Satan's Invisible World Discovered /

Sir, I cannot but much approve of your design in publishing “Satan’s invisible world discovered,” especially at this time, when there are so many that deny the existence of devils, spirits, and witches, and will credit nothing but what they see with their eyes. I shall inform you of three remarkable stories, which may be attested by famous witnesses, many of which are yet living.——I had the curiosity, when I was a scholar, to pass over from Borrowstounness to Culross, to see a notable witch burnt. She was carried to the place of execution in a chair by four men, by reason her legs and her belly were broken, by one of the devil’s cunning tricks which he played her. This woman was watched one night in the steeple of Culross by two men, John Shank, a flesher, and one John Drummond; who being weary, went to another room, where there was a fire, to take a pipe. But to secure her, they put her feet in the stocks, and locked them as well as might be. But no sooner were they gone out of the room, but the devil came into the prison, and told her he was obliged to deliver her from the shame she was like to suffer for his sake; and accordingly took her out of the stocks, and embracing her, carried her out of the prison; at which she being terrified, made this exclamation by the way, “O God, whither art thou taking me?” At which words he let her fall, at the distance from the steeple, about the breadth of the street of Edinburgh, where she broke her legs and belly. I saw the impression and dimple of her heels, as many thousands did, which continued for six or seven years; upon which place no grass would ever grow. At last there was a stone-dike built upon the place.—My second relation shall be of some witches at Borrowstounness, which were the occasion of much inquiry after them there. Anno 1644, a certain woman in the town came about eight o’clock in the morning into her neighbour’s house, after a most furious manner, and assaulted her, by scratching her face, and pulling the hair out of her head, saying, “Thou traitor thief, thou thought to have destroyed my son this morning, but it was not in thy power.” The ship wherein the young man was a sailor, had been under a dreadful tempest off and on St. Abb’s Head, that morning; with the violence of a sea, which came in upon the deck, he was cast over board on one side of the ship, and, to the admiration of all, he was cast upon deck again, upon the other side, without harm. This marvellous business being reported about eight o’clock by the mariners, when they came a-shore, and being compared with what the one woman said to the other that morning, both of them were apprehended, and, after their confession, were both burnt, many hundreds being spectators, whereof I was one.—The last, which is more remarkable, shall be anent the wife of one Goodall, a cooper in the parish of Carron. This woman was about thirty-two or thirty-three years of age, a most beautiful and comely person as was in the country about. She was often filed and delated by many who had been burnt. They told, that amongst them all, she was the person whom the devil at their meetings did most court and embrace, calling her constantly, “My dear mistress,” setting her always at his right hand, to the great discontent of his old hags, whom, as they conceived, he now slighted. She was apprehended, and committed to prison. At this time there was one James Fleming, a master of a ship there, a person of great courage, strength, and resolution, who had it insinuate to him by her, when he was exhorting her to confess, that in respect she understood he was to be upon her watch the next night, if she got no deliverance as she expected before one o’clock in the morning, she would lay her heart open to him before others. At which he being apprehensive of what might fall out, as indeed he had reason, went to his uncle, a grave and experienced person, who advised him to take all his ships company, to the number of fourteen able men, and keep watch, not forgetting the reading of scripture, and earnest prayer to God. The night was still and calm, like a summer’s night, without the least appearance of change, when upon a sudden at midnight, as James Fleming himself was discoursing to her, and again, as the custom was, holding her by the hand, I say, upon a sudden, a terrible tempest, like a hurricane, came on, which took the roof from the house, to their great consternation; and a voice was heard three times, calling her by a strange name to come away; at which time she made three several leaps upward, increasing gradually, till her feet were as high as his breast. But he held her by both the arms, and (as he used to say, when he spoke of it), he be-teached himself strongly and earnestly to God, though with great amazement, his hair standing widdershins in his head. And after the third call, he prevailed against the greatest effort which ever he felt, and threw her on the ground, she grovelling and foaming like one having the falling sickness, where she fell into a profound sleep, for the space of two or three hours. When she awakened, she declaimed most bitterly against the devil’s treachery and perfidiousness, who had promised to carry her to Ireland before four o’clock in the morning, and to touch at Paisley, where she might see her sister in passing. She made a free and full confession, and delated many women, some of them of good repute, who afterwards confessed and died also. The author of this letter is a person of great honesty and sincerity. From the first relation of his, we have an evident instance, that the devil can transport the bodies of men and women through the air. ’Tis true, he did not carry her far off, but not for want of skill and power. Neither was he afraid to hear the name of God spoken; but proposing to destroy both the soul and body of the poor creature, he has pretended so much to excuse himself at her hand.——The first story brings me in mind of one Creek, a witch put in prison in the steeple of Culross, to whom several years ago Mr. Alexander Colvil, justice-depute, came, a gentleman of great sagacity and knowledge as to witches. He asked if she was a witch? She denied. “Dare you hold up your hand and swear that you are not a witch!” “Yes, Sir,” said she. But behold what a remarkable judgment of God came upon her! While she was swearing, with her arm lifted up, it become as stiff as a tree, that she could not pull it in again, to the amazement of all that were present. One person yet living there was a witness, and can attest this. The gentleman, seeing the vengeance of God upon her for her wickedness, falls down presently upon his knees, and entreated the Lord on her behalf, who was graciously pleased to hear him.—Some are of opinion, that the devil cannot raise winds and storms upon the sea and land. This is evident from the last relation in the letter, which puts me in mind of a terrible tempest in the Firth, that day when Bessie Fowler was burnt at Musselburgh, in May 16. The devil promised to her, that she should not die at that time; whereupon she looking out at the prison window, spake very confidently to the folk below, “You think to see me burnt the day, but you will be deceived.” The hurricane did so prevail, that in effect every body suspected that she should not have died that day. The morning and the forenoon were very calm.