Peter Morton, smith at Pittenweem, being desired by one Beattie Laing to do some work for her, which he refused, excusing himself in respect he had been pre-engaged to serve a ship with nails, within a certain time, so that till he had finished that work, he could not engage in any other; that notwithstanding, the said Beattie Laing declared herself dissatisfied, and vowed revenge. The said Peter Morton, afterward being indisposed, coming by the door, saw a small vessel full of water, and a coal of fire slockened in the water; so perceiving an alteration in his health, and remembering Beattie Laing’s threatenings, he presently suspects devilry in the matter, and quarrels the thing. Thereafter, finding his indispositions growing worse and worse, being tormented and pricked as if with bodkins and pins, he openly lays the blame upon witchcraft, and accuses Beattie Laing. He continued to be tormented, and she was by warrant apprehended, with others in Pittenweem. No natural reason could be given for his distemper, his face and neck being dreadfully distorted, his back prodigiously rising and falling, his belly swelling and falling on a sudden; his joints pliable, and instantly so stiff, as no human power could bow them. Beattie Laing and her hellish companions being in custody, were brought to the room where he was; and his face covered, he told his tormentors were in the room, naming them. And though formerly no confession had been made, Beattie Laing confessed her crime, and accused several others as accessory.—The said Beattie having confessed her compact with the devil, and using of spells; and particularly her slockening the coal in water; she named her associates in revenge, against Peter Morton, viz. Janet Corset, Lillie Wallace, and —— Lawson, had framed a picture of wax, and every one of the forenamed persons having put their pin in the picture for torture. They could not tell what had become of the image, but thought the devil had stolen it, whom they had seen in the prison.—Beattie Laing likewise said, that one Isobel Adams, a young lass, was also in compact with the devil. This woman was desired to fee with Beattie, which she refused: and Beattie let her see a man at the other end of the table, who appeared as a gentleman, and promised her all prosperity in the world: she promised her service to him; and he committed uncleanness with her, (which she said no other had done before) and he put his mark in her flesh, which was very painful. She was shortly after ordered to attend the company to go to one M’Grigor’s house to murder him. He awakening when they were there, and recommending himself to God, they were forced to withdraw. This Isobel Adams appeared ingenuous and very penitent in her confession; she said, he who forgave Manasseh’s witchcrafts, might forgive her’s also; and died very penitent, and to the satisfaction of many.
This Beattie Laing was suspected by her husband, long before she was laid in prison by warrant of the magistrates. The occasion was this; she said, that she had packs of wool coming from Leith to her, which she was to sell at Auchtermuchty fair; and they being longsome in coming to the market, he said, “It would not be in time to the fair.” She desired him to go to the market, for she was sure her merchant would not fail her. He went off long before her; and when he came to the town, he found her before him, and two packs of very good wool, which she instantly sold; and coming home with a black horse which she had with her, they drinking till it was late in the night ere they came home, the man said, “What shall I do with the horse?” She replied, “Cast the bridle on his neck, and you will be quit of him.” And, as her husband thought, the horse flew with a great noise away in the air.——They were, by a complaint to the Privy Council, prosecute by her Majesty’s Advocate 1704, but all set at liberty, save one, who died in prison, in Pittenweem. Beatie Laing died undesired, in her bed, in St. Andrew’s; all the rest died miserable and violent deaths.
XLII.—Concerning the bewitching of a Child in Ireland.
At Antrim, in Ireland, a girl of ninteen years of age, inferior to none in the place for beauty, education, and birth, innocently eat a leaf of sorrel, which she got from a witch, after she had given the begging witch bread and beer at the door: it was scarcely swallowed by her, but she began to be tortured in her bowels, to tremble all over, and even was convulsive; and, in fine to swoon away, as dead. The doctors used remedies on the 9th of May 1698, at which time it happened, but to no purpose. The child continued in a most terrible paroxysm: Whereupon they sent for a minister, who scarce had laid his hand on her, when she was turned by the demon, in the most dreadful shapes. She began first to roll herself about, then to vomit horse-dung, needles, pins, hairs, feathers, bottoms of thread, pieces of glass, window-nails, nails drawn out of a cart or coach wheel, an iron-knife, above a span long, eggs, and fish shells. And when the wretch (I should have said the witch) came near the place, or looked to the house, though at the distance of 200 paces from the house where the child was, she was in worse torment, insomuch, that no life was expected for the child, till the witch was removed to some greater distance.——This Witch was apprehended, condemned, strangled, and burnt; and was desired to undo the incantation, immediately before strangling; but said she could not, by reason others had done against her likewise: But the wretch confessed the same, with many more. The child was about the middle of September thereafter, carried to a gentleman’s house, where there were many other things happened scarce credible, but that several ministers, and the gentleman, have attested the same. The relation is to be seen in a pamphlet printed 1699, entitled, “The bewitching of a child in Ireland.”
XLIII.—Concerning the Witch of Calder.
This famous witch of Calder, is not to be altogether passed by. This horrible slave of Satan was first suspected by her neighbours, and then her horrible witchcrafts were found to the conviction of many, and direful experience of my Lord Torphichen’s family.—She had a child died, which she gave to the devil, not only the soul, but the corpse, without a burying.——She put an incantation upon the aforesaid honourable Lord’s son, so that he was the terror, as well as the grief of the family. This child was in a room with his sisters; he told them, he knew what was doing by others absent; the daughters told their Lady-mother. I forbear to tell all I had from an eye and ear witness; but this one I cannot pass. The son was tormented extremely, and at length, his pedagogue sitting up with him one night, and being sleepy, he saw a flash of fire at the window; but thinking the child was asleep, continued to watch more carefully; and, as he thought, in a little time, the same fire appeared at the window; the child was awake in bed, and told him, he had been at Torryburn in the time. This child was several times taken away. He told the family when he was to be taken away at other times; and sometimes, even then, though they waited on him, he appeared to be lifted up in the air, to be taken from them. This witch being taken into custody, she then discovered others, who are all dead.
She was examined by the minister of the parish, and several others; but was brutishly ignorant, and scarce knew any thing, but her witchcraft. There was one day, that this child was waited on, when he was to be taken away, they kept the door and window close; but a certain person going to the door, he made shift and got to the door, and was lifted in the air, but was catched by the heels and coat-tails, and brought back.—There were many and dreadful things happened to this child, which I forbear to mention, on account of the honourable family, and that it is too late, and in every body’s head.—When the witch was examined about the corpse of her child, she said, the corpse were buried; but the wright that made the coffin, declared, That she put nothing in the coffin but clouts. Then she said, “The child being long pined, and all flesh taken off by the sickness, it appeared but clouts; yet, at length she confessed, that she gave the corpse as well as the soul to the devil, which he said he was to make a roast of. She, with all her hellish accomplices, died in custody, after they had confessed many amazing incantations, and horrible unheard of witchcrafts.
FINIS.