Devil; Witchcraft -- Great Britain; Witchcraft -- United States
‘Another night in the Buttery there were several dishes of cold Meat left
upon a hanging Shelf; in the morning, the Table Cloath was found orderly
laid on the Floor, and the Dishes set on it, and most of the Meat eaten,
onely a manners bit left in every Dish; yet there were silver Spoons,
which lay by the Dishes, and none of them diminished.
‘At another time she had left half a rosted Pig, which was design’d for
breakfast next day, when the Pig was call’d for, there was not one bit of
either Skin or Flesh left, but the Bones of the Pig, lay orderly in the
Dish, and not one of them unjoynted or misplac’d.
‘Whilst these, and many other such pleasant tricks were play’d in the
Rooms that were lock’d to make a discovery of any deceipt, if possible,
the entrance of the doors were all strew’d with sifted ashes, and no
footstep or track of anything was found in the morning, when such pranks
were play’d in the Room.
‘One night the Tenant having bought a quart of Vinegar in a Bottel, she
set it in her Dairy-house, where there were six Cows Milk. In the Morning
she found her Bottle empty, and her milk all turned, and made into a
perfect Posset, with the Vinegar.
‘And the Cheeses were sometimes convey’d by night out of the Cheese
Chamber, and put into the Trines of Milk in the Dairy-house.
‘The Tenant had, likewise, divers of her Cattel that dyed in a strange
manner, among others, a Sow that leap’d and danc’d in several unusual
postures, and, at last fell down dead.
‘The _Hagg_, having thus for above a moneth together, almost every night
acted the part of _Hocus pocus Minor_, lay quiet for some moneths, and
then began to act the _Major_, and do greater mischiefs; and to this
purpose, One night, as the Tenant and her Maid were going to bed, and
passing by the Hall, which was dressed with green boughs tyed on the
Posts, after the Country fashion, they were all of a flame, and no fire
had been made in that Room of a fortnight before, nor any Candle that
night; but the fire was soon quenched by throwing water on it, yet an
outcry being made, the neighbours came in, and watched the House all
night.
‘Not long after, a Loft of Hay, dry, and well Inned, was set on fire in
the daytime, and was, most of it, burnt, with the house it lay in; and no
way could be found how it should come to pass, but by the same black hand.
‘And, after some time, a Mow of pulse and pease was likewise fired in the
daytime, and all the grayn either burnt or spoiled, and in the middle of
the bottom of the Mow were found dead burnt Coales, which in all the
Spectators Judgements, could not be conveyed thither but by Witchcraft.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account