imp in her likeness, came to him as he
was lying in bed, and "whisked about his face a wet cloath of very
loathsome savour; after which he did see one clothed in russet, with a
little bush beard, who told him he was sent to looke vpon his sore legge,
and would heale it." When Newton rose to take a fairer look, he saw that
the russet man with a little bush beard had cloven feet, so refused his
offer of chirurgery. After this Mary was constantly sending her imps to
him--a toad and crabs--which crawled about the house, "which was a shoppe
planchered with boords, where his seruants (hee being a shoo maker) did
worke;" and one of them took the toad and flung it into the fire, during
which time the witch was grievously tormented. So nothing would serve
Edmund Newton's turn but he must "scratch her;" yet when he strove to do
so his nails turned like feathers, and he had no power over her, not even
to raise the skin so much as a nine weeks' old babe might have done. At
another time a great water-dog ran over his bed--the chamber door being
shut--and he fell lame in his hand, and did not recover the use of it
again. And then the law interfered, and Mary Smith was brought before the
magistrates to answer to the charge of witchcraft--by them committed to
the assizes--found guilty by judge and jury--and hanged by the neck till
she was dead, as a warning to the time and her own kind. This murder was
done 1616.

RUTTERKIN.[124]

The Earl and Countess of Rutland had shown much kindness to the widow Joan
Flower, and her two daughters Philip and Margaret. Joan and Philip were
employed at the castle pretty constantly as charwomen, and Margaret was
taken into the castle itself, "looking both to the poultrey abroad and the
washhouse within doores," and evidently a great favourite with my Lady,
who trusted her much. Their good fortune raised them up a host of
enemies, as is always the case; and backbiters went with tales to the Lord
and Lady, saying, "First, that Ioane Flower the Mother was a monstrous
malicious woman, full of oathes, curses, and imprecations, irreligious,
and, for any thing they saw by her, a plaine Atheist; besides of late days
her very countenance was estranged, her eyes were fiery and hollow, her
speech fell and enuious, her demeanour strange and exoticke, and her
conuersation sequestered; so that the whole course of her life gaue great
suspition that she was a notorious witch, yea some of her neighbours dared
to aff