being possibly
copied from the Christian ceremony and therefore of later date. It does not
seem to occur in England and hardly at all in Scotland. The earliest
mention is in the Basses-Pyrenees (1609), where Jeannette d'Abadie stated
'qu'elle a veu souuent baptiser des enfans au sabbat, qu'elle nous expliqua
estre des enfans des sorcieres & non autres, lesquelles ont accoutume faire
plustost baptiser leurs enfans au sabbat qu'en l'Eglise'.[271] The rite,
however, was practised in Bute in 1662: Margret NcLevine confessed--

'that being in a litle chamber in Balichtarach the devill came to her
in the lyknes of a man and deseired hir to goe with him, and that she
refusing he said I will not [blank] and she gave him [blank] she never
saw afterward and that she knew it was the devill and after he went
that he came bak and asked hir to give him hir hand quhich she
refusing to doe he took hir by the midle finger of the rycht hand
quhich he had almost cutt off hir and therwith left hir. Her finger
was so sorely pained for the space of a moneth ther after that ther
was no pain comparable to it, as also took her by the right leg quhich
was sorly pained likewayes as also be the devill. Item he came to her
againe as she was shaking straw in the barne of Ardroscidell in a very
ugly shape and that there he desired hir to goe with him and she
refusing he said to her I will either have thy self or then thy heart.
Item that he healed her sore foot and finger quhich finger is yet be
nummed. Item that before he haled her that she made a covenant with
him and promised to doe him any service that he wold imploy hir in.
Item that he asked quhat was her name. She answered him Margret the
name that God gave me, and he said to her I baptise the Jonet.'[272]

Isobell NcNicoll 'confessed that as she was in her owne house her alone
drawing acquavittie the devill came to her in the lyknes of a young man and
desyred her to goe with him and confesses that she made a covenant with him
quhairin he promised that she should not want meanes enough and she
promised to be his servand. Item that he baptised her and gave her a new
name and called her Caterine. Item that about a moneth therafter in the
night as she went out of her own back dore she met with the devill and spok
with him.'[273]--Jonet McNicoll 'confesses with remorse that about
hallowday as she was in Mary M