Whereupon Tom returned; but as he crossed the threshold
he heard a voice "forbidding him to enter that house, or any other place
where his father's calling was exercised." Was Tom, the Glasgow student,
afraid of being made a weaver, consent or none demanded? In spite of the
warning voice he valiantly entered, and his persecutions began at once. Of
course they did. They were tremendous, unheard of, barbarous; in fact, so
bad that he was forced to return once more for a time to the minister's
house; but his imitator or disciple left behind carried on business in his
absence. On Monday, the 12th day of February, the demon began to speak to
the family, who, nothing afraid, answered quite cheerily: so they and the
devil had long confidential chats together, to the great improvement of
mind and morals. The ministers, hearing of this, convened again, and met
at weaver Campbell's, to see what they could do. As soon as they entered,
Satan began: "Quum literatum is good Latin," quoth he. These were the
first words of the Latin rudiments, as taught in the grammar-school. Tom's
classical knowledge was coming into play.

After a while he cried out, "A dog! a dog!" The minister, thinking he was
alluded to, answered, "He thought it no evil to be reviled of him;" to
which Satan replied civilly, "It was not you, sir, I spoke to: I meant the
dog there;" for there was a dog standing behind backs. They then went to
prayer, during which time Tom--or the devil--remained reverently silent;
his education being not yet carried out to the point of scoffing.
Immediately after prayer was ended, a counterfeit voice cried out, "Would
you know the witches of Glenluce? I will tell of them," naming four or
five persons of indifferent repute, but one of whom was dead. The weaver
told the devil this, thinking to have caught him tripping; but the foul
fiend answered promptly, "It is true she is dead long ago, but her spirit
is living with us in the world."

The minister replied, saying, "Though it was not convenient to speak to
such an excommunicated and intercommuned person, 'the Lord rebuke thee,
Satan, and put thee to silence. We are not to receive information from
thee, whatsoever fame any person goes under. Thou art seeking but to
seduce this family, for Satan's kingdom is not divided against itself.'"
After which little sparring there was prayer again; so Tom did not take
much by this move.

All the while the young Glasgow student was very hardly h