bewitched you and four
children.' 'Be content,' quoth he, 'by the grace of God, Jesus Christ can
unwitch us; for none evill can happen to them that fear God.'"

This fresh and pure idyl comes to us with a sweet and wholesome savour, in
the midst of the foul quagmires of superstition where it stands; and that
poor husbandman's simple faith in God's goodness and his wife's virtue is
more touching than many a grand heroic deed which has the suffrages of all
history to float it through the life of the world. Simon Davie was an
unlettered man, but he was strong-hearted and believing, and, thinking
that earnest prayer might comfort his wife, when the time approached for
the Devil to come and close his bargain, knelt down by her and prayed, she
joining with him fervently. Then they heard a low rumbling noise below
which made the windows shake, and which convinced the poor wife that it
was the Devil trying to take possession of her soul, but barred out from
the chamber by the fervent prayers aforesaid. In the morning it was found
that the noise came from a dog which had devoured a sheep that was newly
flayed and hung against the wall; and in due time, Ade Davie recovering
her reason--for she was crazed, and took every fire to be the fire lighted
to burn her for witchcraft--came to the knowledge that she had never sold
her soul to the Devil at all, and had never bewitched husband or children,
but had always been a faithful wife and fond mother--afflicted with a
light brain and nervous imagination.

THE POSSESSION OF MILDRED NORRINGTON.[98]

Mildred, the "base daughter" of Alice Norrington, being seventeen years of
age, was likewise possessed of the Devil, in much the same way as
Alexander Nyndge had been. She lived as servant with William Spooner of
Westwell, in the county of Kent, and her case attracted great attention.
All the divines of the neighbourhood assembled at Spooner's house on the
13th of October, 1574, to endeavour to cast out the Devil by such means of
prayer and exorcism as they had at their command. Powerfully did they
pray; mightily roared the Devil; "And tho' we did command him many times,
in the Name of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, and in his mighty Power
to speak, yet he would not, until he had gone through all his Delays, as
roaring, crying, striving, and gnashing of teeth, and otherwise, with
mowing and other terrible Countenances, and was so strong in the Maid that
four men could scarce hold her do