Witchcraft -- England; Witchcraft -- Great Britain; Witchcraft -- Scotland
Jane Dalbin, but so secretly that no one had suspected her: and she had
destroyed one woman by kissing her, holding her so tight that she squeezed
her to death--the blood gushing out of her mouth and nose: and she hunted
with the devil, he going before her in the shape of a hound; "doubtless he
hunted for souls," says a very odd tract which gives this additional trait
of diabolical management and the economy of time. Being asked of what
stature was her black man, she said "he was above the Length of her Arm;
and that his Eyes were very big; and that he hopped, or leaped in the way
before her;" but when asked if she had made any contract with him she said
"No; neither had she gone through the keyhole when she went to harm Grace
Thomas, but through the door, the devil leading her, and both invisible;
and that she had been made to pinch and torment Grace; and that the devil
beat her about the head grievously because she would not kill her." She
had never bewitched any ships or boats, nor done a child to death; for the
child who stole her apple died of the small-pox, and she was guiltless of
its decease; nor had she ever ridden over an arm of the sea on a cow--"No,
master, never; it was she," meaning another delated witch, Susanna
Edwards, who did this. The worst thing she had ever done was to Grace
Thomas, and then the devil made her do it, beating her about the head and
back in shape and form, "black like a bullock." Temperance Lloyd was
executed; and died penitent and crazy.
Mary Trembles was another delated witch. She bewitched Agnes Whitefield
with all manner of pains; and Grace Barnes deposed to pricks and pains
like awls and pins thrust into her, which evil Mary Trembles and Susanna
Edwards had done together; for they were comrades and cronies, and would
go hand-in-hand about the world, invisible to all save themselves and
their master the devil. It was Susanna Edwards who had seduced Mary and
got her to accept the service of the devil, who came to her as a lion; at
which she was much frightened, though not hurt; and made her bewitch Grace
Barnes, because said Grace would give her no meat. She was also executed,
very penitent and quite resigned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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