ho wish their
fortunes casting. I learn from Betty [Ellis] that these cubes were tossed
upon the table and then used by the consultation of a book like unto that
of the witche's garter but this book Betty kens nothing of its
whereabouts. She aims one of her grandchilder must have gone off with it."

In the chapter devoted to Tudor times I have given an Elizabethan cure for
an "ill caste" by a witch, but Calvert also tells us of a method for
removing the spell from a "witch-held" house. "Of one thing I hear," he
says, "which be minded unto this present day the which be that a bunch of
yarrow gathered from off a grave and be cast within a sheet that hath
covered the dead and this be setten fire to and cast within the door of
any house thought to be witch held or having gotten upon it a spell of
ill-luck, it shall be at once cleansed from whatsoever ill there be come
again it as I hear even fevers and the like are on the instant driven
forth. And this," he quaintly adds, "be worth while of a trial."

Of the awesome sights to be seen at night time Calvert gives many details.

"There be over anenst Cropton towards Westwood seen now and again at times
wide asunder a man rushing fra those happening to cross his road with
flaming mouth and having empty eye sockets, a truly terrible apparition
for to come across of a sudden.

"At Bog Hall at times there is seen a plain specter of a man in bright
armour who doth show himself thus apparrelled both on the landing and in a
certain room.

"At that point where the Hodge and Dove mix their waters there is to be
seen on Hallow Een a lovely maiden robed in white and having long golden
hair down about her waist there standing with her bare arm thrown about
her companion's neck which is a most lovely white doe, but she allowed
none to come near to her.

"To the west of Brown Howe and standing by a boulder there be seen of a
summer's eve a maiden there seated a-combing out her jet black tresses so
as to hide her bare breast and shoulders, she looking to be much shamed to
there do her toilet.

"And at the high end of Carlton anenst Helmsley there be seen at times a
lovely maiden much afrighted galopping for very life oft casting her een
behind her."

[Illustration: A SCENE IN NEWTON DALE WHEN THE COACH RAILWAY BETWEEN
PICKERING AND WHITBY WAS IN USE IN 1836. (_From Belcher's book on the
Pickering and Whitby Railway, 1836_.)]

Concerning the existence of this lovely maiden we have i