s, and immediately the whole bulk of the people were
smitten with an epidemic fear of the devil and his mortal agents. Persons
in the highest ranks of life shared and encouraged the delusion of the
vulgar. Many were themselves accused of witchcraft; and noble ladies were
shewn to have dabbled in mystic arts, and proved to the world that if they
were not witches, it was not for want of the will.

Among the dames who became notorious for endeavouring to effect their
wicked ends by the devil's aid may be mentioned the celebrated Lady
Buccleugh of Branxholme (familiar to all the readers of Sir Walter Scott),
the Countess of Lothian, the Countess of Angus, the Countess of Athol,
Lady Kerr, the Countess of Huntley, Euphemia Macalzean (the daughter of
Lord Cliftonhall), and Lady Fowlis. Among the celebrated of the other sex
who were accused of wizardism was Sir Lewis Ballantyne, the Lord
Justice-Clerk for Scotland, who, if we may believe Scot of Scotstarvet,
"dealt by curiosity with a warlock called Richard Grahame," and prayed him
to raise the devil. The warlock consented, and raised him _in propria
persona_ in the yard of his house in the Canongate, "at sight of whom the
Lord Justice-Clerk was so terrified, that he took sickness and thereof
died." By such idle reports as these did the envious ruin the reputation
of those they hated; though it would appear in this case that Sir Lewis
had been fool enough to make the attempt of which he was accused, and that
the success of the experiment was the only apocryphal part of the story.

[Illustration: JOHN KNOX.]

The enemies of John Knox invented a similar tale, which found ready
credence among the Roman Catholics, glad to attach any stigma to that
grand scourge of the vices of their Church. It was reported that he and
his secretary went into the churchyard of St. Andrew's with the intent to
raise "some sanctes;" but that, by a mistake in their conjurations, they
raised the great fiend himself instead of the saints they wished to
consult. The popular rumour added, that Knox's secretary was so frightened
at the great horns, goggle eyes, and long tail of Satan, that he went mad,
and shortly afterwards died. Knox himself was built of sterner stuff, and
was not to be frightened.

The first name that occurs in the records of the High Court of Justiciary
of persons tried or executed for witchcraft, is that of Janet Bowman in
1572, nine years after the passing of the act of Mary. No par