The Witch-cult in Western Europe: A Study in AnthropologyMurray, Margaret Alice
Religion
The Witch-cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology
Murray, Margaret Alice
Ethnology; Witchcraft -- Great Britain
_Barbara Napier_, continued. And siclyke, the said Barbara was
accusit, that sche gaif hir bodelie presens vpoun Alhallowewin last
was, 1590 yeiris, to the frequent conuentioune haldin att the Kirk of
North-Berwick, quhair sche dancit endlang the Kirk-yaird, and Gelie
Duncan playit on ane trump, Johnne Fiene missellit [muffled] led the
ring; Agnes Sampsoun and hir dochteris and all the rest following the
said Barbara, to the nowmer of sevin scoir of persounes.... And the
Devill start vp in the pulpett, lyke ane mekill blak man, haifand ane
blak buik in his hand, callit on ewerie ane of thame, desyring thame
all to be guid serwandis to him, and he sould be ane guid maister to
thame. Robert Griersoun and Johne Fian stuid on his left hand; and the
said Robert ffand grit fault with the Dewill, and cryit out, that all
quhilkis wer besyd mycht heir, becaus his hienes pictour was nocht
gewin thame, as wes promesit; the said Effie McCalyan remembrand and
bid[d]and the said Robert Griersoun to speir for the pictour, meaning
his Maiesties pictour, quhilk sould have been roistit. Robert
Griersoun said thir wordis, 'Quhair is the thing ye promiseit?'
meaning the pictour of walx, dewysit for roisting and vndoing his
hienes persoune, quhilk Agnes Sampsoune gaif to him; and Robert cryit
to 'haif the turne done'; yit his hienes name was nocht nameit, quhill
thay that wer wemen nameit him; craifand in playne termes his hienes
pictour. Bot he ansuerit, 'It sould be gottin the nixt meitting; and
he wald hald the nixt assemblie for that caus the soner: It was nocht
reddie at that tyme.' Robert Griersoune ansuerit, 'Ye promiseit twyis
and begylit ws.' And four honest-like wemene wer very ernist and
instant to haif itt. And the said Barbara and Effie McCalyane gatt
than ane promeis of the Dewill, that his hienes pictour sould be
gottin to thame twa, and that rycht sone: And this mater of his hienes
pictour was the caus of that assemblie.
This ends the evidence of the witches; the point to be proved now is the
identity of the man whom they believed in and obeyed as God incarnate.
In all cases of murder or attempted murder it is necessary to find the
person who would benefit, for murder is differentiated from manslaughter by
the fact that it is deliberately planned and that it is done for a motive.
In the case of the witches of North Berwick, the man who instigated the
meetings, and to whom consequently suspicion points, was Francis Stewart
Earl of Bothwell. His position as regards both the King and the witches
must therefore be investigated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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