nday night, when
she seemed to come to her worst. Suddenly the candle, which they had not
been noticing, went out, and she set up a lamentable cry; they lighted
another, but it burnt so dim it was almost useless, and the friends and
neighbours themselves began to be disquieted. Wildly and hurriedly cried
Margaret, "Look! do you not see the Devil?" herself all terrified and
disturbed. They bade her be still and pray. Then said Margaret, "Well, if
you see nothing now, you shall see something by and bye;" and "forthwith
they heard a noise in the streete, as it had been the coming of two or
three carts, and presently they in the chamber cried out, 'Lord helpe us,
what manner of thing is this that commeth here!'" For up to the bedside
where the woman lay with heaving breasts and dilated eyes, came a thing
like a bear, only that it had no head and no tail; a thing "half a yard in
height and half a yard in length" (no bigger, Margaret? not so big as a
well-trussed man on all-fours?) which, when her husband saw, he took a
joyn'd stool, and "stroke" at it, and the blow sounded as though it had
fallen on a feather bed. But the creature took no notice of the man: it
wanted only Margaret. Slowly it paddled round the bed, then smote her
thrice on the feet, took her out of bed, and rolled her to and fro in the
chamber, round about the floor and under the bed; the husband and friends,
sore amazed and affrighted, only calling on God to assist them, not daring
to lift a hand for themselves or her. And all the while the candle grew
dimmer and dimmer, so that they could scarce see each other: which was
what Margaret and the headless bear, no doubt, desired. Then the creature
took her in its arms, thrust her head between her legs so that he made her
into a round ball, and "so roulled her in a rounde compasse like an Hoope
through three other Chambers, downe an highe paire of staires, in the
Hall, where he kept her for the space of a quarter of an hour." The people
above durst not come down, but remained above, weeping pitifully and
praying with loud and fervent prayer. And there was such a terrible stench
in the hall, and such fiery flames darting hither and thither, that they
were fain to stop their noses with clothes and napkins, expecting every
moment to find that hell was opening beneath their feet, and that they
would be no longer able to keep out of harm's way and the Devil's. Then
Margaret cried out, "He is gone. Now he is gone!" and h