Witchcraft -- England; Witchcraft -- Great Britain; Witchcraft -- Scotland
It tumbles like a Foot-bal, it looks like a puppit-player, and appears
much like its Dame's old thrumb Cap. 'What is your Name, I pray you?' said
she. The Thing answered, his Name was Blew. To which she answered, 'Mr.
Blew you are welcome, I never saw you before; I thought my Nose bled not
for nothing, what News have you brought? What,' says she, 'dost thou say I
shall be worse handled than ever I was? Ha! what dost thou say? that I
shall now have my Fits, when I shall both hear and see and know every
Body? that's a new Trick indeed. I think never any of my Sisters were so
used, but I care not for you: do your worst, and when you have done, you
will make an end.'" Then she cried out that Agnes Samuel had too much
liberty, and must be more strictly looked to; for that Mr. Blew had told
her she should have no peace till she and the old dame were hanged.
Mrs. Joan had opened a most prolific and amusing vein. Her imagination
stopped at nothing, and she showed herself no mean hand at romance. She
was very consecutive too, and kept up the likeness well. In the evening
Mr. Blew appeared again, chiefly for the purpose of telling her that young
Nan Samuel was his Dame, and to ask when the Spirit Smack, of whom he was
jealous, had been with her. Mrs. Joan said she knew of no Smack. "You do,"
says the Thing, "and it is he that tells you all these things, but I will
curse him for it." "Do your worst to me or him, I care not for you," says
she. "Farewel," says the Thing. "Do you bid me farewel?" says she;
"farewel, and be hanged; and come again when you are sent for." So then
she came out of her fit. The next day a strange gentleman coming, Mrs.
Elizabeth passed off into one of her wild states, and Mr. Throckmorton,
"to show the gentleman a wonder," sent for young Agnes, and made her say
after him, "I charge thee, thou Devil, as I love thee, and have Authority
over thee, and am a Witch, and guilty of this matter, that thou suffer
this Child to be well at this present." Upon which Mrs. Elizabeth wiped
her eyes, and was perfectly well; and the wretched young girl was by so
many steps nearer to her doom. The next day was a grand field-day for
Mrs. Joan. Her spirits were in admirable disorder. Mr. Smack came from
fighting with Pluck about her, for they were both in love with her, and
had fought with great cowl staves last night in old dame's back yard, and
Smack had broken Pluck's head, for which Mrs. Joan was not at all
thankful, but, when he looked for a little loving word of gratitude,
answered, scornfully, that she wished Pluck had broke his neck also, and
so bid him go and be hanged for she would have nought to do with him.
Presently in came Mr. Pluck, hanging down his broken head and looking very
sheepish, but jealous and angry with Smack who seemed to have the best
chance of them all with the young lady. Another day it was Catch who came
in limping, with a broken leg got from the redoubtable Smack; but when
Mrs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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