OF THE

APPREHENSION OF SUNDRIE WITCHES LATELY TAKEN IN SCOTLAND; WHEREOF SOME ARE EXECUTED, AND SOME ARE YET IMPRISONED.—WITH A PARTICULAR RECITALL OF THEIR EXAMINATIONS, TAKEN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING'S MAJESTIE.

God, by his omnipotent power, hath at all times, and daily dooth take such care, and is so vigilant for the weale and preservation of his owne, that thereby he disappointeth the wicked practices and evil intents of all such as by any means whatsoever seeke indirectly to conspire any thing contrary to his holy will: Yea, and by the same power he hath lately overthrowne and hindered the intentions and wicked dealings of a great number of ungodly creatures, no better than devils; who suffering themselves to be allured and enticed by the Devil whom they served, and unto whom they were privately sworne, entered into the detestable art of witchcraft, which they studied and practised so long time, that in the ende they had seduced by their sorcerie a number of others to be as bad as themselves, dwelling in the bounds of Lowthen, which is a principall shire or part of Scotland, where the Kinges Majestie useth to make his cheifest residence or abode; and to the ende that their detestable wickednesse which they prively had pretended against the Kinges Majestie, the commonweale of that countrie, with the nobilitie and subjects of the same, should come to light. God of his unspeakable goodness did reveale and laie it open in verie strange sorte, thereby to make known to the world that their actions were contrarie to the lawe of God and the naturall affection which we ought generally to beare one to another. The manner of the revealing whereof was as followeth.

Within the towne of Trenent, in the kingdome of Scotland, there dwelleth one David Seaton, who being deputie bailiffe in the said towne, had a maid called Geillies Duncane, who used secretlie to absent and lie forth of her maisters house every other night. This Geillies Duncane tooke in hand to helpe all such as were troubled or grieved with anie kinde of sickness or infirmitie, and in short space did performe many matters most miraculous; which things, forasmuche as she began to do them upon a sodaine, having never done the like before, made her maister and others to be in great admiration, and wondered thereat: by meanes whereof the saide David Seaton had his maide in great suspition that shee did not those things by naturall and lawfull waies, but rather supposed it to be done by some extraordinarie and unlawfull meanes.

Whereupon her maister began to grow verie inquisitive, and examined her which way and by what meanes shee was able to performe matters of so great importance; whereat shee gave him no aunswere: nevertheless, her maister to the intent that hee might the better trie and finde out the truth of the same, did with the help of others torment her with the torture of the pilliwinkes upon her fingers, which is a griveous torture, and binding or wrinching her head with a cord or roape, which is a most cruel torment also, yet would shee not confess anie thing; whereupon they suspecting that shee had beene marked by the devill (as commonly witches are,) made diligent search about her, and found the enemies mark to be in her fore crag, or fore part of her throate; which being found, shee confessed that all her doings was done by the wicked allurements and entisements of the devil, and that shee did them by witchcraft.

After this her confession, shee was committed to prison, where shee continued a season, where immediately shee accused these persons following to bee notorious witches, and caused them forthwith to be apprehended, one after another, viz. Agnes Sampson, the eldest witche of them all, dwelling in Haddington; Agnes Tompson of Edenbrough; Doctor Fian, alias John Cuningham, master of the schoole at Saltpans in Lowthian, of whose life and strange acts you shall heare more largely in the end of this discourse.

These were by the saide Geillies Duncane accused, as also George Motts' wife, dwelling in Lowthian; Robert Grierson, skipper; and Jannet Blandilands; with the potters wife of Seaton; the smith at the Brigge Hallies, with innumerable others in those parts, and dwelling in those bounds aforesaid, of whom some are alreadie executed, the rest remaine in prison to receive the doome of judgement at the Kinges Majesties will and pleasure.

The saide Geillies Duncane also caused Ewphame Mecalrean to bee apprehended, who conspired and performed the death of her godfather, and who used her art upon a gentleman, being one of the Lordes and Justices of the Session, for bearing good-will to her daughter. Shee also caused to be apprehended one Barbara Naper, for bewitching to death Archbalde lait Earle of Angus, who languished to death by witchcraft, and yet the same was not suspected; but that he died of so strange a disease as the phisition knewe not how to cure or remedie the same. But of all other the said witches, these two last before recited, were reputed for as civil honest women as anie that dwelled within the cittie of Edenbrough, before they were apprehended. Many other besides were taken dwelling in Lieth, who are detayned in prison until his Majesties further will and pleasure be knowne; of whose wicked dooings you shall particularly heare, which was as followeth.

This aforesaide Agnes Sampson, which was the elder witche, was taken and brought to Haliriud House before the Kinges Majestie, and sundrie other of the nobilitie of Scotland, where shee was straytly examined; but all the persuasions which the Kinges Majestie used to her, with the rest of his councell, might not provoke or induce her to confess any thing, but stoode stiffley in the deniall of all that was layde to her charge; whereupon they caused her to be conveyed away unto prison, there to receive such torture as hath been lately provided for witches in that countrie; and for as muche as by due examination of witchcraft and witches in Scotland, it hath lately beene founde that the devill dooth generally marke them with a privie marke, by reason the witches have confessed themselves, that the devill doth licke them with his tong in some privie part of their bodie, before he dooth receive them to bee his servants, which marke commonlie is given them under the haire in some part of their bodie, whereby it may not easily be found out or seene, although they bee searched; and generally so long as the marke is not seene to those which search them, so long the parties which have the marke will never confess anie thing. Therefore by special commandment this Agnes Sampson had all her haire shaven off, n each part of her bodie, and her head thrawane with a rope according to the custome of that countrie, being a payne most grieveous, which they continued almost an hower, during which time shee would not confess anie thing untill the divel's marke was founde upon her privities, then shee immediately confessed whatsoever was demaunded of her, and justifiying those persons aforesaide to be notorious witches.

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,

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.

And the saide Agnes Sampson by her depositions since her apprehension, saith, that if shee had obtayned anie one peece of linnen cloth which the Kinge had worne and fowlede, shee had bewitched him to death, and put him to such extraordinarie paines, as if he had been lying upon sharp thornes and endes of needles.

Moreover shee confessed, that at the time when his Majestie was in Denmarke, shee being accompanied by the parties before speciallie named, tooke a cat and christened it, and afterwarde bounde to each part of that cat, the cheefest part of a dead man, and several joynts of his bodie; and that in the night following, the saide cat was convayed into the middest of the sea by all the witches, sayling in their riddles or cives, as is aforesaid, and so left the saide cat right before the towne of Lieth in Scotland. This doone, there did arise such a tempest in the sea, as a greater hath not beene seene; which tempest was the cause of the perishing of a boat or vessel coming over from the towne of Brunt Islande to the towne of Lieth, wherein was sundrie jewelles and rich giftes, which should have been presented to the now Queene of Scotland at her Majesties coming to Lieth.

Againe it is confessed, that the said christened cat was the cause that the Kinges Majesties shippe at his coming forth of Denmarke had a contrarie winde to the rest of his shippes then being in his companie, which thing was most strange and true as the Kinges Majestie acknowlegeth, for when the rest of the shippes had a faire and good winde, then was the winde contrarie and altogether against his Majestie; and further, the sayde witche declared, that his Majestie had never come safely from the sea, if his faith had not prevayled above their intentions.[2]

Moreover, the saide witches being demaunded how the divell would use them when he was in their companie, they confessed, that when the divel did recyeve theme for his serventes, and that they had vowed themselves unto him, then he woulde carnally use them, albeit to their little pleasure, in respect to his colde nature,[3] and would doe the like at sundrie other times.

As touching the aforesaide Doctor Fian, alias John Cunningham, the examination of his actes since his apprehension, declareth the great subteltie of the divell, and therefore maketh thinges to appeare the more miraculous; for being apprehended by the accusation of the saide Geillies Duncane aforesaide, who confessed he was their register, and that there was not one man suffered to come to the divel's readinges but onlie hee, the saide Doctor was taken and imprisoned, and used with the accustomed paine provided for those offences, inflicted upon the rest as is aforesaide.

First, by thrawing of his head with a rope, whereat he would confess nothing.

Secondly, hee was persuaded by faire meanes to confesse his follies, but that would prevail as little.

Lastly, hee was put to the most severe and cruell paine in the worlde, called the bootes, who, after he had received three strokes, being inquired if hee would confess his damnable actes and wicked life, his toong would not serve him to speake, in respect whereof the rest of the witches willed to searche his toong, under which was found two pinnes thurst up into the heade; whereupon the witches did say, now is the charm stinted, and shewed, that those charmed pinnes were the cause he could not confesse any thing: then was he immediately released of the bootes, brought before the King, his confession was taken, and his own hand willingly set thereunto, which contained as followeth:

First, that at the generall meetinges of those witches, he was always present,—that he was clarke to all those that were in subjection to the divel's service, bearing the name of witches,—that always hee did take their oathes for their true service to the divel, and that he wrote for them such matters as the divel still pleased to command him.

Item, hee confessed that by his witchcraft hee did bewitch a gentleman dwelling neare to the Saltpans, where the said Doctor kept schoole, only for being enamoured of a gentlewoman whome he loved himself; by meanes of which his sorcery, witchcraft, and divelish practices, hee caused the said gentleman that once in xxiiii howers he fell into a lunacy and madness, and so continued one whole hower together; and for the veritie of the same, he caused the gentleman to be brought before the Kinges Majestie, which was upon the xxiiii day of December last, and being in his Majesties chamber, suddenly hee gave a great scritch, and fell into madness, sometime bending himself, and sometime capering so directly up, that his heade did touch the seeling of the chamber, to the great admiration of his Majestie and others then present; so that all the gentlemen in the chamber were not able to hold him, untill they called in more helpe, who together bound him hand and foot; and suffering the said gentleman to lie still until his furie were past, hee within an hower came againe to himselfe, when being demaunded by the Kinges Majestie what he saw or did all that while, answered, that he had been in a sounde sleepe.

Item, the saide Doctor did also confesse, that hee had used meanes sundrie times to obtaine his purpose and wicked intent of the same gentlewoman, and seeing himselfe disappointed of his intention, hee determined by all wayes hee might to obtaine the same, trusting by conjuring, witchraft, and sorcerie, to obtaine it in this manner.

It happened this gentlewoman being unmarried, had a brother who went to schoole with the saide Doctor, and calling the saide scholler to him, demaunded if hee did lie with his sister, who answered he did, by meanes whereof he thought to obtain his purpose, and therefore secretly promised to teach him without stripes, so he woulde obtaine for him three hairs of his sister's privitees, at such time as hee should spie best occasion for it; which the youth promised faithfully to performe, and vowed speedily to put it in practice, taking a piece of conjured paper of his maister to lap them in when hee had gotten them; and thereupon the boy practised nightly to obtaine his maister's purpose, especially when his sister was asleep.

But God, who knoweth the secret of all harts, and revealeth all wicked and ungodly practices, would not suffer the intents of this divelish Doctor to come to that purpose which hee supposed it woulde, and therefore to declaire that hee was heavily offended with his wicked intent, did so work by the gentlewoman's own meanes, that in the ende the same was discovered and brought to light; for shee being one night asleep, and her brother in bed with her, sodainly cried out to her mother, declaring that her brother woulde not suffer her to sleepe; whereupon, her mother having a quicke capacitie, did vehemently suspect Doctor Fian's intention, by reason shee was a witch of herself, and therefore presently arose, and was very inquisitive of the boy to understand his intent, and the better to know the same, did beat him with sundrie stripes, whereby hee discovered the truth unto her.

The mother, therefore, being well practised in witchcraft, did thinke it most convenient to meete with the Doctor in his owne arte, and thereupon took the paper from the boy wherein hee would have put the same haires, and went to a yong heyfer which never had borne calf, nor gone unto the bull, and with a paire of sheeres clipped off three haires from the udder of the cow, and wrapt them in the same paper, which shee again delivered to the boy, then willing him to give the same to his saide maister, which hee immediately did.

The schoole maister, so soone as he did recieve them, thinking them indeede to be the maids haires, went straight and wrought his arte upon them: But the Doctor had no sooner done his intent to them, but presently the hayfer cow, whose haires they were indeede, came unto the door of the church wherein the schoole maister was, into the which the hayfer went, and made towards the schoole maister, leaping and dancing upon him, and following him forth of the church, and to what place soever he went, to the great admiration of all the townsmen of Saltpans, and many others who did behold the same.

The report whereof made all men imagine that hee did worke it by the divel, without whome it coulde never have been so sufficiently effected; and thereupon the name of the saide Doctor Fian (who was but a young man), began to grow common among the people of Scotland, that he was secretly nominated for a notable conjurer.

All which, although in the beginning he denied, and woulde not confesse, yet having felt the paine of the bootes,[4] (and the charme stinted as aforesaide) hee confessed all the aforesaide to be most true, without producing any witnesses to justifie the same; and thereupon before the Kings Majestie hee subscribed the sayd confessione with his owne hande, which for truth remaineth upon record in Scotland.

After that the depositions and examinations of the sayd Doctor Fian, alias Cuningham, was taken, as alreddie is declared, with his own hand willingly set thereunto, hee was by the maister of the prison commited to ward, and appointed to a chamber by himselfe, where foresaking his wicked wayes, acknowledging his most ungodly life, shewing that hee had too much followed the allurements and enticements of Sathan, and fondly practised his conclusions by conjuring, witchcraft, inchantment, sorcerie, and such like, he renounced the divel and all his wicked workes, vowed to lead the lyfe of a Christian, and seemed newly converted towards God.

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.

FINIS.