Part 2

It is to be noted, the dumb girl, whose name was Janet Douglas, doth now speak, not very distinctly, yet so as she may be understood; and is a person that most wonderfully discovers things past, and doth also understand the Latin tongue, which she never learned.

II.—_Being a Wonderful discovery of Murder by an Apparition._

About the year of our Lord 1632, near unto Chester in the street, there lived one Walker, a yeoman of good estate, and a widower, who had a young woman called Anna Walker to his kinswoman, that kept his house, who was by the neighbours suspected to be with child; and was, towards the dark of the evening, one night sent away with Mark Sharp, who was a collier, or one that digged coals under ground, and who had been born in Blackburn-hundred in Lancashire, and so she was not heard of for a long time, and no noise or little was made about her. In the winter time, one James Graham, being a miller, and living two miles from the place where Walker lived, was one night alone very late in the mill grinding corn; and about twelve or one o’clock at night he came down the stairs, from having been putting corn in the hopper, the mill-doors being shut, there stood a woman upon the midst of the floor, with her hair about her head, hanging down and all bloody, with five large wounds on her head. He being much affrighted and amazed, began to bless himself; and at last asked her who she was, and what she wanted? To whom she answered, “I am the spirit of such a woman, who lived with Walker; and being got with child by him, he promised to send me to a private place, where I should be well look’d to, until I was brought to bed, and well recovered, and then I should come home again, and keep his house. And accordingly,” said the apparition, “I was one night late, sent away with one Mark Sharp, who upon a muir (naming a plain which the miller knew) slew me with a pick, such as men dig coals withal, and gave me these five wounds, and after threw my body into a coal pit hard by, and hid the pick under a bank; and his shoes and stockings being bloody, he endeavoured to wash them, but seeing the blood would not wash out, he hid them there.” And the apparition further told the miller, “That he must be the man to reveal it, or else that she must still appear and haunt him.” The miller returned home, very sad and heavy, and spoke not one word of what he had seen, but shunned as much as he could to stay in the mill after night without company, thinking thereby to escape the seeing again that frightful apparition. But notwithstanding, one night when it began to be dark, the apparition met him again, and seemed very fierce and cruel; and threatened him, that if he did not reveal the murder, she would continually pursue and haunt him: Yet for all this, he concealed it, until some few nights before Christmas; when being, soon after sunset, walking in his garden, she appeared again, and then so threatened him, and affrighted him, that he faithfully promised to reveal in the next morning.

In the morning he went to a magistrate, and made the whole matter known, with all the circumstances: And diligent search being made, the body was found in a coal pit, with five wounds in the head, and the pick, and shoes and stockings yet bloody, in every circumstance as the apparition had related to the miller. Whereupon Walker and Sharp were both apprehended, but would confess nothing. At the assize following, viz. at Durham, they were arraigned, found guilty, condemned, and executed; but would never confess the fact. There are many persons yet alive that can remember this strange murder; and the discovery of it; for it was, and sometimes yet is, as much discoursed of in the North of England as any thing that almost hath ever been heard of, and the relation was printed, though now not to be gotten.

III.—_Touching the Witchcraft of Agnes Simpson._

Though this be of too old a date to comply with the title of our stories, yet being a true copy of record, as authentic, though not so fresh, it may haply not be amiss briefly to name some effects, kinds, and circumstances of her sorcery; as her skill in diseases; that the sickness of William Black was an elf-shot; her taking the sick parties pains and sicknesses upon herself for a time, and then translating them to a third person; her usage of long scriptural prayers and rhymes, containing the main points of Christianity, so that she may seem to have been not so much a white witch, as an holy woman; her using of such nonsensical rhymes for the instructing of ignorant people, and teaching them to pray, as these two prayers, the Black and White Pater Noster in metre, in set forms, to be used morning and evening, and at other times, when occasion offereth.

_White Pater Noster._

GOD was my foster, He fostered me Under the book of palm-tree. Saint Michael was my dame, He was born at Bethlehem. He was made of flesh and blood, God send me my right food; My right food, and dyne too, That I may to yon kirk go, To read upon yon sweet book, Which the mighty God of heaven shook. Open, open heaven’s yaits. Steik, steik hell’s yaits. All saints be the better, That hear the White Prayer, Pater Noster.

_The Black Pater Noster runs thus_:

Four neuks in this house for haly angels, A post in the midst, that Christ Jesus, Lucas, Marcas, Matthew, Joannes, God be into this house, and all that belang us.

But when she sought for an answer from the devil upon any occasion, he appeared to her in the shape of a dog. But the way of dismissing and conjuring him to go was thus: I charge thee to depart on the law thou lives on, as she did, when she dismissed him after consulting him about the old Lady Edmiston’s sickness. But the manner how she raised the devil was with these words: Elva, come and speak to me;—who came in the likeness of a dog. Her sailing with her kimmers and fellow witches in a boat to a ship, is very remarkable, where the devil caused her and them to drink good wine and beer without money; she neither seeing the mariners, nor the mariners her; and after all, the devil raised a wind, whereby the ship perished. Her baptizing and using other ceremonies upon a cat, with other witches, to hinder Queen Anne from coming into Scotland. Her raising of a spirit to conjure a picture of wax for destroying Mr. John Moscrope.

But to be more particular, I shall give you her own confession to King James. Item, Failied and convict of so much, that the devil, in man’s likeness, met her going out to the fields from her own house at Keith, betwixt five and six at even, being alone, and commanded her to be at North Berwick kirk the next night. To which place she came on horseback, conveyed by her good-son, called John Couper, and lighted at the kirk yard, or a little before she came to it, about eleven hours at even. They danced along the kirk yard, Geilie Duncan playing on a trump, and John Fein muzzled led the king; the said Agnes and her daughter followed next. Besides, there were Kate Gray, George Moilis’s wife, Robert Grierson, Katherine Duncan, Bessie Wright, Isobel Gilmour, John Graymail, Duncan Buchanan, Thomas Barnhill, and his wife, Gilbert Mackgill, John Mackgill, Katharine Mackgill, with the rest of their kimmers, above an 100 persons, whereof there were six men, and all the rest women. The women made first their courtesy to their master, and then the men. The men turning nine times widdershines’ about, and the women six times. John Fein blew up the kirk-doors, and blew in the lights, which were like meikle black candles sticking round about the pulpit.

The devil started up himself in the pulpit like a meikle black man; and calling the row, every one answered, Here. Mr. Rob. Grierson being named, they all ran hirdie girdie, and were angry, for it was promised he should be called Robert the Comptroller, _alias_ Robert the Rower, for expriming of his name.

The first thing he demanded was, If they all kept promise, and had been good servants, and what they had done since the last time they had convened. At his command, they opened up three graves, two within, and one out of the kirk, and cutted off from the dead corpses the joints of their fingers, toes, and nose, and parted them amongst them; and the said Agnes Simpson got, for her part, a winding-sheet and two joints. The devil commanded them to keep the joints upon them till they were dry, and then to make a powder of them, to do evil withal. Then he commanded them to keep his commandments, which were to do all the evil and mischief they could. Before they departed, and were dismist, they behoved to kiss his arse, (with reverence to the reader.) He had on him a gown and a coat, which were both black. And they that were assembled, part stood and part sat. John Fein was ever nearest the devil, at his left elbock. Graymail keeped the door.

That which is observable in John Fein is, that the devil appeared to him, not in the black, but in white raiment; but proposed as hellish a covenant to him as those fiends to appear in black. His skimming in the sea in a boat, is remarkable, with those of his accomplices: and his fortelling the leak in the Queen’s ship by the help of the devil. His raising winds with the rest, when the king sailed into Denmark, by casting a cat into the sea, which the devil delivered to them, and taught them to cry, Hola, when they first cast it in. His raising a mist at the king’s return from Denmark, by getting Satan to cast a thing like a foot ball (it appearing to John like a wisp) into the sea, which made a reek to arise, whereby the king’s majesty might be cast upon the coast of England. His opening of locks by sorcery, by mere blowing into a woman’s hand, while he sat by the fire. His embarking in a boat with other witches, and all of them sailing over sea, and entering within a ship, and drinking good wine and ale there, and sinking the ship when they had done, with the persons in it. His kissing Satan’s arse (with reverence) again at another conventical. His being swiftly carried above in the air, in chasing of a cat, to catch her to cast into the sea, thereby to raise winds, according to the prescription of Satan. His pretending to tell any man how long he should live, if he told him but the day of his birth.

IV.—_A Proclamation over the Market Cross of Edinburgh, at twelve o’clock at night._

After that king James IV. had mustered his army in the Burrow-muir, being at that time a large spacious field, and most pleasant and delightful, by reason of many stately oaks which overshadowed the place; about midnight, in the month of July, there was a proclamation heard at the market-cross of the town, summoning a great many burgesses, gentlemen, barons, and noblemen, to appear before the tribunal of one Plotcock.

The provost of the town, standing in his own fore-stair, or gallery, having heard his own name cited, cried out, “That he declined that judicatory, and appealed to the mercy of God.” This was the army which the king led into England, and were defeat at Flodden, on the fatal day, Tuesday the 9th of September 1513, where the King, with near about five thousand of the noblest and worthiest families of the kingdom, did fall.

V.—_A miraculous Cure of a Dutch Woman, accompanied with an Apparition._

The narrative taken by a Dutch merchant from her own mouth, begins thus:—A miraculous cure upon Jesch Claes, a woman about fifty years of age, for these many years well known to myself and the neighbours. This woman for fourteen years had been lame of both her legs, one of them being dead and without feeling, so that she could not go, but creep upon the ground, or was carried in people’s arms as a child, but now through the power of God Almighty she hath walked again, which came to pass after this manner, as I have written it from her own mouth.

In the year 1676, about the 13th or 14th of this month of October, in the night, between one and two o’clock, Jesch Claes being in bed with her husband, who was a boatman, she was three times pulled by the arm, with which she awaked, and cried out, O Lord! what may this be? Hereupon she heard an answer in plain words, “Be not afraid, I am come in the name of God, to tell you, that your malady, which hath been for many years upon you, shall depart, and it shall be given you from God Almighty to walk again. But keep this to yourself till further answer.” Whereupon she cried aloud, O Lord! that I had a light that I might know what this is. Then had she this answer, “There needs no light. Light shall be given you from God.” Then came a light over all the room; and she saw a beautiful youth about ten years of age, with curled yellow hair, in white raiment to the feet, who went from the bed-head to the chimney with a light, which a little after evanished. Hereupon did something gush from her hip, or diffuse itself through her leg as a water, to her great toe, where she found life rising up; and feeling it with her hand, she cries out, “Lord give me now again my feeling, which I have not had for so many years.” And she continued crying and praying to the Lord according to her weak measure. Yet she continued that day being Wednesday, and the next day Thursday, as before, till evening at six o’clock; at which time she sat at the fire, dressing the food. Then there came, as a rushing noise in both her ears, with which it was said to her, “Stand, your walking is given you again.” Then did she immediately stand up, that had for so many years crept, and went to the door: her husband meeting her, was exceedingly afraid, and drew back. In the mean while she cried out, “My dear husband, I can walk again.” The man, thinking it was a spirit, drew back, saying, “You are not my wife;” but his wife taking hold of him, said, “My dear husband, I am the self-same that hath been married these thirty years to you. The Almighty God hath made me to walk again.” But her husband being amazed, drew back to the side of the room, till at last she claspt her arms about his neck; and yet he doubted, and said to his daughter, “Is this your mother?” She answered, “Yes, father, this is my mother indeed, I have seen her walk also, before you came in.” This person dwells upon Prince’s Island in Amsterdam. This relation is attested by many famous witnesses.

VI.—_Strange pranks played by the Devil at Woodstock in England, anno 1649._

The commissioners, October 13, 1649, with their servants, being come to the manor-house, they took up their lodging in the king’s own rooms, the bed-chamber, and withdrawing room: the former whereof they also made their kitchen; the council-hall their brew-house; the chamber of presence, their place of sitting to dispatch business; and a wood-house of the dining-room, where they laid the wood of that ancient standard in the High Park, known of all by the name of the King’s Oak, which (that nothing might remain that had the name of King affixed to it) they digged up by the roots. October 14th and 15th, they had little disturbance; but on the 16th there came, as they thought, somewhat into the bed-chamber, where two of the commissioners and their servants lay, in the shape of a dog, which going under their beds, did, as it were, gnaw their bed cords; but on the morrow finding them whole, and a quarter of beef, which lay on the ground untouched, they began to entertain other thoughts.

October 17. Something, to their thinking, removed all the wood of the King’s Oak, out of the dining-room to the presence-chamber, and hurled the chairs and stools up and down that room: From whence it came into the two chambers where the commissioners and their servants lay, and hoisted up the feet of their beds so much higher than their heads, that they thought they should have been turned over and over, and then let them fall down with such force, that their bodies rebounded from the bed a good distance, and then shook the bedsteads so violently, that themselves confest their bodies were sore with it.

October 18. Something came into the bed-chamber, and walked up and down, and fetching the warming-pan out of the withdrawing-room, made so much noise, that they thought five bells could not have made more. And October 19th, Trenchers were thrown up and down the dining-room, and at them who lodged there; one of them being wakened, put forth his head to see what was the matter, but had trenchers thrown at it.

October 20th. The curtains of the bed in the withdrawing-room were drawn to and fro, and the bed-stead much shaken, and eight great pewter dishes, and three dozen of trenchers, thrown about the bed-chamber again. This night they also thought a whole armful of the wood of the King’s Oak were thrown down in their chambers, but of that in the morning they found nothing had been moved.

October 21st. The keeper of their ordinary, and his bitch lay in one of the rooms with them, which night they were not disturbed at all. But Oct. 22d, Though the bitch kennelled there again, to whom they ascribed their former night’s rest, both they and the bitch were in a pitiful taking, the bitch opening but once, and that with a whining fearful yelp.

October 23. They had all their clothes pluck’d off them in the withdrawing room, and the bricks fell out of the chimney into the room.

On the 24th, They thought in the dining-room, that all the wood of the King’s Oak had been brought thither, and thrown down close by their bed-side; which being heard by those of the withdrawing-room, one of them rose to see what was done, fearing indeed that his fellow commissioners had been killed, but found no such matter. Whereupon returning to his bed again, he found two or three dozen of trenchers thrown into it, and handsomely covered with the bed clothes.

October 25. The curtains of the bed in the withdrawing-room were drawn to and fro, and the bed-stead shaken as before; and in the bed-chamber, glass flew about so thick (and yet not one lozen of the chamber windows broken) that they thought it had rained money, whereupon they lighted candles; but, to their grief, they found nothing but glass.

October 29. Something going to the window opened and shut it; then going into the bed-chamber, it threw great stones, for half an hour’s time, some whereof lighted on the high-bed, others on the truckle-bed, to the number in all of above fourscore. This night there was also a very great noise, as if forty pieces of ordnance had been shot off together. At two several knocks, it astonished all the neighbouring dwellers, which is thought might have been heard a great way off. During these noises, which were heard in both rooms together, both commissioners and their servants were struck with so great horror, that they cried out one to another for help: whereon one of them recovering himself out of a strange agony he had been in, snatched a sword, and had like to have killed one of his brethren coming out of his bed in his shirt, whom he took for the spirit that did the mischief. However, at length they got all together, yet the noise continued so great and terrible, and shook the walls so much, that they thought the whole manor would have fallen on their heads. At its departure, it took all the glass of the windows away with it.

November 1. Something, as they thought, walked up and down the withdrawing-room, and then made a noise in the dining-room. The stones which were left before, and laid up in the withdrawing, room were all fetched away this night, and a great deal of glass (not like the former) thrown about again.

November 2. There came something into the withdrawing-room, treading as they conceived, much like a bear, which first only walked about a quarter of an hour; at length it made a noise about the table, and threw the warming pan so violently, that it quite spoiled it. It threw also a glass and great stones at them again, and the bones of horses; and all so violently, that the bed-stead and the walls were bruised by them. That night they planted candles all about the rooms, and made fires up to the rantletrees of the chimneys, but were all put out, no body knew how, the fire and burn-wood, which made it, being thrown up and down the rooms; the curtains torn with the rods from their beds, and the bed-posts pulled away, that the tester fell down upon them, and the feet of the bed-stead cloven into two. And upon the servants in the truckle-bed, who lay all the time sweating for fear, there was first a little, which made them begin to stir, but before they could get out, there came a whole tub-full, as it were, of stinking ditch water down upon them, so green, that it made their shirts and sheets of that colour too.

The same night the windows were all broken by throwing of stones, and there was most terrible noises in three several places together, to the extraordinary wonder of all that lodged near them. Nay, the very rabbit-stealers, who were abroad that night, were so affrighted with the dismal thundering, that for haste they left their ferrets in the holes behind them, beyond Rosamond’s well. Notwithstanding of all this, one of them had the boldness to ask, “In the name of God what it was that it would have, and what they had done, that they should be so disturbed after this manner?” To which no answer was given, but it ceased for a while. At length it came again, and, as all of them said, brought seven devils worse than itself. Whereupon one of them lighted a candle again, and set it between the two chambers in the door-way, on which another fixing his eyes, saw the similitude of a hoof striking the candle and candlestick into the middle of the bed-chamber, and afterwards making three scrapes on the snuff to put it out. Upon this, the same person was so bold as to draw his sword, but he had scarce got it out, when there was another invisible hand had hold of it too, and tugged with him for it; and, prevailing, struck him so violently, that he was stunned with the blow.

Then began violent noises again, insomuch that they called to one another, got together, and went into the presence-chamber, where they said prayers, and sung psalms: notwithstanding all which, the thundering noise still continued in other rooms. After this, November 3d, they removed their lodging over the gate; and next day, being Sunday, went to Ewelm, where how they escaped, the authors of the relation knew not. But returning on Monday, the devil (for that was the name they gave their nightly guest) left them not unvisited, nor on the Tuesday following, which was the last day they stayed.

VII.—_An Apparition to King James the IV. and his Courtiers, in the kirk of Linlithgow._