Bannatyne Club > Criminal trials in Scotland, from A.D. M.CCCC.LXXXVIII to A.D. M.DC.XXIV, embracing the entire reigns of James IV. and V., Mary Queen of Scots and James VI > Volume 1

218 CRIMINAL TRIALS. A.D. 1590-1.
and ftrange, as that his Majeftie faide ' they were all extreame lyars ;' whereat
ftiee aunlwered, ' flie would not willi his Majeftie to liiiipofe her wordes to bee
falfe, but rather to beleve them, in that fliee would difcover fuch matter unto
him as his Majeftie fliovild not any way doubt of.' And therupon taking his
Majeftie a little afide, fliee declared unto him the verie wordes which pafled be-
tweene the Kinges Majeftie and his Queene at Upllo in Norway, the firft night
of mariage, with the anfwere ech to other ; whex-at the Kinges Majeftie wonder-
ed greatly, and fwore ' by the living God, that he believed all the devils in hell
could not have difcovered the fame,' acknowledging her words to be moft true ;
and therefore gave the more credit to the reft that is before declared.
Touching this Agnis Tompfon (Samijfon), flie is the onlie woman who, by the
Divels perfwafion, fliould have intended and put in execution the Kinges Majef-
ties death, in this manner. She confelFed that fliee tooke a blacke toade, and did
hang the fame up by the heeles three daies, and collected and gathered the ve-
nom as it dropped and fell from it in ane oifter fliell, and kept the fame venome
clofe covered, untill llie fliould obtaine anie part or jieece of foule linnen cloth
that had appertained to the Kinges Majeftie, as Ihirt, handkercher, napkin or
any other thing, which fliee practifed to obtaine by meanes of one John Kers,
who being attendant in his Majefties chamber, defired him for olde acquaintaunce
betweene them, to helpe her to one, or a peece of fuch a cloth as is aforefaide ;
which thing the faide John Kers denyed to helpe her to, faying hee could not helpe
her unto it. And the faide Agnis Tompfon (Sampfon.) l)y her depofitions fince
her appi'ehenflon, faith, that if fliee had obtayned any one peece of linnen cloth
which the King had worne and fowled, flie had bewitched him to death, and put
him to fuch extraordinarie paines, as if he had been lying upon fliarji thorns and
endis of needles. INIoreover flie confelfed, that at the time when his Majeftie was
in Demnarke, fliee being accompanied by the parties before fpeciallie named,
tooke a cat and chriftened it, and afterward bounde to each part of that cat, the
cheefeft parte of a dead man, and feverall joyntis of his bodie ; And that in the
night following, the faide cat was convayed into the middeft of the fea by all
thefe witches, fayling in their riddles or cives, as is aforefaid, and foleft the faide
cat right before the towne of Lieth in Scotland. This doone, there did arife fuch
a tempeft in the fea, as a greater hath not bene feeue ; which temjieft was the
caufe of the perifliing of a boat or veflell comming over from the towne of Brunt
Ilande to the towne of Lieth, wherein was fundrie jewelles and rich giftes,
which fliould have beene prefented to the now Queene of Scotland, at her Majef-
ties coming to Leitli. Agaiiie, it is confefled, that the faide chriftened cat was
the caufe that the Kinges Majefties fliijipe, at his comming forth of Demnarke, had
a contrarie winde to the reft of his lliippes then being in his coniiianie; which