Witchcraft, &c.,
(which is founded upon the examinations of James Wilson,
Abraham Macmillan, William Crichton, and Fyfe and George
Erskine, &c. led before Sir William Murray of Newtoun, and
other Commissioners, at Dalkeith, Jun. 14, 1661,) it is
stated, that 'Ther being enimitie betuixt the said
Christiane and Alexander Wilsone, her brother, and shoe
having often tymes threatned him, at length, about 7 or 8
monthes since, altho' the said Alexander was sene that day
of his death, at three houres afternoone, in good health,
walking about his bussnesse and office; yitt, at fyve howres
in that same night, he was fownd dead, lying in his owne
howse, naked as he was borne, with his face torne and rent,
without any appearance of a spot of blood either wpon his
bodie or neigh to it. And altho' many of the neiboures in
the toune (Dalkeith) come into his howse to see the dead
corpe, yitt shoe newar offered to come, howbeit her dwelling
was nixt adjacent thairto; nor had shoe so much as any
seiming greiff for his death. Bot the Minister and
Bailliffes of the towne, taking great suspitione of her, in
respect of her cairiage comand it that shoe showld be
browght in; bot when shoe come, shoe come trembling all the
way to the howse--bot _shoe refuised to come nigh_ THE CORPS
_or to_ TUITCH _it_ saying, that shoe "nevir tuitched a dead
corpe in her lyfe!" Bot being arnestly desyred by the
Minister, Bailliffes, and hir brother's friends who was
killed, that shoe wold "bot _tuitch the corpes softlie_,"
shoe granted to doe it--but before shoe did it, the Sone
being shyning in at the howse, shoe exprest her selfe thus,
humbly desyring, that "as the Lord made the Sone to shyne
and give light into that howse, that also _he wald give
light to discovering of that Murder_!" And with these words,
shoe TUITCHEING _the wound of the dead man, verie saftlie_,
it being whyte and cleane, without any spot of blod or the
lyke!--yitt IMEDIATLY, _whill her fingers was wpon it_, THE
BLOOD RUSHED OWT OF IT, to the great admiratioune[84] of all
the behoulders, who tooke it for _discoverie of the Murder_,
according to her owne prayers.--For ther was ane great lumpe
of flesh taken out of his cheik, so smowthlie, as no rasor
in the world cowld have made so ticht ane