guilty of suffering himself to be carried to North Berwick church, where,
together with many others, he did homage to Satan, as he stood in the
pulpit, making doubtful speeches, saying, "Many come to the fair, and all
buy not wares;" and desired him "not to fear, though he was grim, for he
had many servants who should never want, or ail nothing, so long as their
hair was on, and should never let one tear fall from their eyes so long as
they served him;" and he gave them lessons, and said, "Spare not to do
evil, and to eat and drink and be blithe, taking rest and ease, for he
should raise them up at the latter day gloriously." But the pith of the
indictment was that he, Fian, and sundry others to be spoken of hereafter,
entered into a league with Satan to wreck the king on his way to Denmark,
whither, in a fit of clumsy gallantry, he had set out to visit his future
queen. While he was sailing to Denmark, Fian and a whole crew of witches
and wizards met Satan at sea, and the master, giving an enchanted cat into
Robert Grierson's hand, bade him "cast the same into the sea, hola," which
was accordingly done; and a pretty capful of wind the consequence. Then,
when the king was returning from Denmark, the devil promised to raise a
mist which should wreck him on English ground. To perform which feat he
took something like a football--it seemed to Dr. Fian like a wisp--and
cast it into the sea, whereupon arose the great mist which nearly drove
the cumbrous old pedant on to English ground, where our strong-fisted
queen would have made him pay for his footing in a manner not quite
congenial to his tastes. But, being a Man of God, none of these charms and
devilries prevailed against him. A further count was, that once again he
consorted with Satan and his crew, still in North Berwick church, where
they paced round the church wider shins (wider scheins?), that is,
contrary to the way of the sun. Fian blew into the lock--a favourite trick
of his--to open the door, and blew in the lights which burned blue, and
were like big black candles held in an old man's hand round about the
pulpit. Here Satan as a "mekill blak man, with ane blak baird stikand out
lyke ane gettis (goat's) baird; and ane hie ribbit neise, falland doun
scharp lyke the beik of ane halk; with ane lang rumpill (tail); cled in
ane blak tatie goune, and ane ewill favorit scull bonnett on his heid;
haifand ane blak buik in his hand," preached to them, commanding them to
be