Ade Davie, wife of Simon Davie husbandman, had a wiser man for her
husband, simple and unlearned as he was, than had many a wretched creature
for her judge. Ade suddenly became sad and pensive as she never had been
in times past. Her husband did his best to cheer her, but Ade still
continued sorrowful; when, at last her burden grew heavier than she could
bear, falling down at Simon's feet she besought him to forgive her, for
that she had grievously offended both God and him. "Her poor husband being
abashed at this her behaviour, comforted her as he could; asking her the
cause of her trouble and greefe; who told him that she had, contrary to
God's law, and to the offence of all good Christians, to the injury of
him, and specially to the losse of her own soul, bargained and given her
soul to the devill, to be delivered unto him within short space. Whereunto
her husband answered, saying, 'Wife, be of good cheer, this thy bargain is
void and of none effect; for thou hast sold that which is none of thine to
sell: sith it belongeth to Christ, who hath bought it, and dearly paid for
it, even with his blood, which he shed upon the crosse; so as the devil
hath no interest in thee.' After this, with like submission, teares, and
penitence, she said unto him, 'Oh, husband, I have yet committed another
fault, and done you more injury; for I have bewitched you and four
children.' 'Be content,' quoth he, 'by the grace of God, Jesus Christ can
unwitch us; for none evill can happen to them that fear God.'"
This fresh and pure idyl comes to us with a sweet and wholesome savour, in
the midst of the foul quagmires of superstition where it stands; and that
poor husbandman's simple faith in God's goodness and his wife's virtue is
more touching than many a grand heroic deed which has the suffrages of all
history to float it through the life of the world. Simon Davie was an
unlettered man, but he was strong-hearted and believing, and, thinking
that earnest prayer might comfort his wife, when the time approached for
the Devil to come and close his bargain, knelt down by her and prayed, she
joining with him fervently. Then they heard a low rumbling noise below
which made the windows shake, and which convinced the poor wife that it
was the Devil trying to take possession of her soul, but barred out from
the chamber by the fervent prayers aforesaid. In the morning it was found
that the noise came from a dog which had devoured a sheep that was newly
flayed and hung against the wall; and in due time, Ade Davie recovering
her reason--for she was crazed, and took every fire to be the fire lighted
to burn her for witchcraft--came to the knowledge that she had never sold
her soul to the Devil at all, and had never bewitched husband or children,
but had always been a faithful wife and fond mother--afflicted with a
light brain and nervous imagination.