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 3

APPENDIX. 6ia
uo mark of all the pairtis of an cliild, little lippis, Sic, and the handis of it folded downe by its fydis.
Jo/me Tiii/lor and Janet lirmdhckl liis wyff, lielJie and Murrjret Wil/bnes in Aulderne, and I my felfe,
with THE DiVEl.L, wer onlie at tlie making of it ; bot all the multitud of all owr Coevens got notice
of it, at the nixt meitting ; for all owratlisand deidis, betuixt grett Meittingis, mofl be geven accompt
of, and notted' in his book at each Grand Meitting — bot all my owin Coven gott notice of it werie
fchortlie. The Di vell him felf cam to me, to my awin hows, and bad me meitt him in Johne Tayloris
hows, to help tliaini to niak the laid pictur. All the Coven did fflie lyk cattis, keas, hairis, and
rewkis, Stc. hoi Brirhiira lioniilil, in Brightmanney, and I, flilP read on an Iiorfe, quhich ve void mak
of a draw or beeinflalk.-^ Hc/J'ie Wil/bne wes Hill in the liknes of a rewk.
Quhan we ar at meat, or in any vther place quhateuir, tJie Maideti of each Coven fittis abow the
reft, nixt the Divell ; and Ihe lerwis the Devill, for all the old peopill that he cairis not for, and
ar veak and wnmeit for him. He will be with hir and ws all lyk a weath-horfe efter mearis ; and
fomtymes a man, bot werie wilfuU^ in carnall cowpulatioun at all tyms ; and they ewin fo als wilful!
and defirows of him. Som tymis, among owr felwis, we wold be calling him ' Blak Johne,' or
the lyk, and he wold ken it, and heir ws weill aneughe ; and he ewin then com to ws, and fay, ' I ken
Weill anewgh what je wer fayeing of me I' And then he void beat and buffet ws werie for. We wold
be beatlin if ve wer abfent any tyme, or neglect any thing that wold be appointit to be done. Allex''
Elder, in Earlfeat, void be werie oft beattin. He is bot foft,^ and cowld never defend him felf in the
leifl, bot greitt and cry, quhau he void be fcourging him. Bot 3Iargret Wiljon, in Aulderne, wold
defend hir felf fynlie, and call wp hir handis to keip" the ftroakis off from hir; and BeJJie Wil/bne
wuld fpeak cruftie with hir townge, and wold be belling again to him ftowtlie. He wold be beatting
and fcurgeing ws all wp and downe with cardis' and vther fliarp fcurges, like naked gwhailis; and
we wold he ftill cryeing, ' Pittie ! pittie ! JMercie ! mercie, owr Lord !' Bot he wold haw neither
pittie nor mercie. Whan he void be angrie at ws, he wold girne at ws lyk a dowge, as iff he wold
fwellow ws wp. Somtym he void be lyk a ftirk, a bull, a deir, a rae, or a dowg, &c., and haw dealling
with ws ; and he void hold wp his taill wntill we wold kiffe his arce. And at each tyme, quhan ve
wold meitt with him, we behoowit to ryfe and mak our curtefie ; and we wold fay, ' 3e ar welcom
owr Lord 1' — and ' How doe ^e, my Lord!' &c. Quhan we wold tak the furit* (fruit ?) away of
anie perfones midden or dunghill, we wold fay thus, (when we wold putt haiked flefli of an vncliriftned
child, dowgis and ilieipis flelli, and pairingis of naillis, &c., all baked throw-vther) : —
' We putt this intill this ham,^
In our Lord the Divellis nam.
The firft handis that handles the.
Brunt and fcalded fall they be !
We fall dillroy hows and bald,
With the llieip and nout" intil the fald,
And litle fal come to the fore
Of all the reft of the litle-ftore !'"
We killed an ox, in Bvrgie, about the dawing of the day, and we browght the ox with ws horn to
Aidderne, and did eat all amongft ws, in an hows of Aulderne, and feafted on it.
The Devill wold giw ws the braweft lyk money that ewer wes coyned ; within fowr and twantie
houris it void be horfe-muke.'- Alace I I deferw not to be fitting heir, for I haw done fo manie evill
' Noted; recorded. ' Constantly; always; uuifoimly. ' Bean-stalk. ' Wanton. ^ Uncou-
rageous ; simple; unresisting. ^ Ktj) ; ward off. ' Scourges made of corrfs — not * cairds,' or instruments
used in carding wool, flax, &c. * The Editor never before met with this word ; it evidently means strength,
spirit, * fushion,' [¥r. foison) ; that is, the fertilizing power. ^ Harae ; home; destination. '* Xolt -
cattle. " The last four lines are the same with the conclusion of the Witch-grace, in this Confession, p. 612#
" Horse-dung. In other Witch cases, money thus procured is usually said to have been turned into ' sclaitt-stanis.'