n
Rutterkin the cat and bade him go upward, and which, by her incantations
and sorceries, caused a grievous illness to light on the little nobleman.
And she got a piece of Lady Katherine's handkercher, which her mother put
into hot water, "and then taking it out rubbed it on Rutterkin, bidding
him 'flye and go;' whereupon Rutterkin whined and cryed 'Mew,'" and the
mother said he had no power over Lady Katherine to hurt her. A few days
later both sisters were examined again, when Philip confessed that she had
a spirit which sucked her in the form of a white rat, and which she had
entertained for the space of two or three years, on condition that it
should cause Thomas Simpson to love her; and Margaret allowed that she had
two spirits, one white, the other black-spotted, to whom she had given her
soul, they covenanting to do all that she commanded them. Then she rambled
off into a wild statement of how on the thirtieth of January last, she,
being in Lincoln gaol, four devils appeared to her at eleven or twelve
o'clock at night; the one stood at her bed's foot, and had a black head
like an ape, and spake unto her; but what she could not well remember; at
which she was very angry that he would not speak plainer and let her
understand his meaning. She said that the other three were Rutterkin,
Little Robin, and Spirit, "but shee never mistrusted them nor suspected
herselfe till then." This closed the examinations of the two younger
women: for poor old Joan had died on her way to gaol "with a horrible
excruciation of soul and body," and so an end was come to of her. But if
there was nothing more to be got out of the Flower family, their
neighbours were not backward to help them with a bad word, when handy.
Anne Baker, evidently mad, Joan Willimot, and Ellen Greene, were brought
to say their say in the face of the country and before the county
justices. Joan Willimott gave evidence that Joan Flower had oftentimes
complained to her of the unfriendly conduct of my Lord of Rutland, in
turning her daughter out of the house, adding that though she could not
have her will of my Lord himself, she had spied his son and stricken him
to the heart--stricken him with a white spirit, which yet could be cured
if she so willed. Joan Willimott then "fyled" herself for a witch, saying
that she had a spirit called Pretty, given to her by her master, William
Berry of Langholme, in Rutlandshire, whom she had served three years. When
he gave it to he