Item, the said Agnes Sampson was after brought againe before the Kinges Majestie and his councell, and being examined of the meeting and detestable dealings of those witches, shee confessed, that upon the night of Allhallow Even last, shee was accompanied as well with the persons aforesaide, as also with a great many other witches, to the number of two hundreth, and that all they together went to sea, each one in a riddle or cive, and went into the same very substantially, with flaggons of wine, making merrie and drinking by the way in the same riddles or cives, to the Kirke of North Barrick in Lowthian, and that after they had landed, tooke hands on the lande and daunced this reill or short daunce, singing all with one voice,
Commer goe ye before, commer goe ye, Gif ye will not goe before, commer let me.
At which time shee confessed, that this Geillies Duncane did goe before them playing this reill or daunce, uppon a small trumpe, called a Jewes trumpe, untill they entred into the Kirke of North Barricke.
These confessions made the Kinge in a wonderfull admiration, and sent for the saide Geillie Duncane, who upon the like trumpe did play the saide daunce before the Kinges Majestie, who in respect of the strangeness of these matters, tooke great delight to be present at their examinations.
Item, the said Agnes Sampson confessed, that the devill, being then at North Barricke Kirke attending their coming, in the habit or likeness of a man, and seeing that they tarried over long, hee at their coming enjoined them all to a pennance, which was, that they should kiss his buttockes, in sign of duty to him; which being put over the pulpit bare, every one did as he had enjoined them: and having made his ungodly exhortations, wherein he did greatly inveigh against the Kinge of Scotland, he received their oathes for their good and true service towards him, and departed; which done, they returned to sea, and so home again.
At which time the witches demaunded of the devill why he did beare such hatred to the Kinge? Who answered, by reason the Kinge is the greatest enemie hee hath in the world.[1] All which their confessions and depositions are still extant upon record.
Item, the saide Agnes Sampson confessed before the Kinges Majestie sundrie things, which were so miraculous and strange, as that his Majestie saide they were all extreme liars; whereat shee answered, shee would not wish his Majestie to suppose her words to be false, but rather to believe them, in that shee would discover such matters unto him as his Majestie should not anie way doubt of.
And thereupon taking his Majestie a little aside, shee declared unto him the verie wordes which passed between the Kinges Majestie and his Queene at Upslo in Norway the first night of marriage, with the answere ech to other; whereat the Kinges Majestie wondered greatly, and swore by the living God, that he believed all the devills in hell could not have discovered the same, acknowledging her words to be most true, and therefore gave the more credit to the rest that is before declared.
Touching this Agnes Sampson, shee is the onlie woman who by the devill's perswasion should have intended and put in execution the Kinges Majesties death in this manner.
Shee confessed that shee tooke a blacke toade, and did hang the same up by the heeles three daies, and collected and gathered the venome it dropped and fell from it in ane oister shell, and kept the same venome close covered, untill shee should obtaine anie part or peece of foule linnen cloth that had appertained to the Kinges Majestie, as shirt, handkercher, napkin, or anie other thing, which shee practised to obtaine by meanes of one John Kers, who being attendant in his Majesties chamber, desired him for old acquaintance between them, to help her to one or a peece of such a cloth as is aforesaide, which thing the saide John Kers denyed to helpe her to, saying he coulde not helpe her unto it.