XXXVI.—Anent one Lizzie Muidy at Haddington.
This woman was a servant to Margaret Kirkwood there, a woman of good repute once, who before her death, took some trouble of mind, upon what account I shall not determine. She made some insinuation, it seems, to some of her friends, that she inclined to put hand on herself; whereupon she was attended and waited upon; but had her own liberty to retire herself to private prayer; in which exercise she was very frequent. Upon a Sabbath forenoon, when all were at church and she at home, none with her save only a servant-maid, she went into some high room or other, as she was wont to do, to her devotion, and there, before the maid could know, she hanged herself. In this very moment of time, this Elizabeth Muidy, her old servant, being in church, was observed to number upon her fingers fifty, or fifty-one, which number being ended, she cries out, with a loud voice, in presence of all, “Now the turn is done.” She was presently taken away as a distracted person; and news coming to the church, that such a woman had hanged herself, her old mistress, she was taken away to prison; but what her confession was, it is not well known. There are many other things reported, whereof I cannot give an account. This tragedy was acted within these few years at Haddington.