er husband joyfully
bade her come up to him again; which she did, but so quickly that they
greatly marvelled at it, and thought to be sure the Devil had helped her.
Yet she proved to be none the worse for the encounter: which was singular,
as times went. They then put her in bed, and four of them kept down the
clothes, praying fervently. Suddenly the woman was got out of bed: she did
not move herself by nerves, muscles, or will, of course; but she was
carried out by a supernatural power, and taken to the window at the head
of the bed. But whether the devil or she opened the window, the pamphlet
does not determine. Then her legs were thrust out of the window, and the
people heard a thing knock at her feet as if it had been upon a tub; and
they saw a great fire, and they smelt a grievous smell; and then, by the
help of their prayers, they pulled Margaret into the room again, and set
her upon her feet. After a few moments she cried out, "O Lord, methinks I
see a little childe!" But they paid no heed to her. Twice or thrice she
said this, and ever more earnestly; and at last they all looked out at the
window, for they thought to be sure she must have some meaning for her
raving. And "loe, they espied a thing like unto a little child, with a
bright shining countenaunce casting a greate light in the chamber." And
then the candle, which had hitherto burnt blue and dim, gave out its
natural light so that they could all see each other. Whereupon they fell
to joyful prayer, and gave thanks to God for the deliverance. And Margaret
Cooper was laid in her bed again, calm, smiling, and collected, never more
to be troubled by a Headless Bear which rolled her about like a ball, or
by a bright shining child looking out from the chinks of a rude magic
lantern. As for the bear, I confess I think he was nearer akin to man than
devil; that he was known about Rockington in Gloucestershire; and that
Margaret Cooper understood the conduct of the plot from first to last. But
then this is the sceptical nineteenth century, wherein the wiles of human
cunning are more believed in than the power of the devil, or the miracles
of supernaturalism. Yet this was a case which, in spite of all its fraud
and folly so patently displayed, was cited as one of the most notorious
and striking instances of the power of Satan over the bodies as well as
the souls of those who gave themselves up to the things of the world.

THE WITCHES OF WARBOIS.[107]

In 1589, R