Margaret Wallace (1622), spous to John Dynning, merchant and citizen of
Glasgow, hated Cuthbert Greg. She had sent Cristiane Grahame to him,
wanting his dog; but he would not give it, saying, "I rather ye and my
hussie (cummer, gossip) baith was brunt or ye get my dog." Margaret,
coming to the knowledge of this speech, went to him angrily, and said,
"Ffals land-loupper loun that thow art, sayis thow that Cristiane Grahame
and I sall be brunt for witches? I vow to God I sall doe ye ane evill
turne." So she did, by means of a cake of bread, casting on him the most
strange, unnatural, and unknown disease, such as none could mend or
understand. Suspecting that he was bewitched, his friends got her to come
and undo the mischief she had done: so she went into the house, took him
by the "schaikill bane" (shoulder-blade) with one hand, and laid the other
on his breast, but spoke no word, only moved her lips; then passed from
him on the instant. The next day she went again to his house, and took him
up out of bed, leading him to the kitchen and three or four times across
the floor, though he had been bedridden for fifteen days, unable to put
his foot to the ground. And if all that was not done by devilish art and
craft, how was it done? asked the judges and the jury. Another time she
went to the house of one Alexander Vallange, where she was taken with a
sudden "brasch" of sickness, and was so hardly holden that they thought
she would have "ryved" herself to fits. She cried out piteously for her
"dear burd," and the bystanders thought she meant her husband: but it
turned out to be the witch Cristiane Grahame that she wanted--whom they
immediately sent for. Cristiane came at once, and took Margaret tenderly
in her arms, saying "no one should hurt her dear burd, no one;" then
carried her down stairs into the kitchen, and so home to her own house.
The little daughter of the house ran after them; on the threshold, she was
seized with a sudden pain, and falling down cried and screamed most
sorely. Her mother went to lift her up crossly, but she called out,
"Mother, mother, ding me nocht, for there is ane preyne (pin) raschet
throw my fute." She "grat" all the night, and was very ill; her parents
watching by her through the long hours: but when Margaret wanted the
mother to let her be cured by Cristiane's aid, she said sternly, no, "scho
wad commit her bairne to God, and nocht mell with the devill or ony of his
instrumentis." However, Margaret Wallace healed the little one unbidden;
by leaping over some bits of green cloth scattered in the midst of the
floor, and then taking her out of bed and laying her in Cristiane
Grahame's lap--which double sorcery cured her instantly. Cristiane Grahame
had been burnt for a witch some time before this trial; and now Margaret
Wallace, in this year of our Lord 1622, was doomed to the same fate: bound
to a stake, strangled, burnt, her ashes cast to the wind, and all her
worldly gear forfeit to king's majesty, because she was a tender-hearted,
loving woman, with a strong will and large mesmeric power, and did her
best for the sick folk about her.