The morrow after, upon conference had with him, hee granted that the divel had appeared unto him in the night before, appareled all in blacke, with a white wande in his hande; and that the divel demanded of him if hee woulde continue his faithfull service, according to his first oath and promise made to that effect. Whome (as hee then saide), hee utterly renounced to his face, and said unto him in this manner, avoide, Satan, avoide, for I have listened too much unto thee, and by the same thou hast undone me, in respect whereof I utterly forsake thee: To whome the divel answered, that once ere thou die thou shalt bee mine; and with that (as hee sayd), the divel brake the white wande, and immediately vanished forth of his sight.
Thus all the daie this Doctor Fian continued verie solitarie, and seemed to have a care of his owne soule, and would call upon God, shewing himselfe penitent for his wicked lyfe; nevertheless, the same night hee found such meanes that he stole the key of the prison doore and chamber in which he was, which in the night he opened and fled awaie to the Saltpans, where he was alwayes resident, and first apprehended. Of whose sodaine departure when the Kings Majestie had intelligence, hee presently caused dilligent inquirie to be made for his apprehension; and for the better effecting thereof, hee sent public proclamations into all parts of his land to the same effect. By meanes of whose hot and harde pursuite he was again taken and brought to prison; and then being called before the Kings Highness, he was reexamined as well touching his departure, as also touching all that had before happened.
But this Doctor, notwithstanding that his owne confession appeareth remaining in recorde under his owne hande writting, and the same thereunto fixed in the presence of the Kings Majestie and sundrie of his councill, yet did he utterly denie the same.
Thereupon the Kings Majestie percieving his stubborne willfullness, concieved and imagined that in the time of his absence hee had entered into newe conference and league with the divell his maister; and that hee had beene again newely marked, for the which he was narrowly searched, but it coulde not in anie waie be founde; yet for more tryal of him to make him confesse, he was commanded to have a most strange torment, which was done in this manner following.
His nails upon all his fingers were riven and pulled off with an instrument called in Scottich a Turkas, which in England we call a payre of pincers, and under everie nayle there was thrust in thro needels over even up to the heads. At all which torments notwithstanding the Doctor never shronke anie whit, neither would he then confesse it the sooner for all the tortures inflicted upon him.
Then was hee with all convenient speede, by commandment, convaied againe to the torment of the bootes, wherein hee continued a long time, and did abide so many blows in them, that his legges were crusht and beaten together as small as might bee, and the bones and flesh so bruised, that the blood and marrow spouted forth in great abundance, whereby they were made unserviceable for ever. And notwithstanding all these grievous paines and cruel torments hee woulde not confesse anie thing, so deeply had the divel entered into his hart, that hee utterly denied that which he before avouched, and would saie nothing thereunto but this, that what hee had done and sayde before, was only done and sayde for fear of paynes which he had endured.
Upon great consideration, therefore, taken by the Kings Majestie and his councell, as well for the due execution of justice upon such detestable malefactors, as also for examples sake, to remayne a terrour to all others hereafter that shall attempt to deale in the lyke wicked and ungodlye actions, as witchcraft, sorcerie, cunjuration, and such lyke, the saide Doctor Fian was soon after arraigned, condemned, and adjudged by the law to die, and then to be burned according to the lawe of that lande provided in that behalfe. Whereupon he was put into a carte, and being first stranguled, hee was immediately put into a great fire, being readie provided for that purpose, and there burned in the Castile Hill of Edenbrough, on a Saterdaie in the ende of Januarie last past, 1591.
The rest of the witches which are not yet executed, remayne in prison till farther triall and knowledge of his Majesties pleasure.
This strange discourse before recited, may perhaps give some occasion of doubt to such as shall happen to reade the same, and thereby conjecture that the Kings Majestie would hazzarde himselfe in the presence of such notorious witches, least thereby might have ensued great danger to his person and the general state of the land, which thing in truth might wel have beene feared. But to answer generally to such let this suffice; that first it is well known that the King is the child and servant of God, and they but the servants to the devil; he is the Lord's anointed, and they but vesseles of God's wrath; hee is a true Christian, and trusteth in God; they worse than infidels, for they only trust in the divel, who daily serve them, till hee have brought them to utter destruction. But hereby it seemeth that his Highness carried a magnanimous and undaunted mind, not feared with their inchantments, but resolute in this, that so long as God is with him hee feareth not who is against him; and trulie, the whole scope of this Treatise dooth so plainlie laie open the wonderfull Providence of the Almightie, that if hee had not been defended by his omnipotence and power, his Highness had never returned alive in his voiage from Denmarke, so there is no doubt but God woulde as well defend him on the land as on the sea, where they pretended their damnable practice.