A Collection of Rare and Curious Tracts on Witchcraft and the Second Sight Part 3

PHI.--It is not good using his counsell I see then; but I would earnestly know, when he appeares to them in prison, what formes uses he then to take?

EPI.--Divers formes, even as hee uses to doe at other times unto them; but ordinarily in such a forme as they agree upon among themselves; or, if they be but prentises, according to the qualitie of their circles or conjurations: yet to these capped creatures he appeares as he pleases, and as he findes meetest for their humours; for even at their publicke conventions, hee appeares to divers of them in divers formes, as we have found by the difference of their confessions in that point; for he deluding them with vaine impressions in the aire, makes himselfe to seeme more terrible to the grosser sort, that they may thereby be mooved to feare and reverence him the more, and lesse monstrous and uncouth like againe to the craftier sort, lest otherwise they might sturre and skunner at his uglinesse.

PHI.--How can he then be felt, as they confesse they have done, if his body be but of aire?

EPI.--I heare little of that amongst their confessions, yet may he make himselfe palpable, either by a.s.suming any dead bodie, and using the ministerie thereof, or else by deluding as well their sense of feeling as seeing, which is not impossible to him to doe, since all our senses, as wee are so weake, and even by ordinarie sicknesses, will be oftentimes deluded.

PHI.--But I would speere one word further yet concerning his appearing to them in prison, which is this, may any other that chances to be present at that time in the prison see him as well as they?

EPI.--Sometimes they will, and sometimes not, as it pleases G.o.d.

_Of the Tryall and Punishment of Witches--What sort of Accusation ought to be admitted against them--What is the cause of the increasing so farre of their number in this age._

PHI.--Then to make an end of our conference, since I see it drawes late, what forme of punishment thinke yee merit these witches?

EPI.--They ought to be put to death according to the law of G.o.d, the civill and imperial law, and munic.i.p.all law of all Christian nations.

PHI.--But what kinde of death I pray you?

EPI.--It is commonly used by fire, but that is an indifferent thing to be used in every countrey, according to the law or custome thereof.

PHI.--But ought no s.e.xe, age, nor ranke, to be exempted?

EPI.--None at all, (being so used by the lawfull magistrate), for it is the highest point of idolatry wherein no exception is admitted by the law of G.o.d.

PHI.--Then barnes may not be spared?

EPI.--Yea, not a haire the lesse of my conclusion, for they are not that capable of reason as to practise such things; and for any being in company, and not reveiling thereof, their less and ignorant age will no doubt excuse them.

PHI.--I see ye condemne them all that are of the counsell of such craftes.

EPI.--No doubt the consulters, trusters in, overseers, interteiners, or stirrers up of these craftes folkes, are equally guiltie with themselves that are the practisers.

PHI.--Whether may the prince then, or supreme magistrate, spare or oversee any that are guilty of that craft, upon some great respects knowen to him?

EPI.--The prince or magistrate, for further trials cause, may continue the punis.h.i.+ng of them such a certaine s.p.a.ce as he thinkes convenient, but in the end to spare the life, and not to strike when G.o.d bids strike, and so severely punish in so odious a fault and treason against G.o.d, it is not onely unlawfull, but doubtlesse no lesse sinne in that magistrate, nor it was in Saules sparing of Agag; and so comparable to the sinne of witchcraft itselfe, as Samuel alledged at that time.

PHI.--Surely then, I think since this crime ought to be so severely punished, judges ought to beware to condemne any but such as they are sure are guiltie, neither should the clattering report of a carling serve in so weightie a case.

EPI.--Judges ought indeede to beware whom they condemne, for it is as great a crime (as Solomon saith), to condemne the innocent as to let the guilty escape free, neither ought the report of any one infamous person be admitted for a sufficient proof which can stand of no law.

PHI.--And what may a number of guilty persons confessions worke against one that is accused?

EPI.--The a.s.sise must serve for interpretour of our law in that respect, but in my opinion, since in a matter of treason against the prince, barnes or wives, or never so diffamed persons, may of our law serve for sufficient witnesses and proofes, I thinke surely that by a farre greater reason such witnesses may be sufficient in matters of high treason against G.o.d; for who but witches can be prooves, and so witnesses of the doings of witches?

PHI.--Indeed, I trow they will be loath to put any honest man upon their counsell; but what if they accuse folke to have been present at their imaginar conventions in the spirit, when their bodies lye senseless, as ye have said?

EPI.--I thinke they are not a haire the less guiltie; for the divell durst never have borrowed their shadow or similitude to that turne, if their consent had not beene at it; and the consent in these turnes is death of the lawe.

PHI.--Then Samuel was a witch, for the divell resembled his shape, and played his person in giving response to Saul.

EPI.--Samuel was dead as well before that, and so none could slaunder him with medling in that unlawful arte; for the cause why, as I take it, that G.o.d will not permit Satan to use the shapes of similitudes of any innocent persons at such unlawfull times is, that G.o.d will not permit that any innocent persons shall be slandered with that vile defection, for then the divell would finde waies anew to calumniate the best; and this we have in proofe by them that are carried with the _pharie_, who never see the shadowes of any in that court but of them that thereafter are tryed to have beene brethren and sisters of that craft. And this was likewise prooved by the confession of a young la.s.se troubled with spirits, laid on her by witchcraft; that although she saw the shapes of divers men and women troubling her, and naming the persons whom these shadowes represent; yet never one of them are founde to be innocent, but all clearely tryed to be most guiltie, and the most part of them confessing the same. And, besides that, I thinke it hath beene seldome heard tell of, that any whom persons guiltie of that crime accused, as having knowen them to be their marrows by eye-sight, and not by hearesay, but such as were so accused of witchcraft, could not be clearely tried upon them, were at the least publikely knowen to be of a very evill life and reputation; so jealous is G.o.d of the fame of them that are innocent in such causes. And, besides that, there are two other good helps that may be used for their triall; the one is, the finding of their marke, and the trying the insensibleness thereof; the other is their fleeting on the water, for as in a secret murther, if the dead carka.s.se be at any time thereafter handled by the murtherer, it will gush out of bloud, as if the bloud were crying to the heaven for revenge of the murtherer, G.o.d having appointed that secret supernaturall signe for triall of that secret unnatural crime, so it appeares that G.o.d hath appointed (for a supernatural signe of the monstrous impietie of witches), that the water shall refuse to receive them in her bosome that have shaken off them the sacred water of baptisme, and wilfully refused the benefitie thereof. No, not so much as their eyes are able to shed teares (threaten and torture them as ye please), while first they repent, (G.o.d not permitting them to dissemble their obstinacie in so horrible a crime) albeit the women kind especially, be able otherwayes to shed teares at every light occasion when they will, yea, although it were dissemblingly like the crocodiles.

PHI.--Well, wee have made this conference to last as long as leisure would permit; and to conclude then, since I am to take my leave of you, I pray G.o.d to purge this countrey of these divellish practises, for they were never so rife in these parts as they are now.

EPI.--I pray G.o.d that so be too; but the causes are over manifest that make them to be so rife; for the great wickedness of the people on the one hand, procures this horrible defection, whereby G.o.d justly punisheth sinne by a greater iniquitie; and on the other part, the consummation of the world and our deliverance drawing neere, makes Satan to rage the more in his instruments, knowing his kingdome to be so neere an end.--And so farewell for this time.

THE END

AN

ANSWER

OF A

LETTER

FROM A

Gentleman in Fife,

TO

A n.o.bLEMAN,

CONTAINING A

BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE BARBAROUS AND ILLEGAL TREATMENT THESE POOR WOMEN ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT MET WITH FROM THE BAILLIES OF PITTENWEEM AND OTHERS--WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS THEREON.

To which is added,

_An Account of the Horrid and Barbarous Murder, in a Letter from a Gentleman in Fife to his Friend in Edinburgh, February 5th, 1705._

PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1705.

The two following Tracts give an account of the witches of Pittenweem in 1705. The first is a concise relation of facts, in which the minister and magistrates are placed in no very favourable point of view. The second is an answer to the first, and seems chiefly intended to obviate the charges that are preferred against the minister and baillies, but in our opinion with no great success, as the princ.i.p.al facts are admitted, and the only defence set up is, that the women were in reality witches. We have given this author's story in his own words, with such of his remarks as bear upon the narrative of the other pamphlet, which is all that is necessary at the present day.

EDITOR.