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herself unto him, from the top of her head to the sole of her foot; and that this was after declarant had renounced her baptism, and that the spirit's name which he designed her was Locas: and that about the third or fourth of January instant, or thereby, in the night-time, when she awaked, she found a man to be in bed with her, whom she supposed to be her husband, though her husband had been dead twenty years or thereby, and that the said man immediately disappeared; that this man who disappeared was the devil. Declares, that upon Thursday the fourth of January instant, she was present in the house of John Stuart, at night, when the effigies of clay was made, and that she saw the black man there, sometimes sitting, sometimes standing with John Stuart; and that the black man's cloaths were black, and that he had white handcuffs; and that Bessie Weir, in Pollocton, and Annabil Stuart, in Shaws, and Margery Craigie, were at the aforesaid time and place at making the said effigies of clay; and declares that she gave her consent to the making of the same, and that the devil's name who compeered in the black man's shape was Ejoll.

Sic Subscribitur, ita est, Robertus Park, Notatius Publicus, &c.

Then follows the depositions of certain persons, agreeing with confessions of the above-said witches.

"Andr. Martin, Servitour to the Lord of Pollock, of the age of thirty years, or thereby, deposes,

nes, that he was present in the house of Jannet Mathie, Pannel, when the picture of wax produced was found in a little hole in the wall at the back of the fire that Sir George, his sickness did fall upon him about the eighteenth of October, or thereby-that the picture of wax was found on the

of December, and that Sir George his sickness did abate and relent about the time the picture of wax was found and discovered in Jannet Mathie's house-that the pins were placed in the right and left sides; and that Sir George Maxwel, of Pollock, his pains, lay most in his right and left sides. Depones, that Sir George's pains did abate and relent after the finding of the said picture of wax, and taking out the pins as is saidthat the pannel, Jannet Mathie, has been by fame and bruite a reputed witch these several years past. And this is the truth, as he shall answer to God.-Sic Subscribitur, Andr. Martin.”

"Lawrence Pollock, Secretary to the Lord of Pollock, sworn and purged of partial counsel, depones that on the day of December he was in the Pannel Jannet Mathie's house when the picture was found; and that he did not see it before it was brought to the Pannel's door-that Sir George Maxwel of Pollock's sickness did seize upon him about the 14th of October, or thereabouts, and he did continue in his sickness or distemper for six weeks, or thereby-that Sir George's sickness did abate and relent after the finding of the said picture of wax, and taking out of the pins that were in the effigies-that by open bruit and common fame, Jannet Mathie, and Bessie Weir,

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and Margery Craige, are brandit to be witches. Depones, that the truth is this, as he shall answer to God. Sic Subscrib. Lawrence Pollock."

"LODAWIC' STUART, of Auckenhead, being sworn and purged of partial counsel, depones, that Sir George's sickness fell upon him the 14th or 13th day of October-that he was not present at the finding of the picture of wax; but that he had seen Sir George Maxwel, of Pollock, after it was found; and having seen him in his sickness oftentimes before, he did perceive that Sir George had sensibly recovered after the time that the said picture was said to have been found, which was upon the 11th or 12th of December—that Jannet Mathie and Margery Craigie, two of the Pannel, are by report of the country said to be witchesthat he having come to Pollock, he did see Sir George Maxwel, whose pains did recur, and that his pains and torments were greatly increased in respect of what they were before the finding of the picture of wax-that upon the eighth of January, when they left the said Sir George Maxwel, of Pollock, the deponent James Dunlop, of Housil, Allan Douglass, and several others, did go to the house of John Stuart, Warlock, on Pollockshaw, and there he found a picture of clay in the said John Stuart's bed-straw-that there were three pins in the said picture of clay, and that there was one on each side, and one in the breast-and further depones, that being returned to Sir George's house, Sir George told the deponent that he found great ease of his pains, and that it was before the deponent Hounsil, and the rest, did reveal to him

that they had found the said picture of clay, and further, that this is the truth, as he shall answer to God.-Sic. Subscrib. Lodowick Stuart."

There are more depositions of a similar nature whence these were extracted, but these are enough to discover that the confession of those witches are neither fables nor dreams. It belongs us, therefore, in this enlightened age, when superstition has fled before the rays of science and the influence of religion, to account for the then prevalent notion, which appears so far to be authenticated, of the existence of witches. It is not enough to say that people are barbarous, ignorant, or unenlightened, to exculpate them from charges involving such strong points as supernatural with human agency. In this stage of investigation, nothing is more natural than to ask, did witches ever exist? Yes.

Upon what authority? Sacred Writ.-Are there such beings as witches now? We hear of none.Then the last grand question, to which a secret of some importance is attached-What has become of them? have they vanished into viewless air, without leaving a wreck behind; or are they consigned to the "bottom of the bottomless pit?" Of this we may say something hereafter; while in the meantime we lay before our readers

THE CONFESSION OF AGNES SYMPSON TO
KING JAMES.

"Item.-Fyled and convict for samecle, as she confest before his Majesty that the devil in man's likeness met her going out in the fields, from her own

house a Keith, betwixt five and six at even, being alone, and commendit her to be at Northborrick Kirk the next night. And she passed then on horseback, conveyed by her good-son called John Cooper, and lighted at the Kirk-yard, or a little before she came to it, about eleven hours at even. They danced along the Kirk-yard, Geilie Duncan plaid to them on a trump, John Fien, mussiled, led all the rest; the said Agnes and her daughter followed next. Besides there were Kate Grey, George Moile's wife, Robert Guerson, Catherine Duncan Buchanan, Thomas Barnhill and his wife, Gilbert Macgil, John Macgil, Catherine Macgil, with the rest of their complices, above an hundred persons, whereof there were six men, and all the rest women. The women made first their homage and then the men. The men were turned nine times Widdershins about, and the women six times. John Fien blew up the doors and in the lights, which were like mickle black candles sticking round about the pulpit. The devil started up himself in the pulpit, like a mickle black man, and every one answered here. Mr. Robert Guerson being named, they all ran hirdie girdie, and were angry; for it was promised he should be called Robert the Comptroller, alias Rob the Rowar, for expriming of his name. The first thing he demandit was, as they kept all promise, and been good servants, and what they had done since the last time they convened. At his command they opened up three graves, two within, and one without the Kirk, and took off the joints of their fingers, toes, and neise, and parted them

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