mming a witch was another method, and this was the one generally
resorted to. The suspected person was taken to a river or pool of water,
her feet and hands were tied, and she was thrown in; if she sank she was
innocent, if she floated she was a witch, and never reached the bank
alive.

Such as the preceding were some of the ridiculous trials to which poor,
badly clad, aged, toothless, and wrinkled women were put by their
superstitious neighbours to ascertain whether these miserable women were
in league with the devil.

CONJURORS.

1. It was formerly believed that men could sell themselves to the devil,
and thus become the possessors of supernatural power. These men were
looked upon as malicious conjurors.

2. Another species of conjurors practised magical arts, having obtained
their knowledge from the study of books. These were accounted able to
thwart the designs of evil workers of every description.

3. There was another class of men supposed to have obtained strange
power from their ancestors. They were looked upon as charmers and
conjurors by descent.

1. Those who belonged to the first-mentioned class were not in communion
with the Church, and the first step taken by them to obtain their object
was to unbaptize themselves. The process was as follows:--The person who
wished to sell himself to the devil went to a Holy Well, took water
therefrom three times into his mouth, and spurted it out in a derisive
manner, and thus having relieved himself, as it was thought, of his
baptismal vow, he was ready and fit to make a contract with the evil one.

2. The second kind of conjurors obtained their knowledge of the occult
science from the study of books. Generally learned men were by the
ignorant supposed to possess uncanny power. When the writer lived in
Carnarvonshire he was informed that Owen Williams, Waenfawr, had magical
books kept in a box under lock and key, and that he never permitted
anyone to see them. Poor Owen Williams, I wonder whether he knew of the
popular rumour!

The following tale of Huw Llwyd's books I obtained from the Rev. R.
Jones, rector of Llanycil.

_Huw Llwyd and his Magical Books_.

The story, as it has reached our days, is as follows:--It is said that
Huw Llwyd had two daughters; one of an inquisitive turn of mind, like
himself, while the other resembled her mother, and cared not for books.
On his death bed he called his learned daughter to his side, and di