George Sinclair

“ A Lieutenant of a guard, called Jaquette, having supped one night in a rich merchant’s house, was passing home, and by the way, said, “I wonder what I have eaten and drunken at the merchant’s house: for I find myself so hot, that if I met with the devil’s dame this night, I could not forbear using of her.” Hereupon, a little after, he overtook a gentlewoman masked, whom he would needs usher home to her lodging, but discharged all his company except two. She brought him, to his apprehension, to a low house hard by the city wall, where there were only two rooms. ”

“ They make their holy water by a charm or conjuration, thus: “I conjure thee, thou creator of water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that thou drive the devil out of every corner of this church and altar, so that he remain not within our precincts, which are just and holy.” This is used in the dedication of their churches. Thus, by holy water, they not only conjure the devil from their churches, but from dwelling houses, from meat and drink, from salt upon the table. They dedicate their bells in steeples, which have power to clear the air from devils. ”

“ Mompesson being brought to bed, there was but little noise that night she was in travel, nor any for three weeks after, till she had recovered strength. But after this civil cessation it returned in a ruder manner than before, and followed and vext the youngest children, beating their bedsteads with that violence, that all present expected when they would fall in pieces. In laying hands on them, one should feel no blows, but might perceive them to shake exceedingly. ”

“ The evening being now far spent, it was thought fit, that every one should withdraw to his own home. Then did the devil cry out fearfully, “Let not the minister go home, I shall burn the house if he go;” ”

“ And the preacher briefly noted this observation from the words, “That whatever the devil did to such as he had gotten any power over, his aim and end was always to destroy the poor creature both soul and body.” This truth being seriously applied, and spoken home by the preacher to the said Hob Grieve, and the rest of the confessing Witches and Warlocks, they were all immediately so confounded, that all of them cried out with a lamentable noise, “Alas I that is a most sure truth; Oh, what will become of us, poor wretches! Oh, pray for us.” ”

“ Such is his civility when he is entreated, a small homage will please him ere he want all. After this he exercised his malice and cruelty against all persons in the family, in wearying them in the night-time, by stirring and moving through the house; so that they had no rest for noise, which continued all the month of August after this manner. After which time the devil grew yet worse, by roaring and terrifying them, by casting of stones, by striking them with staves on their bed in the night-time. And (September 18,) about midnight, he cried out with a loud voice, “I will burn the house.” ”

“ Within a few nights after, Robert Churchman had a violent storm upon the room where he lay, when it was very calm in all other parts of the town, and a voice within him, as he was in bed, spake to him, and bid him sing praises, telling him, That he should see the New Jerusalem, about which time a glimmering light appeared all about the room. Towards the morning, the voice commanded him to go out of his bed naked, with his wife and children. They all standing upon the floor, the spirit making use of his tongue, bid them to be down, and put their mouths in the dust ”

“ Thomas Goddard of Marleburgh, in the county of Wilts, weaver, on the 9th of November 1674, going to Ogburn, at a stile on the high-way, about nine in the morning, met the apparition of his father-in-law, one Edward Avon of this town, glover, having upon him, to appearance, the same clothes, hat, stockings, and shoes he did usually wear when he was living, standing by, and leaning over that stile; which when he came near, the apparition spake to him, with an audible voice, these words, “Are you afraid?” To which he answered, “I am thinking on one who is dead and buried, whom you are like.” ”

“ But as soon as he laid hands on her, it proved to be Julian Cox, who had her hands grovelling on the ground, and her globs (as he exprest it) upward. He knowing her, was so frighted, that his hair in his head stood on end. She was out of breath, so that she could not speak. The dogs came up and smelt her, but did no more. The narrative, saith my author, hath the most authentic confirmation that human affairs are capable of, sense, and the sacredness of an oath. ”

“ Hereupon the devil gave them a purse, wherein there were filings of clocks, with a big stone tied to it, which they threw into the water, and then were forced to speak these words. “As these filings of the clock do never return to the clock from which they were taken, so may my soul never return to heaven.” ”

“ As the devil is originally the author of charms and spells, so is he the author of several bawdy songs which are sung. A reverend minister told me, that one who was the devil’s piper, a wizzard, confessed to him, that at a ball of dancing, the foul spirit taught him a bawdy song, to sing and play, as it were this night, and ere two days passed, all the lads and lasses of the town were lilting it through the street. ”

“ It is only a strange composure of words to blind the understanding of people, pretending, by virtue of words, great matters may be brought to pass. But words of themselves, either spoken or written, (as these charms) have no force to bring any thing to pass. It is only the power of the almighty God. ”

“ How zealous is the devil to get souls damned, that though he be of an excellent substance, of great natural parts, long experience, deep understanding, yet he will so far enslave himself to poor miscreant bodies as to be ready at their call, to discourse and keep company with them, that at the last he may get them. ”

“ It is very remarkable, that the devil never appears to the witches with a sword at his side. Then he asked us, Whether we would serve him with soul and body? If we were content to do so, he set us on a beast which he hath there ready, and carried us over churches and high walls; and after all, we came to a green meadow where Blockula lies. We must procure some scrapings of altars, and filings of church clocks, and then he gave us a horn, with salve in it, wherewith we do anoint ourselves, and a saddle, with a hammer, and a wooden nail, thereby to fix the saddle ”

“ At this nick of time, one Alexander Bogs, skilled in searching the mark, came, being often sent for, and finds the mark on the middle of her back, wherein he thrust a great brass pin, of which she was not sensible, neither did any blood follow when the pin was drawn out. I looked upon this but as a small evidence in respect of what I found afterwards; yet this somewhat inclined the judges to send the process to Edinburgh, though there were small hopes of obtaining a commission for putting her to an assize. ”

“ But the men whom they made use of in their journey, stood in the house by the gate, in a slumbering posture, sleeping over against the wall.—In a huge large room of this house, they said, there stood a very large long table, at which the witches did sit down; and that hard by this room was another chamber, where there ere some lovely and delicate beds.—The first thing they said they must do at Blockula was, that they [Pg 120] must deny all, and devote themselves body and soul to the devil, and promise to serve him faithfully, and confirm it with an oath. ”

“ Then Goddard said, “What would you have me to do in this thing?” and the apparition said, “That is, that the world may know that I murdered a man, and buried him in this place, in the year 1635.” Then the apparition laid down the sword on the bare ground there, whereon grew nothing, but seemed to Goddard as a grave sunk in; and the apparition running further into the copse, vanished, and he saw it no more; whereupon Goddard and his brother-in-law, Avon, went away together, leaving the sword there. ”

“ The morning before they went thence, the captain stayed in his chamber longer than he was wont to do, before he called upon the doctor. At length he comes into the doctor’s chamber, but in a visage [Pg 30] and form much differing from himself, with his hair and eyes staring, and his whole body shaking and trembling. Whereat the doctor wondering, presently demanded, “What is the matter, cousin captain?” The captain replies, “I have seen my major.” At which the doctor seeming to smile, the captain confirms it, saying, “If ever I saw him in my life, I saw him but now.” ”

“ And she added, that before she was burned or executed by the hand of justice, the boy would recover.—They confessed also, that the devil gives them a beast, about the shape and bigness of a cat, which they call a carrier; and he gives them a bird, too, as big as a raven, but white: And these creatures they can send any where; and wherever they come, they take away all sorts of victuals they can get, as butter, cheese, milk, bacon, and all sorts of seeds, whatever they can find, and carry it to the witches. ”

“ The fiend answered, “He shall not get liberty to tarry; he was [Pg 57] once put out already, and shall not abide here, though I should pursue him to the end of the world.” The minister replied, “The Lord will stop thy malice against him.” And then they all went to prayer again; which being ended, the devil said, “Give me a spade and a shovel, and depart from the house for seven days, and I will make a grave, and lie down in it, and shall trouble you no more.” The goodman answered, “Not so much as a straw shall be given thee, through God’s assistance, even though that would do it.” ”

“ That the next night, after he had gone to bed, the Black Man came in, and called him quietly by his name, upon which he arose from his bed, and put on his clothes: That Margaret Jackson, Bessie Weir, and Marjory Craig, did enter in at the window, in the gavel of his house; and that the first thing that the Black Man required was, that he should renounce his baptism, and deliver up himself wholly unto him, putting one of his hands on the crown of his head, and the other to the sole of his foot, and that he was tempted hereunto by the devil, promising he should not want any pleasure ”

“ At night the minister, one Mr. Craig and divers of the neighbours, came to the house on a visit. The minister went to prayer with them, kneeling at the children’s bed-side; during prayer-time, it withdrew into the cock-loft, but returned as soon as prayer was ended; and then, in sight of the company, the chairs walked about the room of themselves; the children’s shoes were hurled over their head, and every loose thing moved about the chamber. At the same time a bed-staff was thrown at the minister, which hit him on the leg, but so favourably, that some wool could not have fallen more softly ”

“ This did necessitate Gilbert Campbell to reveal that to the minister of the parish, and to other neighbours and friends, which hitherto he had suffered secretly. Notwithstanding of this his trouble was enlarged; for not long after, he found oftentimes his warp and threads cut, as with a pair of scissars; and not only so, but their apparel were cut after the same manner, even while they were wearing them, their coats, bonnets, hose, shoes, but could not discern how, or by what means. Only it pleased God to preserve their persons, that the least harm was not done. ”

“ What the bird brings, they may keep for themselves: but what the carrier brings, they must reserve for the devil, and that is brought to Blockula, where he gives them of it as much as he thinks fit.—They added, that the carriers filled themselves so full oftentimes, that they are forced to spew by the way, which spewing is found in several gardens, where colworts grow, and not far from the houses of the witches. ”