well inclined to believe them, that he marched valiantly forth to the hut
where Mother Samuel resided with her husband and daughter, and dragged her
forcibly into his own grounds. Lady Cromwell, Mrs. Throgmorton, and the
girls were in waiting, armed with long pins to prick the witch, and see if
they could draw blood from her. Lady Cromwell, who seems to have been the
most violent of the party, tore the old woman's cap off her head, and
plucking out a handful of her grey hair, gave it to Mrs. Throgmorton to
burn, as a charm which would preserve them all from her future
machinations. It was no wonder that the poor creature, subjected to this
rough usage, should give vent to an involuntary curse upon her tormentors.
She did so, and her curse was never forgotten. Her hair, however, was
supposed to be a grand specific, and she was allowed to depart, half dead
with terror and ill-usage. For more than a year the families of Cromwell
and Throgmorton continued to persecute her, and to assert that her imps
afflicted them with pains and fits, turned the milk sour in their pans,
and prevented their cows and ewes from bearing. In the midst of these
fooleries, Lady Cromwell was taken ill and died. It was then remembered
that her death had taken place exactly a year and a quarter since she was
cursed by Mother Samuel, and that on several occasions she had dreamed of
the witch and a black cat, the latter being of course the arch-enemy of
mankind himself.
Sir Samuel Cromwell now conceived himself bound to take more energetic
measures against the sorceress, since he had lost his wife by her means.
The year and a quarter and the black cat were proofs positive. All the
neighbours had taken up the cry of witchcraft against Mother Samuel; and
her personal appearance, unfortunately for her, the very ideal of what a
witch ought to be, increased the popular suspicion. It would appear that
at last the poor woman believed, even to her own disadvantage, that she
was what every body represented her to be. Being forcibly brought into Mr.
Throgmorton's house, when his daughter Joan was in one of her customary
fits, she was commanded by him and Sir Samuel Cromwell to expel the devil
from the young lady. She was told to repeat her exorcism, and to add, "as
I am a witch, and the causer of Lady Cromwell's death, I charge thee,
fiend, to come out of her!" She did as was required of her; and moreover
confessed that her husband and daughter were leagued with her in
witchcraft, and had, like her, sold their souls to the devil. The whole
family were immediately arrested, and sent to Huntingdon to prison.
The trial was instituted shortly afterwards before Mr. Justice Fenner,
when all the crazy girls of Mr. Throgmorton's family gave evidence against
Mother Samuel and her family. They were all three put to the torture. The
old woman confessed in her anguish that she was a witch; that she had cast
her spells upon the young ladies; and that she had caused the death of
Lady Cromwell. The father and daughter, stronger in mind than their
unfortunate wife and parent, refused to confess any thing, and asserted
their innocence to the last. They were all three condemned to be hanged,
and their bodies burned. The daughter, who was young and good-looking,
excited the pity of many persons, and she was advised to plead pregnancy,
that she might gain at least a respite from death. The poor girl refused
proudly, on the ground that she would not be accounted both a witch and a
strumpet. Her half-witted old mother caught at the idea of a few weeks'
longer life, and asserted that she was pregnant. The court was convulsed
with laughter, in which the wretched victim herself joined; and this was
accounted an additional proof that she was a witch. The whole family were
executed on the 7th of April, 1593.
Sir Samuel Cromwell, as lord of the manor, received the sum of 40l. out of
the confiscated property of the Samuels, which he turned into a
rent-charge of 40s. yearly, for the endowment of an annual sermon or
lecture upon the enormity of witchcraft, and this case in particular, to
be preached by a doctor or bachelor of divinity of Queen's College,
Cambridge. I have not been able to ascertain the exact date at which this
annual lecture was discontinued; but it appears to have been preached so
late as 1718, when Dr. Hutchinson published his work upon witchcraft.
To carry on in proper chronological order the history of the witch
delusion in the British isles, it will be necessary to examine into what
was taking place in Scotland during all that part of the sixteenth century
anterior to the accession of James VI. to the crown of England. We
naturally expect that the Scotch--a people renowned from the earliest
times for their powers of imagination--should be more deeply imbued with
this gloomy superstition than their neighbours of the south. The nature of
their soil and climate tended to encourage the dreams of early ignorance.
Ghosts, goblins, wraiths, kelpies, and a whole host of spiritual beings,
were familiar to the dwellers by the misty glens of the Highlands and the
romantic streams of the Lowlands. Their deeds, whether of good or ill,
were enshrined in song, and took a greater hold upon the imagination
because "verse had sanctified them." But it was not till the religious
reformers began the practice of straining Scripture to the severest
extremes that the arm of the law was called upon to punish witchcraft as a
crime _per se_. What Pope Innocent VIII. had done for Germany and France,
the preachers of the Reformation did for the Scottish people. Witchcraft,
instead of being a mere article of faith, became enrolled in the
statute-book; and all good subjects and true Christians were called upon
to take arms against it. The ninth parliament of Queen Mary passed an act
in 1563, which decreed the punishment of death against witches and
consulters with witches, and immediately the whole bulk of the people were
smitten with an epidemic fear of the devil and his mortal agents. Persons
in the highest ranks of life shared and encouraged the delusion of the
vulgar. Many were themselves accused of witchcraft; and noble ladies were
shewn to have dabbled in mystic arts, and proved to the world that if they
were not witches, it was not for want of the will.
Among the dames who became notorious for endeavouring to effect their
wicked ends by the devil's aid may be mentioned the celebrated Lady
Buccleugh of Branxholme (familiar to all the readers of Sir Walter Scott),
the Countess of Lothian, the Countess of Angus, the Countess of Athol,
Lady Kerr, the Countess of Huntley, Euphemia Macalzean (the daughter of
Lord Cliftonhall), and Lady Fowlis. Among the celebrated of the other sex
who were accused of wizardism was Sir Lewis Ballantyne, the Lord
Justice-Clerk for Scotland, who, if we may believe Scot of Scotstarvet,
"dealt by curiosity with a warlock called Richard Grahame," and prayed him
to raise the devil. The warlock consented, and raised him _in propriâ
personâ_ in the yard of his house in the Canongate, "at sight of whom the
Lord Justice-Clerk was so terrified, that he took sickness and thereof
died." By such idle reports as these did the envious ruin the reputation
of those they hated; though it would appear in this case that Sir Lewis
had been fool enough to make the attempt of which he was accused, and that
the success of the experiment was the only apocryphal part of the story.
[Illustration: JOHN KNOX.]
The enemies of John Knox invented a similar tale, which found ready
credence among the Roman Catholics, glad to attach any stigma to that
grand scourge of the vices of their Church. It was reported that he and
his secretary went into the churchyard of St. Andrew's with the intent to
raise "some sanctes;" but that, by a mistake in their conjurations, they
raised the great fiend himself instead of the saints they wished to
consult. The popular rumour added, that Knox's secretary was so frightened
at the great horns, goggle eyes, and long tail of Satan, that he went mad,
and shortly afterwards died. Knox himself was built of sterner stuff, and
was not to be frightened.
The first name that occurs in the records of the High Court of Justiciary
of persons tried or executed for witchcraft, is that of Janet Bowman in
1572, nine years after the passing of the act of Mary. No particulars of
her crimes are given, and against her name there only stands the words,
"convict and brynt." It is not, however, to be inferred, that in this
interval no trials or executions took place; for it appears, on the
authority of documents of unquestioned authenticity in the Advocates'
Library at Edinburgh,[29] that the Privy Council made a practice of
granting commissions to resident gentlemen and ministers in every part of
Scotland to examine, try, and execute witches within their own parishes.
No records of those who suffered from the sentence of these tribunals have
been preserved; but if popular tradition may be believed even to the
amount of one-fourth of its assertions, their number was fearful. After
the year 1572, the entries of executions for witchcraft in the records of
the High Court become more frequent, but do not average more than one per
annum,--another proof that trials for this offence were in general
entrusted to the local magistracy. The latter appear to have ordered
witches to the stake with as little compunction, and after as summary a
mode, as modern justices of the peace order a poacher to the stocks.
[29] _Foreign Quarterly Review_, vol. vi. p. 41.
As James VI. advanced in manhood, he took great interest in the witch
trials. One of them especially--that of Gellie Duncan, Dr. Fian, and their
accomplices, in the year 1591--engrossed his whole attention, and no doubt
suggested in some degree the famous work on Demonology, which he wrote
shortly afterwards. As these witches had made an attempt upon his own
life, it is not surprising, with his habits, that he should have watched
the case closely, or become strengthened in his prejudice and superstition
by its singular details. No other trial that could be selected would give
so fair an idea of the delusions of the Scottish people as this. Whether
we consider the number of victims, the absurdity of the evidence, and the
real villany of some of the persons implicated, it is equally
extraordinary.
Gellie Duncan, the prime witch in these proceedings, was servant to the
deputy bailiff of Tranent, a small town in Haddingtonshire, about ten
miles from Edinburgh. Though neither old nor ugly (as witches usually
were), but young and good-looking, her neighbours, from some suspicious
parts of her behaviour, had long considered her a witch. She had, it
appears, some pretensions to the healing art. Some cures which she
effected were so sudden, that the worthy bailiff, her master, who, like
his neighbours, mistrusted her, considered them no less than miraculous.
In order to discover the truth, he put her to the torture; but she
obstinately refused to confess that she had dealings with the devil. It
was the popular belief that no witch would confess as long as the mark
which Satan had put upon her remained undiscovered upon her body. Somebody
present reminded the torturing bailie of this fact, and on examination,
the devil's mark was found upon the throat of poor Gellie. She was put to
the torture again, and her fortitude giving way under the extremity of her
anguish, she confessed that she was indeed a witch--that she had sold her
soul to the devil, and effected all her cures by his aid. This was
something new in the witch creed, according to which, the devil delighted
more in laying diseases on than in taking them off; but Gellie Duncan
fared no better on that account. The torture was still applied, until she
had named all her accomplices, among whom were one Cunningham, a reputed
wizard, known by the name of Dr. Fian; a grave and matron-like witch,
named Agnes Sampson; Euphemia Macalzean, the daughter of Lord Cliftonhall,
already mentioned, and nearly forty other persons, some of whom were the
wives of respectable individuals in the city of Edinburgh. Every one of
these persons was arrested, and the whole realm of Scotland thrown into
commotion by the extraordinary nature of the disclosures which were
anticipated.
About two years previous to this time, James had suddenly left his
kingdom, and proceeded gallantly to Denmark, to fetch over his bride, the
Princess of Denmark, who had been detained by contrary weather in the
harbour of Upslo. After remaining for some months in Copenhagen, he set
sail with his young bride, and arrived safely in Leith, on the 1st of May
1590, having experienced a most boisterous passage, and been nearly
wrecked. As soon as the arrest of Gellie Duncan and Fian became known in
Scotland, it was reported by every body who pretended to be well-informed,
that these witches and their associates had, by the devil's means, raised
the storms which had endangered the lives of the king and queen. Gellie,
in her torture, had confessed that such was the fact, and the whole
kingdom waited aghast and open-mouthed for the corroboration about to be
furnished by the trial.
Agnes Sampson, the "grave and matron-like" witch implicated by Gellie
Duncan, was put to the horrible torture of the _pilliewinkis_. She laid
bare all the secrets of the sisterhood before she had suffered an hour,
and confessed that Gellie Duncan, Dr. Fian, Marian Lincup, Euphemia
Macalzean, herself, and upwards of two hundred witches and warlocks, used
to assemble at midnight in the kirk of North Berwick, where they met the
devil; that they had plotted there to attempt the king's life; that they
were incited to this by the old fiend himself, who had asserted with a
thundering oath that James was the greatest enemy he ever had, and that
there would be no peace for the devil's children upon earth until he were
got rid of; that the devil upon these occasions always liked to have a
little music, and that Gellie Duncan used to play a reel before him on a
trump or Jew's harp, to which all the witches danced.
James was highly flattered at the idea that the devil should have said
that he was the greatest enemy he ever had. He sent for Gellie Duncan to
the palace, and made her play before him the same reel which she had
played at the witches' dance in the kirk.
[Illustration: TORTURE OF THE BOOTS.]
Dr. Fian, or rather Cunningham, a petty schoolmaster of Tranent, was put
to the torture among the rest. He was a man who had led an infamous life,
was a compounder of and dealer in poisons, and a pretender to magic.
Though not guilty of the preposterous crimes laid to his charge, there is
no doubt that he was a sorcerer in will, though not in deed, and that he
deserved all the misery he endured. When put on the rack, he would confess
nothing, and held out so long unmoved, that the severe torture of the
_boots_ was resolved upon. He endured this till exhausted nature could
bear no longer, when insensibility kindly stepped in to his aid. When it
was seen that he was utterly powerless, and that his tongue cleaved to the
roof of his mouth, he was released. Restoratives were administered; and
during the first faint gleam of returning consciousness, he was prevailed
upon to sign, ere he well knew what he was about, a full confession, in
strict accordance with those of Gellie Duncan and Agnes Sampson. He was
then remanded to his prison, from which, after two days, he managed, some
how or other, to escape. He was soon recaptured, and brought before the
Court of Justiciary, James himself being present. Fian now denied all the
circumstances of the written confession which he had signed; whereupon the
king, enraged at his "stubborn wilfulness," ordered him once more to the
torture. His finger nails were riven out with pincers, and long needles
thrust up to the eye into the quick; but he did not wince. He was then
consigned again to the _boots_, in which, to quote a pamphlet published at
the time,[30] he continued "so long, and abode so many blows in them, that
his legs were crushed and beaten together as small as might be, and the
bones and flesh so bruised, that the blood and marrow spouted forth in
great abundance, whereby they were made unserviceable for ever."
[30] _News from Scotland, declaring the Damnable Life of Dr.
Fian_.
The astonishing similarity of the confessions of all the persons
implicated in these proceedings has often been remarked. It would appear
that they actually endeavoured to cause the king's death by their spells
and sorceries. Fian, who was acquainted with all the usual tricks of his
profession, deceived them with pretended apparitions, so that many of them
were really convinced that they had seen the devil. The sum of their
confessions was to the following effect:
Satan, who was, of course, a great foe of the reformed religion, was
alarmed that King James should marry a Protestant princess. To avert the
consequences to the realms of evil, he had determined to put an end to the
king and his bride by raising a storm on their voyage home. Satan, first
of all, sent a thick mist over the waters, in the hope that the king's
vessel might be stranded on the coast amid the darkness. This failing, Dr.
Fian, who, from his superior scholarship, was advanced to the dignity of
the devil's secretary, was commanded to summon all the witches to meet
their master, each one sailing on a sieve on the high seas.
On All Hallowmas Eve, they assembled to the number of upwards of two
hundred, including Gellie Duncan, Agnes Sampson, Euphemia Macalzean, one
Barbara Napier, and several warlocks; and each embarking in a riddle or
sieve, they sailed "over the ocean very substantially." After cruising
about for some time, they met with the fiend, bearing in his claws a cat,
which had been previously drawn nine times through the fire. This he
delivered to one of the warlocks, telling him to cast it into the sea and
cry "Hola!" This was done with all solemnity, and immediately the ocean
became convulsed, the waters hissed loudly, and the waves rose mountains
high,
"Twisting their arms to the dun-coloured heaven."
The witches sailed gallantly through the tempest they had raised, and
landing on the coast of Scotland, took their sieves in their hands and
marched on in procession to the haunted kirk of North Berwick, where the
devil had resolved to hold a preaching. Gellie Duncan, the musician of the
party, tripped on before, playing on her Jew's harp and singing,
"Cummer, go ye before, cummer, go ye;
Gif ye will not go before, cummer, let me!"
Arrived at the kirk, they paced around it _withershins_, that is, in
reverse of the apparent motion of the sun. Dr. Fian then blew into the
keyhole of the door, which opened immediately, and all the witches
entered. As it was pitch dark, Fian blew with his mouth upon the candles,
which immediately lighted, and the devil was seen occupying the pulpit. He
was attired in a black gown and hat, and the witches saluted him by crying
"All hail, master!" His body was hard, like iron; his face terrible; his
nose, like the beak of an eagle; he had great burning eyes; his hands and
legs were hairy; and he had long claws upon his hands and feet, and spake
with an exceedingly gruff voice. Before commencing his sermon he called
over the names of his congregation, demanding whether they had been good
servants, and what success had attended their operations against the life
of the king and his bride.
Gray Meill, a crazy old warlock, who acted as beadle or door-keeper, was
silly enough to answer "that nothing ailed the king yet, God be thanked;"
upon which the devil, in a rage, stepped down from the pulpit and boxed
his ears for him. He then remounted and commenced the preaching,
commanding them to be dutiful servants to him and do all the evil they
could. Euphemia Macalzean and Agnes Sampson, bolder than the rest, asked
him whether he had brought the image or picture of King James, that they
might, by pricking it, cause pains and diseases to fall upon him. "The
father of lies" spoke truth for once, and confessed that he had forgotten
it; upon which Euphemia Macalzean upbraided him loudly for his
carelessness. The devil, however, took it all in good part, although Agnes
Sampson and several other women let loose their tongues at him
immediately. When they had done scolding, he invited them all to a grand
entertainment. A newly buried corpse was dug up and divided among them,
which was all they had in the way of edibles. He was more liberal in the
matter of drink, and gave them so much excellent wine that they soon
became jolly. Gellie Duncan then played the old tune upon her trump, and
the devil himself led off the dance with Euphemia Macalzean. Thus they
kept up the sport till the cock crew.
Agnes Sampson, the wise woman of Keith, as she was called, added some
other particulars in her confession. She stated, that on a previous
occasion, she had raised an awful tempest in the sea by throwing a cat
into it, with four joints of men tied to its feet. She said also, that on
their grand attempt to drown King James, they did not meet with the devil
after cruising about, but that he had accompanied them from the first, and
that she had seen him dimly in the distance, rolling himself before them
over the great waves, in shape and size not unlike a huge haystack. They
met with a foreign ship richly laden with wines and other good things,
which they boarded, and sunk after they had drunk all the wine and made
themselves quite merry.
[Illustration: JAMES THE DEMONOLOGIST.]
Some of these disclosures were too much even for the abundant faith of
King James, and he more than once exclaimed, that the witches were like
their master, "extreme lyars." But they confessed many other things of a
less preposterous nature, and of which they were no doubt really guilty.
Agnes Sampson said she was to have taken the king's life by anointing his
linen with a strong poison. Gellie Duncan used to threaten her neighbours
by saying she would send the devil after them; and many persons of weaker
minds than usual were frightened into fits by her, and rendered subject to
them for the remainder of their lives. Dr. Fian also made no scruple in
aiding and abetting murder, and would rid any person of an enemy by means
of poison, who could pay him his fee for it. Euphemia Macalzean also was
far from being pure. There is no doubt that she meditated the king's
death, and used such means to compass it as the superstition of the age
directed. She was a devoted partisan of Bothwell, who was accused by many
of the witches as having consulted them on the period of the king's death.
They were all found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged and burned. Barbara
Napier, though found guilty upon other counts, was acquitted upon the
charge of having been present at the great witch meeting in Berwick kirk.
The king was highly displeased, and threatened to have the jury indicted
for a wilful error upon an assize. They accordingly reconsidered their
verdict, and threw themselves upon the king's mercy for the fault they had
committed. James was satisfied, and Barbara Napier was hanged along with
Gellie Duncan, Agnes Sampson, Dr. Fian, and five-and-twenty others.
Euphemia Macalzean met a harder fate. Her connexion with the bold and
obnoxious Bothwell, and her share in poisoning one or two individuals who
had stood in her way, were thought deserving of the severest punishment
the law could inflict. Instead of the ordinary sentence, directing the
criminal to be first strangled and then burned, the wretched woman was
doomed "to be bound to a stake, and burned in ashes, _quick_ to the
death." This cruel sentence was executed on the 25th of June, 1591.