a little boy, who then turned into a snake, and then
into "a shagged dog with great eyes, which went about in the Circle." And
after she had burnt her noisome herbs again, and looked in her Magic
book--her Book of Charms as she called it--she took a glass and showed in
that "Mistress Sarah Goddard's Chamber, the colour of the Curtains, and
the bed turned up the wrong way, and under that part of the bed where the
Bolster laye she shewed the poison in a white paper." It was no discredit
to maid or witch that this poisoning matter was found a mere suspicion and
delusion, and that the young ladies never designed to poison their
mother-in-law; though she, on the other hand, sent to Bodenham for charms
and poisons against them. This time Anne got vervain and dill, which the
little ragged boys (spectres, or spirits, or imps) gathered for her, in
return for which she threw them bread which they ate, dancing about, then
vanished on their mistress reading in her book. The witch gave the maid
the leaves powdered, and dried--one packet of each--while, in a third
packet, she put the parings of her nails; all of which the maid was to
give to her mistress. The powder was to be put into Mistresses Sarah and
Anne Goddard's drink or broth, to give them hideous indigestion rather too
coarsely expressed for modern reading; the leaves were to rub about the
rim of the pot, to make their teeth fall out of their heads; and the
paring of the nails to make them drunk and mad. But Mrs. Goddard only
laughed when she got these charms, and said "they were brave things:" she
did not use them, luckily for her; though the young ladies would not have
been much the worse, save for the white poison before mentioned.

Anne Bodenham had taken a great fancy to this servant girl, and wanted her
to live with her, telling her that she would teach her all she knew, and
enable her to do as she did; asking her, too, whether she would go to
London high or low: for if high she should be carried through the air and
be there in two hours, if low she should be taken at Sutton's town end,
and before, "unless she had help." When she thus sought to seduce the
girl, Anne Styles asked what she could do, whereupon Bodenham
incontinently appeared in the form of a great black cat, and lay along by
the chimney; but the girl being much frightened, she appeared in her own
shape again, and tempted her no more. But first, before she would let her
go, she made her swear to seal with h