urnt, as
they merited. Jonet Leisk cast sickness and disease on all she knew, and
made whole flocks run "wode" and furious; geese too; but she was
"clenged," or cleared; so was Gilbert Fidlar; but Isobell Richie, Margaret
Og, Helen Rogie, and others, were burnt, for the satisfaction of offended
justice.

Margaret Clark, too, came to no good end, because being sent for by the
wife of Nicol Ross, when in child-bed, she gave her ease by casting her
pains upon Andrew Harper, who fell into such a fury and madness during
her time of travail, that he could not be holden, and only recovered when
the gentlewoman was delivered. And what did Violet Leys do, but bewitch
William Finlay's ship so that she never made one good voyage again, all
because her husband had been discharged therefrom, and Violet the witch
was most mightily angered? And Isobell Straquhan, too, had she not powers
banned even in the blessing? She went one day to "Elspet Murray in
Woodheid, she being a widow, and asked of her if she had a penny to lend
her, and the said Elspet gave her the penny; and the said Isobell took the
penny and bowit (bent) it, and took a clout and a piece of red wax, and
sewed the clout with a thread, the wax and the penny being within the
clout, and gave it to the said Elspet Murray, commanding her to use the
said clout to hang about her craig (neck), and when she saw the man she
loved best, take the clout, with the penny and wax, and stroke her face
with it, and she so doing, would attain into the marriage of that man whom
she loved." She also made Walter Ronaldson leave off beating his wife, by
sewing certain pieces of paper thick with threads of divers colours, and
putting them in the barn among the corn, since which time Walter left off
dinging his poor spouse, and was "subdued entirely to her love." So
Isobell Straquhan made one of the tale of twenty-two unfortunate wretches
who were executed in Aberdeen that year, for the various crimes of
witchcraft and sorcery.

No evidence was too meagre for the witch-hunters; no accusation too
absurd; no subterfuge or enormity sufficiently transparent to show the
truth behind. When Margaret Aiken, "the great witch of Balwery,"[15] went
about the country dilating honest women for witches, "by the mark between
their eyes," it was evident to all but the heated and credulous, such as
John Cowper, the minister of Glasgow, and others, that she used this as a
mere means to save time, she herself hav