A Lieutenant of a guard, called Jaquette, having supped one night in a rich merchant’s house, was passing home, and by the way, said, “I wonder what I have eaten and drunken at the merchant’s house: for I find myself so hot, that if I met with the devil’s dame this night, I could not forbear using of her.” Hereupon, a little after, he overtook a gentlewoman masked, whom he would needs usher home to her lodging, but discharged all his company except two. She brought him, to his apprehension, to a low house hard by the city wall, where there were only two rooms. After he had enjoyed her, he desired her, that, according to the custom of French Gentlemen, his two comrades might partake of the same pleasure; so she admitted them one after another. And when all was done, as they sat together, she told them, “If they knew well who she was, none of them would have ventured upon her.” Thereupon she whistled three times, and all evanished. The next morning the two comrades that had gone with Lieutenant Jaquette were found dead under the city wall, among the ordure and excrements, and Jaquette himself a little way off half dead; who was taken up, and coming to himself again, confessed all this, and presently died. This may verify the preceding relation.
XXVII.—A Marvellous Prank played by the Devil at Hamelen, a Town in Germany.
This city was annoyed with rats and mice. It happened that a pied-coated piper came thither, who covenanted with the chief burghers for such a reward, if he could free them from the said vermin; nor would he demand it for a twelvemonth and a day after. The agreement being made, he began to play on the pipes, and all the rats and mice followed him to a great loch hard by, where they all perished; so that the town was infested no more. At the end of the year, the piper returned for his reward, the burghers put him off with slighting and neglect, offering him some small matter, which he refused. And staying some days in town, on a Sunday morning, at high mass, when most people were at church, he fell to play his pipes, and their children up and down followed him out of the town, to a great hill not far off, which rent in two, and let him and the children in, and so closed up again. This happened about two hundred and fifty years since. And in that town, they date their bills and bonds, and other instruments in law to this day, from the year of the going out of their children; besides, there is a great pillar of stone, erected at the foot of the said hill, where this story is engraven.
XXVIII.—A relation of the strange Witchcraft discovered in the village of Monra in Swedeland.
The news of this witchcraft coming to the king’s ear, his Majesty was pleased to appoint commissioners, some of the clergy, and some of the laity, to make a journey to the town aforesaid, and to examine the whole business; and accordingly the examination was ordered to be on the 13th of August; and the commissioners met on the 12th instant, in the said village, at the parson’s house, to whom both the minister and several people of fashion, complained with tears in their eyes, of the miserable condition they were in; and therefore begged of them to think of some way, whereby they might be delivered from that calamity. They gave the commissioners very strange instances of the devil’s tyranny among them; how by the help of witches, he had drawn some hundreds of children to him, and made them subject to his power; how he hath been seen to go in a visible shape through the country, and appeared daily to the people; how he had wrought upon the poorer sort, by presenting them with meat and drink, and this way allured them to himself, with other circumstances to be mentioned hereafter. The inhabitants of the village added, with great lamentations, That though their children had told all, and themselves had sought God very earnestly by prayer, yet they were carried away by him. And therefore begged of the lords commissioners to root out this hellish crew, that they might regain their former rest and quietness; and the rather because the children, which used to be carried away in the country or district of Elsdale, since some witches had been burnt there, remained unmolested.—That day, i. e. the 13th of August, being the last humiliation day instituted by authority for the removing of this judgment, the commissioners went to church, where there appeared a considerable assembly both of young and old. The children could read most of them, and sing psalms, and so could the women, though not with any great zeal and fervour. There were preached two sermons that day, in which the miserable case of those people that suffered themselves to be deluded by the devil, was laid open; and these sermons were at last concluded with very fervent prayers.—The public worship being over, all the people of the town were called together in the parson’s house, near three thousand of them. Silence being commanded, the king’s commission was read publicly in the hearing of them all, and they were charged, under very great penalties, to conceal nothing of what they knew, and to say nothing but truth; those especially who were guilty, that the children might be delivered from the clutches of the devil. They all promised obedience; the guilty feignedly, but the guiltless weeping and crying bitterly.
On the 14th of August, the commissioners met again, consulting how they might withstand this dangerous flood. After long deliberation, an order also coming from his Majesty, they resolved to execute such as the matter of fact could be proven upon. Examination being made, there were no less than threescore and ten in the village aforesaid, three-and-twenty of which confessing their crimes, were condemned to die; one pretending she was with child, and the rest denying and pleading not guilty, were sent to Fahluna, where most of them were afterwards executed.—Fifteen children, who likewise confessed that they were engaged in this witchery, died as the rest; thirty-six of them between 9 and 16 years of age, who had been less guilty, were forced to run the gantlop. Twenty more, who had no great inclination, yet had been seduced to those hellish enterprizes, because they were very young, were condemned to be lashed with rods upon their hands for three Sundays together at the church door; and the aforesaid thirty-six were also doomed to be lashed this way once a-week for a whole year together. The number of the seduced children were about three hundred.—On the 25th of August, execution was done upon the notoriously guilty; the day being bright and glorious, and the sun shining, and some thousands of people being present at the spectacle. The order and method observed in the examination was thus:—First, The commissioners and neighbouring justices went to prayer; this done, the witches, who had most of them children with them, which they had either seduced, or attempted to seduce, some 7 years of age, nay, from 4 to 16 years, were set before them. Some of the children complained lamentably of the misery and mischief they were forced sometimes to suffer off the devil and the witches.—The children being asked, Whether they were sure that they were at any time carried away by the devil? They all declared they were, begging of the commissioners, that they might be freed from that intolerable slavery.—Hereupon the witches themselves were asked, Whether the confessions of these children were true? and admonished to confess the truth, that they might turn away from the devil unto the living God. At first, most of them did very stiffly, and without shedding the least tear, deny it, though much against their will and inclination. After this the children were examined every one by themselves, to see whether their confession did agree or not; and the commissioners found that all of them, except some very little ones, who could not tell all the circumstances, did punctually agree in their confession of particulars.—In the mean while, the commissioners that were of the clergy, examined the witches, but could not bring them to any confession, all continuing stedfast in their denials, till at last some of them burst out into tears, and their confession agreed with what the children said; and they expressed their abhorrence of the fact, and begged pardon. Adding, that the devil, whom they called Locyta, had stopped the mouths of some of them, so loath was he to part with his prey, and had stopped the ears of others. And being now gone from them, they could no longer conceal it; for they had now perceived his treachery.—The confession which the witches made in Elsdale to the judges there, agreed with the confession they made at Monra; and the chief things they confessed consisted in these three points; First, Whither they used to go. Secondly, What kind of place it was they went to, called by them Blockula, where there the witches and the devil used to meet. Thirdly, What evil and mischief they had either done, or designed there.—First, Of their journey to Blockula. The contents of their confession.——We of the province of Elsdale, do confess, that we used to go to a gravel-pit, which lies hard by a cross-way, and there we put on a vest over our heads, and then danced round, and after this ran to the cross-way, and called the devil thrice, first with a still voice, the second time somewhat louder, and the third time very loud with these words, “Antecessor, come and carry us to Blockula.” Whereupon immediately he used to appear, but in different habits; but for the most part, we saw him in a grey coat and red and blue stockings. He had a red beard, a high crowned hat, with linen of divers colours wrapt about it, and long garters upon his stockings. It is very remarkable, that the devil never appears to the witches with a sword at his side. Then he asked us, Whether we would serve him with soul and body? If we were content to do so, he set us on a beast which he hath there ready, and carried us over churches and high walls; and after all, we came to a green meadow where Blockula lies. We must procure some scrapings of altars, and filings of church clocks, and then he gave us a horn, with salve in it, wherewith we do anoint ourselves, and a saddle, with a hammer, and a wooden nail, thereby to fix the saddle; whereupon we call upon the devil, and away we go.—Those that were of the town of Monra made in a manner the same declaration. Being asked, Whether they were sure of a real personal transportation, and whether they were awake when it was done? They all answered in the affirmative; and that the devil sometimes laid something down in the place that was very like them. But one of them confessed, that he did only take away her strength, and her body lay still upon the ground; yet sometimes he took away her body with him.—Being asked how they could go with their bodies through chimnies, and broken panes of glass? They said, That the devil did first remove all that might hinder them in their flight, and so they had room enough to go.—Others were asked, How they were able to carry so many children with them? They answered, That when the children were asleep, they came into the chamber and laid hold of the children, which straightway did awake, and asked them, Whether they would go to a feast with them? To which some answered, Yes; others, No; yet they were all forced to go. They only gave the children a shirt, a coat, and doublet, which was either red or blue; and so they set them upon a beast of the devil’s providing, and then they rode away.—The children confessed the same thing; and some added, that because they had very fine clothes put upon them, they were very willing to go.—Some of the children concealed it from their parents, but others discovered it to them presently. The witches declared moreover, that till of late they had never power to carry away children, but only this year and the last; and the devil did at that time force them to it: That heretofore it was sufficient to carry but one of their children, or a stranger’s child with them, which happened seldom; but now he did plague them and whip them, if they did not procure him many children, insomuch that they had no peace nor quiet for him: And whereas that formerly one journey a week would serve their turn from their own town to the place aforesaid, now they were forced to run to other towns and places for children; and that they brought with them, some 15, some 16 children every night.—For the journey, they said, they made use of all sorts of instruments, of beasts, and of men, of spits and posts, according as they had opportunity. If they ride upon goats, and have many children with them, that all may have room, they stick a spit into the backside of the goat, and then are anointed with the aforesaid ointment. What the manner of their journey is, God alone knows. This much was made out, that if the children did at any time name the names of those, either men or women, that had been with them, or had carried them away, they were again carried by force, either to Blockula or the cross-way, and there beaten, insomuch that some of them died of it; and this some of the witches confessed; and added, that now they were exceedingly troubled and tortured in their minds for it. The children thus used looked mighty black, wan and beaten. The marks of the whips the judges could not perceive on them, except on one boy, who had some wounds and holes in his back, that were given him with thorns; but the witches said, they would quickly vanish.
After this usage, the children are exceeding weak; and if any be carried over night, they cannot recover themselves the next day, and they often fall into fits; the coming of which, they know by an extraordinary paleness that seizes on the children: and when a fit comes upon them, they lean upon their mother’s arms, who sits up with them, sometimes all night, and when they observe the paleness, shake the children, but to no purpose.—They observe further, that their children’s breasts grow cold at such times, and they take sometimes a burning candle, and stick it in their hair, which yet is not burned by it. They swoon upon this paleness; which swoon lasteth sometimes half an hour, sometimes an hour, sometimes two hours; and when the children come to themselves again, they mourn and lament, and groan most miserably, and beg to be eased. This the old men declared upon oath before the judges, and called the inhabitants of the town to witness as persons that had most of them experience of the strange symptoms of their children.—A little girl of Elsdale confessed, that naming the name of Jesus, as she was carried away, she fell suddenly upon the ground, and got a great hole in her side, which the devil presently healed up again, and away he carried her. And to this day, the girl confessed, she had exceeding great pain in her side. Another boy confessed, too, that one day he was carried away with his mistress; and to perform the journey, he took his father’s horse out of the meadow, where it was feeding, and upon his return, she let the horse go in her own. The next morning the boy’s father sought for the horse, and not finding it, gave it over for lost; but the boy told him the whole story, and so the father fetcht the horse back again, and this one of the witches confessed.
We come next to the place where they used to assemble, called Blockula, and what they did there. They unanimously confessed, that Blockula is situated in a large meadow, like a plain sea, wherein you can see no end. The place or house they met at, had before it a great gate, painted with many divers colours on it. Through this gate they went into a little meadow distant from the other, where the beasts went which they used to ride on: But the men whom they made use of in their journey, stood in the house by the gate, in a slumbering posture, sleeping over against the wall.—In a huge large room of this house, they said, there stood a very large long table, at which the witches did sit down; and that hard by this room was another chamber, where there ere some lovely and delicate beds.—The first thing they said they must do at Blockula was, that they must deny all, and devote themselves body and soul to the devil, and promise to serve him faithfully, and confirm it with an oath. Hereupon they cut their fingers, and write their name in his book. They added, That he caused them to be baptized, too, by such priests as he had there, and made them to confirm their baptism with dreadful oaths and imprecations. Hereupon the devil gave them a purse, wherein there were filings of clocks, with a big stone tied to it, which they threw into the water, and then were forced to speak these words. “As these filings of the clock do never return to the clock from which they were taken, so may my soul never return to heaven.” To which they added blasphemy, and other oaths and curses.—The mark of their cut finger is not found in all of them. But a girl who had been slashed over her finger, declared, That because she would not stretch out her finger, the devil in anger had so cruelly wounded it.—After this, they sat down to table, and those that the devil esteemed most, were placed nearest to him; but the children must stand at the door, where he himself gives them meat and drink.—The diet they used to have there, was, they said, broth with colworts and bacon in them, oat meal bread spread with butter, milk and cheese. And they added, that sometimes it tasted very well, and sometimes very ill. After meals they went to dancing; and in the mean time, swore and cursed most dreadfully; and afterwards went to fighting one with another. Those of Elsdale confessed, That the devil used to play upon a harp before them; and afterwards to go with them he loved best into a chamber, where he committed venerous acts with them. And this indeed all confessed, that he had carnal knowledge of them; and that the devil had sons and daughters by them, which he did marry together, and they did couple, and brought forth toads and serpents.—One day the devil seemed to be dead, whereupon there were great lamentation at Blockula; but he soon awakened again. If he hath a mind to be merry with them, he lets them all ride upon spits before them, and he takes afterwards the spits, and beats them black and blue, and then laughs at them. And he bids them believe that the day of judgment will come speedily, and therefore sets them at work to build a great house of stone, promising, that in that house he will preserve them from God’s fury, and cause them to enjoy the greatest delights and pleasures; but while they work exceeding hard at it, there falls a greater part of the wall down again, whereby some of the witches are commonly hurt, which makes him laugh; but presently he cures them again.—They said, they had seen sometimes a very great devil like a dragon, with fire round about him, and bound with an iron chain; and the devil that converses with them tells, that if any confess any thing, he will set that great devil loose upon them, whereby all Swedeland shall come to a great danger. They added, that the devil had a church there, such another as in the town of Monra. When the commissioners were coming, he told the witches they should not fear them, for he would certainly kill them all. And they confessed, that some of them had attempted to murder the commissioners, but had not been able to effect it.—Some of the children talked much of a white angel, which used to forbid them what the devil had bid them to do; and told them, that those things should not last long; what had been done, had been but permitted, because of the sin and wickedness of the people and their parents; and that the carrying away of the children should be made manifest. And they added, that this white angel would place himself sometimes at the door, betwixt the witches and the children; and that when they came to Blockula, he pulled the children back, but the witches went in.—We come, in the next place, to shew the mischief and evil which the witches promised to do to men and beasts. They confessed, that they were to promise the devil, that they would do all that’s ill; and that the devil taught them to milk, which was after this manner: They used to stick a knife in the wall, and hang a kind of label on it, which they drew and stroaked; and as long as this lasted, the persons they had power over were miserably plagued, and the beasts were milked that way, till sometimes they died.—A woman confessed, that the devil gave her a wooden knife; wherewith, going into houses, she had power to kill any thing she touched with it; yet there were few that would confess, that they had hurt any man or woman. Being asked, whether they had murdered any children? that they confessed, they had indeed tormented many, but did not know whether any of them died of these plagues.—And added, that the devil had shewed them several places where he had power to do mischief.—The minister of Elsdale declared that one night these witches were, to his thinking, on the crown of his head; and that from thence he had a long continued pain of the head.—One of the witches confessed, that the devil had sent her to torment that minister; and that she was ordered to use a nail, and strike it into his head, but it would not enter deep, and hence became that head-ach. The minister said also, that one night he felt a pain, as it were torn with an instrument that they clean flax with, or a flax-comb; and when he awakened, he heard some body scratching and scraping at the window, but could see nobody; and one of the witches confessed, that she was the person that did it, being sent by the devil.—The minister of Monra declared also, that one night one of these witches came into his house, and did so violently take him by the throat, that he thought he should have been choaked; and awakening, he saw the person that did it, but could not know her; and that for some weeks he was not able to speak, or perform divine service.—An old woman of Elsdale confessed, that the devil had helped her to make a nail, which she struck into a boy’s knee, of which stroke the boy remained lame a long time. And she added, that before she was burned or executed by the hand of justice, the boy would recover.—They confessed also, that the devil gives them a beast, about the shape and bigness of a cat, which they call a carrier; and he gives them a bird, too, as big as a raven, but white: And these creatures they can send any where; and wherever they come, they take away all sorts of victuals they can get, as butter, cheese, milk, bacon, and all sorts of seeds, whatever they can find, and carry it to the witches. What the bird brings, they may keep for themselves: but what the carrier brings, they must reserve for the devil, and that is brought to Blockula, where he gives them of it as much as he thinks fit.—They added, that the carriers filled themselves so full oftentimes, that they are forced to spew by the way, which spewing is found in several gardens, where colworts grow, and not far from the houses of the witches. It is of a yellow colour like gold, and is called the butter of the witches.—The lords commissioners were indeed very earnest, and took great pains to persuade them to shew some of their tricks, but to no purpose; for they did all unanimously confess, that since they had confessed all, they found that all their witchcraft was gone and the devil at this time appeared very terrible, with claws on his hands and feet, with horns on his head, and a long tail behind, and shewed them a pit burning with a hand out; but the devil did thrust the person down again with an iron fork; and suggested to the witches, that if they continued in their confession, he should deal with them in the same manner.