horrible slave of Satan was first suspected by her neighbours, and
then her horrible witchcrafts were found to the conviction of many,
and direful experience of my Lord Torphichen’s family.—She had a
child died, which she gave to the devil, not only the soul, but the
corpse, without a burying.——She put an incantation upon the aforesaid
honourable Lord’s son, so that he was the terror, as well as the
grief of the family. This child was in a room with his sisters; he
told them, he knew what was doing by others absent; the daughters
told their Lady-mother. I forbear to tell all I had from an eye
and ear witness; but this one I cannot pass. The son was tormented
extremely, and at length, his pedagogue sitting up with him one
night, and being sleepy, he saw a flash of fire at the window; but
thinking the child was asleep, continued to watch more carefully;
and, as he thought, in a little time, the same fire appeared at the
window; the child was awake in bed, and told him, he had been at
Torryburn in the time. This child was several times taken away. He
told the family when he was to be taken away at other times; and
sometimes, even then, though they waited on him, he appeared to be
lifted up in the air, to be taken from them. This witch being taken
into custody, she then discovered others, who are all dead.
She was examined by the minister of the parish, and several others;
but was brutishly ignorant, and scarce knew any thing, but her
witchcraft. There was one day, that this child was waited on, when
he was to be taken away, they kept the door and window close; but
a certain person going to the door, he made shift and got to the
door, and was lifted in the air, but was catched by the heels and
coat-tails, and brought back.—There were many and dreadful things
happened to this child, which I forbear to mention, on account of
the honourable family, and that it is too late, and in every body’s
head.—When the witch was examined about the corpse of her child, she
said, the corpse were buried; but the wright that made the coffin,
declared, That she put nothing in the coffin but clouts. Then she
said, “The child being long pined, and all flesh taken off by the
sickness, it appeared but clouts; yet, at length she confessed, that
she gave the corpse as well as the soul to the devil, which he said
he was to make a roast of. She, with all her hellish accomplices,
died in custody, after they had confessed many amazing incantations,
and horrible unheard of witchcrafts.
FINIS.
Transcriber’s Notes
TOC number 17 Changed Hataraick, on old Warlock to: Hattaraick
pg 3 Removed unneeded quote before: It was the deed of the
“dumb girl.”
pg 5 Added apostrophe in: clay one in her brothers: brother’s
pg 8 Changed subscribed by the two notars public to: notary
pg 9 Changed white hand-cuffs, and hoggers to: hoggars
pg 10 Changed new name given to himself was Jones to: Jonas
pg 10 Changed Bessie Weir in his bed-straw. to: bedstraw.
pg 12 Added quote after: How she had win to the bolster?
pg 14 Changed wash them, but seing to: seeing
pg 28 Changed chapter heading from VII. to VIII.
pg 30 Added quote after: I replied, What, my major?
pg 30 Added quote after: “Captain, captain,
pg 31 Changed his guilt, and confesssion to: confession
pg 32 Changed with a genttleman to: gentleman
pg 35 Added colon after: ingenuity in him was this
pg 37 Added quote after: chusing rather to die than live; and
so died.
pg 42 Changed pin that it was fasttened to: fastened
pg 43 Added period after: before it came down
pg 61 Moved quote from: “Not thine, answered the other,” to:
“Not thine,” answered the other,
pg 61 Added quote before: but in obedience to God
pg 62 Added period after: considering what to do
pg 68 Added missing e after: amiss to insert it her now: here
pg 69 Changed it was supposed has to: his
pg 70 Added period after: I will do you no harm
pg 71 Added quote after: I will meet you some other time.
pg 74 Changed chapter heading XVI. to: XV.
pg 83 Changed XVII.—Anent Hataraick to: Hattaraick
pg 87 Added period after Dr in: Dr Breton, late rector of Ludgate
pg 87 Added quote before: That she had business
pg 90 Changed clothes, stature, mein to: mien
pg 90 Changed journey-man in such cases uses to: used
pg 90 Changed hung in the shop, put in on to: put it on
pg 93 Changed bid them to he down to: be down
pg 94 Changed he had no knowlege to: knowledge
pg 98 Changed at the minister’s back-yait to: back-yard
pg 99 Changed was thrown at the lad’s bedstead to: bed-stead
pg 100 Added period after: trouble found about the family
pg 104 Changed chapter heading from XXV. to: XXII.
pg 107 Changed in the likeness of a oungman to: youngman
pg 108 Changed which she bad him spend to: which she had him spend
pg 109 Changed taken with him, who delcared to: declared
pg 110 Changed chapter heading from XXV. to: XXVI.
pg 110 Removed quote after: and it will grow meikle.
pg 110 Changed French Gentlemen, his two comerades to: comrades
pg 111 Changed The next morning the two comerades to: comrades
pg 124 Changed deal with them in the same manaer to: manner
pg 124 Added period after XXIX
pg 129 Added quote after: I know nothing to the contrary.
pg 134 Changed Magdalen Pans, where sh died to: she died
pg 135 Changed XXX. to: XXXIII.
pg 135 Added quote before: I asked her, how she came to the knowledge
pg 136 Added quote after: in Glasgow of that name?
pg 140 Added ) after: when he spoke of it
pg 141 Added XXXV. to chapter heading
pg 143 Changed One comes in the lkeness to: likeness
pg 145 Added period after: All is done that we have ready
pg 147 Added period after: but went about to shun it
pg 148 Added period after: a a street so called there
pg 148 Removed repeated letter a from: a a street so called there
pg 149 Changed devil your master too,” who d to: did
pg 150 Added period after: “Torment me not before the time”
pg 152 Changed her body with a vehement cahination to: cachinnation
pg 155 Changed I please, on my forehead? to: forehead.”
pg 157 Changed Foul faults must have a cloke to: cloak
pg 157 Added period after: only of that sin mentioned, Rom
pg 163 Changed the cause of his sicknes to: sickness
pg 167 Added quote after: “O dementia! hucine rerum venimus?
pg 168 Changed Concerning some Witches in the Shire of Renfrere
to: Renfrew