all a demonstration of Satan's subtlety, whose design is still to
destroy all, partly by tempting many to presumption, and some
others to despair.'

The trial of Margaret Barclay took place in 1613. Her crime
consisted in having caused by means of spells the loss of a ship
at sea. She was said to have had a quarrel with the owner of the
shipwrecked vessel, in the course of which she uttered a wish
that all on board might sink to the bottom of the sea. Her
imprecation was accomplished, and upon the testimony of an
itinerant juggler, John Stewart, she was arraigned before a Court
of Justice. With the help of the devil in the shape of a handsome
black dog, she had moulded some figures of clay representing the
doomed sailors, which with the prescribed rites were thrown into
the deep. We are informed by the reporters of the proceedings at
this examination, that 'after using this kind of gentle torture
[viz. placing the legs in a pair of stocks and laying on
gradually increasing weights of iron bars], the said Margaret
began, according to the increase of the pain, to cry and crave
for God's cause to take off her shin the foresaid irons, and she
should declare truly the whole matter. Which being removed, she
began at her formal denial; and being of new assayed in torture
as before, she then uttered these words: "Take off, take off! and
before God I shall show you the whole form." And the said irons
being of new, upon her faithful promise, removed, she then
desired my Lord of Eglinton, the said four justices, and the said
Mr. David Dickson, minister of the burgh; Mr. George Dunbar,
minister of Ayr; Mr. Mitchell Wallace, minister of Kilmarnock;
Mr. John Cunninghame, minister of Dalry; and Hugh Kennedy,
provost of Ayr, to come by themselves and to remove all others,
and she should declare truly, as she should answer to God, the
whole matter. Whose desire in that being fulfilled, she made her
confession in this manner without any kind of demand, freely
without interrogation: God's name by earnest prayer being called
upon for opening of her lips and easing of her heart, that she by
rendering of the truth might glorify and magnify His holy name
and disappoint the enemy of her salvation.'

One of those involved in the voluntary confession was Isabel
Crawford, who was frightened into admitting the offences alleged.
In court, when asked if she wished to be defended by counsel,
Margaret Barclay, whose hopes and fears were revived at