ely are fragmentary and imperfect. The books in
which they were originally written seem to have been formed of a few
sheets of paper stitched together. Then at some later period a number
of these separate sections--in a more or less tattered condition--were
gathered into volumes and bound together in vellum. It is evident,
however, that very little care was exercised in their arrangement in
chronological order. The consequence is that one portion of a trial
sometimes occurs in one part of a volume, and the rest in another
part; sometimes the depositions alone seem to have been preserved;
sometimes the confessions; while in many cases the sentences
pronounced are all that can now be discovered. Nevertheless these old
Records enshrine much that is interesting, and very well deserve a
more exhaustive analysis than they have ever yet received. There are
also in the margins of these volumes, scores of pen-and-ink sketches
of a most primitive description, depicting the carrying out of the
various rigours of the law. Rough and uncouth as these illustrations
are, they nevertheless possess a good deal of graphic significance,
and I hope to reproduce some of them in facsimile, in a future
publication. They represent, for instance, culprits hanging on the
gallows--sometimes two or three in a row--with a fire kindled
underneath; others attached to stakes in the midst of the flames;
others, again, racing away under the lash of the executioner, &c.,
&c., and thus form a most realistic comment on the judicial severities
recorded in the text.

WITCHCRAFT TRIALS IN GUERNSEY,

From 1563 to 1634, a period of 71 years.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.--1558-1603.

HELIER GOSSELIN, Bailiff, 1550-1563.

_November 19th, 1563._

Gracyene Gousset,
Catherine Prays,
Collette Salmon, wife of Collas Dupont,

Condemned to death and the Royal pardon refused.

_December 17th, 1563._

Francoise Regnouff,
Martin Tulouff,

Condemned to death and the Royal pardon refused.

_December 22nd, 1563._

Collette Gascoing.

This woman was found guilty, and the Royal pardon being
refused, she was whipped, had one of her ears cut off, and
was banished from the island.

THOMAS COMPTON, Bailiff, 1563-1572.

_July 30th, 1570._

Jeannette Du Mareesc,

Was banished for seven years.

_October 27th, 1570._

Michelle Tourtell,

Banished from the island.

_November 3rd, 1570._

Coliche Tourtell,
James de la