king to the devil as soon as she was alone. He knew it was the devil,
for his voice was hollow and ghoustie, and the servant, Alexander Sympson,
was like to have fallen back for fear. Still Bessie would never confess
anything beyond general unworthiness and the usual tale of vague misdeeds,
owning, indeed, to a special horror of him, the minister, and how she was
not "let to love him," as indeed was no special miracle; and then she fell
to railing at him bitterly, which was less a miracle than all else. So she
was burnt, dying obdurate and unconfessed; and thus another murder reeked
up to heaven, crying aloud for vengeance, because John Rankin's wife died
suddenly, and an intemperate old woman swore in her cups and had a habit
of speaking to herself.

Agnes Gourlay was accused of charming milk. She told Anna Simpson to throw
a small quantity of the milk into the "grupe" or sewer of the byre,
saying, "God betak us to! May be they are under the earth that have as
much need of it as they that are above the earth!" After which bread and
salt were to be put into the cows' ears, and milk would come. Agnes got
off by penance and confession: which was more than Janet Couts did, or
Archibald Watt, _alias_ "Sole the Paitlet;" though eleven other poor
creatures delated escaped their doom, partly because the burgh of Lanark
disliked having so many mouths to feed in prison pending their trial.

At Lauder, in 1649, Hob Grieve was accused of witchcraft. Twenty years
agone his wife, who had been burnt for a witch, told Hob that he might get
rich if he would follow her counsel and go along with her. So he went with
her to a haugh on Gallow-water, to meet, as she said, a gentleman there;
but he saw only a large mastiff dog, "which amazed him." At last came the
devil as a black man, telling him that if he would take suit and service
with him he should be made rich. He was to be officer at the meetings, and
hold the door at the sabbaths. Hob consented, and for eighteen years held
that office; but it does not seem that the foul fiend kept his part of the
condition, for Hob had enough to do to find salt for his porridge. He was
always poor, and remained poor to the end, with all the kicks and none of
the halfpence; and for his eighteen years of servitude got only suspicion
and ill-will, without fat or fry to comfort him. When taken, he "delated"
many, who, for the most part, confessed. After he had filled the prison,
so that it could hold no