t in her art. She could cast sickness on any
one at sea, and cure him again by a salt-water bath; she could transfer
any disease from man to beast, so that when the beast died and was opened,
nothing could be found where its heart should have been but "a blob of
water;" she knew how to charm and sain all kinds of cattle by taking
three drops of a beastie's blood on All Hallow E'en, and sprinkling the
same in the fire within the innermost chamber; she went at seed time and
bewitched a stack of barley belonging to Michael Reid, so that for many
years he could never make it into wholesome malt; and this she did for the
gain of Robert Reid, changing the "profit" of the grain backwards and
forwards between the two, according as they challenged or displeased her.
All this did Jonet Forsyth of Birsay, to the terror of her neighbours and
the ultimate ruin of herself, both in soul and body. Then came Catherine
Oswald,[30] spouse to Robert Aitcheson, in Niddrie, who was brought to
trial for being "habite and repute" a witch--defamed by Elizabeth Toppock
herself a witch and, as is so often the case, a dear friend of Katie's.
Elizabeth need not have been so eager to get rid of her dear friend and
gossip, for she was burnt afterwards for the same crimes as those for
which poor Catherine suffered the halter and the stake. It seems that
Katie was bad for her enemies. She was offended at Adam Fairbairn and his
wife, so she made their "twa kye run mad and rammish to died," and also
made a gentleman's bairn that they had a-fostering run wood (mad) and die.
And she fired William Heriot's kiln, full of grain; and burnt all his
goods before his eyes; and made his wife, in a "frantick humour," drown
herself; and she cursed John Clark's ground, so that for four years after
"by hir sorceries, naether kaill, lint, hempe, nor any other graine" would
grow thereon, though doubly "laboured and sowen." She bewitched Thomas
Scott by telling him that he looked as well as when Bessie Dobie was
living, whereby he immediately fell so deadly sick that he could not
proceed further, but was carried on a horse to Newbiggin, where he lay
until the morrow, when "a wife" came in and told him he was forespoken.
And other things as mischievous--and as true--did Catherine Oswald, as the
Record testifies. She was well defended, and might have got off, but that
a witness deposed to having seen Mr. John Aird the minister, and a most
zealous witch-finder, prick her in th