Chapter VII: Part 7

Having no kindness for the Cartesian philosophy, I must fall upon it in the close, as I did in the beginning. I will not name nor cite the author that maintains the following blasphemous opinions, though I may; 1st, That there is an infinite intelligible extension, which is God, in which we see all bodies. 2dly, This author makes Christ the eternal World, speak in the quality of a Cartesian philosopher. 3dly, He destroys altogether the providence of God. 4thly, He says, that God hath not made all things for his own glory. 5thly, That it was necessary that all men should be sinners, that there might be a diversity of glory. 6thly, Works done without grace are good works. 7thly, God is not the author of every good thing that is in us. 8thly, He destroys the authority of the Scripture, and exposes it to be despised by the prophane. 9thly, The thoughts of Jesus Christ are the occasional causes of the distribution of grace. 10thly, God could have created spirits from all eternity. 11thly, All creatures are full of Jesus Christ. 12thly, He ruins the nature of sin by the idea which he gives of liberty. l3thly, That liberty is not essential to spirit. 14thly, A man transported by his passion doth not sin. 15thly, Every habit or passion, or temperament, which he cannot overcome, doth make the most ugly and enormous actions to be no sins. And thence, sodomy, incest, murder, adultery, rebellion, witchcraft, are no sins if they be habitual. These are but a few of his blasphemous and atheistical opinions. This philosophy would please some now-a-days very well, that habituate themselves in murder; murdering some in their lodgings, and others on the King’s highway, as is most unchristianly done by some. “O dementia! hucine rerum venimus?”

SOME

ADDITIONAL RELATIONS,

WHICH HAVE HAPPENED IN THE

SHIRE OF RENFREW, TOWNS OF PITTENWEEM, CALDER, AND OTHER PLACES.

XL.—_Concerning some Witches in the Shire of Renfrew._

It was about the end of August 1696, Christian Shaw, daughter to Shaw of Bargarran, in the shire of Renfrew, about eleven years of age, perceiving one of the maids of the house, named Katharine Campbell, to steal and drink some milk; she told her mother of it: Whereupon the maid Campbell (being of a proud and revengeful humour, and a great curser and swearer) did, in a great rage, thrice imprecate the curse of God upon the child, and uttered these words, “The devil harle your soul through hell.”——On Friday following, one Agnes Nasmith came to Bargarran’s house, where she asked the same Christian, how the lady and young child was? and how old the young child was? To which Christian replied, “What do I know?” Then Agnes asked, How herself did, and how old she was? To which she answered that she was well, and in the eleventh year of her age.—On Saturday night thereafter, the child went to bed in good health; but so soon as she was asleep, began to cry, “Help, help;” and did fly over the resting-bed where she was lying, with such violence, that her brains had been dashed out, if a woman had not broke the force of the child’s motion, and remained as if she had been dead, for the space of half an hour. After this she was troubled with sore pains, except in some short intervals. And when any of the people present touched any part of her body, she did cry and screech with such vehemence, as if they had been killing her, but could not speak.—Some days thereafter she fell a crying, that Catharine Campbell and Agnes Nasmith were cutting her side and other parts of her body. In this condition she continued a month, with some variation, both as to the fits and intervals.—She did thrust out of her mouth parcels of hair, some curled, some plaited, some knotted, of different colours, and in large quantities; and likewise coal-cinders, about the bigness of a chesnut; some whereof were so hot, that they could scarcely be handled. One of which, Dr. Brisbane being by her when she took it out of her mouth, felt to be hotter than any one’s body could make it.—The girl continued a long time in this condition, till the government began to take notice of it, and gave commission to some honourable gentleman for the trial of these two, and several others concerned in these hellish practices; (which I shall, for brevity’s sake, omit to mention) and being brought before the judges, two of their accomplices confessed the crime; whereupon they were condemned and executed.

XLI.—_Concerning the Witches of Pittenweem._

Peter Morton, smith at Pittenweem, being desired by one Beattie Laing to do some work for her, which he refused, excusing himself in respect he had been pre-engaged to serve a ship with nails, within a certain time, so that till he had finished that work, he could not engage in any other; that notwithstanding, the said Beattie Laing declared herself dissatisfied, and vowed revenge. The said Peter Morton, afterward being indisposed, coming by the door, saw a small vessel full of water, and a coal of fire slockened in the water; so perceiving an alteration in his health, and remembering Beattie Laing’s threatenings, he presently suspects devilry in the matter, and quarrels the thing. Thereafter, finding his indispositions growing worse and worse, being tormented and pricked as if with bodkins and pins, he openly lays the blame upon witchcraft, and accuses Beattie Laing. He continued to be tormented, and she was by warrant apprehended, with others in Pittenweem. No natural reason could be given for his distemper, his face and neck being dreadfully distorted, his back prodigiously rising and falling, his belly swelling and falling on a sudden; his joints pliable, and instantly so stiff, as no human power could bow them. Beattie Laing and her hellish companions being in custody, were brought to the room where he was; and his face covered, he told his tormentors were in the room, naming them. And though formerly no confession had been made, Beattie Laing confessed her crime, and accused several others as accessory.—The said Beattie having confessed her compact with the devil, and using of spells; and particularly her slockening the coal in water; she named her associates in revenge, against Peter Morton, viz. Janet Corset, Lillie Wallace, and —— Lawson, had framed a picture of wax, and every one of the forenamed persons having put their pin in the picture for torture. They could not tell what had become of the image, but thought the devil had stolen it, whom they had seen in the prison.—Beattie Laing likewise said, that one Isobel Adams, a young lass, was also in compact with the devil. This woman was desired to fee with Beattie, which she refused: and Beattie let her see a man at the other end of the table, who appeared as a gentleman, and promised her all prosperity in the world: she promised her service to him; and he committed uncleanness with her, (which she said no other had done before) and he put his mark in her flesh, which was very painful. She was shortly after ordered to attend the company to go to one M’Grigor’s house to murder him. He awakening when they were there, and recommending himself to God, they were forced to withdraw. This Isobel Adams appeared ingenuous and very penitent in her confession; she said, he who forgave Manasseh’s witchcrafts, might forgive her’s also; and died very penitent, and to the satisfaction of many.

This Beattie Laing was suspected by her husband, long before she was laid in prison by warrant of the magistrates. The occasion was this; she said, that she had packs of wool coming from Leith to her, which she was to sell at Auchtermuchty fair; and they being longsome in coming to the market, he said, “It would not be in time to the fair.” She desired him to go to the market, for she was sure her merchant would not fail her. He went off long before her; and when he came to the town, he found her before him, and two packs of very good wool, which she instantly sold; and coming home with a black horse which she had with her, they drinking till it was late in the night ere they came home, the man said, “What shall I do with the horse?” She replied, “Cast the bridle on his neck, and you will be quit of him.” And, as her husband thought, the horse flew with a great noise away in the air.——They were, by a complaint to the Privy Council, prosecute by her Majesty’s Advocate 1704, but all set at liberty, save one, who died in prison, in Pittenweem. Beatie Laing died undesired, in her bed, in St. Andrew’s; all the rest died miserable and violent deaths.

XLII.—_Concerning the bewitching of a Child in Ireland._

At Antrim, in Ireland, a girl of ninteen years of age, inferior to none in the place for beauty, education, and birth, innocently eat a leaf of sorrel, which she got from a witch, after she had given the begging witch bread and beer at the door: it was scarcely swallowed by her, but she began to be tortured in her bowels, to tremble all over, and even was convulsive; and, in fine to swoon away, as dead. The doctors used remedies on the 9th of May 1698, at which time it happened, but to no purpose. The child continued in a most terrible paroxysm: Whereupon they sent for a minister, who scarce had laid his hand on her, when she was turned by the demon, in the most dreadful shapes. She began first to roll herself about, then to vomit horse-dung, needles, pins, hairs, feathers, bottoms of thread, pieces of glass, window-nails, nails drawn out of a cart or coach wheel, an iron-knife, above a span long, eggs, and fish shells. And when the wretch (I should have said the witch) came near the place, or looked to the house, though at the distance of 200 paces from the house where the child was, she was in worse torment, insomuch, that no life was expected for the child, till the witch was removed to some greater distance.——This Witch was apprehended, condemned, strangled, and burnt; and was desired to undo the incantation, immediately before strangling; but said she could not, by reason others had done against her likewise: But the wretch confessed the same, with many more. The child was about the middle of September thereafter, carried to a gentleman’s house, where there were many other things happened scarce credible, but that several ministers, and the gentleman, have attested the same. The relation is to be seen in a pamphlet printed 1699, entitled, “The bewitching of a child in Ireland.”

XLIII.—_Concerning the Witch of Calder._

This famous witch of Calder, is not to be altogether passed by. This horrible slave of Satan was first suspected by her neighbours, and then her horrible witchcrafts were found to the conviction of many, and direful experience of my Lord Torphichen’s family.—She had a child died, which she gave to the devil, not only the soul, but the corpse, without a burying.——She put an incantation upon the aforesaid honourable Lord’s son, so that he was the terror, as well as the grief of the family. This child was in a room with his sisters; he told them, he knew what was doing by others absent; the daughters told their Lady-mother. I forbear to tell all I had from an eye and ear witness; but this one I cannot pass. The son was tormented extremely, and at length, his pedagogue sitting up with him one night, and being sleepy, he saw a flash of fire at the window; but thinking the child was asleep, continued to watch more carefully; and, as he thought, in a little time, the same fire appeared at the window; the child was awake in bed, and told him, he had been at Torryburn in the time. This child was several times taken away. He told the family when he was to be taken away at other times; and sometimes, even then, though they waited on him, he appeared to be lifted up in the air, to be taken from them. This witch being taken into custody, she then discovered others, who are all dead.

She was examined by the minister of the parish, and several others; but was brutishly ignorant, and scarce knew any thing, but her witchcraft. There was one day, that this child was waited on, when he was to be taken away, they kept the door and window close; but a certain person going to the door, he made shift and got to the door, and was lifted in the air, but was catched by the heels and coat-tails, and brought back.—There were many and dreadful things happened to this child, which I forbear to mention, on account of the honourable family, and that it is too late, and in every body’s head.—When the witch was examined about the corpse of her child, she said, the corpse were buried; but the wright that made the coffin, declared, That she put nothing in the coffin but clouts. Then she said, “The child being long pined, and all flesh taken off by the sickness, it appeared but clouts; yet, at length she confessed, that she gave the corpse as well as the soul to the devil, which he said he was to make a roast of. She, with all her hellish accomplices, died in custody, after they had confessed many amazing incantations, and horrible unheard of witchcrafts.

FINIS.

Transcriber’s Notes

TOC number 17 Changed Hataraick, on old Warlock to: Hattaraick
pg 3 Removed unneeded quote before: It was the deed of the
“dumb girl.”
pg 5 Added apostrophe in: clay one in her brothers: brother’s
pg 8 Changed subscribed by the two notars public to: notary
pg 9 Changed white hand-cuffs, and hoggers to: hoggars
pg 10 Changed new name given to himself was Jones to: Jonas
pg 10 Changed Bessie Weir in his bed-straw. to: bedstraw.
pg 12 Added quote after: How she had win to the bolster?
pg 14 Changed wash them, but seing to: seeing
pg 28 Changed chapter heading from VII. to VIII.
pg 30 Added quote after: I replied, What, my major?
pg 30 Added quote after: “Captain, captain,
pg 31 Changed his guilt, and confesssion to: confession
pg 32 Changed with a genttleman to: gentleman
pg 35 Added colon after: ingenuity in him was this
pg 37 Added quote after: chusing rather to die than live; and
so died.
pg 42 Changed pin that it was fasttened to: fastened
pg 43 Added period after: before it came down
pg 61 Moved quote from: “Not thine, answered the other,” to:
“Not thine,” answered the other,
pg 61 Added quote before: but in obedience to God
pg 62 Added period after: considering what to do
pg 68 Added missing e after: amiss to insert it her now: here
pg 69 Changed it was supposed has to: his
pg 70 Added period after: I will do you no harm
pg 71 Added quote after: I will meet you some other time.
pg 74 Changed chapter heading XVI. to: XV.
pg 83 Changed XVII.—Anent Hataraick to: Hattaraick
pg 87 Added period after Dr in: Dr Breton, late rector of Ludgate
pg 87 Added quote before: That she had business
pg 90 Changed clothes, stature, mein to: mien
pg 90 Changed journey-man in such cases uses to: used
pg 90 Changed hung in the shop, put in on to: put it on
pg 93 Changed bid them to he down to: be down
pg 94 Changed he had no knowlege to: knowledge
pg 98 Changed at the minister’s back-yait to: back-yard
pg 99 Changed was thrown at the lad’s bedstead to: bed-stead
pg 100 Added period after: trouble found about the family
pg 104 Changed chapter heading from XXV. to: XXII.
pg 107 Changed in the likeness of a oungman to: youngman
pg 108 Changed which she bad him spend to: which she had him spend
pg 109 Changed taken with him, who delcared to: declared
pg 110 Changed chapter heading from XXV. to: XXVI.
pg 110 Removed quote after: and it will grow meikle.
pg 110 Changed French Gentlemen, his two comerades to: comrades
pg 111 Changed The next morning the two comerades to: comrades
pg 124 Changed deal with them in the same manaer to: manner
pg 124 Added period after XXIX
pg 129 Added quote after: I know nothing to the contrary.
pg 134 Changed Magdalen Pans, where sh died to: she died
pg 135 Changed XXX. to: XXXIII.
pg 135 Added quote before: I asked her, how she came to the knowledge
pg 136 Added quote after: in Glasgow of that name?
pg 140 Added ) after: when he spoke of it
pg 141 Added XXXV. to chapter heading
pg 143 Changed One comes in the lkeness to: likeness
pg 145 Added period after: All is done that we have ready
pg 147 Added period after: but went about to shun it
pg 148 Added period after: a a street so called there
pg 148 Removed repeated letter a from: a a street so called there
pg 149 Changed devil your master too,” who d to: did
pg 150 Added period after: “Torment me not before the time”
pg 152 Changed her body with a vehement cahination to: cachinnation
pg 155 Changed I please, on my forehead? to: forehead.”
pg 157 Changed Foul faults must have a cloke to: cloak
pg 157 Added period after: only of that sin mentioned, Rom
pg 163 Changed the cause of his sicknes to: sickness
pg 167 Added quote after: “O dementia! hucine rerum venimus?
pg 168 Changed Concerning some Witches in the Shire of Renfrere
to: Renfrew