell into a l u nacy

and m adness and so contin u ed one whole h o w c r
,

together ; and fo r th e v c ritie o f the sa me he ca u sed ,

2
28 x nw s F no n S C O TL A ND .

th e g entlem an to be bro u ght be fore the Ki n e s Ma

g
e s tie which was u pon the x x iiii day o f Dece m ber
j ,

last and being in his h fa j e stie s cha m b r s u ddenly

,
e
,

hee gave a great scritch and fell into m adness, ,

so meti m e bending hi m sel f and so m eti m e capering

,

so directly u p that his heade did to u ch the seeling

,

o f the cha mber to the great ad m iration o f his Ma

,

e s tic and others then present ; so that all the gen

j
tle m e n in the chamber were not able to hold h im ,

u ntill they called in m ore helpe who together bo u nd ,

him hand and foot and s u ffering the sai d gentle

m a n to lie sti ll u ntil his fu ri e were past hee within ,

an b o we r cam e agai n s to him sel fs when being ,

de m a un de d by th e K inge s Ma j e s tie what he sa w or

did all that while answered that he had been in a
, , .

so u mde sle e pe .

I te m the sai de Doc tor did al so con fesse that hee

'

, ,

h ad u sed m eanes su ndri e ti mes to o b ta ine his pu r

pose and wicked intent o f the sam e gentlewom an ,

and seeing h im se lfe disappointed o f his intention ,

hee deter mined by all wa ye s hee m ight to o b ta ine

the sa me tr u sting by conj u ring witc hra ft and sor
, , ,

cerie to o b ta ine it in this m anner

,
.

I t happened this gentlewom an being u nm arried ,

had a brothe r who went to schoole with the saide

Doctor an d calling the saide scholler to him de
, ,

m a u nded if hee did lie with his sister who answer ,

ed he did by m eanes whereof he thou ght to obta in

,

his p u rpose and therefore secretly pro mised to

,

teac h h im witho u t stripes so he wo u lde o b ta i ne fo r

,

h im three hairs o f his sister s pri vi te e s at s u ch ti m e

as hee shou ld spie best occasion fo r it ; which the

 NE WS F OM S C O TLAND
R . 29

yo u th promised faith fu lly to perfor m e and vowed ,

sp eedily to pu t it in pra ctice taking a piec e o f con,

j u red paper o f his maister to lap them in when hee

had gotten them and there u pon the boy practised
ni ghtly to o b ta ine his m aister s p u rpose especi ally

when his sister was asleep .

B u t God who kno weth the secret o f all harts

, ,

and revealeth all wicked and u ngodly practices ,

wou ld not su ffer the intents o f this dive lish Doctor

t o co m e to that p u rpo se which hee s u ppo sed it

w o u lde
, and therefore to de c la ire that hee was
heavily offended with his wicked intent did so work ,

by the gentlewom an s own m eanes that in the ende

,

the sam e was discovered and bro u ght to light ;

fo r shee being one night asleep and her brother i n ,

bed with her so da i nly cried o u t to her m other,de

,

elat ing that her brother wo u lde not s u ffer her to

sle e e
p w h ere u pon her m oth e r having a
, q u ieke ca

a c itie di d vehe mently s u spect Do c to r I tem s i n

p ,

tention by reaso n shee was a witch o f hersel f and

, ,

therefore presently arose and was very inqu isitive

,

o f the boy to u nderstand his intent and the better ,

to know the sam e did bea t h im with s u ndrie stripes

, ,

whereby hee discovered the tr u th u nto her .

The m other therefore being well practised in

, ,
h

witchcraft did think e it most convenient to m e e te

,

with the Doctor in his o wne arte and there u pon ,

took the pape r from the boy w herein hee wou ld

have pu t the same haires and went to a yong ,

h e yfe r which never ha d borne ca l f nor gone u nto ,

the bu ll and with a paire o f sh e e re s clipped O ff

,

three hair es fro m the u dder O f the c o w and wrapt ,

3
 NE WS F R M S CO TL A ND

30 O .

them in the same paper which shee again deliver ,

ed to the boy then willing him to give the sam e to

,

his saide m ais ter which he e i mm ediately did

, .

The schoole m aister smso o ne as he did recieve ,

them thinking the m inde e ddto be the m aids haires

, ,

went straight and wro u ght his arte u pon them :

B u t the Doc tor had no sooner done h is int ent to
them b u t presently the h a yfe r cow whos e haires
, ,

they were i nde e de cam e u nto the door o f th e

,

ch u rch wherein th e schoole m aister was into the ,

which the h a yfe r went and m ade towards the ,

schoole m aister leaping and dancing u pon h i m

, ,

and foll owing him forth o f the ch u rch and to what ,

pla ce soever he went to the great a d m iration O f a ll

,

th e townsm en o f S altpans and m any others who ,

did behold the sam e .

The report whereof made all m e n i m agine that

hee did w o rk e it by the dive] withou t wh o m e it ,

c o nlde n e ver have been so s u fciently effected ; and

there u pon the na me O f the sa i de Doctor Fian (who

was b u t a you ng m a n) began to grow comm on ,

am ong the people O f S cotland that he was secretly ,

nominated fo r a nota ble conj u r e r .

All which altho u gh in the b eginning he denied

, ,

and wo u lde not con fesse yet having felt the paine ,

o f the bootes
(and
,
the char m e stinted as a fore
saide) hee confessed all the a fo re sa ide to be m ost

We ha ve no do u b t th t th b
a e t
oo e s we re a m ost i ca ci o u s
e ff

en
gi ne to pr oc u re a c o nfe ss i o n; a nd th e D o c o tr w o u ld m os t
k v
li e ly ha e c o nfe sse d h t at
he ha d th e moo n in his p o ck e t b y the
sa me mea ns . ED .
 NE WS F RO M ' SCO T L A ND 31

true witho u t p r od ucing any witnesses to j u stie

,

the sa m e ; and there u pon b e fore the Kings Maj es

tie hee su bscrib e d the sayd con fessione with his
o wne hande which fo r tr u th re mainet h upon re
,
.

After that the depositions and exa m inations o f

the sayd Doctor Fian alias C u ningh a m was taken
, , ,

as a lre ddie is declared with his own hand willingly

,

set thereu nto h e e was by the m aister o f the prison

,

com mi ted to ward and appointed to a cham be r by

,

him se lfe where fo re sa ki ng hi s wicked w a ye s

, ,

knowledging his m ost u ngo dl y life she wing that ,

hee ha d too m u ch followed the all u rem ents and e u

tic e m e nt s o f S athan and fondly practised his con
,

el u sions by conj u ring witchcraft i nc h a ntm e nt , , ,

so rc e ri e and su ch like he renou n c ed the divel and

, ,

all hi s wicked wo rk e s vowed to lead the lyfe O f a

,

C h ristian and see m ed newly converted towards

,

Go d .

The m orrow after u pon conference h a d with

,

him hee granted that the divel had appeared u nto

,

h im in the night be fore appareled all in bl a c ke , ,

with a white wande in h is hande and that the di

vel dem anded O f him if hee w o u lde contin u e his
fa i th q service according to his rst oath and pro
,

m ise m ade to that effect W h o m e (as hee then .

saide) hee u tterly renou nced to his fac e and said

, ,

u nto him in this m anner avoids S atan a vo ide fo r , , , ,

I h a ve listened too mu ch u nto thee and by the sa m e ,

tho u hast u ndone m e in respect whereof I u tterly

,

forsake thee T O who m c the divel answered that ,

once e re th o u die thou shal t b e e mine ; and with

32 NEws F RO M S C O T LAND .

tha t (a s h ee sayd ) the divel brake the white wande

, ,

and i mm edi ately vanished forth o f his sight .

Th u s all th e da ie thi s Doctor Fian conti n u ed

'

veric solitarie and seem ed to have a care o f his

,
'

and wou ld call u pon G o d shewing

'

o w ne so u le , ,

him selfs penitent fo r his wicked lyfe ; neverth el ess .

the sa me night hee fou nd s u ch m eanes that he stole

the key o f the prison doore and chamber in which
he was whi ch in the night he Opened and e d
,
'

a wa i e to the S altpans where he was a l wa ye s resi

,

dent and rst apprehended O f whose sod a ine

,
.

departu re when the Kings M a j e stie had inte lli

gence hee presently ca u sed dillige nt inq u irie to
,

be m ade fo r his apprehension and fo r the better

effecting thereo f hee sent p u blic proclamations into
,

all parts o f his land to the sam e effect By m eanes

o f wh o se hot and h a rde p u rs ui te he was again

taken and brou ght to prison and then being call

ed before the Kings Highness, he was reexam ined
as well to u ching his departu re as also to u ching all ,

that had before happened .

B u t t his Doctor notwithsta nding that his ow h e

,

confession appeareth remaining in recorde u nder

his o wne hande w ritting and the same there u nto ,

xed in the pre sence O f the Kings Majestic and

-

su ndri s o f his cou ncil] yet did he u tte rly denie the
,

sam e .

There u pon the Kings M a j e sti e pe rcie v ing his

s tu b b o rne Wi llfu l lne ss co ncie v e d and i m agined that
,

in the ti me o f h is absence hee h a d entered into

newe con ference and leag u e with the di ve l! his
maister ; a nd that hee h a d beene agai n ne we ly
34 NE WS F R M S C O TL AN D
O .

ma lefac tors as a l so fo r examples sa k e to re ma yne

, ,

a t e rro u r to a ll others herea fter that shall atte mpt

to deale in the lyke wicked and u ngo dlye actions ,

as witchcraft so rc e rie c u nj u ra tio n and s u ch lyke

, , , ,

the saide Doctor Fian was soon after arraigned ,

conde mned and adj u dged by the la w to die and

, ,

then to be bu rned according to the lawe o f th at

lande provided in that b e h a l fe W here u pon h e
.

was pu t into a carts and being rst stra ngu le d hee

, ,

was im m ediately pu t into a great fi re being re a die ,

p rovided fo r that p u rpose and there b u rned in the

,

Castile Hill o f Ede nb ro u gh on a Sa te rda ie in the

,

ende o f Ja nu a rie last past 1 5 91 ,

.

The rest o f th e witch es which are not yet e x c

c u te d re ma ne in prison till farther trial ] and
, y
knowledge o f his Majesties pleasu re .

This strange discou rse be fore recited m a y per ,

haps give som e occasion O f do u bt to s u ch as shall

happe n to reade the sam e and thereby conjectu re
,

that the Kings Maj estic wo u ld h a z z a rde hi m se lfe

in th e presence o f s u c h notoriou s witches least ,

thereby m ight have ens u ed great danger to his

person and the general state o f th e land which ,

thing in tru th m ight we] have beene feared B u t

,
.

to answer genera l ly to s u ch let this s u i c e ; that

rst it is well known that the K ing is the C hild and
se rvant o f God and they b u t the servants to the
,

devil he is th e Lord s anointed and th e y b u t

v c sse le s o f God s wrath ; hee is a tru e Christian

,

and tr u steth in G o d ; they worse than inde ls fo r ,

they o nly tr u st in the dive ] who daily serve them,

,
 NEWS F RO M S C TLAN
O D. 35

till hee have brou ght the m to u tter destr u ction .

B u t hereby it see meth that his Highness carried

a m agnani mou s and u nda u nted mind ,not feared
with their inc ha ntme nts b u t resol u te in this that
, ,

so long as God is with h im h ee fearet h not who is

against him ; and tru lic th e whole scope O f t hi s
,

Treatise do o th so pla inlic laic open the wonderfu l]

Providence o f the Al m igh tic that if hee had not
,

been defended by his omnipotence and power his ,

Hi ghness had never ret u rned alive in his v o ia gc

from D e nma r k c so there is no do u bt b u t God
,

w o u ldc as well de fend him on th e land as on t h e

sea where they pretended their dam nable practice

, .

FINI S .
 A N O T HER
A CC O U N T
O F T HE

F O R EG O I NG T R A NS A C T I O NS ,

Ex tra c te d f ro m SI R J AM ES M ELVi L s Memoi rs ,

page 3 88 , octavo edition .

A B OU T this ti me m any witches were taken in

Lothian who deposed concerning so m e design o f
,

th e E arl o f B o th w e ll s against his Maj c s ty s person

.

W hich co ming to t he said E arl s ears he entered

in ward within the Castle o f E dinb u rgh desiring ,

to be tried alledging that the devil who was a

, ,

liar from the beginning ou ght not to be credited

, ,

no r yet th e witches his sworn serv ants Espe c i

,
.

a l ly a renowned m id wi fe called A m
y S i m son a frm

ed that she in com pany with nine other Witches

, , ,

being convened in th e night beside Prestonpans ,

the devil their m aster be ing present standing in ,

th e m idst O f them a body o f wax shapen and

, ,

m ade by the said A m y S i m son wrapped within a ,

linnen cl oth was rst delivered to the devil ; who

, ,

after he had pronou nced his verdict delivered the ,

said pictu re to Amy S i mso n and she to her next

,

nei hbo u r, a nd so every one rou nd a bo u t, sa in

g y g ,
 Ex r a a c r s FR OM M E LVI L S M E MO I
R S ; 37

This is K ing J a m c s VI or der ed to b e co nsu me d a t .

the ins ta nc e (f a nob le ma n , F ran c is E arl Bothwel l .

Afte r ward again at the ir meeting by night in the

kirk O f North Berwic k wh ere the devil cla d in a , ,

bla ck gown with a black hat u pon h is he ad preach

, ,

e d u nto a great n u m ber o f the m o u t o f the p ul pit ,

having light ca ndl es ro u nd abou t h i m .

The effect o f his langu age was to know what

'

h u rt they h a d done how many the y had gained to

their o pm l o n s m ee t he last m eeting ; what su ccess
the m elti ng O f the pict u re had and s u ch ot her vain ,

things And beca u se an old silly poor plou gh man

.
,

called Gray Me ilt ch a nced to say that nothing ail , ,

ed the King ye t God be thanked the devil gave , ,

h im a grea t blow Th u s divers a mong them c n

.

t rc d in reasoning m arvelling that all their devilry

,

co u ld do no ha r m to the King as it h a d done to ,

divers others The devil answered il es t u m ho m

.
,

me de D ie u ce rtainly b e is a m a n o f God and does

, ,

no wrong wittingly b u t he is inclin e d to a l l G o d ,

line s s j u stice and ver tu e there fore God ha th pre

, , ,

s erved h i m in th e m idst o f m any dangers No w .

,

after that the devil had en ded his a d m onitions he ,

cam e down o u t o f the p u lpit and c a u sed a ll the ,

co mpany co m e kiss his arse ; which they sa id was

cold like ice his body hard like iron as th e y
, ,

I t wa s c e rt a inly ve ry kind i n t he de il v thus to v o u ch fo r

Ja me s

s bi e n
g a m a n o f G o d, a nd o ne wh o di d no w ro ng wi t
t ingly , b ut wa s in c line d t o a ll G o dline ss , Ju s t ic c , a nd Vir tu e .

T h is i s a mos t exc e l le nt ch a ra c e r t . B ut p t
o s e rity a re i nc line d
to b e of Ea rl Ro th w e ll s
O pi ni o n, t ha t th e de vil is a lia r, a nd

ou t
gh no t to b e t
c re di e d. ED .

D
38 EX T RACT S F RO M M E L VIL S M EM O I RS
.

thou ght who handl ed h im his face was terrible ; ,

his no se like t he beak O f an e a gle great bu rning ,

eyes his hands and his legs were hoary with claws
, ,

u pon his hands and feet like th e ri i n h c s poke

g
-

wi th a low voice .

The trick s and tragedies he pl a yed then am ong

so m any m e n and wom en in this co u ntry will hard
,

ly get credit by posterity the history whereof ,

w ith their whole depositions was written by Mr ,

Jam es Car michael m inister o f Haddington

, A .

m ong other things so m e o f themdid shew that

, ,

there was a westland m a n called Richard Graham , ,

w h o had a fa m iliar spirit the which Richard they ,

said cou ld bo th do and tell m any things chiey ,

against th e E arl o f Bothwell W here u pon the said .

R ichard Graham was apprehended and brou ght to

E dinbu rgh ; and being exam ined before his Ma
,

jesty I being present b e granted that he had a fa

, ,

m iliar spirit which shewed h im su ndrie things b u t ,

he d enied that he was a witch or had any fre q u e n ,

t a tio n with the m B u t when it was answered

.

again how that A my S i m so n had declared that

, ,

b e cau sed the E arl O f Bothwell address h im to her ,

he granted that to be t ru e and that the E arl o f ,

Bothwell had knowledge o f him by E ffe Machal

lou n and Barbary Napier Edinb u rgh wom en , .

Where u pon he was sent fo r by the E ar] Bothwell ,

w h o requ ired his help to cau se the Kings M a jesty

his m aster to like well o f h im And to that effect .

T hi s p b bly i
ro a s th e a u th or of th e fo re go ing T ru e Dis
c o u rse .

ED .
 EX T RACT S F O M MR V M E MO I S
R

L iL s R . 89

he gave th e said E arl so me dr g or herb

u willing ,

him at so me convenient ti m e to to u ch therewith his

Majesty s face W hich being done by the said

.

E arl ine e c tu a lly b e dealt again with th e said

'

Rich ard to get his Majesty wreck ed as Richar d ,

alledged ; who said he co u ld not do s u ch thing s

,

him sel f b u t that a notable m id wi fe who was a

, ,

witch C alled A m y S im son co u ld bring any s u ch

, ,

u rpose to pas s Th u s fa r the said Richard Gra

p .

h a m afr m ed divers ti mes be fore the cou ncil ;

'

nevertheless b e was b u rnt with the said S i m son

, ,

and manyother witches This Richard alledged.

,

that it w a s certa in what is reported o f the fairies ,

and that spirits ma y take a for m a n d be seen

, .

thou gh not felt .

 A D VER T I S EM ENT .

F R O M the fo regoing Tra c D is co u rse it will

i
,

be seen what an active part Jam es took in the e x a s

m ination o f Doctor F ian and the other witche s .

From this sou rce he mos t probably collected tho se

m a t eri a l s which he has wro u ght u p into a Da e mo n
o lo ze a work which no do u bt con trib u te d to o h
'

g ,

ta i n fo r h im from the E nglish bishops the appe la ,

t1on o f the B r i tis h So lo mo n In this work h e .

appears to be m ore intim ately acqu ainted with th e

interna l polity o f the De vi l s kingdom than he was

w ith his own The kingdom o f Sa tha n was then

.

in its zenith o f power ; b u t like other states and

,

kingdom s it has su nk into great weakness and de

,

b ility . The ho rn d die l who cou ld then m a ke
,

th e greatest personages shake in their shoes cannot ,

now frighten a child and the r o a r mg Zio n who !

,

u sed to be goi ng abo u t seeking whom he m ight dc

vou r m u st su rely be a be tter ho u sekeeper than

,

form erly as he is never seen abroad even by an

, ,

old wom an .
 EX T R AC TS

KI N
G
!

JA MES
S D AEM O NO LO G I E,

O O NCER NLNG

T HE persons that give the mselves to witchcra ft ,

a re o f two sorts rich and o f better a cco mpt poore

, ,

and o f b a sc r degree The se two degre e s a ns wc rc

.

to the pa ssions in them which the divel] u ses as

,

m eanes to entice them to his service ; fo r s u ch o f

them as a re in great m iserie and po v e r tic he all u res ,

to follow h im by promising u nto them great riches

,

and worldly c o mm o ditie S u ch as tho u gh rich yet

.
,

b u rnc in a des perate desire o f revenge he all u res ,

them by pro m ises to get their tu rne satised to

their hearts contentm ent It is to be noted now .
,

that that olde and c ra ftie cnem ic O f o u rs a s sa ilc s

none thou gh to u ched with any o f these two e x tre
,

m itic e except he rst ndc an entresse ready fo r

,

h im either by the great ignorance o f the person he

,

deales with j o yne d with an evil ] life or else by

, ,

their c a re le ssne sse and contempt o f God And .

 Rx m a c rs '
FR OM _ DA EM O NO LO G I E

. $3

ndi ng thc m in a n u t te r de spa ire , h e

p p a rc s the rc

wa y by fee d ing them a a fte ly in their h u m o u r and ,

lling the m i rthe r and fu rthe r wi th despa ir e -

,

wh ile hee nde the tim e proper to di sc o ve r hi mself

u nto th e m At whic h ti m e e ith er u pon their w a l k
.
,

ing solitari e in the e lde s o r else lying pa u si ng in

,

their bed b u t a lwa ie s wi tho u t t he co mpa ny o f a ny

,

othe r he e eit h e r by a vo yo e o r in lik e ne s se o f a

, , ,

m a n inqu ires o f th e m what t ro u b les them a nd

, ,

prom ise d] them a su dda inc a n d c e rta me wa y o f

'

re medi e u po n c onditio n on the othe r pa rt tha t

, , ,

they fo llo w his advise and doe suc h th in gs as he

,

w ill req u ire o f them Their m iu des being pre

.

pared beforehand they easily agree u nto that de

,

m and o f his and syn c sets another t ryist wh e re

,

th e y m a y m e e te a ga ine At which tim e before

.
,

hee pro c e c de any fu rther with them he e rst e r

p
.
,

swa de s them to addi ct them selves to his service ,

wh ich be in g easily obt ained he then dis covers what ,

he i s u nto th e m ma ke s them to renou nce the ir

,

God a nd ba pti s m e d irectl y and gives the m his ,

ma rke u pon som e secret plac e o f the ir bodi e which ,

re m a ine s sc a r e u nhea l ed while his next m ee ti ng

with th e m and therea fter ever ins ensi ble howso

, ,

ever it be nipped o r pric k ed by any a s is daily ,

oo o v e d to ive them a o o fe th ere b y tha t

p , g p r ,

th at doi ng he co u hd h u rt a nd h e a l c t hem so a ll ,

their ill and well doing thereafter m u st depe nd

u pon him ; and besid es that t h e int o lera b le do
, ,

lo u r that tlmy c c lc in tha t plac e whe re he ha t h

ma rked the m se r ves to wake n them a nd no t to le t
, ,

the m r est, whil e the ir nex t meeting aga i ns ; fe a rmg

'
44 nx r nA c r s F RO M D A EMO N E
'
O LO GI .

les t o the rwa ie s they m ight either lb rge t hi m be ing

"

as new pre ntise s a nd not well enou gh fou nded yet

,

in th a t e ndly follie or else rem em bering o f that

horrible prom ise they m ade h im at their last m eet
ing th ey m igh t s k u nne r at the same and pr esse
, ,

to call it bac ke At their third m ee ti nge hee

.
,

m akes a shew to be c a re q to perfor m e his pro

m ises either by teaching them wales how to get
,

them selves rev enged if they be o f that sort or else , ,

by teaching them le sso ns h o w by m ost vil e and

'

u nlaw fu l ] m eanes they m a y o b ta i nc gain e and

w orldly co mmo ditie if they be of the other sort

'

, .

T he Wi tches a c ti ns o di v ide d i nto two p a r ts Th e

a c tio
np p
s ro er to the i r o wn
p e r s o ns M M
nd a do r i ng j the i r Ma s te r

h i r Co nve ntio ns
of t e a o .

T HE I actions ma ybe divided into tw

R o
pa rts ;
th e a c tio ns o f their o w ne persons and the actions
'

proceeding from the m towards any other and th is

division being well u nderstood will easily resolve ,

w hat is possible to them to doe For altho u gh .

a ll that they con fes se is no lie u pon their pa rt ,

yet do u b tle sly l n m y opinion a part of it is not

, ,

inde e de according a s they tak e it to be fo r the ,

divell ill u des the senses o f these sc ho lle rs of hi s in

m any things .

To the effect that they ma y perform e su ch ser

'

vices o f their fa l se m aster as he em ploys the m in ,

the devil] as God s ape co u nterfeits in hi s servants

,

,

th is se rvi e and forme o f a do ration that God pre

c
'
 nx r w F RO M na nu o u o co o m 45
'

rs .

scribe d and ma de h is servants to pra ctise fo r as

the servants o f Go d p u b like ly u se to c o nve e ne fo r
serving o f him so m akes he the m in great n u m bers
,

to c o nv e e ne (tho u gh p u b like ly they dare not ) fo r ,

his servi ce As none c o nv e e ne s to the adoration

.

and worshi pping o f God except they be marked ,

wi th hi s sc a le th e sacram ent o f ba pt is m e ; so none

,

serves S atan and c o nv e e ne s to the a do ring o f h im

, ,

that a re not m ar k ed wi th that m a rk s where of I si

re a di e spake As the m inis te r se nt b y God teach
.

e th
p la ine l
y a t the ti m e o f their pu blike c o nve n

t io ns, hhw to w i re him in spirit a nd tre wt h so ,

tha t u nc lean spi ri t in his o wne person tea che th his

, ,

disciples a t the ti m e o f their c o nv e e ning h o w to ,

w o rk e a ll ki nd o f mi sc h ie fe and c raves c o u m pt o f
,

all their hor ri bl e and dete stable pm c e e dings pass ed

fo r ad van c e m ent o f his service : Yea that hee m a y ,

the m ore vilely co un terfeit and s corn o God he o ft ,

tim es m akes his slaves to c o nve e ne in

laces which are de s tin ate a n d orda i ned fo r the
p
co nv e e ni ng o f the serv a nts o f God (I m ea ne by ,

ch u rche s ) B u t this fa rre which I have yet said

.
,

I not 0 11e tak e it to be trew in their opinion s b u t ,

even so to be indeed ; fo r the fo r m e that he u sed

in cou nterfe it ing God a m ongst the Gentile s m akes ,

me so to thi nk ; a s G o d spa k e b y his o ra c le s spake ,

he li o t s o by hi s ? As Go d h a d a s w e ll b lo o die sa c
'

rice s , as o th e r s Withou t blood had not he the ,

like ? As Go d ha d c hu rc he s sa ncti ed to his ser

vice with al tars prie sts sacrices ce r em onie s and
, , , , ,

prayers ha d he no t the li ke po llu ted to his service P

,

As G od gave responses by Urim and T hu mmsm,

46 EX T RA CT S FR OM D A EMO NO LO GI E .

gave he not his responses by the i ntra lle s o f beasts ,

by the singing o f fo wles and by their actions in the

,

aire ? As God by visions dre a m e s and extasies

, , ,

revealed what was to com e and what was his will

,

u nto his servants u sed hee not the like m eanes to

,

fo re wa rne his slaves o f things to com e ? Yea even ,

as God loved c le a ne ne sse hated vice and i m pu ri tie

, ,

and appointed p u nish m ents there fore u sed he not ,

the like (thou gh fa ls ly I grant and b u t in eschew

, ,

ing the l esse inconvenience to dra w the m u pon a

,

greater) yet dissim u la ted he not I say so farre as

, , ,

to appoint his priests to k e e pe their bodies cleane

and u ndele d be fore their as ki ng responses o f him ?
,

And fained he not G o d to be a pro t e c to u r o f e very

,

vertu e and a j u st revenger o f the contrarie ? This

,

reason then m o oves m e that as he is that sam e di

,

vell a nd as crafty now as he was then so will he

, ,

not spare as pert ly in these actions that I have

spoken o f concerning the witches persons ; b u t fu r

ther witches o ft ti mes con fesse not only his con

, ,

v e e nin in the ch u rch with the m b u t his occ u py

g ,

ing o f the p u lpit Ye a their form e o f adoration to

,

be th e kissing o f his hinder pa r ts which thou gh it , ,

seem e ridicu lou s yet ma y it likewise be tre w see

, ,

ing we read e that in C a liente he appear ed in for m e

o f a goat b u cke
-
hath pu b lik e ly that u nhonest h o
,

m age done u nto him by every one o f the people .

S o ambiti ou s is he and greedy o f honou r (which

, ,

proc u red his fall) that he will even i m itate God in

that part where it is said that Mo yse s cou ld see
,

b u t the k i nde r p a r ts g Go d f o r the b rags mes se f

"

his gb ry .
 nx r na c r s .
FR M D
O A EMO NO LO G I E . 47

W t a re wa ges p o s si b le whe r e by the Wi tc he s

the

ma y tr a nsp or t the mse lves to p la c e s j a r r e dis ta nt

And wha t a re i mp ossib le a nd w e re illus io ns

P a r B
by what way say th ey or th ink e ye e
ut ,

it possible they c a n co m e to these u nla w q con

,

i
v e nt o ns P
EFL There is the thing which their I e s te e m e

sen ses to be del u ded in and thou gh they lie not in

,

confessing o f it becau se they thinks it to b e tre w

, ,

yet not to be so in su bstance or effect fo r they say ,

that by divers m eanes they ma y c o nv e e ne either to ,

the adoring o f their m aster or to the p u tting in ,

practise any service o f his co m m itted u nto their

charge ; one way is nat u ral] which is na tu ra l l rid ,

ing going or sailing at what hou re their m aster

, , ,

com es and advertises them a nd this way m a y be

easily b e le e v e d another way is somewhat m ore
strange and yet it is possible to bee trew which is
, , ,

by being ca ried by the force o f the spirit which is ,

their co ndu c te r either above the earth or above

, ,

the sea swiftly to the place where they a re to m ee t ;

,

which I a m perswaded to bee likewise possible in ,

re spect that as Habakk u k was carried by the angel

,

in that for m e to the den where Daniel lay so I ,

th ink e the divell will be re a die to im itate God as

well in that as in other things ; which is m u ch m ore

tte n b y w y o f di a l
T h e D a e mo no lo gie i s wri a o
gu e , in wh ich
P hilo ma th e s a nd Epistem o n re a so n th e ma tte r .
48 Ex crna c rs
'
FR M
O na nmo no mcm .

possible to him to doe be ing a spi rit then to a , ,

m ighty wind being b u t a nat u ral] m eteo re to trans

,

p ort fro m o ne place to another a solide bod

y as is ,

com m only and daily seene in pra ctise b u t 111 this

violent form e they cannot be caried b u t a short
bou nds agreeing with the space that they m a y re
,

tain their b re a th fo r if it were longer th e ir bre ath

,
~

co u ld not rem ain u ne x ting nish e d t hei r body being ,

caried in s u ch a violent and forcible m anner as by

exam ple if one fa ll o ff a sm all height h is li fe is b u t
, ,

in pe ri ll according to the hard or so ft lighting b u t

,

if one fall fro m an high and stay rocke his breath ,

w il l be forci bl banished from the bod be fore he

y y
can win to t he earth as is o ft sce ne by expe rience ;
,

a nd in this tran sporting the say th em selves th at

y ,

they are inv isible to any other except a m ongst ,

thems el ves w h ic h m a y also be possible in m y opi

,

nion ; fo r if the devil] m a y form e what kinde o f

i mpressions he p lease s in the aire why m a y h e not ,

farre e a s ili e r thicken and obsc u re so the aire tha t

is ne xt abou t them by contracting it strai t s toge
,
i

th e r tha t th e beam es o f any othe r m an s eyes can

,

not pierce th row th e sa m e to see them ? B u t the

third way o f t heir c o mm ing to th e ir conven tions is
th at wher ein I th ink e the m del u ded ; fo r som e o f
the m say tha t being transfor m ed in the li k e ne sse
,

o f a little beas t or fo ul e the y will co m e and picn ic

,

thro u gh whatsoever ho u se or ch u rc h t hough a ll ,

ordina r ie passages be closed by whatsoever open ,

the aire m a y enter in at ; and som e say that their ,

bo dies lying still as in an extasie their spirits will

, ,

be ravished o u t o f their bodies a nd caried to s uch ,

50 Ex r na c r s FR MO D AEMO NO LO G I E .

ritu al ] transporting it is ce rtaine the soul es going

,

o u t o f the body is the onely denition o f na tur a ll

,

dea t h and w ho are once dead God forbid we ,

shou ld thi nk e that it shou ld lie in the power o f all

the di v els in hell to r estor e them to the ir life again ,

a l th o u gh he can u t his o w ne s ir it i n a dead body

p p ,

fo r that is the ofce properly belonging to God ;

and besides that the so ul e once parting fro m the
, ,

body cannot wande r any longer in the world b u t

, ,

to the o wne resting place m u st it goe im m ediatel y ,

abiding the conj u nction o f the body again at the

latter day And what Chri st or the prophets did
.

mir ac u lou sly in this ca se it can in no Chri stian ,

m an s opinio n be m ade com mon with the di vel As

.

fo r any tokens that they give fo r proving o f this ,

it is very possible to the div e l s craft to perswade

them to these meanes ; fo r he being a spirit m a y ,

he not so ravish their thou ghts and d u ll their ,

senses that their body lying as dead he m a y o h

, ,

e c t to their spirits as it were in a dre a m e a nd re

j , ,

pr esent su ch form es o f persons o f plac es and other , ,

circ umsta nces as he pleases to ill u de them with

,

Yea tha t h e m a y de ceive the m with the greater

,

e i c a cie ma he not at the sam e instant by fello w

y , , ,

angels o f h is ill ude s u ch other persons so in that

,

same fas hion with whom hee m akes them to b e

,

les ve th at they m ette that a ll their reports and ,

toke ns thou gh severally exa min e d m a y every o ne

, ,

agree wit h another ? And that whatsoever actions ,

eithe r in h u rting me n or be as ts or whatsoever other ,

thing that they fa lsly im agine at that time to have

done, ma y by himse lfs o r his m a rro we s at th a t
 Ex r na c rs F RO M na s m mm om . 51

m e time b indeed ; so a s if they Wo u ld

do ne
'
'

sa e

give fo r a to ken o f their being ravish ed a t the death

o f s u c h a perso n wi thin so short a Space th e rea fter ,

whom they b e le e v e to h ave poisoned or witched a t

that inst ant might he not at th a t sa m e ho u re have
,
'

smitten that sa m e person by the perm ission o f ,

God to the farthe r deceiving o f them and to

, ,

m oove others to b e le e ve th e m And t his is s u rely

the lik e lye s t way ; a nd m os t acco rdi ng to reason ,

which my j u dge ment can nde o u t in this and

wha tsoever other u nna t u ra l points o f the ir co nfe s ~

sion .

Wi tche s a c tio ns to wa r ds o the rs Why the re a re mo r e

Ma s te r Wha t i s the su re st r e me d
y gf th e ho r riz e s
do ne by t he m

P un F o nso o r n this see m s to

yo ur o f

pi nio n in
'

ca ry m ost reason with it ; ye have ended a nd since

then the actions belongi ng p roperly to their o wne

persons say forward no w to the ir actions u sed t o
,

wards others .

Er t I n their actions u sed to wards o th e rs thre e

.
,

things ou ght to be considered ; rst the manner ,

o f th e ir cons u lti ng there u po n ; next the ir pa rt as ,

ins tru ments ; and last their maste r s part who

, ,

pu ts th e sam e in execu tion As to the ir con su lta tions .

the re u pon they u se them oftest in the ch u rche s

, ,

where they c o nve e ne fo r ad oring ; at which tim e

2
52 Ex r na c r s '
FR M O DA EMO NO LOG I E.

their m aster enq u iring a t them wha t they w o u ld b e

at every one o f th e m propones u nto him w hat
,

wicked t u rn e they wou ld have done eit her fo r o h -

t aining o f riches or fo r re v e ngi ng the m u po n an y

, ,

w hom they have m alice at who granting their de

m au nd as no dou bt willingly he will since it is to
, ,

doe e vill hee teacheth the m the m eanes whereby

,

they ma y doe the sam e As fo r little triing t u rnes

.

that wo m en have adoe with he c a u seth the m to ,

j oynt dead corpses and to m ake powders thereo f

, ,

m ixing s u ch other things theream ongst as lig gives

u nto the m .

P H 1 B u t be fore ye go e fu rther perm it m e I

.
, ,

pray yo u to interr u pt yo u one word which ye have

, ,

u t m e in m em orie o f b speaki ng o f wo men

p y
W hat can be the cau se that there are t we ntie wo
m e n given to that craft where there i s one ma n ?

EP 1 The reason is e a s ie fo r as that sexe i s

.
,

frailer than m a n is so is it easier to b e intr a ppe d

,

in these grosse snares o f the divell as was over ,

well pro o v e d to b e trew by the serpent s deceiving,

o f E ve at the beginning which makes hi m the h o ,

m elier with that sexe se nsine .

P m .Re tu r ne now where ye left

- .

EPI T O som e oth ers at these ti m es he teacheth

'
.

bow to m ake pictu res o f w a x e or clay that by the ,

roa sting thereof t h e persons that th ey be are the

,
~

nam e o f m a y be contin u ally m elted or dried away

.

by oo ntinu a ll sic k ne sse To so m e he gives su ch

.

stones or po nde rs as will he lpc to c u re or cast on

diseases ; and to som e hee teacheth kindes o f nu
co u th poysons which m ediciners u nderstand no t
,
 nx rna c r s n o : na nn o no w c
'
m? 53

no t t hat any o f these meanes which he teach eth

them (ex c ept the poysons wh ich are co mposed o f
,

things na tu ra ll) can o f them selves helpe any thing

,

to the se t u rne s that they are e mployed in b u t onely ,

being God s ape as well in that as in all other

, ,

things E ven as Go d by his sac ra m ent s wh ich are

.
,
.
'

earthly o f them selves work s s a heavenly e e c t

, ,

tho u gh no wa y e s by any cooperation in th e m and

as Christ by clay and spettle wrou ght together ,

opene d the ey es of the b linde ma n s u ppose there was

,

no vertu e in that which he o u t wardly applied so ,

the dive] will have his ou tward m ea nes to be she we s

as it were o f his doing which hath no part or c c
,

o e ra t 1o n i n his t u rnes wi th hi m
p how farre that
,

e v er the ignorants be abu sed in the contrarie A nd .

as to the effect s o f these two form er parts to wi t , ,

the cons u ltations and the o u tward m eanes they are ,

so wonderfu l] as I dare not alledge any o f them

,

witho u t j o yning a s u fcient reason o f the po ssib ili ti e

thereof ; fo r leaving a ll the s ma ll trie s a m ong
wives and to speake o f the principa l] points o f their
,

craft fo r the c o m mon t rie s thereo f they can doe

, ,

witho u t converting well enou gh by the m selves

these principal ] points I say are thesethey ca n
,

, ,

m ake me n or wo m en to love or hate other which ,

m a y be very possible to the dive ] to e ffect u ate see ,

ing he being a s ubtile spirit knowes well eno u gh

,

how to perswade the corru pted affection o f the m

wh o m God will permit him to deal with they can ,

lay the sick ne sse o f one u pon another which lik e ,

.

wi se is very possible u nto him ; fo r since b y G od s

permiss ion he laide sic k ne sse u pon Job, Why ma y

3
54 EX T RA CT S FR MO DA EMO NO LO G I E .

he not farre e a silie r lay it u pon any other ? For a s

a n old ra c ti tia n hee knowes well enou gh what
p ,

h u mou r do m ines m o st in any o f u s a nd as a spiri t ,

h e can s u b tillie waken u p the sam e m aking it pec ,

cant or to abo u nd as hee th ink e s m e e t fo r trou

, , ,

bling o f u s when God will so perm it him And fo r

, .

the taking o ff o f it no dou bt he will be glad to t e

,

lieve s u ch o f present pai ne as he ma y th ink e by

these m eanes to perswade to be catched in his ever
lasting snares and fetters They can bewitch and
.

take the life o f me n or wo men by roasting o f the ,

pictu res as I spake o f before which likewise i s

, ,

v e ri e possible to their m aster to perform e ; fo r a l

t hou gh that instru m ent o f w a x e have no vert u e in

that t u rne doing yet m a y he not very well even by

, ,

th e sa m e m eas u re that his conj u red slaves melts

that w a x e at the re m a y he not I say at these
, , ,

same tim es s u b tily as a spirit so weaken and scat

, ,

ter the spirits o f life o f the patient as m a y m ake ,

h im on the one part fo r fa intne sse to sweat o u t

, ,

the h u m ou r o f his bodie and on the other part fo r

, ,

the not conc u rrence o f these spirits which cau ses ,

his di gestion so debilitate h is sto mack s that this

, ,

h u mo u r radica l ] continu a lly sweating o u t on the

,

one part and no new good s u c k e being pu t in the

,

plac e t hereof fo r lacke o f di gesti on on the other

, ,

h e at last shall vanish away even as his pict u re ,

will doe at the re A n d that knavish a nd c u nning

w o rk e ma n by tr o u bling h im onely at so m etim es
, ,

makes a proportion so ne e re betwixt the working

o f the one and the other that both sh all end as it
,

we re at one ti me They can raise stormes and

.
 O
nx r r a c r s F R M na s mo no no c m .

te mpes tsin the aire e itb e n u pon se a o rland thou gh

' '

, ,

not u nivers a l ly b u t in su ch a partic u lar pla ce a nd

'

,
'

prescr ibed bou nds as G o d will pe rrnit th e m so to

' ' '
'

trou ble W h ich likewi se is very easy to b e dis

'

i
n e te o re s,in respect o f the su dde n and violent rais -
t

ing thereof together with the short ind u ring o f th e

,

sa me And this is lik e wise v e ry possible to their

. . .

m aster to doe hee having s u ch a fni tie with the

,

a i re as being a spi rit

,
and having s u ch power o f
,

the form ing and m ooving thereof ; fo r i n the Scrip

t u re that stile o f the p ri nce of the cu r e i s g1ve n
, ,
'

u nto him They can m ake folkes to becom e phren

.

ticq u e or m a nia c q u e which likew i se is very possible

,

to their master to doe since they are b u t na t u ra ll

,

sicknesses and so he m a y la y on these k indes as

,

well as any others They can m ake spirits either

.

to follo w and tro u ble persons or hau n t ce rtaine ,

hou ses , and affray oftentim es the inha bitants a s ,

hath been k no wne to be done by o u r witches at this

ti m e And likewise they can m ake so m e to bee
.
,

possessed with spirits and so to become very de ,

mo nia c q u e s a nd this last sort is very possible like

w ise to th e dive] their m aster to do e since h e ma y ,

easily send his o w ne angels to trou ble in what form e

he pleases any who m God will permit him so to
u se .

P un B u t will God perm it these wicked instru

m ents, by the power o f the devi l] the ir m aste r to ,

tro u ble by any o f these meanes any tha t b e le e ve in

Es t No dou bt , fo r th e re a re thr ee kindes of

56 moat mo uo t o c t s r

nx r a a c r s nu
'

folke s who m Go d will pe rmit so to b e tempte d o r

t ro u b led ; the wicked fo r their ho i rib le sinn e s to
'

,
'

u ni sh them in the li ke m easu re ; th e go dly t ha t

p

we a k ne sse in faith to wa k e n them u p the faste r by

,

su ch an u ncou t h forme a nd even so me o f the best ,

t ha t their pa tien c e m a y be tried before the world ,

F or why ma y not God use any
.

a s Job s w a s .

hi m, as well as the ordina rie rods of sic k ne sse or

o th er ad v ersities a

prac tis es
EP I F NO ma no u gh t to presu m e so farre as to
pro mise any impu nitie to himse lfe ; fo r God hath
befor e all beginnings pre o rdina te d as well the pa r
,

ti c u la r so rts o f pla gue s as o f b e ne t e s fb r every

, ,

ma n which in the o w ne ti m e h e o rda ine s the m to

,

be vis ited with ; and ye t ou gh t we not to b e the

m ore a fra ide fo r that o f any thing that the div ell
,

a nd his wic k ed instr u m ents can doe against u s fo r ,

we da ily gh t agai nst the divel] in a h u ndreth

o ther w a and there fo re as a valian t c a pta i e
y es ,
p
a ffra ie s no m o re being at the co m bate nor sta ye s,

fr om his purpo se fo r th e r u mmis hing s ho t o f a

c anon no r the sma ll c la c k e o f a pi stol e t; s u ppose
,

he be not cer taine what ma y light u pon h im eve n

so ou ght we boldly to goe forward in ghti ng
a ga ins t th e di vell , witho u t any gre at te rro u r fo r

th ese his rarest w ea po ns nor fo r the ordi na ry,

,

whereof we have daily the pro o fe

.

P ut I s it no t lawfu l] then, by the he lpc o f

 58 nx r na c r s F RO M DAEMO NOLO GI E .

'

fro m vert ue that the way whe re b y we cli me there

,

u nto be str a i ht and e ri llo u s ; b u t besides that

g p , ,

as t here is no kinde o f persons so su bj ect to re ce ive

harme o f them as these that are o f inrm e and
,

wes ke faith so have they so small power ov er none

, ,

a s o v er s u ch as z ealo u sly and earnestly pu rs u e

them
P a nThen they are like the pest which sm ites
.

these sic k a re st that ies it farthest

EFL i t is even so wi th them fo r n e ither is it ,

a b le to t he m to use any fal se c u re u pon a patie nt ,

e x c ept the patient r st b e le e v e in their power and ,

so hazard th e ti nse ll o f his owh e so u le nor yet can

*
,

the y have lesse po wer to h u rt any no r su ch as con ,

temne m ost their doings so being it com es o f faith

, ,

a nd not o f any vaine a r ro a ncie in themselves

g
P r u B u t what is their power agains t the Ma
.

gi stra te
Er nLesse or greater, ac cording as he deales
.

With them ; fo r i f hee be slo thfu ll towards them ,

G od is very able to m ake them instr um e nts to

w aken a nd p u nish his slo th ; b u t if he be the con
tra ry hee according to the j u st law o f God and
, , ,

a l lowable law o f all na tions will be diligent 1n ex

,

a minin
g and p u nish ing o f the m God will not per ,

mit their m aste r to tro u ble or hinde r so good a

P a n B
they be once in hands and fir
ut fra
mance have they any fu rther powe r in their c fa ft 9
,

En That i s according to t h e form e o f th e ir

.

detention if they be b u t apprehended and de te in

e d by any privat e per son u pon other private t e ,
 ru m or s men na nmm o w s tn . 59

aspe cts their power no dou bt eithe r in escaping, o r

, ,

in doing h u rt is no lesse no r ever it was b e lb re ;

,

b u t if on the other part the ir a pprehending a nd

, ,

detention be by the l a wfull ma gistrate u pon the ,

j u st respects o f their guil ti ne s se in that e mi t their ,

power is then no greater than before that ever the y

m edl ed with their m aster ; fo r w h ere God begins
j u stly to strike by his la wfu ll lie u tenants it is not ,

in the devil s power to defrau d or be reave him o f

the ofce o r e e c t o f his powerfu l and revenging

sce pter .

P a nB u t will never their m aster co m e to visit e

them fra they be once apprehe nded a nd pu t in
rm a nc e

EFL Th a t is accor ding to th e estate that these

m iserable wretc hes are in fo r if they be obstinate ,

in still denying, he will not spare when hee nde s ,

tim e to spe ake with the m either if he nde them

in a ny com fort to ll them mo re and m ore with the

,

v a lue ho pe o f so m e man ne r o f re lie fe or else if he ,

nde the m in a decpc de sp a ire b y all m eanes to ,

au gm ent the sam e a nd to perswade them by some ,

extraordinario m eanes to p u t them selves downe,

which very co mm only they doe b u t if they b e
penitent a nd confesse God wi ll not permit him to ,

tro ub le th em any more with his presence and a l .

lur e m e nts .

P HL I t
not good u sing his co u nsell I see
is
then ; b u t I wou ld earnestly kno w, when b e a p
peares to the m in prison what forme s u ses he then
.
,

to take ?
Err Divers formes, even a s h ee u ses to doe a t
. -
60 E X T RA CT S FR OM na nn o no m e m .

other ti mes u nto them ; b u t hrdi na rily in su ch a

form e a s they agree u pon a mong them selves ; or,
if they be b u t prentiss s according to the q u a li ti e
,

o f their circles or conj ura tio ns yet to these capped

creat u res he a ppe a re s as h e pleases and as he nde s ,

m eetest fo r their h u m o u rs fo r even at their p u b

licke conventions hee a ppe a re s to divers o f them
,

in divers form es as we have fou nd by the di fference

,

o f their con fes sions in that point ; fo r he del u ding

the m with vaine i mpressions in the aire m akes ,

him se lfe to see m e m ore terrible to the grosser sort ,

that they ma y thereby be m ooved to feare and re

verenes him the m ore and lesse m onstrou s and u n
,

cou th like a ga i ne to the craftier sort lest other wise ,

they might stu rre and sk u mmer at his u gline s se .

P u nHow can he then be felt as they c o nfe ssc ,

they have done if his body b e b u t o f aire P

,

EFL I heare little o f that am ongst their con

fessions yet m a y he m ake h im se lfe palpable eith e r
, ,

by ass u ming any dead bodie and u sing the m ini ,

s t e ri e thereo f or else by del u ding as well their sense

,

o f feeling as seeing which is not i m possible to him

,

to doe since all o u r senses as wee are so w e a k e

, , ,

a nd even by ordinarie sicknesses will be oftenti mes ,

del u ded .

P a nB u t I wou ld Speere one word fu rther yet

concerni ng his appearing to them in prison which is ,

this ma y any oth er that chances to be present at

,

that tim e in the prison see him as well as they

El mS om etim es they will and so meti m es not,,

a s it pleases G od .
 s x r na c r s F OMR D A EM O NO LOG I E . 61

Wi tc hes Wh
a ll
Cf the T ry/ a nd P u ni shment f
( a t

A

ccu s a tio n oug h t to b e dm i tte d a
g a ins t
f
s or t o a

P HI .
T HE N to m ake an end o f o u r conference
since see it dra we s la te what form e o f pu nishm ent
I ,

th ink e yee m erit these witches P

Er 1 They o u ght to be pu t to death ac cording

.

to the law o f God the c ivill and im perial law and

, ,

m u nicipa ll law o f all Christian nations .

P u nB u t what kinde o f death I pray yo u P

EP I I t is com monly u sed by re b u t that is
.
,
'

an indie re nt thing to be u sed in every c o u ntre y ,

a c cordi ng to the law o r c u sto m e thereo f

'

P u nB u t o u ght no sexe age nor ranke to be , , ,

exe mpted
EFL None at all (being so u sed by the la wfu ll
,

m agistrat e) fo r it is the highest point o f idolatr y

,

wherein no exception is adm itted by the law o f

P Then harnes ma y not be spared

r u

EFL Yea not a haire the lesse o f m y concl u

,

sion fo r they are not that capable o f reason as to

,

practise su ch things ; and fo r any being in co m

pany and not r e ve iling thereof their less and ig
, ,

no ra nt age wi ll no dou bt exc u se the m .

P u nI see ye c o nde mne the m all that are o f

the cou nsel ] o f su ch c ra fte s .

EPI NO dou bt the cons u lters tr u sters in over

.
-
, ,

seers inte rte ine rs or stirrers u p o f these cra fte s

, ,

F
62 nx r na c r s FR MO D A EMO NO LO GI E .

folkes ,are e q u a lly gu il tie wi th them selves tha t are

the practisers

.

P nL V h e th er ma y the prince then or su prem e

V
,

magistrate spare or oversee any that are gniltg

, y of 7

that craft u pon so m e great respects k no we n to

,

h im P
Em a The
prince or magistrate fo r fu rther ,

trials cau se m a y contin u e the pu nish in g o f them

,

s u ch a certa ine space as he think e s convenient ,

b u t m the end to spare the life and no t to str ike ,

when God bids strike and so se verely p u nish 1n

,

so odiou s a fau lt a nd treason a gainst God it is ,

not onely u nlaw fu l] b u t do u b tle sse no lesse sinne

,

in that m agistrate nor it was in Sa u lcs sparing o f

,

A g ag ; a nd so comparable to the sin ne o f witch

craft i tse lfe as Sa m u el a lledged at that tim e

, .

P a r S u rely then I think since this crim e

.
,

ou ght to b e so severely p u nished j u dges o u ght to ,

beware to c o nde m ne any b u t su ch as th ey are su re

a re
g u iltie neit h
,er sho u ld the clat terin
g report of

a earl in g serve in so w e ightie a case .

EmJ u dges ou gh t inde e de to b e wa re whom they

.

c o nde m ne fo r it i s as great a crim e (as Solom on

,

saith ) to co nde m ne the innocent as to le t the g u ilty

,

escape free ne ithe i ou ght t he report o f any one

'

in fam ou s person b e ad m itted fo r a s u c ie nt proof

which can stand o f no law .

P m And wh a t m a y a n u mber o f g u ilty per

. .

son s con fessions w o rk e against one that 18 accu sed ?

Er 1 . The assise m ust serve fo r int erpre to nr o f
-

o u r la w in that respect b u t in m y opinion since

, ,

i na m atter o f treason against the princ e b a r ne s

,
 nx r m c r s 11 11 0 1 1 c a nno no r o c tn . 68

hr wives or never so di ffa m e d pe i So ns m a y o f o u r

,

,

law serv e fo r s u fcient witnesses and pro o fe s I ,

t h ink e s u rely that by a farre greater reason s u ch

witne sses m a y be s u fcient in m atters o f high trea

i

so n against God ; for who b u t witches can be

ro o ve s and so witnesses o f the doings o f witches
?
p ,

P 11 1 Indee d I trow they will be loath to p u t

.
,

any hones t m a n u pon th eir co u n sell ; b u t what it

th e y accu se folke to have been pres ent at the ir 1 ma
i na r c o nvention s in the Spi rit wh e n their bo d ies
g ,

lye sensele ss as ye ha ve said ?

EPI I think e t hey are no t a haire the less
,

u iltie fo r the divell d u r st never have borrowe d

g
their shadow or si militud e to that t u rne it their ,

consent had not beene at it ; a nd the consent in

t he se tun e s is death o f th e la we .

P H I Then Samu el wa s a witch fo r the divell

.
,

re se mbl ed his s ha pe , and played hisperson 1n gw mg

response to S au l
Er r
.

S amu el was dead as well be fore that and ,

so none co u ld sla u nde r him with m edling in that

u nlaw fu l arte ; fo r the ca u se why as I take it that
, ,

Go d will not per mit Satan to u se the shapes o f si

'

m ili t u de s o f any inno c ent pe rson s at su ch u nla wfu ll

ti m es is that God wi ll not perm1t that any in no
.

cent perso ns shall be slande red with that vile de fe c

ti on fo r then th e divell wo u ld nde wa ie s anew to
,

Ca l u mnia te the best ; and this We hav e m proo fe by

t he m th a t are carried with the ha r ie who neve 1

p ,

se e the sh a do w e s o f any i nthat co u rt b u t o f the in

t h a t the reafte r are tr e d to have beene brethren and

y
sisters o f t ha t craft A nd this wa s likewise pro ov e d
.

6)
N
61~ nx 'r a a c 'r s F RO M DA EMO NO LO G I E .

by the confession o f a you ng lasse trou bled with

spirits laid on her by witchcraft ; that althou gh s h e
,

saw the shapes o f divers m e n a nd women trou bling -

her and nam ing the persons whom these sh a do we s

,

represent yet never one o f them are fo u nde to be

innocent b u t all clear e trye d to be m ost gu iltie
, ,

and the most part o f the m con fessing the sam e .

And besides that I thi nk e it hath beene se ldo me

, ,

heard tell o f that any whom persons guiltie o f that

,

cri m e accu sed as having k no we n them to be their

,

m arrows by eye sight and not by h e a re sa y b u t

-
, ,

s u ch as were so acc u sed o f witc hcraft cou ld not be ,

c le a r e l tr ied u pon the m were at the le ast u b li k e l

y p , y
k no we n to be o f a very e v ill li fe and rep u tation so
j ealou s is God o f the fam e o f the m that a re inno
cent i n su ch cau ses And besides that there a re
.
, ,

two other good helps that m a y be u sed fo r their

trial ] the one is the nding o f their m arke and
, ,

the trying the inse nsibleness thereof ; th e other is

their eeting on the water fo r as in a s ecret m u r ,

ther if the dead c a rk a s se be at any ti m e thereafter

,

handled by the m u rtherer it will gu sh o u t o f blond , ,

as if the blond were crying to the h eaven fo r re

venge o f the mu rtherer God havi ng appointed th at ,

secret s u pe rna tu ra ll signe fo r t ria ll o f that secret

u nnatu ral cri me so it a ppe a re s that God hath a p
,

pointed (fo r a su pernatu ral signe o f the m onstrou s

impie tie o f witch e s) that the water shall refu se to
,

r ecei ve them in her boso m e that have s haken o

them the sacred water o f baptism e and wilq y ,

fu sed the b e ne tie thereof No not so mu ch as .

,

their eyes are able to sh ed teares (threaten a nd to r

 A NSW ER
OF A .

L ET T ER

Senti m ent i n i
f ,fe

A N OB L EM A N ,
CQ NT AI NI NG A
B A R B A RO U S A ND I LLE GA L
B RI EF A CCO U NT O F THEJ

T EA T MEN T :
R POO W M E N n
1111 11 5 11. R O a cc sg n OF I

W HI TC M E T WITH FR M HE
CR A F T O T B A I LLI ES OF
P TT E N WEE M ND HE W H SO ME
,

I A OT RS I T E
OB S R

V N THE E N
A TI O S R O .

To which is added ,

An Ac co u nt of the H or rid a nd B a r b a ro us M u rde r ,

a Le tte r o m a Ge ntle ma n in Fij i? to his Fr ie nd

in Edi nb urg h, F e b ru a ry 5 th, 1 70 5 .

P RI NT E D 1 11 T HE YEA R 1 705 .
 T HE two followin
g T ra c ts gi v ea ccou nt o f the
na
'

witch e s o f Pittenwee m in 1 705 The rst is a con

.

ci se rela tion o f facts in which the m inister a nd ma

,

vie w The second is an a nswer to the rst and

.
,

seem s chiey intended to obvia te the ch a rges that

are preferred aga i nst the minis te r a nd baillies b ut
,

in o u r opinion with no great su ccess as the princi

,

pal facts are adm itted a nd the only de fence se t u p

,

is tha t the women were in reality witch es We

, .

h a v e given this au thor s story in his o wn words

,

wi th su ch o f his rema rks as bear u pon the narrative

a t the present day .

E DI T OR .
 ANSW ER

'

A L E TT ER FRO M A G E N TL E MAN I N
F IFE 8 , 10.

M y L O RD ,

I R E C K O N m ysel f very m u ch honou red by you r

'

Lordship s letter desiring me to write yo u an a c

cou nt o f that horrible m u rder co m m itted in Pitten

wee m I dou bt not b u t by this ti m e, yo u r Lord
.
,

as seen the gen tle m an s letter to hi s friend

.

thereanent ; I refer yo u to i t the au thor thereof

'

being so well in form ed and so inge no u s that I ll

, ,

ass u re yo u there is nothing in it b u t what is gene

,

ral ly ta lked and believed to b e tr u e

'

A ll I can cont rib u te to yo u r Lordship s fu rther

infor mation sh a ll be by way o f a brief narrative

,

o f t h e m iniste r and bail lies u nwa rra nta b le i ni ri

p
soning and barbaro u s treating o f the poor women
, .

I need not write you r Lo rdship a character o f

Patrick Morton being now s ufciently known fo r
,

a cheat
It was u pon his accu sation a lle nna rly the m ini
st er and baillies im prisoned these poor women and ,

set a gu ard o f dru nken fellows abou t them, who

70 A NSWER o r . A L E TT E R .

b y pinc hing and pricking som e o f them W1th pins and

e lsi o ns kept the m from sleep fo r several days and
,

nights together the m a rks whereof were seen by

,

severa ls a m onth thereafter T his cr u el u sage m a de .

som e o f them lea r n to be so wise as ackno wledge

every qu estion that was asked the m ; whereby they
fo u nd the m i nister and b a illies well pleased and ,

the m se lves bette r treated .

Notwithstanding o f all this so m e o f the m ore ,

foolish contin u ed as the m inister said hardened 1 n

, ,

the devil s service su ch as W hite Jack Wallace

, , , ,

Patrick and others ; a ll which save the rst were

, ,
-
,
1

ordered to the stocks where th e y la y fo r several,

All th is
while Patrick M o rte n s me la ncho lly fa nc y
o give it no h a rsher term) being o o m u ch e u
(t t ,

ed b sever als a d pa rti c u larly b y the m i

'
c o u ra
g y n ,

niste r s readi ng to hi m the c ase Of B a rrga rr a ns
'

da ughter, contin u ed rovi ng a ft e r a wo nderfu l ma n

ne r accu sing fo r h is tor mento rs s om e o f the me e t
'

considera ble me ns wives in the town b u t s uc h as

,

the m inister and baillies d u rst no t v e nt u i e to im pri

'

B y t his you r Lordship m a y see , it w a s o nly

' ' '

so n .
-

the we akest tha t went to the wa ll s .

tie me n o ens e and repu tati o n came tO P it

f good s ,
'

t e nwe e m w here nd in these poo r wo me ns co nfe s

'

, g
sio ns no wise sa t isfying and Patric k Mo rten a ,
,

cheat in form ed the privy cou ncil the fe o f who sent

, ,

an Orde r to se nd P a trick o ver co them Th is turn

'

bei ng give n a nd Patrick nd ing tha t th ings we re

,

no t likely to
go so fav ou ra bly wit h hilu a s b e M o re
 AN S WE R or A L E TT E R, 71
'

fa nne d, b e ga n to dra w to his b re e che s m a n a ,

Sho rt time rec ove red his former heal th, in which he
stil l c ontin u e s By this ti me the b a illie s ;bega n to
.

be as earnest in e m ptying their prisons as e ver ,

they w er e fo r war d inlli ng them ; so a ft er a long -

a nd se rio u s de lib eratio n they set th e m a t li b erty

, ,

b u t t hat the ir la s t s tep might be a s ill egal as their

rs t; o b lig ed e a ch p f them to pay the town o fce r -

t he s um o f 8 lib Sco ts ; to pay which , so m e o f the m

,
.

were forc ed to sell som e linnen they had reserv e d

fo r the ir d e a d shirts a nd wynding sheet s .

I b eg yo u r Lordshi p s fu rther patie nce a li ttle to

,

rea d these fe w fo llowing observatio ns O b s l e t .

,

The bailli es and mi nister sent and bro ught several

o f t hese wo me n fro
m pla c es withou t th e ir j urisdi c

tio nf
!

one fro m Anstr u ther a nd a no the r frdm the ,,

co u ntry at six m iles distance .

0 63 2d Wh a t good cou ld the m inister propose
.
,

to P atrick Morton by reading to hi m the book in

,
.

tit ule d the case o f B a rrga rr a n s da u ghter ?

Ob s 3 d A fter so mu ch inj us tice do n e to these

. ,

po o r women the baillies a nd minister oblige the m

,

to pa y the town o fc e r eight pou nd S cots i s wo n

-
d .
,

thy o f yo u r Lordship a nd the rest o f the Lords o f;

t he privy co uncil s cons id e ratio ns and it wou ldbe

the height o f charity to fall on a me thod to o blige

the m inister and baillies to refou nd it seve n fol d -
,

4th O ne Thom as Brown th e only m a n a o

, ,

c u se d by Patrick Morton a nd i m ri so ne d by th e
p ,

m inister and baillies a fter a great deal o f h u nger

,

and hardshi p died 111 prison so as this poor wo

, ,

ma n s m u rder was not the rst neither will it he ,

the la st u nless by severe pu nish ments prevented

, .
72 A N S WE R O F A L E TT E R.

Obs e . m The ba illies in a manner j us ti ed these

,

two mu rth ers b y not allowing the m Christian b u

,

rial b u t bu rying them like dogs sc arce covering

, ,

them from the ravens .

Ob s 6th; Yo u m a y wonder Why all along I

.

sh ou ld say the m inister and baillies ? The reason

'

is beca u se d u ring all this narrative he exercised

,

m ore o f th e civi l au thority than any o f the bail lies ,

'

a nd so contin u es to do as yo u ma y se e by the fo l
,

lowi ng la te instance .

The b a illie s o f Pittenwee m being c o nv e e ne d b e

fore th e Lords o f Privy Cou ncil on the 1 4th o r
1 5 th o f Fe br u ary I a m in for m ed gave in to them
,

a s u bscribed accou nt o f the m u rther and to j u stify

them selves assert they had i mpri soned several o f
,

the m u rtherers be fore they le ft Pittenwee m It I s .

very tr u e they did so b u t th ey were not long from

,

the town when the m inister set them at libe rty

'
.

This I think i s e x e rc ising the ofce o f a civil ma

, ,

g i stra te : perhaps the m inister m a

y say he did it
by the m agistrates order left behind them ; then I
think the m agistrates were m ightily I n the wr ong
to give in to the Lords o f th e privy cou ncil an a o
c ou nt they knew to be false .

My Lord this I S not the tenth part o f what ma y

,

be said u po n this su bj ect I hope some other per son

,

will be more particu lar .

Ia m,
My LO RD ,

Mos t h u mble serv a n t

.

4 L E TT E R .

to many honest fam ili es o f good credi t and respec t .

S ir however at rst m any were deceived yet now

, , ,

a ll m e n o f sense are asham ed fo r giving any credit

to s u ch a person ; b u t how hard it is to root o u t

bad principles once espo u sed by the rabble and ,

h o w dangerou s a thing it is to be at their m ercy ,

w ill appear by the tr a gical acco u nt I give o u o f

y
one o f these poor women Janet Co rph a t
, .

After she was co mmitted prisoner to the to lbooth ,

u pon a s u spicion o f her being a witch she was ,

well g u arded with a n u m ber o f m e n who by pinch , ,

ing her and pricking her with pins kept h er from

, ,

slee p m any days and nights threaten ing her with

,

present death u nles s she wou ld con fess herself

,

gu ilty o f wi tchcraft ; which at last she did This .

report spreading abroad m ade people c u rio u s to

,

converse with her u pon the su bj ect who fou nd ,

them selves exceedingly dis appointed The Vis .

cou nt o f Prim rose being in Fife occa sionally in ,

c line d to satisfy his c u riosity in this m atter the ,

E arl o f Kellie m y Lord Lyon the Laird o f S cots

, ,

t a rv a t and the Laird o f R a nde rs to n were with his

, ,

Lordship in Pittenwee m Three o f the n u m ber

.

went to the tol b oo th a nd disco u rsed with her to ,

w ho m she said th at a ll that she had confessed

, ,

either o f hersel f or her neighbo u rs were lies and , ,

cried o u t Go dj b rg i ve the mi nis te r and said that

, , ,

he ha d bea t her one day with his staff when she

was telling him the tru th They asked her ho w
.

she cam e to say any th in g that was not tru e ; she

cr d
e o u t , a la s ,a la s , I b e ha ve d to sa
y so , to p le a se
y
t he mi niste r a nd b a illies , and in the , m ean time ,
 L E TT E R. 75

she begged fo r Christ s sake no t to t ell that she ha d

said so else she wou ld be m u rdered Another

,
.

ti m e when the Laird o f G le na gie s and Mr Br u ce

,

she ne ed ed not deny

o f Kinross were telling her , ,

'

w hat they were aski ng her fo r s he h a d con fessed ,

as m u ch as wou ld infallibly b u rn h e r ; she cried '

o ut Go d r b i d ! and to one o f the t wo she said

'

, ,

that from which he mi ght rationally concl u de sh e ,

in sin u ate sh e ha d ass u rance from the m inister her

life shou ld no t b e taken .
.
r

A little before ha rvest Mr Ker o f ; K 1ppila w a , ,

writer to the s signe t being i n Pittenwee m Mr

'

, ,

Robert Cook advocate went with himto p rison to

, ,

see this po b r wom an ; Mr C ook among other q u es ,

tions a sk e d he r if she had not reno u nced her bap

'

, ,

t ism to the devil ; she a nswered she never r e no u n

'

c e d h er ba ptism b u t to the m inister These were .

her words what she m eant by them I kno w not

, .

T h e m inister having got accou n t o f this fro mZM r

Cook he sent fo r her and in presence o f Mr Cook
, ,

and Mr Ker in th e ch u rch he threatened her very ,

se verely and com manded the kee per to p u t her in

,

to so m e prison by hersel f u nder the steeple least (as ,

he said ) she sho u ld pervert those who had con fes s

ed The keeper p u t her into s prison i n which was
.

a low windo w o u t o f which it was Obvio u s that any

,

body cou ld m ake an esca pe ; and accordingl y she , ,

ina de her esca pe that ni ght .

N ext day when they mi sse d h e r they made a ,

very slight search fe r h e r and pro mi se d ten pou nd ,

Sc o ts to a ny b ddy t h a t wou H W he r back l M r

'
'
'
.
.

Gordon in ter Le ha rs he a ring she was in

m i s , a t u c "
,
'

2
76 LE TE
T R .

his pa ri sh, fe i ht m iles

distan t from Pitte nwee m
g
'

sed a ppre he nd her and sent h er prisoner u nder

, ,

c u stody o f t a o m e n on the 3 oth o f Ja nu ary to Mr

r
, ,

Cowper minis ter o f Pittenweem withou t giving

, ,

any noti ce to the m agistrates o f the place W hen .

she ca m e to Mr Cowper she ask e d hi m if he had ,

any thing to sa y to her ? he answered No She , .

could get lodging in no hou se b u t with one Nicolas

Lawson one o f the women that ha d been called
,

witches S om e say a baillie pu t her there .

T h ra b b le hearing s h e was in town went to Mr

'

Co wper and asked h im what they shou ld do with

h e r ? he to ld th m he w a s not co nc e rne d they

e ,

m ight do what they please d with her They to ok .

m e nt fr o m thi s to fa ll u pon the poor wo m an

'

e nco ur a e
g ,

those o f the minister s family going along with them

as I hear ; th e y fel l u pon the poor creatu re im me

dia te ly and beat her u nm erc ifu lly tying her so
, ,

ha rd with a rope that she was alm ost strangled ;

'

they dragged her throu gh the streets and alongst ,

the shore by the heels A baillie hearing o f a

, .
,

rabble n ear his stair cam e o u t u pon them which

, ,

m ade the m imm ediately disappear B u t the m agis .

trates thou gh me t together not ta king care to p u t

, ,

her into c los e c u st ody fo r her safety the rabble ,

gathered again imm ediately and stret ch ed a rope ,

betwixt a ship and the shore to a grea t height to , ,

which they tied her fast ; after which the y swinged

h er to and fr o , from one side to another in the ,

mean ti me throwing st one s at her from a ll cor ne rs ,

u ntil they w e re wea ry ; then they lo osed her and ,

wi th a mighty swing threw her u po n th e ha rd .

 L E T TE R. 77

sand s , all abo u t being re ady in the mean time tb

! '

receive her with stones and staves with which the y ,

beat her mo st cr u elly Her dau ghter , in the tim e

.

o f her m oth er s agony tho u gh she knew o f it

,
'
.
,

sed her after the sam e m anner bein

'

u g in a ho u se ; ,

in great concern and terror o u t o f nat u ral affe ction ,

'

fo r her m other (abo u t which the au thor w a s m is

,

informe d in the rst edition ) They laid a heavy .

door u pon her with which they prest he r so sore

, ,

that she cried o u t to let her u p fo r Christ s sake

,

,

and she wou ld tell the tr u th B u t when they did

'

let her u p what she said cou ld not satisfy them

, ,

and therefore they a gain laid on the door and with

'
, ,

a he a v weight o f stones on it prest her to de a th

y ,

and to be s u re it was so they called a ma n with a

'

,
,
'

horse and a sle dge a nd m ade him driv e q ve r her

y
'

corpse backward and forwa rd several ti m es W hen .

they were su re she was killed they drag .

ged her m iserable carcase to Nicolas La wson s

hou se where they rst fou nd her

, .

There was a m otion m ade to treat Nicolas L a w .

son after the sa m e m anner i mm ediately ; b u t so me

o f the m being wearied with three ho u rs sport as ,

they ca lled it said it wou ld be better to delay her

,

fo r another day s di vertisem ent and so they all

went o ff .

It is said that Mr Cowper in a letter to Mr ,

Gordon gave so m e rise to all this ; and Mr Co w

, .

per to vindicate hi m sel f wrote to Mr Gordon

, , ,

whose ret u r n says if he were not going to E din

,

bu rgh he wou ld give him a dou ble o f his letter

, .

3
78 L ET TE R .

It s

t
s ra nge he sent him no t the principal I n the
.

postscrip t, he a ssure s him, he shall conc eal it to

"
that Mr Cow
I i s ce rtain , per preaching the ,

Lord s day i mm edi ately after in Pittenwee m too k

, ,

no notice o f the m u rde r which at l east m ak e s hi m

,

g u ilty o f sin fu l sile nce Neither did. Mr Go rdon ,

i n his letter to Mr Co wper m ake any regret fo r ,

i t ; and thi s some co nst r u e to b e a j u stifyi ng o f th e

ho r rid wi c k e dne ss in both .

We are pe rs wa de dt he gov e rn me nt will examine

this a a ir to the bottom, and lay li ttl e st ress u po n
'

,
.

wha t the m agistrat es or m i niste r o f Pittenwee m

we ll known , that e ithe r o f them co u ld have qu a s h

c d the ra b bl e a nd pre vent e d that m u rder if th ey
'

, ,

ha d a ppe a re d ze a lo us a gainst it .

I a m so rr y I have no b e tte r news to tell yo u,

Go d de liver u s from tho se principle s that te nd to

Your h u mble se rvant .

 JU ST REP R O O F

FA L S E R EPO RTS AND U NJUST CALUMNI ES, '

AB O U T the month o f Marc h last yea r o ne B e a ,

t rix Laing a wom an O f v e ry b a d fame who ha d

'

, ,

form erly be en u nde r proc ess fo r u sing ch a rms a nd ,

r efus ing to be reco nciled to her neighbo ur s wa s

,

de b a rre d fro m the Lo rd s ta b le ca m e t o o ne P a

trick Morton a blac k sm ith desiring him to ma k e

, ,

som e na i ls which he re fu sed to do beca u se oth er

, ,

wise em plo yed a t that time Upon which she went

.

'

o m u tter ing sa m e thre a t ening expre ssio ns .A

little afte r the said Patrick Morton with ano th e r
, ,

person in co mpany c arrying som e sh by the said

,

Be a tr ix Laing s door the y sa w a vessel with water
,

pla c ed at the do or wi th a b u rning coal in it U p

, :

o n which he was presentl str u cken with an i m

y
ressi o n t ha t it wa s a c h arm desi ned a ains t hi m
p g g ,

a nd u pon this a little after he si ckened

.

I n this
.

sick ness he la n uish e d fo r a lo n time ; hy sic ia ns

g g p
 80 A JU S T REP ROO F .

that sa w him coul d not u nde r sta nd his diste mpe r

, ,

yet trie d variou s m edi cines till at length hi s tro n

,
.

ble incr eased and he began to be seiz ed with som e

,

un u s u al ts which made them give over

, He fo r .

bore all th is while any a cc u sation o f the person

whom he all along su spected fo r his trou ble at leas t ,

he m ade no m ention o f it to the m inister who ft c ,

qu en tly visited him while u nder 1t B u t his trou ble .

s till i ncreasing he at length began to drop som e

,

apprehensi ons o f the cau se o f 1t Upon which Bea .

trix Laing was called a nd by the magistrates in

, ,

the said Patrick Morton s father s ho u se exam ined

,

owned that she had placed tha t vessel with water

, ,

and the coal in it there b u t at that ti m e wo u ld

,

ive no acco u nt o f the reason o f it Being di sm is

g .

se d by the m agistra tes , s he went ho me a nd that '

,

s am e night when she was chall en ged b y Kath a rine

,

Marshal in her own hou se be fore Nic Ola s Law son

, , ,

abou t the lad s tr ou ble, she an swered that he m igh t

,

b M e his own ill tongu e fo r w hat had be fallen hi m ,

a nd that it was an evil spirit that was tro u bling

h im ; which was in her face m aintained by the said

'

persons next day in presen , ce o f the magistrates .

Then the boy began to com pla i n o f h er tor m enti ng

h im , and fell into grievou s ts o f trou ble u pon he r
entering the hou se U pOn all which she bei ng
,

i mprisoned after som e ti nie did a ckno wledge to

,

m agistrates a n d m ini ster in presen ce o f m any wit

,

nesses witho u t threat o r tor

, tu re (o f which we shall ,

speak more afterwards) that she was displ e a sed with

P a tric k Merto n for his refus ing to ma ke some na i l s
82 a m sr Ra r a o o r .

Wa s exac tly tried

.

Yea som etim es while the tru nk ,

.

o f his body and his head were th u s rigid and co u ld

no t be ra i sed fro m the pillo w his le s were loose
g , ,

and any m ight m ove them as they pleased S ome

. ;

ti me s th e se ts were not so great as at other ti m es

'

and then or when he was falling in or com ing o u t

, ,

o f the m sever al per sons lifted h im with li ttle dif

,
i

cu lty b u t w hen he was in the de pth o f the t the ,

stro e st that essayed it c ou ld not raise h im up

g .

Again whe n any o f th e w

, ome n whom he a cc u sed
tou ched him and sometim es on their coming into
,

the room he fell into rie vou s ts o f trou ble and

'

g ,

crie d o u t that su c h a person wa s tor menti n

, g him ,

condescendi ng on their na m es ; and this he did very

fre q u ently before m
'

u lti tu de s o f people o f differen t

,

ranks ready to a tte s t th e sam e And co mm only
, .

su ch care was taken to prevent his having a ny no

"

tice either o f the wom ens entry or which o f the m

,

wa s there that there was no pl a ce left fo r any r a

,

ti o na l s u spicion o f trick or cheat in the m atter He

was c ar efu lly hoodwink ed with several plies o f cloth

the wom en were brou ght in with the u t most
secrecyinnocent persons pre se nt in the room lai d

th eir hands on h im b u t ye t he never shewed t he ,

least concern save when the a ccu sed persons tou ch

,

ed him Se veral ti m es ge ntle menthat see m ed j e a

lou s that there w a s so m ewhat o f an i mpos t u re in

'

the case were allowed and invited to m ake the

'

,

nicest trial and fou nd it hold S everal pitifu l c h: .
,

vils have be en u sed abou t this and other instances ,

o f the boy s t ro i i b le

which proceed eith e r from
'

,
 A JU ST R E P ROO F . 83

or gross inadvertency in not observing the several

variations o f the boy s case which had they been '

considered they wou ld have been so fa r from giving

,

any co u ntenance to the concl u sio n ai m ed at by these

obj ectors that t hey wou ld strongly h a v e e nfo rce d ' '

a conviction o f som ething preter natu ra l in the case

!

-
.

The au thor th e n pro c e e ds to give an accou nt o f

'

Janet Co rph a t the wom an who was m u rdered S he

,
'

was a per son o f very bad fam e who o f a long ti me , ,

was rep u ted a witch frequ ently u sed charm s and , ,

was wont co mm only to threaten per sons who dis

obliged her and s u ch consequ ences som eti mes fo l
,

lowed as m ade her the terror o f m any both o f the

, ,

to wn and cou ntry which might be veried by par ,

t ic u la r instances if it were necessary , S he was not .

at rst delated by Patrick Morton thou gh after ,

wards he com plained o f her as one o f his torme n

tors b u t she with severa l others being i n com pa y
,

wi th the devil whereo f Isabel Ada m was one in

n ,

, ,

p u rs u ance o f a qu arrel which Beatrix Laing fo r ,

m erly m entioned had w ith one Al exander M , G ri

gor a sher in the town m ade an atte mpt to m ur
, ,

der the said M Grigo r in bed which was prevent

ed by his awakening and w restling against them .

This atte mpt was acknowledged by Isabel Adam ,

o f whose confession a m ore fu ll accou nt shall be

given afterwards wh o had been taken u p on that

,

m an s delati on and so m e other inform ations aga i nst

,

her and not on the la d s A s likewise the said

,
.

.
, .

Janet was acc u se d b y Nicol as Lawson another per ,

son present at that atte mpt ; and Nico las accu se d

he r o f being at another meeting in the Loan o f P it
84 A w a r a s rno o r .

te nwe e m ; a t
both which m eetings they confessed
the devil was pre s en t All which she herse lf after .

re mar k abl e After she ha d obsti nately

some while
denied a nd with a su btility beyond what might be
,

e x pect ed from one o f her ed u cation sh ifted all ,

estio u t to her she with Isobel Adam afore

q u n s
p , ,

said be ing bro u gh t to the ho u se where the torm ent

,

e d lad lay and he discovering her at her entry into

,

th e room notwith standing the u tmost preca u tion

,

was u sed to con c eal it from him and he fal li ng into ,

rievo u s ts o f tro u ble did cr o u t o f her a s o ne

g y ,

o f his torm en to rs ; at which she was so st u nned ,

that in stantly she fell a trem bling The m agi strates .

and m inist er observ ing her in s u ch a con fu sion ,

asked if she was wil ling to comm u ne with them ,

in reference to the m atters whereof sh e had bee n
accu sed ; she declaring hersel f willi ng went with ,

th em to another place and whe n desi red to be ia

,

g e nu o u s she
, a gain fell a tre m blin g and said she ,

wou ld confess all b u t was afraid the devil wou ld

,

t e ar th e sou l o u t o f her body if she did and said, ,

if yo u wi ll pr ay a nd cau se a ll good folk pray for

,

me I wi ll con fess a nd she then desir ed the mini

, ,

st er to pray ; a nd a fter prayer con fessed sh e was

, ,

bodily present at both the m eetings aforesa id wi th

i
th e devi l and the witches and gave a c ircu msta ntia t
,

a cc o u nt o f the r e no u nc ia tio n o f her bapti sm nam ing ,

t ime place a nd ind u ce me nts which le d her to it,

a nd the sha pe the d e vil appeared to her in
, ,

Sh e
li k e wise told the rea son o r the ir a tte mpt to m
.

u rd e r
 A J ST
U a a ra o o r . 85

M Gri

g was
or that he
,
did not hire a ho u se which

belonged to Beatrix Laing .

Again on a Th u rsday after she had been hear

, ,

ing serm on she desi red to speak with the m inister

, ,

and sent one to acq u a int him with thi s desire on

which he went to her and she before severa l wit
, ,

nesses renewed her former con fession and conde

, ,

scended on all the persons the other con fessing

witches ha d a cc u sed as being present at the two
,

foresaid m ee tings ; adding withal that there were ,

others present who m sh e k ne w not This co nfe s '

si on she renewed be fore the presbytery in presence ,

o f a great m any co u ntry gentle m an and other ,

spectators ; as likewise in the face o f a n u m erou s

congregation on the Lord s day
.

It is owned that when B e atrix Lai ng and Nico

,

las Lawson were rst i mprisoned , they were ill u sed

by som e o f the g u ard withou t the knowledge o f

,

m agi strates or m inister o f which the wom en m a de

,

co mplaint to the m inister whereof he presently a c ,

q u a i nte d the m agistrates who with the m in ister, , ,

went to the prison and threatened the gu ard if they

,

offered the least dist u rbance to persons in c u stody .

And the m inister on the Lord s day thereafter

,

took occasion i n serm on to discover the wickedness

o f that practi c e as being against the light o f nat u re
, ,

S cript u re and the j u st laws o f the land After this

, .
,

we heard o f no m ore dist u r b ances they m e t with .

Now it was not till after this preca u tion u sed to

,

prevent their trou ble that Janet Co rph a t was im

,

prisoned ; and from the tim e o f her imprison ment

'

, ,

till the time that she con fessed which was some te n ,

H
 86 A J ST U a nr a oo r.

or twelve days she was not in com pany with the

,

rest nor with the gu ard save one or two days b u t

, , ,

was alone i n a se pa rate prison, and nothing to di s

t u rb her .

Now it is re markable tha t neither o f these per

, ,

s ons who were ill u sed o f which Janet Co r h a t was

p ,

none di d ev er m ake any acknowledgem ent to these

,

persons who u sed them ill nor till so m e days after ,

they were q u ite freed o f thi s trou ble And when .

they di d confess it was to ma gistrates and mini ster

, ,

wh o m they o wned to be carefu l to preserve th e m

from su ch ab u ses nor did m agistrates or m inister
ever u se any threatening to extort a con fess ion or ,

any other argu m ent b u t what the gospel requ ires ,

to be m ade u se o f to bring im penitent sinners to a

con fession o f their sins .

The au thor o f the letter te lls u s she was pu t in ,

a low prison o u t o f which it w a s obviou s tha t any

,

body co u ld m ake an es cape and accordingly sh e ,

m ade her e scape that night Here are b u t two as

.

se r tio ns and both o f them false fo r the prison was

, ,

the second story and her escape was by breaking

,

an old iron grate in the window ; no r was it that

night after that she broke the prison, fo r it was on

Friday these gentle m en di scou rsed her and on the ,

L ord s day at night she broke the pr ison 3:

.

it We sh o uld lik e t o k
no w wha t threa te ning s t he p
go s e l re
t
q u ire s mi ni s e rs to ma e use o f t o k su c h im p t
e ni e nt sinne rs a s

t
will no t co nfe ss si ns h e y c o u ld no t co m m it ED . .

t p v b i s v e y fa i ly b y w ilfu uy pe r ver t
1: T hi s j u s re ro er g n e r r

i ng hi ppo n nt s la ngua ge a priso n with lo w windo w he

s o e

, a ,

m ke
a s l w priso n
a o We very much suspe c t the ministe r
.

h imself ha d a ha nd in thi s pa mphle t .

 A Jns r a nr a o o r . 87

Here follows the a uthor o f the J u st Reproofs

wa y o f telling the story o f the barbarou s and cr u el

m u rder o f Janet Co rpha t S he cam e to town u nder
.

clo u d o f night with t wo m e n and went straight to an

,

inn where her da ugh te r wa s serving After som e stay .

the re the two m e n b ro u gh t her to the m inister s
'

hou se who was visiting a sick ch ild o f one Jam es

,

Cook a present bailie where his servant cam e to

, ,
'

him with Mr G ordon s let ter ; and as soon as he

,

h ad peru sed it b e bid his servant go te ll them he

, ,

wo u ld h ave nothing to do with her b u t since they ,

ha d bro u ght her to the town let the m ta ke her to ,

the m agistrates which answer two m e n then pre ,

sent have attested u nde r their hands O n this the

, .
,

m e n brou ght her to Bailie Cook s ho u se where the

m inister was and the m e n m eeting h im co m ing

,

down sta ir s pressed him to take her o ff their b a nds

, ,

which he refu sed to do b u t ca l led the two next

,

m agistrates and advised them instantly to set her

,

o ff sa fe o u t o f the town O n which the two bailies

.

sent fo r their ofcer i mm ediately and the minister ,

went o f straight to his own ho u se and saw no a p ,

e a ra nc e o f a rabble nor did hear o f it till the

p , ,

rabble had gone a considerable length and a fter

a little he heard that the woman wa s ge t safe o u t
,

o f their hands and the rabble dissipate and he

, ,

knew nothing o f her death till the next m orning .

W hen the ofcer cam e to the m agistrat es they , ,

on deliberation am ong the m selves resolved to i m ,

prison her ti ll the next m orning ; and accord ingly

o rdered their o fcer to do it And as the ofcer .

was ex ec u ting the magistrates orders the rabble

2
88 A JUST s s rno o r .

gathered u pon them atta cked the ofce r a nd took

, ,

t h e woman fro m h i m with which it is sa i d he did

, , ,

not acqu aint the m agi str ates that they m ight h ave ,

taken other m eas u res fo r the woman s sa fety

.

This rabble did not o w from the inclinations o f

the people o f the place which is evident from the,

peaceable and safe residen ce two con fessing witch es

had fo r two m onths ti m e in the place since they

were set at liberty b u t from an u nhappy occasiona l
,

conco u rse o f a great m any strangers som e E nglish ,

m e n so m e from O rkney and other parts who wer e

, , ,

forward in it and have since taken gu ilt on the m

,

by their ight .

As to th e assertion with regard to tho se o f

Mr Cowper s fa mily going along with the rabble ,

Mr Co wper u rged to have his servan ts ex a m ined

am ong the rst and they have declared befor e the
,

m agistrat e s that they stole o u t in a clandestine

,

way that their master might not know o f it and he

, ,

indee d knew nothing o f it and they ret u rned very ,

q u ickly and m ade no stay nor do any o f the wit

nes ses exam ined insin u ate any acc u sation o f th eir
having the least accession to any inj u ry she m e t
with nor were they any other way concerned than
, ,

by looking on a short while with som e h u ndreds o f

other spectators .

Aga i n it is sa id
,
that they rst fo u nd her at
,

Nicolas Lawson s hou se and that she was killed

i
!
o u t right when they dragged her there aga n
- is ,

ill grou nded as the rest o f o u r au thor s assertions
fo r they fou nd her not at Nicolas Lawson s hou se

and so m e o f the persons exam ined have declared,

90 A J STU a s r no o r .

the magistrates to pay su ch a suin It is fa lse tha t .

they paid all alike I t is also u ntru th that any o f

.

them gave what th ey had provided fo r their wind

ing sheets Nico la s La wso n o ne o f the con fe ssing
.

witches her h u sband vol u ntarily gave a s m all piece

,

o f u nbleach ed linen to the o fficer fo r his fe es ; and

this is a ll the gro u nd fo r the story o f their winding

The a u thor o f the J u st Reproof then proceeds to

give an accou nt o f Mrs W hite and I so b el Adam .

The wom an brou ght fro m A nstru ther was a Mrs -

W hite an inhabitant o f Pittenw e em who throu gh

, , ,

fearo f being apprehended ed thither to her da u gh ,

ter s ho u se This wom an whose ca u se is now war m

.
,

ly espou sed by so me with no a dvantage to their re ,

pu tation and who is no w insi st ing agai nst the m a

,

i str a te s in a process fo r wrongo u s i m prison m ent

g ,

has been fo r m any years a person o f very bad fam e .

S om e eighteen years ago she pu rsu ed a wom an b e ,

fore the session in Mr Bru ce the late E pi scopa l

,

incu m bents ti m e fo r ca l ling her a witch and s u c

, ,

c u m b i ng in the probation Mr Bru ce u rged her to .

be reconciled with the wom an s he obstinately re ,

fu sed u si ng m ost Unchri sti an and revengefu l ex

,

p ressions which are,to be seen in the sess ion r e is

g
-

ter . S ince the revol u tion she desired ad m i ssion to ,

the S acram ent o f the Lord s S u pper; which was

then denied her becau se she still refu sed to be

,

r econci led to that wom an Her scandalou s car .

r ia
g e in re fu sing to coh a bit with her h u sband to

this da y who is a sober hones t m a n, is generally

,

known This wom an being acc u sed by the boy a s

.
 A JU S T a nr a o o r .
91

e o f his to rm e nto rs and delated b y t wo confess

'

'

on ,

ing w
.

itches and other p res u mptions o f her gu ilt

, ,

the m agistrates one mo rning sent their o fcer to

the m agistrates o f Anstru ther de sirin g the m on ,

th ese gro unds to send Mrs W hite to the m and the ,

gro u nds o f her i mprison m ent were sent in w rite to

her in her da u ghter Mrs Lindsay s ho u se ; and she
,

being brou ght to Pittenweem the two women which ,

delated her, were confronted with her in presence ,

of the m agistrates a gre at m any gen tlem en and

,

m in i sters where they did acc u se her to her face

, ,

a nd charged her partic u larly with being at a m eet

ing in the Loan wit h the d e vil and the witches ,

and gave som e binding tokens to convince her By .

a ll which it appears ho w little gro u nd there I S to

,

acc u se the m agistrates fo rinvadi ng their neighbou rs

j u risdiction or load the m inis ter with any concern
,

m ent in the matter .

As to the other i nstance o f o ne b ro u ght to Pit

'
'

te nw e e m at six m iles distance this was the yo u ng ,

wom an I sobel Ada m Abo u t the middle o f May,

.

one Alexander M G rigo r delated her fo r an atte mpt

'

to m u rder h im in his own ho u se in the night ti m e, -

wi th several o th ers whom he k ne wnot ; and there

being so me su r m i ses o f other presu m ptions o f witch
her the m inister hearing she was c c
,
'

the fo r her and advised ,

h e r b efore h er father, if innocent to take proper

, ,
'

m eas u res fo r her own vindi cation which she u nder ,

took to do a n d pro rn
,
ise d to ret urnfo r that end on
a d vertise ment w hich h e r father e ngaged to give
, .

T he noise abo u t her still increa sing, he r fathe r wa s

'
92 A J ST U a nr a oo r .

desi red accordi ng to prom ise to ca l l her to the

'

, ,

place which he declined growing jea l ou s of he r

, ,

u ilt ; on which the m inis ter a dvertise d her b ut in

g ,

c ase sh e r efu sed a letter was sent to b e deli v e re d

,

to the ge ntleman on whose grou nd she l ived desiri

'

ing h im to send her S o soon as the a dvertisem ent

.

was given she cam e vol u ntarily to her father s

,

ho use in Pittenweem a nd so there was no oc casion

,

W hen she cam e she confessed her converse wi th

,

the devil a t Tho mas Adam son s hou se on the rst

,

da y o f Janu ary 1 70 4 ; sh e was co n fro nted with

M G rigo r and b e acc u sed her o f the above m e n
,

t io ne d at tempt on him which she then refu sed , on

which she was im prisoned and the t wo following ,

days she did wi th tears a nd m ore than ordi nary

, ,

concern m ak e a free a nd large confession

,

S he sa i d Beatrix Laing aforesaid a con fess ing ,

witch had been d e aling with her to enga g e in her

,

service which she re fu se d and that some ti m e

,

thereafter ,this Beatrix cam e fo r her and desired ,

h er to go along to her hou se whe n she cam e there,

they sat down at the re and she saw a m a n in ,

bla ck clo a ths with a hat on his hea d sitting at

, ,

the table ; and Beatrix said to her since yo u will ,

not engage with m e h ere 18 a gentl ema n tha t wi ll

,

fe e yo u ; where u pon he tol d her he knew she wa s , ,

dh c o nte ntc d with her lot a nd if she wo u ld ser ve ,

h im he promise d she sh ou ld want fo r noth ing ; to

,

whic h she yie lde d t0 se rve h im and he came fo r

. . ,

w ard a nd k isse el he r ; gand she sa i d he wa s tea rsnme ,

li ke a nd his e y s spa rk led lik e ca ndle s o n whic h

'

,
e , ,

she knew he was the devil .

 A JU S T nnra o o r .
93

Again she told that being e mploye d to spin i n

, ,
'

Thom a s Adam son s hou se i n Pittenwee m while

,

she was lying awake in her bed in the night ti m e ,

the devil appearing to her where she did expressly ,

reno u nce her baptis m to the devil by pu tting her ,

hand on her head and the other to her feet the , ,

other m aid lying in the bed with h e r being at the

ti me asleep as the maid declared be fore the session

, .

Abo u t a fortnight after this Beatrix Laing came ,

to visit her and asked her if she had m e t with the

, ,

gentle man ? S he answered she had and als o e n

~
,

gaged with hi m on which Beatrix said I have then

, ,

got m y work wrou ght and went away And she , .

f m
con essed she cam e to that eeting at M G ri go r s

with the devil and several witches viz Beatrix ,

.

Laing Ni c olas Lawson ; Janet Co rpha t Thomas

, ,

Brown and several others she knew not designing

, ,

to m u rder M G rigo r ; b u t since the ma n awakened

and prayed to God fo r him sel f they co u ld not do ,

it S he confessed also converse with the devil at

.

other ti m es All which is i n her two con fessions

.
,

signed by the m agistrates and trans m itted to E din ,

b u rgh Now we desire to know what the au thor

.
,

o f this letter can q u arrel in the m a istrates or m i

g .

niste r s cond u ct in this m atter

.

As fo r what he sa ys abou t the m agistrate s and

m inister refo u nded the i m prisoned wo m ens m oney

seven fold We nd this au thor very cha ritable

-
.

o n other m ens p u rses b u t when the m agistrates

and m inister desig n to bes tow their charity they ,

will choose m ore deserving obj ects And the Lords .

o f Her Majesty s privy co u nsel u nderstands the m

M A JU S T s u mme r .

selves bet ter than to take th eir m ea su res as to what

is j u st from the daring prescriptio ns o f this au tho r .

W ha t he says abou t Thom as Brown is also false ,

he was acc u sed by the lad and de lated by three ,

confe ssing witches as be ing acce ssoryto the a t

,

tempt o n M Grigo r It is fal se he was starved fo r ,

his dau ghter brou ght h im his diets p u nctu a lly .

O u r au thor s fears o f more mu rders are alto gether

'

ro u ndless a nd we appea l to all me n o f cando u r

g , ,

whe ther this au thor s imp u d e nt and u nj u st acc u sa

tion aga in st m agis trates and mi nister o f mu rderi ng

Thom as Brown de serves no t severer p u nis h m ent
, .

tha n any thing he can charge them with .

He again te lls u s the b a ili es j u stied the m u r

,

der by denying Christian b u rial

, The ba i lies .

gave no order thereabo u t As fo r Thom as Brown.

,

his son in law with some others b u ried h im O u r

- -
, , .

au thor by his next m a y prove th at Janet Co rpha t , ,

a woman that had so freq u ently and so solem nly

con fessed the re no u nc ia tio n o f her baptis m to the
devil des erved Christian b u rial
, .

T HE
 COP Y
OF T HE

INDICTM E NT HE Wt HF OF T
T W NETC SA
- B O RRO ST O U SS

HE P E C E PT
T R S MM O NIN G HE J Y N
FO R . U T UR A D

WITN ESSES WIT H HE WA ANT- R T HE I R

T RR FO

EXE C TI O N U .

A NNA P LE T no ms o ns , wido w in B o rro w sto wne s ,

Margaret Pringle relict o f the de c e a st J o hn

,

Cam pbell sive wright there &0 -

, .

Ye e and ilk ane o f yow ar indytte d and a c c w se d

, ,

that where notwithstanding be the law o f God

, , ,

a rti c u la rlie sett down in the 2 0 cha p ter o f Leviti

p
cu s,
and eighteen chap o f D e w tro no m ie and be
.
,

the lawe s and actes o f parliam ent o f this k ingdo m e ,

a nd constant pra c t iq ; thereo f pa rtic u la rli e be the,

73 act 2 9 parlia m ent Q M a rie the cryme o f witch

, .
,

cr aft i s de cla ir e d to b e ane ho rre id abom inable and ,

ca pita l ] crym e p u nishable with the paines o f de ath

,

and c o nsc a tio wn o f mo vea b les Never the less it .

is o f v e ritie that yo u have c o mi tte d and a r gwyltie

, ,

o f the sa i d cry m e o f wi tchcraft in swa fa r ye have ,

entere d in pa c tio wn wi th the de vill the e ne mie o f ,

 96 wi r c nns or B o a a o ws r o v mss s .

you r sa lva tio wn and have re no wnc e d o u r Blissed

,

Lord and S avior and you r b a ptiz m e and have

, ,

given you r se lffe s both sou lles and bodies to the

,

devil and have bein seve ra ll m e ttings With the

,

devil ] and swndrie wyth witches in diverse places ;

,

and pa rtic u la rlie ye the said A nna ple T ho mso ne

,

h a d a m etting with the de v ill the tyme o f you r

We ido wh o o d b e fo e r yow was m a rie d to yo u r last
,

h u sband in you r c wm ing bet wixt Linlithgo w and

,

B o rro w sto wne s where the devil in the lyk ne s o f

, ,

ane black m a n told yow that yo u wis ane poore

, ,

pu ddled bodie and had ane c v ill lyiff a nd dii c u l

, ,

tie to win throw the world ; and pro m e se d iff yee ,

w ald fo llo we him and go alongst with h im yow

, ,

shou ld never want bot have ane better lyiff and

, ,

a b o w t f v e w e k e s th e re ft e r the de v ill a ire d to

y ppe ,

yow when yow wi s goeing to the coal hill a b o wt -

sevin a clock in the m orning Having renewed his .

form er te nta tio wn yo u did c o nde sc h e nd thereto

, ,

and declared yo wrse lff content t o follow h im and

b e c wmhis servant ; w h e re wpo n the de v ill threw
,

yow to the gro wnd and had carnal co pwla tio wn

,

with yo w ; a nd ye and each persone o f yow wis at

, ,

se ver al m e ttings with the de v ill in the Linkes o f

B o rro wsto wne s s and m the ho wss o f yow Bessie
,

Vic k a r and ye did e a t t a nd drink With the devil ]

, ,

and with on another and with Witches l n hir h o wss

,

in the night tym e ; and the dc v ill and the said W m

i

Craw b ro wgh t th e ale which ye drank extending ,

to a b o wt sevin ga llons from the ho w ss o f E li zabeth

,

Ham ilton and yow the sa i d A nna ple had

ot her m etting a b o wt fyv e w e k es a go whenyo u Wis ,
 P re cr t
p q rs Wi tche s , a nd the Witne sse s a md Assgis
s e r s, 1 679 .

Cochran of B a r b b a c h la
Richard Rl
y ,

hi sto wni o f Sa i nde la nds o f Hi lde r

'

p n

stown , Co rnwa l o f B o nh a rd Robert H a ,

!
'

m ilton o f D e ch m o nt, b a il lz ie o f th e re
ga llitie o f
B o rro w sto w ne s , S ir
John H a rper a dvo c a t Mr

,
'

W illiam D u nda s and Mr John P re sto w ne a dv o

,

c ats c omm issioners o f j u st ic ia ri e s e c i a llie con

, p ,

s tit w te no m ina t and a p o nte d by the lorde s o ff

, , p y
his m aje stie s m ost h o no w ra b le priv ie c o wnse ll fo r
'

the tryal l and j wdgi ng o f the pe rs o ne s after na m it ;

To o u r lo v itt s m essengers m acers , ,

and ofcers o f c o wr t owr shirriffs in that pair t
, ,

c o n u nc tlie s e c ia llie c o ns ti t w te
j and s e v e r a lli e
p ,
-
,

r e ittin : For sa m e i k illa is the day of

g g
is a pp o ynte d by w s fo r the trying and j u dging o ff
A na b ill Thom son widow in B o rro w sto wne s Mar ,

garet Pri ngle relict o f t he de c ist John Campbell

sive w right ther Margaret Ham ilton r e lict o f th e

-
,
. z

de c e ist Jam es P o llwa r t ther W m Craw indweller , .

ther Bessie Vic ca r relict o f the de ce ist Ja m es Pen

,

nie indweller ther and Margarett Hamilton relict

,

o f the de c e i s t T hom as Mitch e ll who are a ppre h e n ,

dit and i mpriso ned in the t o lb u ith o f B o rro wsto w '

ne s as s u spe ct gwi lty o f the a b o m ina b le c ryme o f

,
- v

w itchcraft by entering into pa b t io wn wi th t h e de

,

v ill re nwnc ing their baptism and c o mitting o f ma

,
 w rr c a ns or ma a o wsr o c nns s. 99

Zg ci e s Wh e r e fo ir nescessary
it is, that the saides
persons sho u ld be su m m o nde d to w nde rlye the lawe
fo r the sam en a nd t hat Witne ss a nd a ssyss e rs sho u ld
,

be cited against the m to the effe ct and u nder the, ,

pai nes efter s pe cie t H s na r o m this precept sein

.
, ,

we c h a i rge yo u passe a nd in owr so v e ra ig ne lordes

,

na me and a u thority a nd o w rs co m and and c h a irge

,
,
,

the saides pe rso ne s above c o m plea ne d u pon to ,

co m e ir b e fo ir w s or any three o f u s (who are by

p ,

o u r said c o mmiss io wn de c la ire d to be a qu or u m) ,

w ithin th e sa i d to lb u ith o f B o rro wsto w ne s the nyne ,

teen day o f Dece m ber nix t in the howr o f c a wse , ,

ther to w nde rlye the lawe fo r the c rym e s above ,

s e c ie t and that u nder the paines contained in the

p ,

ne w acts o f pa rlia m ent : And si c k l i k s u m m on

y , ,

wa irne and c ha i rge ane a s syse o f honest and fa mo u s

pe rso ne s not exceeding the n u m ber o f fo rtie ve

, ,

to git h e r with s u ch witnesses who best kno w the

v c ri tie o f the e r so ne s above co m le a ne d u pon ther

p p
w i lt n to co m e ir b e fo ir u s day and place
g y es , p ,

fo ir sa id in the howr o f c a w s e the p e rso ne s o f

, ,

Witness to be a r le a ll and so b thfa s t witnessing in the

,

re m iss and the inq u e i st to passe u pon the a s s se

p ,
y
each persone u nder the paine o f a ne h u ndret h
,

m erks according to j u stice ais ye will answer to u s

, ,

th e r w po n : the wh ilk to doe co m m its to ou con
y ,
,

u nc tlie and se v e ra lie

j o u r fw ll power
, be thir our ,

lettres, de lyve ri ng them be you de wllie e x e c u t and

indo r se t a ga ine to the b e ire r Given u nder o u r .

hands at B o rr o wsto wnes the t we ntie nynt day o f ,

-

This wo rd i s i nterline d , a nd r
th e wo d i nqu e ist scor d e o ut.
1 00 w rr c nns o r B o ns o ws r o rm ns s '
.

Novem ber ane , tho u sa nde six h u nder a nd se v entie

n ne e irs
y y .

(Si c Su b s crib i tu r
) R H AMILT ON
.
,

J CO R NWALL
.
,

B ren ELP H ENST O NE

.
,

W D UNDA S . .

As e Li s t of the P erso ne s to b e wa rne d to p a s se

u on the Ass a e r Ju d in e Wi tche s i n
p y j b g g th

Robert B a lle ndin el der in Northbank ,

Alex Brown in B o nh a rd
.
,

John I rwyne there ,

Jam es Lam b there ,

George S torie in M o re edge -

,

T hom as Knox wiver in L ittill Ca rridi n ,

John Meldru m ther ,

Geo rge Yo wng in M u rra ye s ,

John Brown oversm an ther ,

George S m yth ther ,

John R o b e rt sone in B o nh a rd pann s -

,

John D a v ie so ne ther ,

John Pool ] ther .

George Bennet ,

Jam es C a s si lle s elder skipper , ,

1 02 W ITCH ES or B O RRO WST O U NESS .

John Ma ir sc he ll in W hyte side

i '

Andre w J o h ns to w n in P o ll m o nt '

David Ballanden in Redding ,

Jam es Gaff ther ,

George M u re he id ther ,

W illiam c hat o f R u ch hau gh -

,

John G rinto wn in Gillsto wn Lo a nfo o te ,

Henry Taylor in W hyte side ,

John P u rga t o f B r uc h to wn Crag .

O r de r a nd W a rra nd
f or B u r ni n
g the Wi tches g "

F O R SA M EI K L E as A nna b il Thom son widdo w in

B o rro w sto wne s Margaret Pringle relict o f the de
,

c e a s t John Cam pbell ther Marga ret H a milto w n

,

reli ct o f the de c e a s t Jam es P o llwa r t ther W ill iam ,

Craw indweller ther Bessie W ic k e r relict o f the

,

de c e a s t Jam es Pennie ther a nd Margaret Ham il ,

town relict o f the de c e a st Thom as Mitchell ther ,

prisoners in the t o lb u ith o f B o r ro w sto wne s are ,

foun d gu ilti e be ane a s sy s e o f the abom inable ,

cry m e o f witchcraft committed be them in m aner ,

m entioned in their di tta ye s and are decerned and ,

adj u dged be us u nder s u b sc ryv e r s (com m issioners

o f j u sticia ry s e c ia llie a o nt e d to this e ffect) to
p pp y
be taken to the west end o f B o rro wsto wne s the ,

ordinar place o f exec u tion th e r u pon T u esday the ,

t w e ntie th ird day o f Dece m ber c u rrent betwixt

-
,
'

two and fou r a clock in the e fte rno o n and ther to ,

 w rr c na s o r B O RRO WST O UNESS . 1 03

be wirrie d at a ste a c k till they be dead and there ,

efter to have their bodies b u rnt to ashes These .

t h e re fo ir req ui re and co m mand the b a yli e principal

O ff the re a litie O f B o rrb w sto wne s and his de u t t s

g , p ,

to see the said se nta nc e and doom pu t to dew exe

c u tio n in a ll poynts , as yee wi ll be answerable .

Given u nder o u r h a nds at B Orro w sto wne s the nyn

te e nth day o f Dece m b er 1 679 ye irs .

W D U NDA S
.
,

R ICHELPHIN S T O N E
.

W SANDILAND S
A.
,

J CO NWALL ,
. R

J H AMILT O N
. .
 T RIAD

I SOB EL ELL I O T ,A ND NI NEO THER

W O ME N .

Recor ds q u s ticia r
y S
,e
p te mb e r 1 8 , 1 678 .

I n 1 678 , I sO b e l E lliot and nine other wom en were

tried fo r Wit chcraft i n
one day The articles O f in
.

dic tm e nt against all o f them were pretty m u ch the

sam e Those exhibited a gai nst I sobel E lliot were
.

as follows That abo u t two years ago she stai d at

hom e from the k i r k at the desire o f her m istress ,

who was a witch when the devi l had a m eeting with

,

the prisoner her m istress and two other witches

, ,

that he kissed the prisoner baptized her on the face

,

wi th a n ro a m f his ha nd lik e a de w ing and offered

!
o ,

to lie with her b u t forbore beca u se she was with

,

child that after she was kirked the devil Often m e t

her and had ca rna l Cop u la ti o n with her The pri
, .

so ne r and the other nine m iserable wom en u nder

went all the legal form s incident to their u nhappy

situ ation a m ong that del u ded and barbaro u s people .

They had been prosec u ted by his Maj esty s A dv o

ca te; th e y j u dic ia lly acknowledged their g u ilt were ,

convicted by the j u ry conde m ned b y the j u dges

, ,

and bu rned by the exec u tioner _) r ha vi ng ha d ,

-

cwm a l cq m la tio n wi th the de v il !

 T HE

CO NFESSI O U N

A GE "

HELENE T A I L Z EA R .

JUL 8 , 1 649, .

B EI NG the S abb a th day; M r Sa mu e l iDe wgla s

'

preaching at Eym o u t h after serm on Helen Tail

, ,
'

z e a r de s re d to speik with the sa id Mr S am u ell

y ,

who co m ing to h ir th a i r being al so present S a mu el

,

Lau der and G eorge Halliday she confessed these ,

p a rticu la ri s v iz r s t at C a ndil m a s b ygo n two

b ,
.
,

e irs scho c a m into I so b e ll Br own s h o u s q u bair

y , ,

the di vill Wa s sitting in th e li knes o f a ge ntill m a n

at the ta b ill drinking with I sc hell Brown who took ,

hir in his arm es withou t any m oir spe ik ing at that

tym e .

Se co ndlie , S cho dthat after shee ca m to

e c la irs ,
b ll Brown s bo s w h a ir the div ill
4
I so e u

was in the sa m e li k ne ss as befor and la yd his ,

hand u pon hir head and sayd yo u sall b e on o f

, ,

m yne so long as yo u live An d that he gave hir

.

two do lle ri s and when shoe ca m home they w

,
er

bu tt twa sta nes .

 C O NF ESS I NO OF H E LE N TAYL O R .

Th i rdlie , S hee de c la i rs ,
that shee was at ane
m eiting with I so b e ll Brown Alison Cairns Ma rga
, , p

ret Dobson and Beatrix Yo u ng and that thai went

, ,

a ll along to W illiam B ur ne tt is bo u s b e l ing sick

y , ,

and that com ing to the h o u s Margaret Dobson was

,

in the liknes o f ane black hen and went in at the ,

chim ley head and Beatrix Yo u ng in the liknes o f

,

a litill foal] and that hi rse lf was in the liknes o f

,

ane litill q u he lp ; I so b e ll Brown wes in hir o wi n

li knes with a long ta il d c o u rt sh a w u pon hir head
,

and Allison Cairns wes in hir o win liknes ; and that

I so b e ll Brown desired her to go into W illi am B u r
nettis bot sh ee re fu isse d q u h a i ru po n I so b e ll Brown
,

did s tryk her on the ba c k .

F o u rtlie S hee de c la i rs that Ma r io u n Ro b isso n

,

wes ane witch and that shee was W illiam B u r nit s

,

death .

(S igned ) Mr SAM E L DO G LA S
U U , M i nis te r

S L AU D E R
. .

G H ALLI DA Y
. .
1 10 D E P OS ITI O N or MANI E HALI B UR TON .

rst tyme shee gave him mi lk and breid and P a

,

trik W a tso ne com ing in he sent fo r a pynt o f a le,

b o t at his second co m ing he sta yit all night a nd ,

u pon the m orne airli e (P a tric k being fu rth ) in ,

the di v ill and lay do u n with hir scho being yi tt in ,

bed and had ca rnal co pu la tio nn with hir h is na

, ,

t u re being cald He de syrit hirto re nu nc e Chryst

.

and hir baptism e and becom e his servant q u hilk

, ,

scho did And sa yis that hir dochter had the

.
,

w yte o f all hir wi ck it wissi n g and Wissmg sh e had ,

nevi r beene bo rne .

Th i s deposition was renewed in a ll the pa rtic u

lars by the said Menie in the foresaid place on, ,

S u nday the rst o f J u ly 1 649 before Alexander , ,

Lev ingsto n o f Sa ltco a tts James B orthwick cham ,

b e rla ne Jam es L a wde r John Stalker baillie W m

, , , .

Dal z ell, a nd Mr J ohn M G hie m i nister at Dirl

,

tou n .

(S ign e d) J M A K GH I E
. .

A L EX L EVI NG ST O UN
.
,

J A B o a m w rcx
. .

J AMES L A D DER .

J OH N STALK E R .

W D ALZ E LL
. .

W ALT ER M A RS HALL . .
 DEC L AR AT I O N

J O HN KINCAID .

J UNE , 1 649.

T HE whilk da y , in pre sen ce o f Alex L e vi ng .

ston o f Sa ltco a tti s, Ja me s Borthwick c ha lme rla in

o f Dirlto u n ,
John S ta l ker baillie th a iro f Jam es ,

Fo irma n in Drem Mr Jam es A c h ie so n in North

,

Berwick and W illiam Dalzell notar Patrick W a t

, ,

son in W est Fenton and Menie Ha lib u rto u n his

,

s o u s b r u it te d and long s u spect o f witchcraft

p , of ,

tha ir a wi nf r ie will m oo mp e llit he iring that I John

,

Kincaid u nder su b sc ryv a nd wes in the to nne o f

D ir lto u ne and had so m e sk ill a nd dexterity in try
,

ing o f the di villis m arke in the pe rso nis o f su ch as

wer su spect to be witches cam e to the broad hall
,

in the Castell o f D ir lto u ne and de syre d me the

,

said John Kincaid to u se m y try a l l o f tham e as I

had done on u th e ri s whilk when I had done I
, ,

fo u nd the div illis m arke u pon th e bak syde o f the

said Patrik W a tso ne a littill u nder the point o f
,

his left s ho u lder and u pon the l eft syde o f the said
,
1 19. D E C LARA T I ON o r J O H N K I NC A ID .

Menie Ha lyb u rto u n hir neck a littill above her left

shou lder w ha iro f thay wer not sensible neither
, ,

ca m fu rth t h a iro f any b lo o de after I had tr e d the

y
sa m in as e x a ctlie as ever I did any u th e rs Thi s .

I te s tie to be o f v e ri ti e u pon my credit and con

science I n witne s q u ha iro f I have su b sc ryv it thir
.
,

p re se ntis with m
y hand day ,
and place forsaid b e ,

foix ther witnesses abov e spe c ie t .

J K . .

A L EX . L EVI NG ST O U N, wi tness .

JA B. o a r u w rc x , wi tness .

JO HN STAL K E R wi t ne ss , .

J AM ES F O RMAN wi tne ss , .

J A A CHESO NE wi tness
.
,
.

I V D A LZ E LL
.
,
1M mm . or W ILLIAM co n :

2 . Andrew Nicol deponed that he h eard the sai d ,

Al ison say to him Thou has gott en the wo ,

m an s song laid as thou prom ised

thou art
,

over long livi ng it had been g u de fo r the wo

-

m e n o f K irk a ldy that tho u had been dead long

,

since I shall cau se all t he wo rld wonder u pon

. ~

thee .

3 . George Tillie deponed that he heard her say to ,

h im ,It had been gl ide fOr the women o f Kir k

aldy to pu t h im to death ; and that he had died
,

seven years since .

1 7 3 0

com peared Jea n Adam son Kathrine S pens

Al so , ,

Marion Meason Isobel M u rison Alison K e llo c h

, , ,

who being admitt ed and sworn deponed as follows ,

Jean Ada mson depone d that she heard Alison ,

Dick say to her h u sband W il liam Coke Thief

,

Thief ! what is this that I have been doing

keeping the thretty years fro m m eikl e evil do
ing Many pretty m e n has tho u p u tten dow n
.

both in ships a nd boa ts tho u has gotten the

wom an s song l a i d now Let honest m e n p u d

.

dle and work as they like if they plea se not ,

thee well they shall not hav e meikle to the fore

,

when they die .

Kathrine S pens deponed that she he ard her say ,

to him Com m on t hief I have hindered thee

, ,

from m any ill t u rns doi ng both to ship s and ,

6 Marion Meason depo ned that she heard her say , ,

Comm on thief mony ill tu rn have I hinder,

 r A ND ALI SO N D c . L 1 15

3 2 ed thee from doing thir thre tty yea rs ; mOny

ships and boats has thou pu t down and when
I wo u ld have h a l den the string to have saved
'

one ma n thou wald not
,
.

7
. Isobel Mu rison deponed that she hea rd he r say ,

to him Thi e f thief I have k e e pe d thee from

, , ,

doing m any ill tu rnes Tho u has now laid th e

.

Septe mb er 2 4t h, 1 63 3 .

8 . Compeared Janet Allan relict o f u mq u hil e ,

Joh n D u ncan sher deponed that Ali son Dick

, ,

came in u pon a certain ti m e to her hou se when ,

she was lying in o f a bairn and craved som e ,

sou r ba kes ; and she denying to give her any ,

the said Alison said yo u r bai rns shall beg yet,

,

( as they do ) .And her h u sba nd being angr

y
at her reproved her ; and she ab u sed hi m in
,

la ngu age ; and when he strak her,sh e said that ,

she shou ld cau se him ru e it ; and she hoped to

the po w a rt s bigg in his hai r ; and wi thin
hal f a year he was caste n away a nd his boat , ,

and perish ed .

Janet Sa nde rs dau ghter ia law to the said W il

,
- -
.

liam Coke and Alison Dick deponed that Wil , ,

.

liam Coke cam e in to her a nd sh e being weep ,

i ng he dem anded the ca u se o f it she answered

, , ,

it w a s fo r her h u sband The said W il liam sa i d

.
,

What ai ls thee Thou wilt get thy gu dma n

agai n b u t ye wi ll get him both naked a nd bare ;
,

a nd whereas there wa s no word o f him ib r a

1 16 TR I AL or WI LLI A M c ox E

lo ng ti me be fore he came h Onm within two da ys

,

therea fte r , n a k e d and bare a s he sa id ; the sh ip

wh e rein h e was being cast e n a way .

Jean Adam son de poned that when he r gu d ,

m a n saile d w ith Da vii d Robe rts on th e said D a~ ,

vid ha ving sent him M e with a ship to c o m e

fo r S c otland ther e was a long ti m e tha t there
,

was no word o f that ship ; so th a t David Ro

bertson com ing hom e and the other ship not ,

com e nor no word from her, he said he wou ld

,

never see her The said Alison Dick cam e in

.

to her (s h e with he r bairns be ing weeping),

,

a nd said W h a t a ils ye Jean to we ep ? S he a n

,

swe re d W e have all good c a u se to weep fo r m

, y
h u sband whom we will never see more The
, .

s aid Al is on said ho ld yo u r to ngu e

, yo u r gu d ,

m a n a nd all the c o mpa ny a re we ll e nou gh ; t hey

a re in Norway loadin g thei r sh ip with timber to

c ome home they will be here sh o rtly And so

, .

it fell o u t in every point as she sa i d .

5, 1 1 Kathri ne S pens de poned that W illia m Coke

.
,

ca me in to h er a fter tha t his wife had spoken

,

s o m u ch e vil to h im and said Kathrine m y

, , ,

w ife has spoken m eikle ill o f me this day b u t ,

I said not hing to h er again I f I ha d spoken .

two Words to he r the last titu e sh e was in the

s tee le she wou ld nev e r ha ve otten t f it
p , g o u o .

Min u te s o f 2 4th S eptembe r, ordai ns Mr J am es

Mi lle r to ride to Preste n fo r the ma n tha t tries
th e witch es T he expe nde t o b e paid b y the
.
1 18 T R I AL O F WI LLI A M com

I will get am ends o f them The sa i d J anet .

Whyt declared that Alison Dick said to her

,
'

servant Agnes Fa irlie I have gotten a grip o f

, ,

you r gu dwife s thigh I s hall get a grip o f he r

leg next ; th e said Janet having b u rnt her thigh

before with lint and therea fter she has taken
su ch a pain in her leg that she can ge t no re ,

m edy fo r it Whilk th e said Agnes F a i rlie de

.

poned upon her great oath to be tr u e

15 . Alison Dick hersel f decl a red that David P a ,

te rson , sk ipper having str u ck W illiam Coke

,

her h u s band and drawn him by the feet and

, ,

compelled him to be ar his gear a boar d the said ,

W illiam cur sed the said David and th a t voy ,

a ge h e wa s taken by the D u nkirkers Al so, .

a t anot her time th e re after b e compelled him ,

to he a r hi s gear aboard and a captain s who ,

was with him and when th e captain wou ld

,

h ave paid him the said David wou ld not su ffer

,

h im ; b u t he hi m self gave him what he liked .

T h e sa i d William cu rsed the said David very

vehem en tly ; and at that tim e he him sel f pe
rish e d h is ship
, a nd all his co m pany
,
except ,

two or three Also she declared that when his

.
,

own son sailed in David W hyt s ship and gave

,

* the s id William
no t his father his b o nna l li e a ,

said W hat ? I s he sai led and given m e no

, ,

thing ? Th e devil be with him ; if ev e r he com e .

h o m e ag ain h e sh a ll co nic hom e naked a nd

,

ha te ; and so it fell o u t F or John Wh yt, .

l
"
' H is fa ne we ll cup.
 A ND AL ISON m a x . 119

w ho had tha t ship h eight e d to Nor way and

,

another wherein him sel f was declared that , ,

they had very fou l weather ; and the ship

wherein the said you ng William Coke was ,

perished and he saved all the m e n in the ship

whe re in he w a s hi mse l And a lb e it th e sto rm
inc re as ed two da ys before the per ishi ng o f the -

sa id ship and six days aft er yet the two ho u rs

, ,

spa c e in which they were sa ving the m e n it ,

w a s so c a lm in th a t pa rt o f the sw th a t th e y ,

rowe d fro m one ship to th e other wit h two

o a rs , and the sea was all tro u bles ome abou t
them And the said William Co ke the you nger
.
,

w a s the rs t m a n th a t cam e a shipboa rd

m e nded by Mr Ja m es Sim son m inister when , , ,

and how she fe ll in covenant with the devil

,

She ans wered her h u sband m ony ti mes u rged

,

her and she yi e lded only two or three years

,

since The m anner was th u s He gave her

.
-
,

so ul and body q u ick and q u idder fu ll to the

,

devil and bade her do so B u t she in her

, .

'

h e art sa id God g uid e me

, A nd th e n she sa id
.

to him I shall do any thing that ye bid m e :

,

a nd so she gave hersel f to the d e v il in the fore

hou r s at eve n free ly withou t co mpu lsio n b e

, , ,

fore Mr Jam es Simson minis ter William Ten, ,

nent baillie Robe rt French town clerk Mr

, , ,
-
,

Jo hn Ma lco lme , sc hoo lma s ter, Willia m Craig,

 T IAL
R OF W ILLI A M O C K E
and me , t he said Mr Jam es Mill er writer here ,

o f
.

16 . The which day compeared Christian Rona l d

,

son against A lison Dick who in her presence

, , ,

be ing sworn deponed that she having set a n

, ,

hou se to the said Alison and when the gu dm a n ,

cam e hom e he was angry and said he wo u ld , ,

not have the dev il to dwell above h im in the

closs ; and he went and stru ck u p the door ,

and p u t forth the chim ney that she pu t in it .

And thereafter Alison cam e to the said Chris

,

tian and chopped u pon her shou lder and said

, ,

to her Christie yo u r g o d man is going to sa il

, , ,

and he has ane stock am ong his hands b u t ere ,

long his stock shall be as short as mine And

, .

so it fell o u t fo r he was casten away in David

,

Whyt s ship and saved nothing

,
.

Com peared Me ij o ry Marshall a gainst Al ison ,

Dick who being sworn deponed that Alison

, , ,

having brou ght her gu dma n s c lo a th s once from

the Castl e haven she offered her 1 2d fo r her

-
,

labou r who wou ld not have it ; and she said to

,

her, Alison there is not m any o f them S he

, .

3 P ro b a b ly Ra v e nscra ig Ca tle
s , a t t he e a t
s e nd o f t
Pa h
he e d . En .
 l Q T IA
R L o r wI L LI A u co r n

there fore, I wi ll gi ve yo u no thing She re . .

plied W i ll ye give me not hing

,

it will be better sharp (cheaper) sold

bou ght : a nd so it fell o u t fo r the shi p sa ile d ,
.

u po n the m orn, a nd the da y afte r that, she

sav ed by another shi p that was n ea r b y the m

'

20 Tho ma s M us ta rd being s worn depone d that

.
, ,

Ja me s Wi l son going on ce to sail, Ali son Dick

came to h im and de syre d silv er fro m _hi m he
, _ ,

wo u l d give he r none ; s h e ab u se d hi m with lan

u age a nd he stru ck h er she m i d to him that
g , ,

that hand sho u ld do him little good that voy

age ; and within two days a fte r hi s hand swell ,

ed a s gre a t a s a pint sto a g s o t ha t he co u ld ge t

-

l ittle or nothing done with it T he next ti m e .

a ls o when h e w a s to sai l the said Ali so n went ,

betwixt h im and the bo a t ; and he said Yo u ,

sam e wi tch thi ef is going betwixt m e and the

boat I m u st have blo od o f her ; and he went
,

a n d str u ck he r and bled h er and she c u rsed

, ,

hi m and banne d him ; a nd that s am e voyage ,

he being in Caithness st anding u pon the shore,

c le i th ing a tow and a boy with h i m the sea

, ,

ca m e and took h im away and he died ; and the ,

D es M b *
esir r R o ert Dou gla s to go to the Arch
bisho p wi th thi s process to get his ap probation ,

thereto w ho ta k e s u po n him to do tb e sa me
,
.

Who pre a c h e d r
th e m o us co o na i on se t rmon of Cha rle s I I .

a t Sc one , Ja nua ry l st 1 65 1 .
 a m: AL I SO N nc . 15
23

Minute of Novemb e r 1 9th 5s given fo r a load o f . .

c oal s to Aliso n Di ck 1 4s fo r her entertai n . .

m ent this w e e k bygo ne being this da y wit h , ,

he r h u sband W illi am Coke bu rnt fo r witch ,

c raft .

I n the mi nu te of 1 7th Decemb er , the r e is a

p a r li

I n
p r i mis
To M r J
.am es
-
M ille r when ,

he went to P r e s to wne fo r
a man to try them 478 2 7
I te m To the m a n o f C ulross
.
,

(the exec u tioner) when he

went away the rst ti me ,

l s .

I te m i For coals fo r th e witches ,

2 4s .

I te m I n pu rchasing the comm is

sion 9 3
I te m For one to go to Finmo u th
,

fo r the laird to sit u pon

their assise as j u dge
I te m For harden to he j u m ps to
,

the m 3 10
! te rm
,

For m ak ing o f them 0 8 ,

S u mm a fo r the k irk s part

17 1 Scots .
12 4 r nI A L
' '

b F ILL I A M
W c o ns , a c .

p r i mis .
F or ten loads coals to of

b u rn them 5 merks 3
I te m For a tar barrel 1 4s
, ,

0 , .

I te m For to w e s O
,
I ta m To hi m that brou ght the
exec u tioner 2
I te m To the exec u tioner fo r
,

his pains 8
I te m For his expenses here 0
,

I te m F or one to go to Fin
,
.

m o u th fo r the laird 0 ,
. 6 0

S u mm a town s part,
17 1 O Scots
.

Both ,
84 l l 0
1 26 EX P EN SE o r B URNI NG A w rr c n .

I tem m air fe r ane ma n and twa hot ss,

fo r y e fe tc h e in
i

g o f hi m , and ta -

Mair to hir fo rm eit and drink ilk ane

da y iiij sh the space o f xxx dayes
, ,

13

I tem mair to ye tw ofcers fo r yr e

a

ilk da y se x sh illine a u ght pennes,

x lib S co tt s
S umma 15 I l
l] so o n x i i lib x iiij sh

G HI LB ER T L A U D E R .

U M L A U DEB B
. . I LZ AU RS.

Tak in o f thi s a bove writte n so u ms t we nt i e -

se a v e n

u ndis Sco tis q lk the said

p
ha m h a d o f her ain .

27 :

AU
 M I N U T ES
A ND

P RO CEED I NG S O F T H E SESSI O N

T O RRYB U R N I N , FIFE SHIRE ,

C NC E RNIN G
O

WI HT T HE

C O N F ESS I O N

L I LLI A S A D I E .

A
T KEN FRO M T HE SESS I O N RECO RDS
 MI NUT E S O F T H E K I RK -
SES S I O N
with a m ischief b u t partic u larly his wife b efore
, ,

this befell ; the said Janet was ca lled and in ,

t e rro ga te if ever she threatened Jam es Tano

,

chie s wi fe she declare s th a t she never threa t

, ,

ened any s u ch thing nor thou ght so More , . ,

over she said that Ja me s his wi fe wou ld not

, ,

sa
ys o otherw,ise she wo u ld lay down her head

u pon a scaffold S he said that she was not at

.
,

h e r since sh e to o k that di ste mper a nd saw h e r ,

no t since , b u t sa w h er on the Monday be fore ,

and her h u sband s dau ghte r a nd Jean Archi

,

bald I nC u lross ; b u t u pon the m orrow the wo

dec la red that Jea n B iz e t was in a dist e mpe r

, .

u po n T ue sda y the 1 3 th day o f J u n e, inH e le n

Ande rso n s hou se, bet wix t 9 a nd 1 0 a t night,

a nd see me d dru nk .

3 130 Tha t she dran k not a gill in tha t h o us e b a t

, ,

be fo re she cam e to Hele n s house she wa s a b o nt ,

h a lf an hou r i n Ma ry W ils o n s

.

'

he hea rd h er say Agne s beware le s t Li li as

, ,

M

She id L ilia A di thinks '

sa to Mary Niels o n , s

m u se me a s she u se d o ur
y si ster .

3 tio , She c plaine d u po n Ma ry W ilson b ut no ne

om

,

saw the said Mary ; as she went hom e she cry ,

her hands Note .

S he got a con siderable s el ep

As sh e went ho me , he h a d l e t he r go , and sh e
 n ro na r nu a x 13 1
'
o .

no t only went fre ely b u t did ru n :vio le ntly

.
, ,

Wit hou t st um bling in the l e ast ; the br ead th o f

Torry Park and he ha d di ffic u lty to overta ke
,

h e r no t wi th sta ndm the re was bo th a dyk e

'

g
-

He declared that he he a rd that the ne x t da y

,

she was no b etter .

7100 H e decla re d tha t on the M o nday b e fore

, .

, ,

Jane t Whyt e said to him be fore J a me s Alex ,

ander in D m that she w o uld ma ke Jea n

ru n
.
~
,

Biz et for ethink wh at she ha d do ne to he r in not

paying h e r two barrel s of a le which she sold he r ,

on thi s p u rpose she co u ld not get the ma ltma n

payed .

Stio H e le n A nderso n being ca l led dec lared tha t

, , ,

Jean Biz et wa s in he r ho u se o u t o f M a ry Wil ,

so n s abou t 5 or 6 at night the foresa id da y

, ,

and she seem ed to b e stra ngely di stem pered '

d g Her eyes
, rai sed a nd co u ld drink none , .

3 th A te r she h a d sle e ped from 6 to near 9

, ,

a nd whe n she awaked she c rye d by Go d he is , ,

d n to ta ice me ! by 0 hr i e t k e s o in to ta k e
g g g g
me ! 0 Lilly with he r ble w do a b e t ! O Mmy ,
M a ry Wilso n ! repeating Chr is t k eep me Upon
which H el e n said to he r h u sband did yo u ever ,

se e her in this condition ? He answered neve r ,

in my life b u t she is to o m u ch ta ken u p m th

,

that co mpa ny b u t let me to he r I shall di ng

, ,

the de vil o u t o f he r Fo r this she appeals to .

Jame s T a no c hi e and his son Sh e and Ja m es ,

Wh yte declares both, that the y a re c le a t to de '

1 82 MIN T E S U or ru n K RK I -
SESSI ON
A gnes Henderson wi fe tb Jam es W hyte c alled , , ,

com peared declare d that she was sent fo r to Jam es

, ,

T a no c h ie s wi fe the d a y foresa i d who w a s in a grea t

,
'

trou ble and nev er saw h e r in the like 2d That

, .
,

she sle e pt a While and when she awoke s h e crye d

'

, , ,

s he i s ow ning ! that Jean wa s in Ma ry

She a dds,

W ilson s before she ca me to Helen Anderson s

,

a n d she said that she desired her to go hom

.

,
e fo r ,

Lillywill take yo u and the child b oth S he hea rd .

her say to Mary W il son " it wa s not to yo u th a t , _

sh e did ev il b u t to yo u r sister what aileth her at

, ,

m e I never did her any i ll

, And as sh e went .

hom e she seem ed rai sed b u t went and spak very

, ,

well and she went with her she hea rd her spea k
, ,

often o f Lilly by the way that she was coining to ,

take her And she adds that as she caine rst

.
,

into the Ne w m iln that she looked and spoke a s ,

heartsom ely as ever she saw her and see m ed no way ,

disordered a nd hav ing carried one o f Jam es

W hyte s children from the Ne wm iln to Jam es s

hou se And on the next day being W ednesday

.
, , ,

she went to see how she was a nd fo u nd her c o m ,

lain ing o f a sore head and in a swea t and she

p , ,

s ee m ed not right ; and she says she is clear to de ,

pone what she has d eclared .

Mary Nie lso n being called in said tha t when , ,

.

Jean Bizet cam e to her m istress Helen Ande rson '

her hou se she w a s not within b u t she wa s wi thin

, ,

when she awoke o u t o f her sleep 2d She heard .

,

her say 0 Go d ! 0 Christ Jesu s ke ep me ! Stio , S he

,
 13 4 MIN T ES
U O F T H E K RK - I SESS I O N
and Mar gar e t Nico l sister to Robert Nicol were , ,

dr inking a t the re side 6to, S he decl a res that

'

- .
,

sh e se e m e e d no ways d iso rdered with dr ink , nor

a n
y othe r way 7m Sh e went u
.
p to her on Th u rs
,
.

day afternoon and she fo u nd her lying on he r bed

, ,

and straked her head a nd whether she was im me ,

dia te ly the better o f it or not she kne w no t ; b u t , ,

she left h e r sitti ng at the r e side with her chil d on -

her knee .

Jean Biz et sa ys Jean T illo c h was really th ere

, .

261 S he says it was Friday afternoon before she

,

se ttled .

de n mt, Mi ni s te r a nd Elde r s .

Lillie s A die be ing acc u sed o f witchcr aft by Jean

Neil son who is dre a dq y tor m ented the said
, ,

L ill ia s w a s incarcerate by Bai lie W illiam son abou t

ten o f the nigh t u pon the 28 th o f J u ly .

L illi a s being exhorted to declare the tr u th and ,

no thi ng b u t tr u th she replied what I a m to say

, ,

sha l l be as tru e a s th e su n is in the rma me nt .

Being interroga te if she was in co m pact with the

devil sh e replied I a m in com pa c t wi th the de
, ,

vil a nd have been so since b efore the second b u rn

,

ing o f the witches in this place S he fu rther de

elat ed tha t the rst ti me she me t with the de vil
,

w a s at th e Gollet between T o rryb u rn and New

,

m ilne in the h arv est before the s u n set where he

, , ,
 or r o na r no nn . 135

tryst ed to meet he r the day afte r which tryst she ,

kept and the devil took her to a stook side and

, ,

cau sed her reno u nce her baptism the cerem ony he
u sed was he p u t one hand on the crown o f her
,

head and the other on the soles o f her feet with

, ,

her own consent and ca u sed her say all was the
,

devil s bet wixt the crown o f her head and the soles

o f her feet ; and there the devil lay with her car

nally ; and that his skin was c o ld and his colo u r ,

black and pale he had a hat on his head and his

, ,

feet was cloven like t h e feet o f a stirk as she ob ,

served when he went from her .

The next ti me s he saw him was at a m eeting at

the B a rnro ds to which she was s u mm oned by
,

Grissel Ande r son i n N e w m ilne a bou t Martin m as

, ,
'

their nu m b er was abou t twenty o r thirty whereof ,

none are no wliving b u t herse l f S he adds , it was .

a m oon ligh t night a nd they danced som e ti me b e

-
,

fore the dev il cam e on a po nny with a hat on his ,

head and they clapt their ha nds and c rye d the re

, ,

ou r P r i nce the r e o u r P r i nce

, with whom they ,

danced abo u t an ho u r .

The next tim e was at a m eeting at the back o f

Patrick S ands his hou se in Va lle ye ld where the
, ,

devil cam e with a cap which covered his ears and

n eck ; f they had no m oonlight Being in terrogate
-
.

i f they had any li ght she replied she go t light

, ,

fro m da rkness and co u ld not tell what that li ght

,

was b u t she h e ard the m say it cam e from darkness

, ,

and went to darkness and said it is not so bright

, ,

as a candle the low thereof being bl u e yet it gave

, ,

su ch a light as they co u ld discern others faces .

 186 MIN T E U S or r m: K RKI -
SESS I O N
There they abode abo u t an hou r and danced as ,

for m erly ; she k new none at the m eeting h u Els ,

peth W illiam son whom she saw at the close o f

,
-

t h e m e e ting co m ing down by the dyke side ; and -

s h e said , she w a s al so at another m eeting in th e

Hau gh o f Torry where they were fu rnish ed wi th
,

t h e for m er light a nd s h e saw E lspeth W illia m so n

there al so .

Ju ly 3 l s i , 1 70 4 .
-
A
e r P ra
y e r, Se de ru nt, Mini

L illia Adie adhered t o her former confe ssion

s ,

and added there were m any m eetings she was no t

,

witness to and was at m any o f which she coul d

, .

'

give no pa rt ic u la r a cc o u nt ; and yo u will ge t m ore .

news after this Being interrogate if she knew any

.

m ore witches in the place she replied Agnes C u r , ,

rie is a wi tch b u t sh e is a bold wom an and w ill

, ,

e e u pon m e if I sho u ld dela te her .

Being interrogate if the devil had a sword she ,

replie d she believed he d u rst not u se a sword ; and

,

ca lled him a v illain that prom ised her m any good

things when she engaged with h im b u t never gave ,

her any thing b u t m ise ry a nd poverty .

The last m eeting ever she was at was 1 4 days ,

after the S acram ent in the m onth o f A u gu st 1 70 1

, ,

u pon the m inister s glebe where the tent stood thei r

n u mber was 1 6 or 1 8 whereof Agnes C u rrie was ,

one S he added that she m ade an apology to the

.
,
13 8 MI NUT E S o r THE x m x - s e ss i o n
n esses that Grissel A nderson invited her to h e r
,

ho u se on that Lammas day the m orning j u st before,

the last b u rning o f the witches Grissel desired her .

to com e and speak with a m a n there accordingly

she went in there abo u t day break wh ere there was -

a nu m ber o f wi tches som e lau ghing som e stand

, ,

ing others sitting b u t she cam e i mm ediately away

, , ,
'

being to go to L a mm a s fa ir and se v eral o f the m

were taken shortly after and Grissel An derson ,

among the rest w h o was b u rnt and som e o f the m

, ,

taken t hat very week S he adds that Eu pha n

.
,

Stirt warned her to the m eeting at the B a rnro d

and th e said Eu ph a n was b u rnt afterward thou gh ,

sh e h a d bee n no longer a witch than a month b e

for e her death S he added that she knew fe w o f
.
,

them that were at the se m eetings especially the ,

you ng sort becau se they were m asked like gentle

,

wom en ; and i f Agnes C u rrie s heart wo u ld fall

she co ul d tell as m u ch as any being in the mi dst ,

'

o f the m eeting where sh e sa w h e r face by the bl u e

,

low near Patrick S ands

!

At T or ry b u m , Aug us t l gth, l 70 4 A e r P . ra
y e r,

E lspeth W illi am son declared that shortly after ,

the last com m u nion there ca me a wom an to her

,

door and bade her go east the way whom she fo l

, ,

lowed the length o f the ch u rch yard and leaned -

,

u pon the dyke, and saw a b o u ro c h o f wo m en, so me

 o r ro a nr nu a n . 13 9

with blac k heads were Sitting where the tent stood

, .

The woman that called her went straight to the ,

, _

m e e ti ng a nd fell down u po n her knees whereat

'
, ,

she wo ndered and hearke ned if t he re was any read

ing o r singing o f psal m s among the m and when she , ,

heard none she tho u ght she was in the wrong

,

place and did not think the wom an wou ld h ave

,

taken her to the devil s m eeting S he thou ght the

.

wom an was Mary W ilson b u t is not certain and ,

abo u t ten at night som e ti m e after a yo u ng lass

, ,

cam e to her door and desired her to go westward

,

a little whom she followed b u t kne w not the la ss

, , ,

she went so fast west t he town before her and was ,

got the length o f the Gollet or she cam e to the west

end o f th e town ; and wh e n she was come west near
the Gollet she saw a m eeting o f wom
, en and som e
m e n a nd she stood at a little distan c e fro m them
, ,

and sa w the m go throu gh other fo r the space o f

nea r an ho u r and rem oved insensib ly east ward from
,

her u pon which she stol e a way

, .

Li llia s Adie con fe ssed that after she ente red i a

,

to co mpact with S atan he appeare d to her some ,

h u ndred o f ti mes and that the devil hi m sel f su m

, ,

m o ne d her to that m eeting wh ich was on the glebe ,

he com ing into her h o u se lik e a shadow and went ,

'

away like a sh a dow a nd added tha t she saw E ls ,

peth W i lliam son a nd Agnes C u rrie both there

.
,

o nly Agnes was ne a rer the m eeting than E lspeth ,

who was leaning on the ch u rch yard dik e with her -

elbow S he added that the devil bade her attend

.
,

m any m eetings that she co u ld not attend fo r age ,

and sic kness ; a nd thou gh he appe are d not to her

1 40 m ne r ns o n r nr: x rnx - s s s s ro x

'

to her like a shado w so th a t , none co uld se e hi i

'

she renou nced h er bapti sm, the de v il r st spok e

th ia words,and she repea te d them a fter him a nd ,

tha t as he Went away she di d not he ar his feet o n

the st u bble .

Aug us t 2 otb 1 70 4 A e r P . ra
yer, Se dm m t,

It is to be minded , that Lillie s Adie appe ared

be fore the congregation on the Lord s day and

being ca l led u p by the m inister and asked if she

Wa s gu ilty o f witchcra ft s he con fessed freely that
,

she wa s a nd h a d entered expressly into covena nt

,

with Sa tan a nd reno u n c ed her ba ptism the devil

, ,

pu tting o ne hand o n the crown o f her head and ,

the other u nder the so les o f her feet and she gave ,

over all to the devil that w ists be t wixt his two ha nds
-

a nd she was co me hither to con fess he r sins , and

to ge t he r re no u nc e d ba ptism back a gain She a l .

so desired all tha t had power with God to pray fo r

he r ; to this the m iniste r a nd elders a nd whole ,

I t b e ing po rted tha t n ne s Cu rrie sho uld
re ,

hav e delat ed Be ssie Cal la nder a nd Mary Wilso n,

u i lty o f Witc hcr aft ; Agnes bei ng ca l led co mpe a r
g ,

ed and decla r ed tha t Rober t C urrie told her E18

,

pe t h Willi a m so n told h im that B e ssie Ca lla a de r

f
 MINUT E S o r r nn K R K -
'
I S ESS I O N
George Mars hall sworn , pu rged Gtc l u t M yra
'

, , ,

aged 3 9 yea r s m arried decla re d , a t sup ra , and

, ,

added that she said ye are h us bandm en de v ulge

, , ,

it not, le a s t yo u r be a s ts ge t wrang ; a nd said to

Alexander Dry sdale yhu go to sea yo u have need
, ,

to take head ; a nd she said the other lived b e ea s t ,

-

Jam es Paton s hou se b u t he going away heard no t

, ,

he r nam e A nd t his is the tr u th as he shal l a n

.
,

swer Ca usa s ci entia

. .

Si c w b s cr ib i tu r, G M . .

Agnes C u rrie assented to this in session ; and

that R b e r t C urrie to ld h e r that E lspeth W illi am
'

son told him these things ; and that Mary Carmi e

chael in Linlithgo w is a Wi tc h
'

.
,

Robert C ur rie ca lled co mpeared and d e clared , ,

that El spet h Wi llia mson dela t ed to him Be ssie

C allander Mary W il son and Mary Carm ic hael
, , ,

as witches which t he sai d E l speth referre d to the

,

probation o f the witc h .

T h e foresaid day Lillia s Adie sa i d to the m ini

,

ster, that the devil wa s angry that sh e went to

c hu rch and said that she m ight do as well at ho m e
, ,
.

Being in te rrogate if he was angry like she said , ,

that he nev er looked pleasant like i And closed .

- -

Aug us t 2 9a , n os
L illia sA die d eclared som e hou rs before her ,

d e ath in au die nce o f the m in ister precentor G e orge

, , ,

P ringle and John Paterson that what she had

, ,

said o f E lspe th W il liam son and Agnes Cu rrie ,

 o r ro nnn u a a . 1 43

wa s tr u e a s the Gospel a nd adde d it is as tr u e

a s ,

a s the su n shines on that oor a nd dim as m e es

y y ,

are I see that

, .

It being rep orted that W illiam W ilson kne w

some thing o f Ag nes C u rrie that was witchcr aft as ,

als o Janet Glass they were cal led and the said
, ,

W ill iam declared that abou t 24 years ago Helen

, ,

Joh nston having overlaid her child the night a fter

it was baptiz ed a nd the next day he was lam enting
,

the wom an s case Agnes C u rrie said to him if I

, ,

had been he r c u mm er I cou l d h a ve advised he r to

,

take heed to her child and also that the said W il ,

lia m wa s de sire d so m e time a go to br ing som e sly k "

to a ho u se that b e la nge d to Agne s a nd he a nswe r ,

e d tha t hi s m are was in the yoke a ll da and co u ld

,, y
no t ; Agnes said she cou ld not hel it a nd that
p ,

sam e day his mare died in a stank .

Janet Glass declar ed that she came on ce into ,

Agnes C u rrie s hou se having so mething to do with

Agnes who in the ti m e was baking brea d and

, ,

broke three several bannocks lying in three several ,

places and gave it to the said Janet a nd she with

, ,

eating the sa me fell in a fe ver .

T on g a n , 3 d of Sep la mb er , moi Af a r P ra
ye r,

Agnes C u rrie being c a lle il co peared; a nd con

'

,
m
Thin c la yo r m u d .
 1 44 MINUT E S o r T H E K RK I -
SESS I O N
fronted with J a net Glass Jane t declared that .
,

a bo u t twelve y ears ago she brou ght h er cloth to ,

her hou se and Agnes was bak ing brea d and s he

, ,

broke three several bann oc ks that were in three se

'

veral place s a nd gave he ra piece o f every ba nnock ,

,
.

a nd im m ediatel y sh e took the fever ; and s h e adds

-

that she gave her a little piece o f every b a nho c k ,

and it was all one sort o f bread Janet declares .

that she is ready to swear it ; also adds Helen ,

L a wson was so u sed .

Helen Lawson b ei ng ca lled declared that a lon g , ,

ti me ago Agnes C u rrie broke three severa l ban

,

nocks and gave her a piec e o f every one b u t she

, ,

wou ld no t take the th ird pi ece a nd adds that she ,

is ready to swea r it .

E lspeth W illiamson being bro u gh t in and l n ,

t e rro ga te if she w a s a witch she answered that she , ,

wou ld not deny that .

N B L illia s Adie was b u ried within the sea

. .

m ark at Torryb u rn f" .

W illiam Cose being called com pe ared and ,

owned that on S abbath m orni ng anno 1 70 4 it

, , ,

being m oon light he saw Bessie M ic klej o h n or the

-
, ,

devil in her stead in Jam es Chal m ers s bark then

, ,

lying in Leith and he dou bts no t b u t she saw

,

h im ; a nd adds that she had a green plai d abou t

,

h e r head aass he offered to depone

, d The se ssion .

considering th a t the devil appeared in her likeness ,

it was no proof against her they :j u dged it not ne ,

Her gra ve is still to b e se e n a t th e we st e nd o f the town ,

ma rk e d wi th a la rge sto ne ED -
.
1 46 MIN T E S
U o r T H E K RK I -
SESS I O N , 8m .

b wou ld no t expres s what Mr Logan said o f

u t sh e

Margaret H um ble to her .

T he se ssio n ha ving fo u nd h e r co nvi ct ed o f pro .

phane irreverent lang u ag e against the m iniste r a nd

h is doctri ne witho u t any sh a dow o f provocation
, ,

and o f gro ss lyi ng and prevaricating both in pri ,

vate a nd be fore the sessi on a nd o f threatening to

,

stri k e a per so n be cau se she had re po rted her i m

p u dent Godless a nd scandalou s langu age there

, , ,

fore they appoint her to sit be for e the congregation

,

the nex t Lor d s da y a nd to b e re b u ked

, . the

T HE END .

A ET T EP O EK O HI A ;

OR A

B RI EF D I SC O U R SE

C O NC E NIN G
R T HE

C MM
O O NL Y SO C LL ED
A .

By the Reverend Mr JO HN F RA Z E R Deceased , ,

late Minister o f Terce and Co ll and Dean o f ,

the Isles ;

A ND

by Mr AN D R EW S YM SO N, wi th a

Acco u nt of th e Au tho r
'

E DINBUR G H
Printed by Mr AND E W SYM N
R SO , Anno Domini
MDC C VI I .
 T HE

P UB LI SHER T O TH E R E AD E R .

T HE Reverend au thor o f the ens u ing Disco u r

having m arried my near ki nswom an a nd being i n ,

this city in Novem ber 1 70 0 in order to the settling

,

o f so m e o f his affairs As we were discou rsing o f

.

several thi ngs relating to the Highla hds and W est

ern I sles o f S cotland we cam e to speak o f the S e
,

cond S ight repor ted to be so comm on in these

,

parts ; he told m e that as to the thi ng itself it was

, ,

m ost certain a nd u ndeniable and that he co u ld ,

give m any instances o f it ; as al so that he had ,

written a short Discou rse u pon that s u bj ect This

,
.

he prom ised to transm it to m e accordingl y on his ,

ret u rn hom e after a tedio u s and tro u blesom e voy

,

age both by sea and land he sent m e that Dis

, ,

co u rse w ritten w ith his own hand desiring m e to

, ,

p u blish the sam e a fter so m e o f his friends here had

-

per u sed it : which being done I a t m y own con , ,

v e nie nc
y p u t it to the press
, b u t be fore it was ,

ni shed I recei ved an acco u nt that the au thor was

,

dead whereu pon I forbore the p u bli shing o f it till

, ,

I sho u ld get an acco u nt o f several passages concern

ing hi m self and fam ily designing to prex the sam e
,

to the Di sco u rse itself, which I c onceived wo u ld be

 1 0 T HE REA DER .
1 51

b le to hi s friends ,

af
c c e pta and not di sple a sing to the
r eader .And th erefor e I di s pa tch e d a letter to one
.
'

o f hi s near es t relations ,a nd tha t was best a cq u aint

'

ed w ith him a nd with t he pa ssages o f his life that

, ,

I m ight thereby be the better infor m ed In .

s w er W hereu nto I received a paper containi ng se

,

veral m emoirs from which I have collected the fo l:

,

lowing acco u nt .

Mr Je h n Frazer th e a u tho r o f thi s Di scou rse

' '

1
, ,

was bo rn l n the Isle o f M ul l ia the year o f o ur

'

Lord one thou sand six h u ndred a nd forty sv e n - .

His father,Mr Fe rc ha rd Frazer was born in the ,

north o f S cotland near Str a th a rig abou t the y ear

, ,

1 60 6 and l ineall y descended o f the fam ily of m y

,

Lor dLovat b u t m edi ately o f the fam ily o f T a b e r

, ,

one o f the Lairds o f the nam e o f Frazer .

After he had taken his degrees a t the Unive rsity ,

and applied hi m self to the stu dy of Di vinity he '

,
'
was called b y th e b isho p o f the i sles (the re b e ing
'

then fe w learned m e n a ble to p re a c h in the Irish

tongu e) to be m inister o f the Isles o f T e re e and

C 0 1] (to which cha rge the de a nry o f t h e Isles was
,

a nne x t ) .He was the rst m aster o f arts that . .

prea ched co nstantly there as m inister o f the parish ,

there being then t e re o ne E wen M Le a n w ho

h

was appoin ted to catechise a nd c o nv e ne the peopl e

~
,

t here being fe w or none as said is able to serve .

, ,

the c u re ; b u t being t here he was very diligent in

'

hi s m ini sterial fu nction i n te a c hing and instr u cting .

t
th e m g le a v ing th e m fa r better than he fo u nd the m ;
x

fo r at hi s rst com in g there were b u t three h ri

'

.
, .

ta bl e gentl e men o f th e na me o f M Le a n th a t co u ld
1 52 r o T HE RE DER A .

Fraz er se rv d a s mini ster o f the I sle s of Terc e a nd

Coll which we re conj oi ne d in o ne paris h m ay be
'

, ,

c oll e cted fr om his epitaph wrifte nby his son ou r , ,

E pit aph i u m Ma gistri Fe rcha rdi Frazer Decani

I nsu la
'

rti m ; u i ob iit l 4 die Fe b ru a rii A nne

'

q Do
m ini 1 680 . A e ta tis 74 .

e t b la n i m iti s, gravis nigii u s ;

'

e rv i gil d tq b

P ns a . e

Doct u s et Elo q u ii de te r ri ta te u e ns
P i
a v co ve s Cha is ti pa nde h s m ys te ria
'
verbi
E xem pl u m vita pra eb u it ips e gre gi .

L u x fu e ra t popu li lu st ris
bis q uinq pe ra c tis .
,
'

Sa c ra do c e n s sa nc to m u ne r e fu nctu s obit
, .

Hic req u ie m t u m u lo corpu s capit inde re gre ssu ,

S piritu s ad Do msnu m q u i dedit ante v o la t , ,

.

Mr Johannes F ra z e ru s de ca nu s insu la ru m , .

His m other s nam e wa s Jane t M L e a n dau ghter

,

to La u c hla n M Le a n o f Coll an anc ient fam ily o f ,

tha t nam e and clan His fa th er as he was care fu l

.
,

to in stru ct others so he did not neglect his son

, ,

o u r au thor b u t having tted him fo r the Univer

,

si ty ,
he sent him to the College o f Gla sgow and ,

commi tted hi m to th e ca re o f Mr W illi am Blair ,

one o f the regent s there who advanced h im to the ,

degre e o f m as te r o f arts betwe en the t wenty four th ,

-

a nd twe nty fth year o f his age

-
Fro m thence he .

we nt to the I sle o f M ull a nd was cha plai n to Si r ,

Allan M Le a n o f D u art T h e re a e r viz March .

, .

4a th 1 677 he was m arr ied to Mary Symson, t he

,

o nly s u rv ivi n
g da u gh ter o f M r Matth ia s Sy m so a ,
 1 54 T O TH E RE DER . A
hin d hi m a de so h te poe r wi do w with se v e ra l ch ild
'

ren bot h sons a nd dau ghters a s also a so rro wfu l

, ,
'

people who were now wholly d epr iv e d o f a spir it

'

u a l past or a nd o f s uc h a o ne a s wa s e ve r w a ua
, y yq a

lie d fo r that charge fo r he was not only a good

and lea rned m m b u t wa s m aster o f th e ir langu age
, ,

being b orn and bred u p in the Isles u nderst ood ,

their h u m o u rs conditions a nd m anners o f life and

, , ,

bei ng a Wi se and sagaciou s person complaisant and , ,

o f a winning de p rt ment ; all which good u a lica

o q
tions he was endowed wi th as a ll whic h were a o
,

qtj a irrte d with him can s ufci ently testi fy

, .

A s fo r t he s u bject o f the following Disco u rse ,

c om m on y ca lled the S econd S ight tho u gh I think

( l )
it m ight be m ore tly called the First S ight (b e ,

ca u se it fo r the m ost part sees things be fore they

a re ) I shall not u nderta k e to de fend all the notions
,

th a t he has o f it and whether the y will agree with

,

tru e philosoph y b u t shall refer that to ot hers o f a

,

higher reach and deeper u nderstanding than I ever

d u rst pretend to b u t this I will say in his defence ,

that co nsidering the place where it was written

, ,

even am ong the re m ote Isles ve rve cu m i n p a tria

, ,

where h e wanted the converse o f learn ed m e n and ,

the bene t o f books two ne cessary q u alications

,

fo r one that writes on s u ch an abstr u se s u bj ect ; I

h u m bly conceive that the great clerks o f this age
, ,

who have the benet o f books and converse shou ld ,

no t s u perci liou sly u nderval u e hi m that wants them .

However althou gh I shall not pretend to m ai nta in

,

a ll that he writes as to th e c au ses &c o f this Se

, , .

cond S ight nor do I believe a ll th e stories tha t I

,
 TO T HE R E A DE R . 1 55

ha ve heard concerni ng it yet the thing i tsel f or , ,

th a t there 18 s uc h a thing as is comino nly c alled the

Se co nd Si ght I do rm ly believe bei ng ind u ced
, ,

thereto by the re lations t hat I have received from

persons o f known integri ty and s uch a s I suppose ,

are wiser than to be i m posed u pon and hones ter ,

than to i m pose fables instead o f tr u ths u po n othe rs ,

.

Am ong the rela tions that I have been to ld concern

ing th is s ub j ec t I shall only single o u t o ne or two
, ,

and then I shall concl u de .

A noble peer o f this na tion being one m orn ing in

his bed chamber and attended by several pe rsons
-
, ,

when his servan t had p u t a new coat u pon his Lord ,

a gentlem an standing by prese ntly c ry d o u t for ,

God s sake my Lord p u t o ff that coat and being

, ,

asked the rea son he replied that he saw a whinger

, ,

or poi nard stick in the breast o f it The noble

, .

peer est ee m ing this as a mere fancy re plied this , ,

cos t is honestly co me b y and I see no reason why ,

I ma y not w e ar it The gent leman still entrea ted

.

,

and ea r nestly craved that it m ight b e pu t o ff u p

,

o n whi ch
d r s lady being not fa r

eb a te the noble pee ,

o ff cam e in a nd be ing in formed o f the wh ole affai r

, , ,

intreated her Lord to com ply with the gentle man s

des ire Which he did ; me an tim e one o f th e servant s

,

sta ndi ng by des ired the lady to give it him and he

, ,

wou ld wear it S he gra nted his r e qu est who pu t

.
,

it on a nd ere night he was stabb e d b y a po ina r d,

,

in that v e ry place which the gentle man ha d po int

ed to in the m orning Thi s relatio n I ha d from a .

very ingenu o u s a nd u nde rstanding gentle man who ,

wa s gr a ndch i ld to the said noble peer .

 1 56 TO T HE RE AD ER .

I shal l add another strange story which I had ,

froma reverend m ini ster o f the gos pel a nd m y i n

ti m ate acqu aintance Tis th u s I n the ye ar 1 665
.
,

.
,

Al exander W ood eldest son to the Laird o f N

,

ther Benhol m in Ang u s having ended his pre nti

, ,

ship with a m erchant in Edinb u rgh to ld Mr Ja m es

,

W alker that (in the year 1 662 or

, he h a d
bee n e mployed by his m a ster to go to the Lewis to
m ake u p herring ; and being there and hav ing a ,

good ta ck o f herring their salt and casks were a ll,

m ade u se o f and then they being idle h e b e ga nto

, ,
t

fre t that his m aster had delayed so long to s u pply

them ; and being one da y drin king in a co u ntry
ho u se and com plaining he went to the door o f the
, ,

hou se and there followed him a cou ntry m a n who

, ,

said to h im I f yo u will give m e a sm all hire I ll
'

, ,

tell yo u what is becom e o f the ship yo u are looking

fo r ; and withou t m ore ado h e set his foot u po n ,

the gentlem an s foot in which tim e he saw the ship

,

in a great storm ready to pe rish and the sea m en

, ,

ca sting o u t their lading to lighten the ship ; b u t

'

when the co u ntry m an s foot was o ff his be saw no

thing The ship a t that ti m e was abou t 1 00 m iles
.

from them and abo u t 48 ho u rs thereafter she

, ,

cam e into the sam e harbou r and ha d been in the ,

same condition he saw her in at that tim e the cou n -

try m an s foot was on his foot It wou ld be tediou s

.

to a dd any m ore stories that I have had from per

sonso f u ndou bted veracity a n d therefore, Reader
'

I shall only s u bscribe mysel f

You r h u mble servant in a ll d u ty ,

A ND iz Ew SYMSO N .
1 58 A DVE T
R I SE ME N T T O T HE R E AD E R .

learned (who m ight sooner com m end my endea

,

v o u rs th an cens u re m faili ngs) rather than

y , su
p
press s u ch a ne s u bj ec t which probably m ight be
,

m ore ful ly and largely tre ate d o f by others after

the peru sal o f this Discou rse Take this pam phlet
.

then in the ru de dr e s s that I co u ld give ; at least

it ma y excite thy tho u ghts if not to approve o f
,

what is here de du ce d ye t to propone o f thine own

,

a more sati sfying m ethod o f explaining this rem ark

able phenom enon which is the gen u ine design and
,

You r h u mble servant ,

The A U TH O R .
 AETT EP O i KO I I I A

A B R I EF D I SCO U RSE

CO NCE RNI NG T HE

SE C O ND SI G H T,
Co mmo nly so Ca lle d .

MA NY have u ndertaken to treat o f the natu re

and operation o f S pirits ; as also o f the vario u s
m anners o f divination am ong the Gentiles (and b u t
,

too m u ch u sed am ong Christians,) likewise o f the

pert u rbation and deception o f the fancy, cau sed by
m elancholy a nd very m any speak in ordi nary dis
cou rses o f this called the S econd S ight and the ,

consequ ences o f it b u t none that I know handle it

,

That su ch repr esentations are m ade to the eyes

o f m e n a nd wom en is to m e o u t o f all dou bt and
, ,

that effects follow answerable thereto as little q u es

,

t io na b le
. B u t I have fo u nd so m any do u bt the
ma tter o f fact ; which I take to be the reason that
1 60 AD I SCO U RSE o n

so little has been written o f it that I think it a s

,

c e s sa r
y to sa
y so m ething briey that m a u t the
,yp
e x is te nc
y o f it beyond all scru ple I f I shou ld in
.

sert all the clear instanc es that I have had o f thi s

m atter it wo u ld be tedio u s and u nnecessary them
, ,

fore I will content m ysel f and I hope will satisfy

,

the reader with fo u r or ve instances as follows

, , .

The rst instance is by a servant o f my own who ,

had the tru st o f m y barn and nightly lay in the

,

sam e O ne day he told m e he wo uld not any longer

.

lie there beca u se nightly he h a d see n a dead corps

,

in his winding sheets strai ghted beside h im parti ,

c u la rl at the so u th side o f the barn Abo u t an

y .

hal f year thereafter a you ng m a n that had form er

,

ly been m y servant fell dangero u sly sick and ex

, ,

e c tin death wo u ld needs be carried near m

p g , y
hou se ; and shortly thereafter he died and was laid ,

u
p a night be fore he was b u ried in th e sam e indi

vid u al barn and place that was foretold ; a nd i m

m ediately the servant that foretold this cam e to m e
and m inded m e o f the prediction which was clear ,

ly o u t o f my m ind till he spoke o f 1t .

The seco nd instan ce is after this m anner I was .

resolved to pay a visit to an E ngl ish gentle m an ,

S ir W il liam Sa c h e ve rill who had a comm ission

,

from the E nglish Co u rt o f Ad m ira l t y to give his ,

best trial to nd o u t gold or m oney or any other ,

thing o f note in one o f the ships o f the S panish

,

an n ada that was blown u p in the b a y o f Topper

,

Mory in the S o u nd o f Mu ll And having conde

,
.

scended u pon the n u mber o f m e n that were to go

with m e one o f th e n u mber wa s a handso me b o y
,
1 62 AD I SCO U RSE o n

a gentleman o f sing u lar piety and considera ble

me a strange
k no wle dge , e spe e i a lly i n Divinity , told
'

thing o f himself That he was at a tim e in Kin

. - i
'

tyre having then so m e e mploy m ent the r a nd one

, ,

m orning walking in the elds he saw a d ozen o f ,

me n carrying a bier and kne w them all b u t o ne

, ,

and when h e looked again all was vanished The , .

very next day the sam e co m pa ny cam e the sa m e

,

way ca rrying a bier and he going to m eet the m

, , ,

fou nd that they were b u t eleven in n u m ber and ,

that hi m sel f was the twel fth tho u gh he did not no ,

tice it be fore ; and it is to be observed that th is ,

gentlem an never saw any thing o f this kind before

or after ti ll his dying day Moreover that he was
, .
,

o f s u ch solid j u dg m ent and devote conversation ,

that his report deserves an u nqu estionable credit .

The fo u rth instance I ha d to my great grief, ,

fro m one John M Do na ld a servant o f L a u c hla n

,

M L e a n o f Col l who was then newly ret u rned

,

from Holland having the c harge o f a captain

.

.
,

This gentle man cam e one afternoon abroad to his

past ti me in th e elds and this Joh n M Do na ld
-
,

m eets h im and saw his clothes shinin g like the

,

skins o f shes and his periwig all We t tho u gh in

, ,

deed the day was very fair ; where u pon he told

privately even then to one o f Coll s gentle men
, ,

that he feared he shou ld be drowned This gen . .

tle m a n was Charles

M L e a n who gave me acco u nt ,

o f it . The event followed abo u t a year thereafte r ,

fo r the Lai rd o f Coll wa s dro wn ed in th e w a te r o f .

Loch y in Lochaber I ex amin e d b o th Cha rle s

.

M Le a n a nd John M Do na ld, and fou nd that th e

,
 T HE SE CO N D src nr . 1 63

pre dictio n was a s he told me ; and the said M DO d

nald co ul d prod u ce no other warrant than that he ,

fo u nd s u ch signs freq u ently be fore to forgo the li ke

events This ma n indeed wa s known to have m any
.

visions o f this kind b u t he Wa s none o f the strictes t

,

The fth instance is strange and yet o f certai n ,

tru th and known to the whole inhabitants o f the

,

Island o f B ig lying in the latitu de o f 56 degrees

,

2 0 m in u tes ; and long it u de 1 41 degrees There was .

a tenant in this island a native that was a follower o f

, ,

the Captain o f Cla nr a nno ld that lived in a to wn ,

ca l led Kildonan the year o f God eighty v e who

,
-
,

told p u blicly to the whole inhabita nts u pon the ,

Lord s day after divine service pe rfor med by

, ,

Father O Ra i n the n priest o f that pla ce that they

, . ,

shou ld all it o u t o f that Isle and plant the m selves ,

som e where else ; beca u se that people o f strange

and di fferent habits and ar m s were to come to the
, ,

Isle and to u se all acts o f hostility as killi ng

, , ,

b u rning tirling and deforcing o f wom en ; nally

, , ,

to discharge a ll that the hands o f an enemy cou ld

do ; b u t what they were or whence they cam e he , ,

co u ld not tell At the rst there was no regard

.

had to his words ; b u t freq u ently thereafter b e ,

begged o f the m to notice what he said other wise ,

they sho u ld repent it when they co u ld no t help it ;

,

whic h took s u ch an i mpression u pon som e o f his

near acq u aintance as that severals o f the m trans
,

ported them selves and their fam ilies even then ; ,

som e to the I sle o f Ca nna y so me to the Isle o f ,

Ru in F ou r tee n days be fore the e nemy ca ine

.

,
1 64 A DI SCO URSE or

thith er und er the c o mma nd

,
o f o ne Ma j or Fe rgu .

wh i lst
'

son and Captain Pottinger ,

.
there was no

ed In the m onth o f J u ne 1 689 this ma n fell

. ,

sick and Father O Ra in came to see him in order
, ,

to give h im the benet o f absol u tion and extrem e

un ction attended with several inha bitants o f th e
,

I sle who in the rst place narrowly qu estioned

, , ,

h im before his friends and begged o f h im to re

,

c ant his for m er folly and his vain pred iction ; to

whom he answered that they shou ld nd very

,

shortly the tru th o f what he had spoken and so he ,

died And within 1 4 or 1 5 days thereafter I was

.
,

eye witness (being then prisoner with Capt a in Pot

tinger) to the tr u th o f what he did fo re te l ; and
,

being before hand well instru cted o f all that h e

-
,

said I did ad m ir e to see it partic u larly veri ed

, ,

especially that o f the different habits and arm s som e ,

b eing clad with red coats so m e with white coats

,

a nd grenadier caps som e ar m ed with sword and

,

p ike ,
and so m e with swor d and m u sket Tho u gh .

I cou ld give m any m ore proofs as u nqu estionable ,

as these ye t I t hink what is said is s u fcient to

, ,

prove th e bei ng o f s u ch a thing as the sam e in

hand and I cannot b u t wonder that me n o f kno w ,

ledge a nd experience sho u ld be so shy to be lieve

that the re m a y be visions o f thi s kind administer ed -

by good or b a d angels ; the re being nothing more

certain than that go od angel s su ggeste d vi sions to
,

the pr phe ts o f the Lord before the com ing o f

o ,

Christ i n the esh and partic ula rly to the apos tle
,

St John , after the a sce nsie n o f o ur Lo rd ; 1ik se

1 66 a D I S C U RSE
O or

th o u ht th a t he wa tru ly de a d ; nd this is th e
g s s a

time sh e allege d sh e was in heaven: The de vil

o o k a n a dv a nta
t ge in th e e c sta sy to pr e se nt to he r
fanc y a m a p o f heaven a s if it had bee n a rich ,

earthly ki ngdo m abou nding with m eat drink

, , ,

gold and s ilver By the bless ing o f Go d I pre

, .
,

vailed with her to be pers u ad ed that this was b u t

a visio n pres ented to her fancy by the devil the ,

father o f lies ; and that she m ight deprehend the

falsehood o f it from thi s one h ea d that she i ma ,

g i ne d her body w a s there as wel l as her so u l and , ,

t hat she did eat and drink and was war m ed while, , ,

as her own chi ldren and the neighbo u rs th a t watch

,
.

ed her did see and did h a ndle her body several

, ,

tim es th at night so that it co u ld not be with her

,

i nhea ven . I did fu rther exam ine he r what war

rant she had fo r the respon ses she gave w h ich were ,

fo u nd very o ften tru e even in fu t u re contingent

,

events S he freely con fessed that h e r father u pon

.
,

his death b ed ta u ght her a char m co mpi led o f bar

, ,

baro u s words and so m e u nin telligible term s which

, ,

ha d the virt u e when repeated to present so m e fe w

, , ,

hou rs after the proposi tion o f a q u estion the a n ,

swer o f the sam e in live i mages before her eyes ,

or u pon the wall ; b u t the i mages were not tract

able which she fo u nd by p u tting too her hand b u t
, ,

cou ld nd nothing I do no t th ink t to insert the

.

charm k no n that several s m ight be inclined to

,

make an u nwarrantable trial o f it This poor wo .

ma n was got recl a i med and was ta u ght fu lly th e ,

danger and vanity o f her practice a nd died peace ,

ably abou t a year after in ex trem e old a ge ,

.
 T HE SE CO ND s t e m ; 167

I kno w assu redl y that Janet Do uglas that wa s

, ,

r st a du mb ie ye t spoke thereafter w ho had given

, ,

ma ny responses by signs and words and fore told ,

m any fu tu re events being exa mined by Mr G ray

, ,

one o f the m inisters o f the city o f Glasgo w denied ,

any e x plic ito r i mplicit paction a nd declared freely

, ,

th a t the answers o f the qu estions proponed to h er

were represented by a vision in lively i m ages , t e
pre se nting the persons concerned and acting th e ,

thing be fore her eyes This Mr Gray exchanged

, .

sever al disco u rses in write with S ir Jam es T u rner ,

concerning her .

By this ti m e yo u m a y see that this them e de

,

serves the consideration o f th e learned : F ir s t to ,

enqu ire how m u ch o f thi s ma v co m e from a nat u ral

constit u tion and te m pe ram ent when con fou nded ,

with a a tu o u s or m elancholic diste mper ; and what

i nu ence a n ex ter nal agent nam ely an angel good
, , ,

or bad ma y have u pon the organ o f the eye and

,

the fancy and h o w fa r the m edi u m between the

,

o rgan o f the eye and an obj e ct v isible m a y be dis ,

posed fo r their pu rpose na mely the air and light ;

, ,

and what connexion ma y b e fou nd betwixt the re

presentation s m ade to the e ye or fancy and the ,

fu tur e c ontingent events that experience teaches

do follow th ere u pon as fo r example a m a n is seen ,

bl e e ding o r sewed u p i n
, who
is sho rtly to be wou nded ,

As fo r the r st, all the le arned phys icians o fthe

w orld know too well by e xpe rience what great la
b ou r th ey h a ve to cu re the deceptions o f the fa ncy ,

m y, patients
'

e s pe c i ally m hypoc hondr ia c diseases

1 68 An xs c o u ns n OF
cannot b e pe rsu aded b u t they se e me n wo me n
.
, ,

fowls and fo u r footed beasts walkin g abroad or

,
-
,

in their cham bers S eldom it is that a ma n pas se?

.
,

any great and t u rb u lent fever wi thou t the tro u ble ,

.

o f so m e s u ch representations I t is m e morable .
,

that a gentlem an that had been a grea t procient

,
'

i n ph ysic hi m sel f i m agin ed at length that there was

,

a q uick frog in his belly ; and after he had travel

led over a good part o f Ita ly and cons u lted with ,

the doctors o f Pad u a yet cou ld not be c u red or

, ,

dissu aded He cam e at length to the learned phy

.

s ic ia n P la t e ru s in Bazil who told h im that a frog

, , ,

by certain experience is known not to live above

three years so that his distem per contin u ing longer
,

than three years co u ld not be ca u sed by the frog

, ,

that co u ld not live so long Moreover that his .

,

stom ach wo u ld strangle the frog and that the frog ,

co u ld not live any conside ra ble tim e o u t o f its own

ele ment the water ; so that the properest and m o st

,

specic m edicines b e i ng ma de u se o f i t were a

'

.
.
,

shame fo r hi m to be so Obsti nate ; A t las t h e wa s

' '

persu aded and hi s fancy satised T his story is

, ,

no less renowned o f what befe ll Andre as O si a nder

'

a ma n learned m m ost langu ages Whenh e was .

a youn g m a n, and being trou bled with a qu artan

agu e a little be fore the t he cou ld no t be per

,

su a de d that he w a s in the ho u se at all b u t that h e ,

was in a wood and m u ch m olested with wild beasts

,

and serpents o f all kinds ; neither cou ld he be pre '

vail ed wit h th at thi s w a s fa lse till Fa ci u s C a rda nus ,

was called fo r to h im who cu red h im fo r the tith e

,

so that he kne w hi s friends that were sitti ng beside

 ] 70 A D I S CO UR SE on

Many s u ch ill u sions are reported o f erem ite s,

cau sed m erely by the con fu sion o f the brains bred ,

b y their fastin g and u nwholesom e food which I ,

shall not trou ble the reader with .

I f y ou w ill ask hdw c o me th this to pass take

'
'
'

notice o f the following m ethod which I h u m bly ,

offer to you r consideration Advert in the r st

.
,

place th at visible ideas or speci e s are em it ted from

, , ,

every visible obj ect to the organ o f the e ye ; r e pre

senting the g u re and colo u r o f the object a nd ,

bearing al ong with it the propo rtion o f the distance ,

fo r s u re the objects enter not the eye nor the in ,

t e rj a c e nt distant trac t o f gro u nd and a third thing

di fferent from the eye and th e obj ect and the dis ,

tant ground ,m u st in form the eye These species .

are conveyed to the brain by the optic nerve and ,

are laid up in the m agazine o f the m em ory other ,

wise we shou ld not rem em ber the obj ect any longer
th a n it is in o u r presence and a rem em bering o f
these obj ects is nothing else b u t the fancies review
ing or m ore properly the sou l o f m a n by the fancy
, ,

reviewing o f these intentional species form erly t e

c e ive d from the visible obj ect u nto the organ o f the

eye and recond u cted u nto the seat o f the m e mory

,
.

Now when the brain is in a serene te m per these

, ,

species are in their integrity and keep their rank

,

and le a s they were received b u t when the brain

is lled with gross and a tu o u s vapou rs and the ,

spirits and h u m ou r enraged th e se ideas are som e

,

tim es m u ltip lied as a n ar my by m ist ; som eti m es

,

m agnied som eti m es m isplaced som eti m es ca n

, ,

fo u nded by other species o f different objects p e r ,

 T HE SE CO ND s rc nr . 1 71

ha ps by half and half so that the fancy has two fo r

,

one one bigger than two o f itsel f and som etim es

, ,

the half o f one and t he hal f o f another represented ,

in one ; a nd this deception is not only incident to

'

the fancy b u t even to th e external senses pa rtic u

, ,

la rly th e seeing a nd hearing fo r the visu s or see

,

ing is nothing e lse b u t the transition o f the i nte n

,
J

t io na l species thro u gh the crystalline h u m o u r to the

reti form coat o f the eye and j u dged b y the c o m

,

m o n sense and conveyed b y the optic nerve to the

,

Ofthis we have a clear dem onstration fro m the

representation o f external obj ects throu gh a cry
stal in glass u pon any l u cid s m ooth and solid re
, , ,

e c ta n
t placed be fore the glass in a dark cham ber
, ,

which is one o f the noblest experi ments in the wh ole

Now if these species form erly received and laid

,

u
p in the brain will be reversed
, back fro m the sam e
to the reti form coat and crystalline h u m o u r as fo r
merly these is in effect a lively seei ng and percep
,

ti ono f the obj ect represented by these species as ,

if de nov o the obj ect had been placed before the

, ,

eye ; fo r the organ o f the eye had no m ore o f it

before,than no wit has ; j u st so with the hearing
'

it is nothing else b u t the receiving o f the a u dible

species to that part o f the ear that is accom m odated
fo r hea ring so that when the species are retracted
,

from the brain to their proper organs fo r exa m ple , ,

th e ear and the eye hearing and seeing are per

,
.

fe c te d as if the obj ects had been present to inu

,

ence the organs de no vo And it is not to be thou ght

'

.
m a s m s c o u nsn or n

p r
e x e i e nc e , maint ains t hi s re versio n o f the W
nd mt rih ii te s his
'

own vi sion o f tree s; wi ld be asts

'

fa -

t a i l ins trurhe nts, fro m th e fo urt h to th e seve nth

'

hf his a ge , tb th e spe cies of th e obj e cts he had

ear
y

se en fo rme rly, . no w re tra c te d to the o rga n o f the

-
e
y e , and c ites Averroes an au th o r , o f grea ter re

no wn fo r th e sa m e opinion Se e Ca r m . de m b

piping and singi ng which he had for m erly he a r d ,

b ut wer e no w thro u gh the pletho ry o f his head

, ,

fo rced o u t o f the brain to the organ o f the ear ,

t hrou g h the sa m e nerv es by which they

c e i v e d fo rm er ly ; and why m a y ne t t he so me he

fall the visible sp ec ies as we ll as the aud ible w h ich ,

see m s t o b e c o nr me d b y the optic ex per iment '

a k e n sh eet o f painted pa pe r a nd x it in y ou r
'

w in dow looki ng stea d fastly to it fo r a co i i side ra hle

'

t im e , fb n m a s , so me fe w mi n u tes then c lose ,

y o u n e e s ve r
y y stra i t ; a nd pl a ce a sh e et o f c le an
pa pe r b e for e ya m e ye s a nd mpe n yo u r e ye s su d
'
-
,

d e nly you w i ll se e the painting al mo st a s lively as

'

t he we re in th d pa int ed sh eet
y w ith t h e l i ve ly co .

lour s This c o mpre ssio nl o f t h e eyes by co nsent

-
.
-
.
,

c a use s a com re s s ion o f the who le brai n w h ich

p ,
ed than a nother; tha t a ny sm ok e ma y engros s the
sink a ha a cl o u d ne mo v e d o rt r o the face o f the
'
-
o
sun; give ma y b e the b e a m s o f it t o illu m inate the
'

a ir o r to eclipse its light

, a nd e x ha
,

j
o b e e t s, a mi s ha ps a nd diswms the m, a nd make s
'
the m o f di ve rse g ur es , a ll
in an ;instant which is

, (

e hse rva b le in ho t summ er da s

e specially in t he
y ,

e nd o f tb e ca niimla r da ys, fo r yo u ma re a di l se e
'
y y
a fo u r in th e a fte rno o n, th e sa me hills
b o u t th re e or

ro v idiri they a e si t u e d at a c onside rable dis

(p g r
ta ne e fro m yo u ) tob e o f dive rse sha e s, fo rms, a nd
p
gu res, c ha n i
g gn ve r
y sudde nl y fro m o ne sh a e
p ot

a no the r , fo r e n mp l , fno m a glo b e to a pymn 1k h

'
fro m a fpyrmni d to a q u a dr a n gu la r g u re, 8m
'

A H which o u r o rdin ary m u ltiplying , m agni fying,

physicia ns ca n a dm inis te r su ch me dic ine s a s ma y

ro v e k e a m a n to ma d ne ss a nd r a
g e,
y e s, to f
'

an tas
p
t icor h yp och o ndria c ts ; so al so tha t m e dicines
s hov e pl easa nt and u nple a a nt dr e ams b y e x citing
s ,

1the m e lmm ho lic o r sa ng ui ne h u m o u rs ra ging o r ,

m a tie h umo ur
Ho w m u ch morc e au die pn nce o f the a ir do, ,

wnd lus re tinue , who is be tt er m n im the m t ure

 ra n -

s nc o n n s t e m . 1 75

ft he e le me nts a nd the ir com pou nds ;

is be tter w ho
'

m in th e na t u re o f t rm e nts; mi nera ls ste a m , ,

a nd lo c hs , a nd ma inu e nc e o c e lmna l b o dies h ca

a nd b ygo ne cir u ms ta ne e s ; I i a ll th s ef
'

s ta t e sa n
y , e ,
nd c a n a c co mn
q
he is b e tte r tha n a ny m a n, io
' '

se e n a b

date them to h is p rpose

u be yond the greate st
t u o se s .

Let us the m consider that an c ml W b e ; ,

ing perm itt ed ther e u nto ca n m u ste r in o u r b ra in ,

the lat e nt intentional species o f external a bs ent db o

re se h t th e saln e to the fancy i t) the
j e c t s and
, can p
m ethods best tting his pu rpose and not only so in ,

tim e o f o u r sleep (for the n indeed the fancy stic ks

,

wit h m ore tenacity to what it apprehends) b a t ela o ,

'

when we a re no t s le e pi ng he can ded u ce the se ,

spec ies by rm ing them o u t o f the room s o r c e lls

o f the bra i n to the organ o f the eye and e a r a nd
, ,,

so o f ne ce ss ity a ma n e ither si t ti ng or go ing in t he ,

high way wi ll hear and Se e sh c h thi ngs a s the se

-
,

do rep resent ; a nd seeing tha t na tu ra lly it

ma y be do ne as wo uld appear from w ha t i s ab o ve
,

spoken from the streng th and fo rc e o f me dicines to

opera te u pon the spiri ts a nd h umo ur s o f ma n to
w o rk stra nge th ings , why maa y no t a
go o
d or ba d
a ngel ex cite nat u re to 1t
 1 76 A DI S C U
O R SE or

'

eprese nta tio ns with the fu tu re contin gent

'

th e se r

events that are observed to follow them as fo r e x ; -

am ple a second sighted m a n sees a winding shee t

,

u pon his n eighbou r or blood r u nning down his

,

face sho u lders or arm s he concl u des that he m u st

, , ,

di e or be wou nded in the face shou lders or arm s

, , , .

I f yo u wil l ask what warrant he has fo r this he ,

will tell he has fo u nd by experience th at whenever

, ,

h e saw the l ike o f this that he fo u nd death or ,

wou nds to follow Qu a e rz tu r then what connex

'

.
, ,

ion can this representation have wit h a n effect or

contingent event not yet existant 9 For answer to .

this G o d who knoweth all things no do u bt im

, , ,

part eth m u ch o f the foreknowledge o f t h ings no t ,

only to good angels b u t also evil angels fo r rea

, ,

sons well known to him sel f partic u larly that they ,

m ight give som e tru e signs and so have way to ,

deceive in m any things bes ides ; and tho u gh the

si gns foretold shou l d s u rely com e to pass it does ,

not infer that the doctrine o f evi l angels and their ,

lies that they wo u ld s u ggest to m ankind sho u ld be

'

credited Th is is clear from the 1 3 th o f De u tero

.

no w y 1 Q and 3 verses I f there ari se a m ong o u

, , , , y,

a prophet or a dream er o f dream s and giveth thee

, ,

a sign or a wonder a nd the sign or the wonder

,

com e to pass whereof he spake u nto thee saying , ,

let u s go after other gods (which tho u h a s not ,

known) and let u s serve them ; thou sha lt not

,

hearken to the words o f that prophet or that ,

dream er o f dream s fo r the Lord you r God proveth

,

y ou
, to kno w whether yo u love the Lord y o u r God , ,

wi th a ll you r he a rt , a nd wi th a lLyour so ul Aind

'

.
 1 78 AD I SCO U R SE O F
-

note d ) h e ca n easily rep resent these befor e h and

, ,

th o ugh the event sh ou ld follow b u t a considerable

ti me thereafter he has no m ore to do than to re
verse the species o f these things fro m a m an s brain

to the organ o f the eye -

.

Here ariseth a qu estion from what has j u st been

said whether it be m ore probable that good angels
,

m ake this representation (beca u se m e n having this

second sight a re fou nd to tell tru th and to be i n ,

nocent in their lives and free o f a ny paction either

, ,

i mpli cit or explicit likewise free o f any fra u d u lent

,

design and so u nd enou gh m the necessa ry articles

,

o f their salvation
) or that,it be done by evil a ngel s
fo r the trial o f m e n and wom en j u ggling with their ,

fancy and external organs and so h a ve a patent ,

way to tel l lies am ong som e tr u ths For ans wer to .

this qu esti on I shall not be ready positively to de

,

term ine these things b u t I h u mbly conceive t hat

, ,

as the representations are o ft done b y evil angels

, ,

so lik ewise it is probab le that it ma y b e done by

good angels I cannot b e so u ncharitable to seve
.

ral m e n that I have known to be o f considerable

sense and piou s and good conversation as to con
, ,

c lu de the m to be given o v er to be del u ded co nti

nu a lly by an evil angel Moreover I conceive that ,

th ere are m any good Christians if they wo u ld a d ,

vert well that have so m e secret tokens and signs o f

,

notable alterations to com e s uggest ed to the m be

,
.

fore hand ; a nd that these signs so m e o f the m are

com m on to them with others as dream ing which , ,

are often ob served to be com pl etely fu lll e d and ,

that so m e o f the signs and warnings are pec ul iar to

 T HE SECO ND ste e r . 1 79

som e persons which fail no t to answer to the things

,

sign ied ; as fo r exa mple I have certai nly known

,

a m a n that when he fou nd an u nvol u ntary m otion

,

in s u ch a m em ber o f his body partic u larly his right

,

hand or right eye that was su re that so m e matter

,

o f joy wo u ld shortly com e to his hearing ; and that

if he fo u nd the sam e m otion in the left eye or hand ,

i t signied in fa llibly grief And that which is m ore

wonderfu l the thing to com e signied by these
,

signs and warnings k e e pe d an exact proportion with

the contin u ance or vehe m ency o f the m otion if
the m otion contin u ed long so did the j oy or the
,

grief ; if the m otion was snell or vehem ent so was ,

the m atter o f grie f or j oy ; and nding that this

ma n was both a good m a n and o f a right pe ne tra t
,

ing wit and had art enou gh it m oved m e to u se

, ,

freedo m with several other good m e n that had

knowledge and sense enou gh to exam ine circ u m
stances to a hair I fou nd very m any to acknow
.

l e dge the very sa m e th ing ye t signied by differ

,

ent signs (which shows they are not s ig na na tu

,

r a l/la b u t a s i ns ti tu to ) which p u ts m e in m ind o f

, ,

Dr Brown s observati on to the sam e p u rpose in

,

his inqu iry into v u lgar errors where he concl u des ,

several presentations to be acted in u s b y o u r t u te

lary angels that have the charge o f u s at the ti m e _
.

Mark this thou gh the signs be different in them

,

selves yet to e a c h p a rtic u lar person his dwn sig n

, .
,

is still signic a tiv e o f the sam e thing and why (

m ight not this o f the second sight be co u nted '

am ongst one o f these I likewise h u m bly conceive ,

that Go d might com pense the want o f m any other

 !
AD I SCO U R SE o r

poor me n, by giving them this minor sor t

t I wo u ld advise all o f th e m
sight to exam ine themse lv es ,
,

to G od that no evil angel

t

ab use t heir se nses becau se ,

the devil sti ll strives to i m ita te wh at God or his ,

good angels com mu nica tes to h is o wnchi ldren I

, .

k no wthat the co m irio ii opinion o f som e

a nd divin e s will be obj ected and that 19 that a n , ,

g els , g o od or bad , m a
y condense the air g u ra t e ,

a nd colorate the sa m e and m ak e it o f what g u re

,

or shape they please so th at this ,

made by external o b j ects 1n e e c t em ittin g visi bl e

'

specie s to th e eye and con se q u ently tl1 a t 1t is no t

, ,

the re v e rSion o f
thou gh as I h ave
b a d angels can al ter the m ediu m 111 a strange wa y ,

and can work great alteration on the ele me nt s and

their com p o u nds I think it very im p robable that
,

a n created po wer can bring the a i r to that solidity

y ,

a nd act u al ly condense it color ate a n ,

d gur a te I t
, ,

as to represent a m a n by a beast or Peter by Pa u l , ,

espec ia l ly a t su ch a distan ce as from one side o f a

cham b e r to the other . The miracles don e by the
fig ic ia ris o f E gypt 1 5 th ei r Achi llean argume n t ;

b u t 11] shor t that w h dt was done by th m a

sa
y ,
e
cia iis b f E y t ha s neit her be e n a de l u sio n o f h e
i
i
g gp,
t
n s m
se se ; (as so e wo u l d have it) mu ch le ss tha t t he
de vil co ul d produ ce t he cre at hre s ck ne w o f co n

de hse

a ir; a nd t h at !hi th e fo llb wi r
d g reas ons :

F i rs t thhnc e i t w ou ld followthat Moses a n d Aaron

wa s delu ded a s well 11 s the Egyptia ns ; b u t the

-
182 . a ; m se o e ns n o n r

tic u la r diwa wlc b gift

'

se a
pro pa ga t e d fro m ie
fa ther to th e so n ; n it h e r is it dimi i she d or nrg
e n

M phy sician Franciscu s Va le siu s, who

r a nd ,

lived in that ki ngdom, and b a d time a nd o ppo r tu

nity to exa m ine the tr ut h o f this a a ir I n sh i rt
.
,

I a nswer that it is no t pr opagable fro m fa t he r to

,

so n neither pecu liar to wry pa rtic ula r fami ly a nd

'

a s l h a v e o b se r v e d ma n h o ne st me n, fre e o f a ll
y
sc anda l that ev e r I cou ld lea rn to lra ve it ; so I ,

ha v e observed ma ny vic io u s pe rs o ns to ha ve it who

fo retold tr u th o ft eno u gh .

Perhaps it ma y b e do u bte d Wha t sho uld ma k e

this second sight more freq ue nt h ere tha n in the
h e art o f the kingdom I answer, that it is the lac k
o f observ a t ion a nd inq u ir t ha t it sho ul d not b e
y
fo u nd there as well as h ere Se ma n tic , t ha t it pa sse s
.

u nder a great odi u m a nd di sgra ce with the most o f

m e n which ca u ses those tha t se e it co nce a l it

, , .

T h i rdly I con fess that cre d u li ty a nd ignoranc e

,

g ive occasion to evil spirits to j u

gg le m ore f re q u en t :

ly tha n otherwise they wo u ld have done B ut s ure

,
.

it is that m e n o f little lea rning a nd e d u ca tio n ma y

,

b e reco mpe nse d b y notable prese ntati o ns no t so ,

obvio u s to oth e rs o f greater parts I t e rne mb e r o f .

a noblem an in S pa in that wa s de a f a nd d umb fro m

,

his in fancy and ye t was tau ght b y a monk to spea k

, ,

and u nderstand what wa s s poke n to h im only b y ,

o bserving the m oti o n o f his l ips tha t spoke to him .

Sir K e ne lrn Di gby saw hi m a s he tells in his Tre a ,

s
 r m; snc o nn src nr . 1 88

tise of Bodies and the monk that tau ght hi m wa s

, ,

a cou sin o f Francisc u s Va le si u s This wa s m ore .

than ordin a ry saga city and docility and it is fo u nd , ,

that m any d u mb persons fo re te l many things b efore

h and a nd it is a h ard m eas u re to concl u de a ll to
,

be fro m e vil spirits In ne as I noted b e fore a s

.
, ,

qu estio nless S atan ma y and ofte n does dece ive

, ,

a fte r th is m anner so it is as s u re it ma be allo w

, y ,

e d that good angels ma y fore war n this w a y as well

, ,

a s by other si gns and toke ns as Dr Bro w n observes

, .

I t is observed that those who have the second

,

sight, have this representati o n at any ti me o f t he

day b u t indeed m ore ordi narily in the m orning

,

and evening and with candle light

, .

The design o f these wea k conceptions on this

su bli m e the m e is not to i mpose u pon any m a n,
,

freely leaving every ma n to follo w his o wn j u dg

m ent i n things that offend not ch u rc h or state b u t ,

t hat others o f greater capacity m a y be sti m u late d

to prosec u te the sa me in a better m ethod h u mbly ,

su b mitting mysel f to the j u dgm ent o f my betters,

to whose hands perhaps this pamp hlet ma y c o me .

FI NI S .

Enm no ne n ,

P rinte d b y Tho ma s We b ste r .

 n r t a orn a
U ive s i y o f C lif i
SO UTHERNREGI O NAL LI B RARY FACI LITY
Re turnth is ma te ia l to th e lib a ry
r r

DEC n

1a WE
OCT z i .