‘Devil speed thee,
Go thou with me!’
and immediately they will turn into the shape of a cat and go with us. When we will be in the shape of crows we will be larger than ordinary crows, and will sit upon branches of trees.”
The spells, incantations, and cantrips, employed by witches when working out their diableries were quaint and curious enough. Students of Shakespeare are familiar with the
“Toil and trouble, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble,”
of the witches in the play of Macbeth, as well as the request of the first witch, to
“Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten
From the murderer’s gibbet throw