Brightling of Sussex, too, where now we have our sea-side London, was
under a cloud, with the devil in actual human form possessing the place
and haunting good folk out of their proper wits; for Joseph Cruttenden's
house was bewitched, and they were sore holden how to restore the spirit
of grace within it, and exorcise the spirit of evil. Joseph Cruttenden had
a young servant girl, to whom one day came an old woman, unknown, saying
to her that sad calamities were coming on her master's family by-and-bye,
but that she was not to speak of them to any one; for he and his dame
should be haunted, and their house fired and bewitched. She was to be
particularly careful not to give warning of this to any, for if she did,
the devil would tear her in pieces. The girl kept her own counsel; of
course she did; there would have been no sport else: and that very night
the troubles began. As Joseph and his wife lay in bed, dirt and dust and
rubbish of all kinds were thrown at them, so that there was no way of
escaping the handfuls of filth flung fast and furiously, and all the doors
and windows shook as with a storm, though the air was still outside. On
another night the house was set on fire in many places at once, flashing
out like gunpowder; and as fast as one corner was extinguished another
began; for they had no sooner trodden out the ashes and gone to another
part, than they flamed up afresh, and they had all their work to do over
again. Some said that a thing like a black bull was seen tumbling about in
the flames; but Mr. Baxter halts at this, and declines to endorse it. At
another time the furniture was all flung about, and a wooden "tut" came
flying through the air, and a horseshoe struck the man on the breast, and
there was no peace night or day for the black bull, the fire, and all the
other things besetting. And then the man confessed that he had been a
thief long time agone, whereby Satan had this extraordinary power over
him; and the girl, despising the threat of the devil's tearing her to
pieces, confessed to her mistress what the old woman had said. So the
country was searched for an old woman answering the maid's description,
and a poor old wretch was pitched upon as being most like. She was sent
for and examined--watched for twenty-four hours; but nothing seems to have
come of it this time. The girl "thought" she was "like" the same woman as
had spoken to her, yet declined to swear positively. But the old woman had
a bad name. She had been suspected as a witch before, "and been had to
Maidstone to clear herself," which it seems she had done, for she got off,
and had been living near Brightling ever since. She had a narrow escape
now, for the country people were much excited against her, and naturally
did not wish the presence of one who could haunt their houses with fire
and dirt, and a big black bull tumbling about at his will. Had the maid
had one grain less of conscience, this nameless wretch would have closed
her earthly career a few years too soon; as it was she got off, and
"lived miserably about Burwast ever since." It was a small sign of grace
in that young jade that she would not swear away the life of an innocent
woman to conceal her own childish tricks. It was not often that the
accusing witnesses showed even this scant mercy to their victims, for the
excitement of the game seemed to be in the largest amount of cruelty that
could be perpetrated within the rules.