to attend it are lashed by demons
with a rod made of serpents and scorpions. In France and England
the witches ride upon broomsticks; but in Italy and Spain the Devil
himself, in the shape of a goat, supports them on his back, which
lengthens or shortens according to the number of witches he is
desirous of accommodating. No witch, when proceeding to the
Sabbath, can go out by a door or window, were she to try ever so
much. Their general mode of ingress is by a keyhole and of egress
by the chimney, up which they fly, broom and all, with the greatest
ease. To prevent the absence of the witches being noticed by their
neighbours, some inferior demon is commanded to assume their shapes
and lie in their beds, feigning illness, until the Sabbath is over.
When all the wizards and witches arrive at the place of rendezvous,
the infernal ceremonies begin. Satan, having assumed his favourite
shape of a large he-goat, with a face in front and another in his
haunches, takes a seat upon the throne; and all present in
succession pay their respects to him and kiss him on his face
behind. This done, he appoints a master of the ceremonies, in
company with whom he makes a personal examination of all the
witches to see whether they have the secret mark upon them by which
they are stamped as the Devil's own. The mark is always insensible
to pain. Those who have not yet been marked receive the mark from
the master of ceremonies--the Devil, at the same time, bestowing
nicknames upon them. This done, they all begin to sing and dance in
a most furious manner, until some one arrives who is anxious to be
admitted into the society. They are then silent for a while until
the newcomer has denied his salvation, kissed the Devil, spat upon
the Bible, and sworn obedience to him in all things. They then
begin dancing with all their might, and singing.... In the course
of an hour or two they generally become wearied of this violent
exercise, and then they all sit down and recount all their evil
deeds since last meeting. Those who have not been malicious and
mischievous enough towards their fellow-creatures receive personal
chastisement from Satan himself, who flogs them with thorns and
scorpions until they are covered with blood and unable to sit or
stand. When this ceremony is conclud