reat wonder and witch-detector. It was in the
course of these exhibitions that he was brought to a little town on the
Lancashire border of Yorkshire and was taken to the afternoon church
service, where a young minister, who was long afterwards to become a
famous opponent of the superstition, was discoursing to his
congregation. The boy was held up by those in charge as if to give him
the chance to detect witches among the audience. The minister saw him,
and at the end of the service at once came down to the boy, and without
parley asked him, "Good boy, tell me truly, and in earnest, didst thou
see and hear such things of the meeting of the witches as is reported by
many that thou dost relate?" The boy, as Webster has told the story, was
not given time for reply by the men in charge of him, who protested
against such questions. The lad, they said, had been before two justices
of the peace, and had not been catechized in that fashion.[11]

A lone skeptic had little chance to beat back the wave of excitement
created by the young Robinson's stories. His success prompted him to
concoct new tales.[12] He had seen Lloynd's wife sitting on a cross-bar
in his father's chimney; he had called to her; she had not come down but
had vanished in the air. Other accounts the boy gave, but none of them
revealed the clear invention of his first narrative.

He had done his work. The justices of the peace were bringing in the
accused to the assizes at Lancaster. There Robinson was once more called
upon to render his now famous testimony. He was supported by his
father,[13] who gave evidence that on the day he had sent his boy for
the cattle he had gone after him and as he approached had heard him cry
and had found him quite "distracted." When the boy recovered himself, he
had related the story already told. This was the evidence of the father,
and together with that of the son it constituted the most telling piece
of testimony presented. But it served, as was usual in such cases, as an
opening for all those who, for any reason, thought they had grounds of
suspicion against any of their neighbors. It was recalled by one witness
that a neighbor girl could bewitch a pail and make it roll towards her.
We shall later have occasion to note the basis of fact behind this
curious accusation. There was other testimony of an equally damaging
character. But in nearly all the cases stress was laid upon the bodily
marks. In one instance, indeed, nothing