fants, or beasts which died of
themselves--that they never eat with salt, and that their bread is of
black millet. (De Lancre, pp. 104, 105.) In this diversity of opinion
I can only suggest, that difference of climate, habit, and fashion,
might possibly have its weight, and render a very different larder
necessary for the witches of Pendle and those of Gascony or Lorrain.
The fare of the former on this occasion appears to have been of a very
substantial and satisfactory kind, "beef, bacon, and roasted mutton:"
the old saying so often quoted by the discontented masters of
households applying emphatically in this case:--

"God sends us good meat, but the devil sends cooks."

We find in the present report no mention made of the

"Dance and provencal song"

which formed one great accompaniment of the orgies of the southern
witches. Bodin's authority is express, that each, the oldest not
excused, was expected to perform a coranto, and great attention was
paid to the regularity of the steps. We owe to him the discovery,
which is not recorded in any annals of dancing I have met with, that
the lavolta, a dance not dissimilar, according to his description, to
the polka of the present day, was brought out of Italy into France by
the witches at their festive meetings. Of the language spoken at these
meetings, De Lancre favours us with a specimen, valuable, like the
Punic fragment in the Poenolus, for its being the only one of the
kind. _In nomine patrica araguenco petrica agora, agora, Valentia
jouando goure gaiti goustia._ As it passes my skill, I can only
commend it to the especial notice of Mr. Borrow against his next
journey into Spain. What was spoken at Malkin Tower was, doubtless, a
dialect not yet obsolete, and which Tummus and Meary would have had no
difficulty in comprehending. On the subject of these witches'
Sabbaths, Dr. Ferriar remarks, in his curious and agreeable _Essay on
Popular Illusions_, (see _Memoirs of the Manchester Literary and
Philosophical Society_, vol. iii., p. 68,) a sketch which it is much
to be regretted that he did not subsequently expand and revise, and
publish in a separate form:--

The solemn meetings of witches are supposed to be put beyond
all doubt by the numerous confessions of criminals, who have
described their ceremonies, named the times and places of
meeting, and the persons present, and who have agreed in
their relations, though separately delive