ON

WAIVING the consideration of the many controversies formerly kept up on this subject, founded on misinterpretation of various passages in the sacred writings, it is my purpose, in the present section, to consider Witchcraft only as a striking article of popular mythology; which however bids fair in another century to be entirely forgotten.

WITCHCRAFT is defined by Reginald Scot, in his "Discovery," p. 284, to be, "in estimation of the vulgar people, a supernatural work between a corporal old woman and a spiritual devil:" but, he adds, speaking his own sentiments on the subject, "it is, in truth, a cozening art, wherein the name of God is abused, prophaned, and blasphemed, and his power attributed to a vile creature."

Perkins defines Witchcraft to be "an art serving for the working of wonders by the assistance of the Devil, so far as God will permit.'

Delrio defines it to be "an art in which, by the power of the contract entered into with the Devil, some wonders are wrought which pass the common understanding of men."

VOL. III.

Witchcraft, in modern estimation, is a kind of sorcery (especially in women) (1), in which it is ridiculously supposed that an old woman, by entering into a contract with the Devil, is enabled in many instances to change the course of nature, to raise winds, perform actions that require more than human strength, and to afflict those that offend her with the sharpest pains. (*)

According to the popular belief on this subject, there are three sorts of Witches: the first kind can hurt but not help, and are with singular propriety called the Black Witches.

The second kind, very properly called White ones, have gifts directly opposite to those of the former; they can help, but not hurt. (3)

The third species, as a mixture of white and black, are styled the Grey Witches; for they can both help and hurt. (*)

Thus the end and effect of Witchcraft seems to be sometimes good and sometimes the direct contrary. In the first case the sick are healed, thieves are bewrayed, and true men come to their goods. In the second, men, women, children, or animals, as also grass, trees, or corn, &c., are hurt.

B

The mode of becoming a Witch, according to Grose, is as follows: (5) "a decrepit superannuated old woman is tempted by a man in black to sign a contract to become his, both soul and body. On the conclusion of the agreement (6) he gives her a piece of money, and causes her to write her name and make her mark on a slip of parchment with her own blood. Sometimes also on this occasion the Witch uses the ceremony of putting one hand to the sole of her foot, and the other to the crown of her head. On departing, he delivers to her an imp, or familiar. (7) The familiar, in the shape of a cat or kitten, a mole, millerfly, or some other insect or animal, at stated times of the day, sucks her blood, through teats on different parts of her body." (8) There is a great variety of the names of these imps or familiars.

The Sabbath of Witches is a meeting to which the sisterhood, after having been anointed with certain magical ointments, provided by their infernal leader, are supposed to be carried through the air on brooms, coulstaves, spits, &c. (9)

At these meetings they have feastings, music, and dancing, the Devil himself condescending to play at them on the Pipes or Cittern.

They afterwards proceed at these Assemblies to the grossest impurities and immoralities, and it may be added blasphemies, as the Devil sometimes preaches to them a mock sermon. (10)

They afterwards open graves for the purpose of taking out joints of the fingers and toes of dead bodies, with some of the windingsheet, in order to prepare a powder for their magical purposes. Here also the Devil distributes apples, dishes, spoons, or other trifles, to those Witches who desire to torment any particular person, to whom they must present them. Here also, for similar purposes, the Devil baptizes waxen images. (11)

Sometimes Witches content themselves with a revenge less than mortal, causing the objects of their hatred to swallow pins, crooked nails, (12) dirt, cinders, and trash of all sorts; or by drying up their cows and killing their oxen; or by preventing butter from coming in the churn, or beer from working. Sometimes, to vex squires, justices, and country

parsons, fond of hunting, they change themselves into hares, and elude the speed of the fleetest dogs. (13)

In vexing the parties troubled, Witches are visible to them only; sometimes such parties act on the defensive against them, striking at them with a knife, &c.

Preventives, according to the popular belief, are scratching or pricking a Witch; (14) taking the wall of her in a town or street, and the right hand of her in a lane or field; while passing her, by clenching both hands, doubling the thumbs beneath the fingers; and also by saluting her with civil words before she speaks; but no presents of apples, eggs, or other things, must be received from her on any account. (15)

Various were the modes of trying Witches. This was sometimes done by finding private marks on their bodies; (16) at others by weighing the suspected wretch against the Church Bible; (17) by another method she was made to say the Lord's Prayer. (18) She was sometimes forced to weep, and so detected, as a Witch can shed no more than three tears, and those only from her left eye. (19) Swimming a Witch was another kind of popular ordeal. (20) By this method she was handled not less indecently than cruelly; for she was stripped naked and cross bound, the right thumb to the left toe, and the left thumb to the right toe. In this state she was cast into a pond or river, in which, if guilty, it was thought impossible for her to sink.

Other methods of detecting a Witch were, by burning the thatch (21) of her house, or by burning any animal supposed to be bewitched by her; as a hog or ox; these, it was held, would force a Witch to confess.

There were other modes of trial, by the stool, (22) and by shaving off every hair of the Witch's body.

Witches were also detected by putting hair, parings of the nails, and urine of any person bewitched into a stone bottle, and hanging it up the chimney. (23)

Some persons were supposed by the popu lar belief to have the faculty of distinguishing Witches. These were called WitchFinders. (24)

The Witch Statutes, in our code of laws, were enacted in the 33rd year of Henry the