She was apprehended about the end of August 1649, upon some threatening words she had spoken in her drunkenness to John Ranken’s wife in Kilwinning, whereupon the poor woman, ten days after, took sickness and died. She was imprisoned in the steeple for thirteen weeks, all which time I, the minister, repaired to her, but found her still more and more obdured; in all her discourses she was so subtle, that not only I could get no advantage by her words, but sometimes she made me think that she was an innocent woman; so that I was grieved for her hard usage, if it could have been helped, and had my own secret wishes she had never been meddled with. Yea, if she could have made an escape, I being innocent of it, I could have been glad; for I feared much, that all that we could get proven on her, would not have been a sufficient ground for the civil magistrate to give a warrant for putting her to an assize. Or, if they had given a warrant, I feared the assize would not condemn her, unless I had advised them thereto, wherein I was not clear, so that she would have been set at liberty, and I blamed for it by reason of my not advising the assize to condemn her. At this nick of time, one Alexander Bogs, skilled in searching the mark, came, being often sent for, and finds the mark on the middle of her back, wherein he thrust a great brass pin, of which she was not sensible, neither did any blood follow when the pin was drawn out. I looked upon this but as a small evidence in respect of what I found afterwards; yet this somewhat inclined the judges to send the process to Edinburgh, though there were small hopes of obtaining a commission for putting her to an assize. My fears deceived me; for I was informed that a commission was granted, though with difficulty: But here my strait was augmented; for the chiefest man in the parish refused to meet, professing he thought all that was proven on her were but clatters; and I was informed that others of the judges did say little less; however, I myself could not think her guilty: Yet if the assize had put her to it, I was not so clear to advise them, by reason that the things were proven but by one witness. This put me to many thoughts and prayers, wherein I did engage myself to God, that if he would find me out a way for giving me and the assize full clearness, either by her own confession or otherwise, I should remark it as a singular favour, and a special mercy. This resolution I did often reiterate, “Lord make me mindful of it.” After a short time providence brought to light an unexpected presumption of her guiltiness, which did convince me more than any of the rest. Upon Wednesday the 28th of November, in the evening, I went to exhort her to a confession, with Alexander Simpson the kirk-officer, and my own servant with me. After labouring with her in vain, we left her; but when I came to the stair-head, I resolved to halt a little, to hear what she would say. Within a very short