equivalent to putting them out of
heaven, and was a grievous libel, as the times went. Neither Mr. William's
care nor fairy power could save poor Alison. After being "wirreit
(strangled) at ane staik," she was "conuicta et combusta," never more to
be troubled by epilepsy or the feverish dreams of madness.

THE CRIMES OF LADY FOWLIS.[4]

Nobler names come next upon the records. Katherine Roiss, Lady Fowlis, and
her stepson, Hector Munro, were tried on the 22nd of June, 1590, for
"witchcraft, incantation, sorcery, and poisoning." Two people were in the
lady's way: Margery Campbell the young lady of Balnagown, wife to George
Roiss or Ross of Balnagown, Lady Katherine's brother; and Robert Munro her
stepson, the present baron of Fowlis, and brother to the Hector Munro
above mentioned. If these two persons were dead, then George Ross could
marry the young Lady Fowlis, to the pecuniary advantage of himself and the
family. Hector's quarrel was on his own account, and was with George Munro
of Obisdale, Lady Katherine's eldest son. The charges against the Lady
Katherine were, the unlawful making of two pictures or images of clay,
representing the young lady of Balnagown and Robert Munro, which pictures
two notorious witches, Christian Ross and Marioune M'Alester, _alias_
Loskie Loncart, set up in a chamber and shot at with elf arrows--ancient
spear or arrow-heads, found in Scotland and Ireland, and of great account
in all matters of witchcraft. But the images of clay were not broken by
the arrow-heads, for all that they shot eight times at them, and twelve
times on a subsequent trial, and thus the spell was destroyed for the
moment; but Loskie Loncart had orders to make more, which she did with a
will. After this the lady and her two confederates brewed a stoup or
pailful of poison in the barn at Drumnyne, which was to be sent to Robert
Munro. The pail leaked and the poison ran out, except a very small
quantity which an unfortunate page belonging to the lady tasted, and "lay
continewallie thaireftir poysonit with the liquour." Again, another "pig"
or jar of poison was prepared; this time of double strength--the brewer
thereof that old sinner, Loskie Loncart, who had a hand in every evil pie
made. This was sent to the young laird by the hands of Lady Katherine's
foster-mother; but she broke the "pig" by the way, and, like the page,
tasting the contents, paid the penalty of her curiosity with her life. The
poison was of such a