Satan's Invisible World Discovered: $b or a choice collection of modern relations, proving evidently, against the atheists of this present age, that there are devils, spirits, witches, and apparitions, from authentic records, and attestations of witnesses of undoubted veracity. To which is now added, that marvellous history of Major Weir and his sister, the witches of Bargarran, Pittenweem, Calder, &c.Sinclair, George
History
Satan's Invisible World Discovered: $b or a choice collection of modern relations, proving evidently, against the atheists of this present age, that there are devils, spirits, witches, and apparitions, from authentic records, and attestations of witnesses of undoubted veracity. To which is now added, that marvellous history of Major Weir and his sister, the witches of Bargarran, Pittenweem, Calder, &c.
Sinclair, George
Occultism; Superstition; Witchcraft
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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