ear last above mentioned. On the Bishop of London
proposing to put Felton on the rack with the view of obtaining from
him the names of his associates, the criminal replied, "If it must be
so, I know not whom I may accuse in the extremity of pain--Bishop
Laud, or perhaps any lord at this board." But we return to our proper
subject.

An appalling story of an English witch comes down to us from the ninth
century. The Berkly witch was rich and gay, living, to all appearance,
a life of pleasure; but, having sold herself to the devil, a sad day
of reckoning came at last. Before her death she called on the monks
and nuns of a monastery, to whom she confessed that she had entered
into a compact with Satan, who would, after her death, snatch away
body and soul, unless prevented by means she explained. According to
directions, her body was sewed into a stag's skin, and placed in a
stone coffin, strongly secured with an iron chain. If the holy men and
women, she said, could prevent the devil for three days from getting
her, he could not after that time injure either her body or spirit.
Faithfully did the monks and nuns watch over the witch's dead body,
protected as far as iron, stone, and lead could do. On the first two
nights minor demons kept up a loud howling. On the third night the
monastery swarmed with more powerful demons, one of whom proved so
strong and terrible that he shook the sacred edifice to its
foundation. In spite of all the precautions taken, the big fiend burst
into the church, went straight to the witch's coffin, and commanded
her to follow him. With faltering tongue the dead woman said she could
not stir, as she was chained down. A slight twist of his hand broke
the chain into two pieces. Slowly the corpse rose; and the devil
dragged his prey to the door, where stood a horse breathing fire. Away
went horse, devil, and witch down to the infernal abode.

King Edward II. of England and two of his favourites had an attempt
made on their lives by persons who sought the assistance of Master
John of Nottingham, a famous necromancer. John agreed, for a money
consideration, to assist them. He made wax images, representing his
Majesty and the other gentlemen intended for death. The necromancer,
his assistant, and twenty-seven Coventry men were tried for the foul
offence, but escaped punishment, the evidence against them proving
insufficient to warrant a conviction.

Ursley Kempe _alias_ Gray, an English witch, killed