ks (toads). The devil held it, and John Young
drove it: it was drawn by toads instead of oxen, the traces were of
quickens (dog-grass), the coulter was a riglen's horn (ram's horn), so was
the sock; and they went two several times about the field, all the covin
following and praying to the devil to give them the fruit of that land,
and that only thistles and briars might grow on it for the master's use.
So Breadley had trouble enough to work his land, and when it was worked he
got no good out of it, but only weeds and thorns, while the covin made
their bread of his labour.

When asked how she and her sister witches managed to leave their husbands
o' nights, she said that, when it was their Sabbath nights, they used to
put besoms or three-legged stools in bed beside their husbands; so that if
these deluded men should wake before their return, they might believe they
had their wives safe as usual. The besoms and three-legged stools took the
right form of the women, and prevented a too early discovery. To go to
these Sabbaths they put a straw between their feet, crying "Horse and
Hattock in the Devil's name!" and then they would fly away, just as straws
in the wind. Any kind of straw would do, and they who saw them floating
about in the whirlwind, and did not sanctify themselves, could be shot
dead at the witches' pleasure, and their bodies remained with them as
horses, and small as straws.

These night meetings always ended with a supper; the Maiden of the Covin
being placed next to the devil, as he was partial to young, plump,
blooming witches, and did not care much for the "rigwoodie hags," save to
beat and belabour them. And after they had gotten their meat they would
say as a grace--

"We eat this meat in the devil's name,
With sorrow and _sich_ (sighs) and mickle shame;
We shall destroy both house and hald;
Both sheep and nolt intil the fauld,
Little good shall come to the fore,
Of all the rest of the little store."

And when supper was done, each witch would look steadily upon their
"grisly" president and say, bowing low, "We thank thee, our Lord, for
this!" But it was not much to thank him for in general; for the old adage
seems to have been pretty nearly kept to, and the cooks, at least, not to
speak of the meat, to be of the very lowest description. The poor witches
never got more from the devil than what they might have had at home; which
was one more added to the many proofs that the mind can