from his own house one night, and his wife being in bed, she was much
troubled with noise and din in the house: the next night she felt
somewhat that pulled the blankets from the bed, and the same night
all the pewter vessels and brass candlesticks were thrown about the
room. The minister coming home, was told this, who carefully searched
every corner of the house before he went to bed, and secured all the
doors and windows, to prevent suspicion of imposture. He was scarce
well in bed, when he heard a strange noise in the kitchen, like
the rolling of a great iron bullet, beating against a partition of
wainscot; upon this the minister went to the room, but found nothing.
The next morning he made it known to the elders of the church, and
a public notary, one Francis Torneus, who sat up every night till
midnight, but they heard nothing till September 20; at which time,
about nine o’clock at night, in the presence of all who were there,
the devil began to whistle three or four times with a loud and shrill
voice, (though somewhat hoarse) which seemed to be about three or
four steps from them, singing a little tune of five notes, which
birds are taught to whistle; and after he often repeated this word,
“Minister, minister;” to which Mr. Perreaud said, “Yes, indeed I am
a minister, and a servant of the living God, before whose Majesty
thou tremblest.” Said the other, “I know nothing to the contrary.”
“I have no need of thy testimony,” says he. This being done, he
says over with a loud voice, the Lord’s prayer, the creed, the ten
commandments, and the morning and evening prayers, and sings the
eightieth and first Psalm. He told the minister, that his father
had been poisoned, and named the man that did it. He told him, that
as he came by his elder brother’s house that night, he saluted him,
and asked, If he had any service to command him with to Mascon to
his brother? and told, they were very kind to him, and remembered
their love to the minister. It was told him afterwards by those who
were present, that a fellow of strange shape came riding on a very
lean horse, hanging down his head, spake to that purpose. At another
time the devil began to mock God, and all religion, and said over
the doxology, but skipped over the second person, and made a foul,
horrible, and detestable equivocation upon the third person. He also
earnestly desired them to send for Mr. Du Chaffin, the Popish priest
of St. Steven’s parish, to whom he would confess himself; and withal
he desired him to bring some holy water along with him; for that,
said he, he will presently send me a packing. That great mastiff,
said he, dare not bark at me, (this was a great house-dog) because
I have made the sign of the cross upon his head.—Then he fell a
scoffing and jeering, and told how he did fall off the ladder into
the ditch among the frogs, while the Savoys were scaling the walls of
Geneva, and did most exactly imitate their croaking. At another time,
he told them, with a lamentable voice, That he had a mind to make his
latter will and testament, and bid the maid call for Mr. Tornus the
public notary, and declared to him what legacies he would leave; and
to one person he said, he would bequeath 500l.; but he answered, “I
will have none of thy money, thy money perish with thee.”—At another
time, while he was speaking, a man who was present rushed into the
place whence the voice seemed to come, and searched it strictly, but
found nothing except a small bottle, which he brought forth; at which
the devil fell a laughing, and said to him, “I was told long since
thou wast a fool; and I see now thou art one, indeed, to believe that
I am in the bottle; I should be a greater fool myself to go into
it, for so I might be catched by stopping the mouth of the bottle
with one’s finger.”—At another time, the minister said to him, “Go
thou cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels.” To whom he replied, “Thou liest, I am not cursed; I hope yet
for salvation through the death and passion of Jesus Christ.”
The devil threatened the minister, that he would pull him out of
his bed by his feet, and pull the blankets off him. He answered, “I
will lay me down and sleep, for the Lord only maketh me to dwell in
safety; thou canst have no power over me, but what is given thee
from above. Whereupon he said, “It is well for thee, it is good for
thee.” And at last he confessed, that he could not prevail against
the family, because they did too much call on the name of God. And
indeed it was observed, that as often as they kneeled down to prayer,
the devil left talking, and often said, “While you are at your
prayers, I’ll go and take a turn in the street. But no sooner was
prayer ended, but he began as before, which course he continued till
the 25th of November; at which time he spake these last words, “Alas,
alas, I shall speak no more.”—The minister told Mr. Du Moulin, that
a grave divine once coming to his house, and hearing the devil speak
profanely, rebuked him sharply for it. Whereupon the devil answered,
“Minister, you are holy and zealous in this company, but you were
not so when you were singing such a bawdy song in such a tavern.”
And having said this; he sung the same bawdy song over before them
all. The divine said, “It is true, Satan, I have been licentious in
my younger years, yet God of his mercy hath given me repentance and
pardon for it; but for thy part, thou art hardened in sin, and shall
never get repentance nor pardon.” On this the devil said, “O poor
Hugonets, (those of the reformed religion) you shall suffer much
within a few years. O what mischief is intended against you!”
A popish officer that belonged to a court of justice, being a lawyer,
came out of curiosity to the minister’s house, to ask some questions
concerning many matters. The minister forbade him, but he would not
forbear. And after the devil had resolved him many things, anent
absent friends, private business, news, and state affairs, and
questions in law, he says to him, “Now, Sir, I have told you all you
demanded; I must tell you next what you demanded not, that at this
very same time such a man (whom he named) is taking a word of your
wife at home.” And then he discovered many secrets and foul practices
of the lawyer. And at last says, “Now, Sir, let me correct you for
being so bold as to question with the devil: you should have taken
the minister’s counsel.” Then upon a sudden the whole company saw the
lawyer drawn by the arm into the midst of the room, where the devil
whirled him about, and gave him many turns with great swiftness,
touching the ground only with his toe, and then threw him down upon
the floor with great violence; and being taken up, and carried to
his house, he lay sick, and was a long time distracted.—The last ten
or twelve days the devil threw stones about the minister’s house
continually, from morning to evening, and of so large a size, some of
them being of two or three pound weight. One of those days the public
notary Mr. Tornus, had a great stone thrown at him, which falling
at his feet, he took it up and marked it with a coal, and threw it
into the backside of the house, but presently the devil threw it at
him again; when he took it up, he found it very hot, thinking it had
been in hell since he handled it last. The next day, upon the 22d of
December, the devil went quiet away; and to-morrow after, was seen a
great viper going out of the minister’s house, which the neighbours
about seized with a pair of pinchers, and carried it all over the
town crying, “Here is the devil that’s come out of the minister’s
house.” It was found by an apothecary to be a true natural viper,
a serpent rarely seen in those countries. Compare this with the
twentieth and first relation, and you will find a notable proof of
the wonderful kindness and mercy of God to those religious ministers
and their families.
XXXII.—_Anent Margaret Wilson._
This is a true narrative of what happened to her one night, while
some persons were attending her: for what passed other nights I
cannot relate, since I want information. They say the gentleman, her
uncle, in the parish of Gallashiels, came on Sunday after sermon to
the minister there, Mr. Wilkie, and told him, that the devil was at
his house; “for,” said he, “there is an odd knocking about the bed
where my niece lies.” Whereupon the minister went along with him,
and found it so; she rising from her bed, sat down to supper, and
from below there was such a knocking up, as bred fear to all present.
This knocking was just under her chair, where it was not possible
for any mortal to knock up. Supper being ended, they went all to
prayer; and rising from her place, went and kneeled down in another
place, and there also a knocking was heard below her, even during
the time of prayer. When she was put to bed, many persons attending,
she fell into a deep sleep; then her body was so lifted up, that
many strong men were not able to keep it down. Sometimes her body
would have made such a motion in the bed, as if something had been
gripping her by the feet, and pulling her up and down. In the mean
while, they heard a loud noise scratching upon the feather-bed, as
with long nails. And likewise the minister affirms, that he heard
a loud risping at her heart, such as risping irons make upon wood
and timber. When she awaked, she told them of many things the devil
had spoken to her, offering her gifts and presents: she was hardly
persuaded to pray; nay could not, even when the words were put in her
mouth. The minister desired her to enter into a personal covenant
with God, which he drew up; but finding one composed already to his
hand, in that little treatise called the Christian’s Great Interest,
he made her subscribe it. When she had done this, the devil persuaded
her with many arguments to break it. This was the method the devil
observed ordinarily every night, during her long trouble. That same
night about twelve o’clock, the minister took her uncle out to his
own garden, to take a turn or two, and began to bear upon him, the
sense of this sore affliction which was upon the family; and exhorted
him to reflect upon his ways, and consider if he had done any thing
that had provoked the Lord against him; and particularly he charged
him with one thing, whereof there was a loud report. He solemnly
protested, and that with dreadful imprecations, that he was innocent
of that particular which was said of him, and absolutely denied it.
She confessed that she had seen the devil as in a man’s likeness; but
especially once going to church, when he forbade her to go and hear
sermon. After much trouble of this kind, and much noise and talking,
the young woman, being but 12 years of age, came to Edinburgh, and
tarried with a friend there; and from thence she went to Leith, where
she served a mistress. At last she went to Easter Duddingston, it
seems, and married there a husband, with whom she lived some years
at Magdalen Pans, where she died. I do not hear that ever she was
molested after. If all the particulars of this business were truly
collected, they would amount to a far longer relation than I have set
down.
XXXIII.—_A short information anent Janet Douglas._
When I was at Glasgow in summer 1675, I was desirous to see the dumb
girl, whom you mention in your first relation. At my first incoming,
she declined to entertain discourse, but by friendly expressions,
and giving her some money, I gained her. I first enquired anent her
parentage. “I do not remember,” says she, “of my parents, but only
that I was called by the name of Janet Douglas by all people who
knew me. I was keeped when I was very young, by a poor woman that
proved cruel to me, by beating and abusing me; whereupon I deserted
the woman’s house, and went a begging.” I inquired next how she
became dumb. She told me, by reason of a sore swelling she took in
her throat and tongue; but afterwards by the application of Album
Græcum, “which I thought,” said she, “was revealed to me, I recovered
my speech.” “I asked her, how she came to the knowledge of witches
and their practices. She answered, That she had it only by a vision,
and knew all things as well as if she had been personally present
with them; but had no revelation or information from the voice of any
spirit; nor had she any communication with the devil, or any spirit
of that kind; only,” says she, “the devil was represented to me, when
he was in company with any of the witches, in that same shape and
habit he was seen by them.”—She told me, she was altogether ignorant
of the principles of religion, but had some smattering knowledge of
the Lord’s prayer, which she had heard the witches repeat, it seems,
by her vision, in presence of the devil; and at his desire, which
she observed, they added to the word _art_, the letter _w_, which
made it run, “Our Father which wart in heaven;” and made the third
petition thus, “As on earth so it may in heaven;” by which means the
devil made the application of the prayer to himself.——I remember,
that one day there was a woman in the town who had the curiosity
to give her a visit, who asked her, How she came to the knowledge
of so many things? But the young wench shifted her, by asking the
woman’s name. She told her name. Says the other, “Are there any other
in Glasgow of that name?” No, says the woman. Then, said the girl,
“You are a witch.” Says the other, “Then you are a devil.” The girl
answers, “The devil doth not reveal witches; but I know you to be
one, and I know your practices too.” Hereupon the woman run away in
great confusion, being indeed a person suspected of witchcraft, and
had been sometimes imprisoned on that account.—Another woman, whose
name was Campbell, had the curiosity likewise to come and see her,
and began to ask some questions at her. The wench shifting to give
her an answer, says, “I pray you tell me where you were yesternight,
and what you were doing? And withall,” says she, “let me see your
arm.” She refusing, the landlord laid hold upon the woman, with some
others in the house, and forced her to make bare her arm, where Janet
Douglas shewed them an invisible mark, which she had gotten from the
devil. The poor woman, much ashamed, ran home. A little time after,
she came out and told her neighbours, that what Janet Douglas said of
her was true; and earnestly entreated them that they would shew so
much to the magistrates, that she might be apprehended, “otherwise
the devil,” says she, “will make me kill myself.” But the neighbours
judging her to be under a fit of distraction, carried her home to
her house; but early next morning the woman was found drowned in
Clyde.—The girl likewise told me at Glasgow, being then under no
restraint, that it was revealed to her she would be carried before
the great council at Edinburgh, imprisoned there, and scourged
through the town. All which came to pass.—For about a year after,
she was apprehended and imprisoned in the tolbooth of the Canongate,
and was brought before the council, but nothing being found against
her, she was dismissed; but thereafter, for several crimes committed
within the town of Edinburgh, she was taken again, and imprisoned,
scourged, and sent away to some foreign plantation; since which time
I have not heard of her.——There are several other remarkable passages
concerning her, which I cannot inform you of, which others perhaps
may do; therefore I shall abruptly break off, and say no more, but
that I am your affectionate friend. This information I have from
a discreet understanding gentleman, who was one of my scholars at
Glasgow several years ago.
XXXIV.—_Touching Helen Elliot, burnt at Culross._
FOR MR. SINCLAIR. _Edin. Oct. 8. 1684._
Sir, I cannot but much approve of your design in publishing “Satan’s
invisible world discovered,” especially at this time, when there are
so many that deny the existence of devils, spirits, and witches, and
will credit nothing but what they see with their eyes. I shall inform
you of three remarkable stories, which may be attested by famous
witnesses, many of which are yet living.——I had the curiosity, when I
was a scholar, to pass over from Borrowstounness to Culross, to see a
notable witch burnt. She was carried to the place of execution in a
chair by four men, by reason her legs and her belly were broken, by
one of the devil’s cunning tricks which he played her. This woman was
watched one night in the steeple of Culross by two men, John Shank,
a flesher, and one John Drummond; who being weary, went to another
room, where there was a fire, to take a pipe. But to secure her,
they put her feet in the stocks, and locked them as well as might
be. But no sooner were they gone out of the room, but the devil came
into the prison, and told her he was obliged to deliver her from the
shame she was like to suffer for his sake; and accordingly took her
out of the stocks, and embracing her, carried her out of the prison;
at which she being terrified, made this exclamation by the way, “O
God, whither art thou taking me?” At which words he let her fall, at
the distance from the steeple, about the breadth of the street of
Edinburgh, where she broke her legs and belly. I saw the impression
and dimple of her heels, as many thousands did, which continued for
six or seven years; upon which place no grass would ever grow. At
last there was a stone-dike built upon the place.—My second relation
shall be of some witches at Borrowstounness, which were the occasion
of much inquiry after them there. Anno 1644, a certain woman in the
town came about eight o’clock in the morning into her neighbour’s
house, after a most furious manner, and assaulted her, by scratching
her face, and pulling the hair out of her head, saying, “Thou
traitor thief, thou thought to have destroyed my son this morning,
but it was not in thy power.” The ship wherein the young man was
a sailor, had been under a dreadful tempest off and on St. Abb’s
Head, that morning; with the violence of a sea, which came in upon
the deck, he was cast over board on one side of the ship, and, to
the admiration of all, he was cast upon deck again, upon the other
side, without harm. This marvellous business being reported about
eight o’clock by the mariners, when they came a-shore, and being
compared with what the one woman said to the other that morning, both
of them were apprehended, and, after their confession, were both
burnt, many hundreds being spectators, whereof I was one.—The last,
which is more remarkable, shall be anent the wife of one Goodall,
a cooper in the parish of Carron. This woman was about thirty-two
or thirty-three years of age, a most beautiful and comely person as
was in the country about. She was often filed and delated by many
who had been burnt. They told, that amongst them all, she was the
person whom the devil at their meetings did most court and embrace,
calling her constantly, “My dear mistress,” setting her always at his
right hand, to the great discontent of his old hags, whom, as they
conceived, he now slighted. She was apprehended, and committed to
prison. At this time there was one James Fleming, a master of a ship
there, a person of great courage, strength, and resolution, who had
it insinuate to him by her, when he was exhorting her to confess,
that in respect she understood he was to be upon her watch the next
night, if she got no deliverance as she expected before one o’clock
in the morning, she would lay her heart open to him before others.
At which he being apprehensive of what might fall out, as indeed he
had reason, went to his uncle, a grave and experienced person, who
advised him to take all his ships company, to the number of fourteen
able men, and keep watch, not forgetting the reading of scripture,
and earnest prayer to God. The night was still and calm, like a
summer’s night, without the least appearance of change, when upon a
sudden at midnight, as James Fleming himself was discoursing to her,
and again, as the custom was, holding her by the hand, I say, upon
a sudden, a terrible tempest, like a hurricane, came on, which took
the roof from the house, to their great consternation; and a voice
was heard three times, calling her by a strange name to come away; at
which time she made three several leaps upward, increasing gradually,
till her feet were as high as his breast. But he held her by both the
arms, and (as he used to say, when he spoke of it), he be-teached
himself strongly and earnestly to God, though with great amazement,
his hair standing widdershins in his head. And after the third call,
he prevailed against the greatest effort which ever he felt, and
threw her on the ground, she grovelling and foaming like one having
the falling sickness, where she fell into a profound sleep, for the
space of two or three hours. When she awakened, she declaimed most
bitterly against the devil’s treachery and perfidiousness, who had
promised to carry her to Ireland before four o’clock in the morning,
and to touch at Paisley, where she might see her sister in passing.
She made a free and full confession, and delated many women, some
of them of good repute, who afterwards confessed and died also. The
author of this letter is a person of great honesty and sincerity.
From the first relation of his, we have an evident instance, that
the devil can transport the bodies of men and women through the air.
’Tis true, he did not carry her far off, but not for want of skill
and power. Neither was he afraid to hear the name of God spoken; but
proposing to destroy both the soul and body of the poor creature,
he has pretended so much to excuse himself at her hand.——The first
story brings me in mind of one Creek, a witch put in prison in the
steeple of Culross, to whom several years ago Mr. Alexander Colvil,
justice-depute, came, a gentleman of great sagacity and knowledge as
to witches. He asked if she was a witch? She denied. “Dare you hold
up your hand and swear that you are not a witch!” “Yes, Sir,” said
she. But behold what a remarkable judgment of God came upon her!
While she was swearing, with her arm lifted up, it become as stiff as
a tree, that she could not pull it in again, to the amazement of all
that were present. One person yet living there was a witness, and can
attest this. The gentleman, seeing the vengeance of God upon her for
her wickedness, falls down presently upon his knees, and entreated
the Lord on her behalf, who was graciously pleased to hear him.—Some
are of opinion, that the devil cannot raise winds and storms upon the
sea and land. This is evident from the last relation in the letter,
which puts me in mind of a terrible tempest in the Firth, that day
when Bessie Fowler was burnt at Musselburgh, in May 16. The devil
promised to her, that she should not die at that time; whereupon she
looking out at the prison window, spake very confidently to the folk
below, “You think to see me burnt the day, but you will be deceived.”
The hurricane did so prevail, that in effect every body suspected
that she should not have died that day. The morning and the forenoon
were very calm.
XXXV.—_Anent some Prayers, Charms, and Aves, used in the Highlands._
In the time of ignorance and superstition, when the darkness of
Paganism was not dispelled by the gospel-light, spirits kept a more
familiar converse with families; and even in the time of Popery, what
was more frequent in houses than brownies, whom they employed in many
services. It were unreasonable and ridiculous to rehearse all the
stories which have been told of Brownies and Fairies, commonly called
our good neighbours: how there was a king and queen of fairies, of
such a court and train as they had; and how they had the tein and
duty, as it were, of all corns, flesh and meal; how they rode, and
went along the sides of hills, all in green apparel. I verily believe
many have seen such spectres. But what were they? nothing but the
delusion of the senses of sundry people, whom the devil made believe
they did see and hear such things. Brownie was a spirit that haunted
divers houses familiarly, without doing any evil, but doing necessary
turns up and down the house, and frequently was found working in
the barn, threshing the corn in the night-time, who appeared like
a rough hairy man. Such then, was the ignorance of many, that they
believed their house was all the sonsier that Brownie was about it,
as King James says in his Demonology.—I will not speak of ridiculous
friets, such as our meeting with a lucky or unlucky foot, when we
are going about important business; these unquestionably are the
devil’s lessons for the most part, and denying of God’s providence.
The practice of the Heathen was to attribute good or evil luck to
the slaying of birds, as Virgil says, “Sæpe sinister cava prædixit
ab illice cornix.”—Whether there be any magic in the practice of
some young women too curious, who, upon Hallowe’n, go to bed without
speaking to any, having first eaten a cake made of soot, and dreaming
they see in their sleep the man that shall be their husband, I shall
not determine; but it looks like a very bad practice. I heard of a
woman who dipped her smock in south-running water, on that night, and
hanged it up before the fire to dry. One comes in the likeness of the
man who was to be her husband, and turns it, and went immediately to
the bed, where she was attending the event, and kissed her. It seems
she did not believe it was the devil. To speak of the second sight I
cannot, till fuller information be given. I am undoubtedly informed,
that men and women in the Highlands can discern fatality approaching
others, by seeing them in waters, or with winding sheets about them;
and that others can lecture in a sheep’s shoulder-bone a death within
the parish seven or eight days before it come. It is not improbable,
but that such preternatural knowledge comes first by a compact with
the devil, and is derived downward by succession to their posterity;
many of which I suppose are innocent, and have this sight against
their will and inclination.
Charms and spells have been first taught to men and women in
confederacy with the devil, many of which are received by tradition,
and used by witches, and ignorant persons too. The virtue of curing
must be from the devil’s active invisible application of them to
such or such a disease, as the curing of an universal gout by this
unintelligible charm.