XIII.—King Duff, the 78th King of Scotland, bewitched.
Though this be well known to all who read our Scots Histories, yet it will not be amiss to insert it here, as in its own place, for their sakes especially who have not heard of it. While the king was about the settling of the country, and punishing the troublers of the peace, he began to be sore afflicted in his body with a new and unheard of disease, no causes of his sickness appearing in the least. At length, after several remedies and cures were made use of to no purpose, a report was spread, the authors thereof being uncertain, that the king was brought to that sickness and trouble by witches. The suspicion arose from an unusual sweating he was under, his body pining and withering away by little and little, and his strength failing day by day; and since all his physicians had done their utmost, and yet no appearance of recovery, it was supposed his case was extraordinary. Therefore all men being vehemently intent upon the event, news came to the court, that night-meetings were kept at Forres, a town in Murray, for taking away the life of the king. This was presently received and believed for truth, because no other thing did occur for the present more probable. Whereupon trusty and faithful men are presently sent away to one Donald, governor of the castle there, in whom the king had the greatest trust and confidence. This man having gotten some knowledge of the business from a certain young wench, whose mother was under a bad report of being skilful in this black art, found out and discovered the whole matter. The young harlot is taken, because she had spoken some words rashly anent the king’s sickness, and that within a few days his life would be at an end. Some of the guard being sent, found the lass’s mother, with some haggs such as herself, roasting before a small moderate fire, the king’s picture made of wax. The design of this horrid act was, that as the wax by little and little did melt away, so the king’s body, by a continual sweating, might at last totally decay. The waxen image being found and broken, and those old haggs punished with death, the king did in that same moment recover. Compare this with the first relation, and you will find them jump and agree exactly.