d carry her over to Ireland, touching at Paisley by the way,
where she had a sister living; but now she saw through all his treachery
and perfidiousness, and understood how she had been made his dupe. She was
burnt in all penitence and good conduct, as was also another woman about
the same time, who, putting up her arm to swear that she was not a witch,
had it suddenly withered and stiffened so that she could not bring it back
again; nor was she able to do so, until a minister who was there, had
intreated God in her behalf; for the ministers were always men of mighty
power on such occasions, and either made or marred at their pleasure. If
they chose to accept a case as possession, they prayed and exorcised; but
if it seemed good to them to call it witchcraft, then the poor wretch's
life was doomed, and no man might hope to save. It was very seldom they
cared so much for humanity as to choose the more merciful of the two
absurdities. Sometimes, though, the devil was as good as his word, and
made at least an attempt, if a clumsy one, to release his servants: as
when he took Helen Eliot from the steeple of Culross where she was
confined, and carried her in his arms through the air. He might have
landed her in safety somewhere--who knows?--had she not cried out, "O God!
whither are you taking me?" At which words he let her fall "at the
distance from the steeple of about the breadth of the street of Edinburgh,
whereby she broke her legs and otherwise seriously injured herself." Many
thousand people flocked to see the dimple which her heels had made, and
over which no grass would grow again. So at last they built a stone dyke
round it, and kept the impression safe.

In 1649 Lady Pittathrow was delated of witchcraft. She was put in prison
waiting for her trial; but one morning she was found dead, having
strangled herself, or been strangled by the devil--the world might
determine which according to its pleasure. Shortly after, Bessie Grahame
was apprehended for a few drunken words said against John Rankin's wife,
who had since died. During a confinement of thirteen weeks she was
visited by the minister, who found her obdurate in confession, and was
much inclined to find her innocent of crime. But Alexander Bogue, a
pricker, came to examine her, and discovered the mark, into which he
thrust a pin, which neither pained nor drew blood. Still she was held to
be innocent, until one day Mr. James Fergusson, the minister, heard her
tal