f dough or a skinned sucking pig, was put to
the fire till it shrivelled and became red as a coal; they put it to the
fire every other day, and by the wicked power enclosed in this charm all
the male children of the Laird of Parkis would suffer, unless it were
broken up. She and the rest went in and out their neighbours' houses,
sometimes as jackdaws, sometimes as hares, cats, &c., and ate and drank of
the best; and they took away the virtue of all things left "unsained;" and
each had their own powers. "Bot," said Isobell, sorrowfully, "now I haw no
power at all." In another confession she told all about her Covin. There
were thirteen in each, and every person had a nickname, and a spirit to
wait on her. She could not remember the names of all, but she gave what
she could. Swein clothed in grass green waited on Margaret Wilson, called
Pickle-nearest-the-wind: Rorie in yellow waited on Bessie Wilson, or
Throw-the-corn-yard: the Roaring Lion in seagreen waited on Isobell
Nichol, or Bessie Rule: Mak Hector, a young-like devil, clothed in grass
green, was appropriated by Jean Martin, daughter to Margaret Wilson
(Pickle-nearest-the-wind), the Maiden of the Covin and called
Over-the-Dyke-with-it; this name given to her because the devil always
takes the maiden in his hand next him, and when he would leap they both
cry out, "Over the dyke with it!" Robert the Rule in sad dun, a commander
of the spirits, waited on Margaret Brodie, Thief-of-hell-wait-upon-herself:
he waited also on Bessie Wilson, otherwise Throw-the-corn-yard: Isobell's
own spirit was the Red Riever, and he was ever clothed in black: the
eighth spirit was Robert the Jakes, aged, and clothed in dun, "ane glaiked
gowked spirit," and he waited on Bessie Hay, otherwise Able-and-Stout: the
ninth was Laing, serving Elspet Nishie, re-named Bessie Bauld; the tenth
was Thomas, a faerie:--but there Isobell's questioners stopped her, afraid
to hear aught of the "guide wychtis," who might be then among them,
injuring those who offended them to death. So no more information was
given of the spirits of the Covin. She then told them that to raise a wind
they took a rag of cloth which they wetted, then knocked on a stone with a
beetle (a flat piece of wood) saying thrice--

"I knok this ragg wpon this stane,
To raise the wind in the Divelle's name;
It sall not lye, vntil I please againe!"

When the wind was to be laid, they dried the rag, and said thrice--

"We lay