A Popular Story—Theatberge, wife of Lothaire—Forbes's Memoirs—Trial by Wager of Battle—When Trial by Wager of Battle ceased—Trial by Jury—Court of King's Bench deciding the Legality of Trial by Battle—Sir Walter Scott's Illustrations of Superstition and Trial by Battle in Olden Times445
CURSES AND EVIL WISHES. CHAPTER LII.
Curses, Excommunication, and Anathemas—Diræ, the Executioners of Vengeance—Interment of Excommunicated Persons—Excommunication among the Hebrews—Last Degree of Excommunication sometimes followed by Banishment or Death—Form of Excommunication used by Ezra and Nehemiah—The Greek Church annually excommunicates Roman Catholics—The Druids resorted to Excommunication—Bishops excommunicating Rats, Mice, Caterpillars, and other Insects and Vermin—The Pope's Claim—Napoleon I. excommunicated—Victor Emmanuel excommunicated—The Inquisition and its terrible Doings—The Pope's Fearful Curse—Mr. Donald Cargill excommunicating the King and Nobles—Indulgences, Pardons, and Penance453
St. Adelbert's Curse—Complexion of Blackamoors attributed to a Curse of Noah—False Accusation, and its Results—Ancestors of the Whelphs and Guelphs of Germany—An Interesting Legend—A Gipsy's Curse—A Cruel Father and Husband—Morrar-na-Shean—Restoration of Three Daughters—A Grateful Father—Ancestors of the Sinclairs of Caithness, and of the noble family of Keith—The Curse of Moy—A Cruel Chieftain of Clan Chattan—Swearing by the Hand of a Bride—Grant of Glenmorriston waiting his Doom—Death of a Father and Lover—Maledictions and Prediction—Lady leaping from a Lofty Tower—The Monroes of Foulis—End of a Relentless Tyrant462
DREAMS AND VISIONS OF THE NIGHT. CHAPTER LIV.
The Gift or Art of interpreting Dreams—Official Interpreters of Dreams—Sleep, how portrayed—Goddess of Dreams—Greeks soliciting the Inspiration of Dreams—Xenophon on Sleep—Prophetic Power of the Dying—Æsculapius's Discoveries in Dreams—Code of Menu—The Soma-drink—Josephus as a Seer—Dreadful Proposal by Josephus—His Fortunate Escape—An Eastern Conjuror—Reading a Sealed Letter—A Sultan warned of his Death in a Dream—Alexander's Death foretold in a Dream—Records of Dreams in Westminster Abbey—Lord Falkland's Dream—Rev. John Brown's Opinions—Early Christian Faith in Visions and Dreams—Death of a Friend foretold—The Devil's Sonata—Marriage of Queen Mary—Fatality of the Stuart Family—Death of Henry IV. of France469
Dreaming Dictionaries—Dreaming of an Anchor—Sick Persons—Raiment—Fruit—Funerals—Dreams sometimes to be read contrariwise—Dreaming of Darkness—Jewellery—Losing and finding Property—Fowls and Eggs—Flying—Bagpipes, Dancing, and Banquets—Dreaming of Animals, Cakes, Corn, and Milk—Dreaming of Carrying and of being Carried—Angels, Spirits, and Children—Clergymen and Churches—A Broken Watch or Clock—Clouds—Falling—Flowers and Fruit—Sailors' Dreams—Running Streams and Still Water—Ploughed Ground and Green Fields—Presents—Glass, Hair, Fire, Cold, Tooth, Kisses, and Knives—Leaping, Climbing, and Writing—Linen—The Sun, Moon, and Stars, Rainbow, Snow, Thunder, and Lightning475
LAWS AGAINST AND TRIALS OF WITCHES. CHAPTER LVI.
Witchcraft treated with Severity—Cutting out the Tongue—Laws of Æthelstane—Witchcraft in England—Royal Writers—Sir Edward Cole's Opinion—Statute of Elizabeth against Sorcerers—Law of Mary Queen of Scotland against Witches—Law against Witches abolished—Sir George Mackenzie on Witchcraft—Extracts from Forbes's Institute of the Law of Scotland—Sir Matthew Hale a Believer in Witchcraft—Trial of Rose Cullender and Ann Duny—Punishment of Witches, by whom first countenanced—Pope John's Bull—Bishop Jewell—Lord Bacon and the Law against Witches—Fearful Slaughter of supposed Witches—Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer for Witches—The last Persons executed in Scotland and England for Witchcraft—First German Printers condemned to be burned as Sorcerers—Reginald Scot on the Fables of Witchcraft—Mr. E. Chambers's Views of Witchcraft482
Witch-finders—Disasters ascribed to Witches—Witches' Familiars—John Kinnaird—Patrick Watson and his Wife pricked—The Devil's Sabbaths—Grandeur at Satan's Feasts—When Feasts ended—Transformation—A Witch-finder sent from Scotland to Newcastle—Complaints against Witches—Deception discovered—Trying Witches in Northumberland—Escape of a Witch-finder from Justice—Zeal of the Clergy in Scotland in condemning Witches—Witch burned within the Sea-mark—Extracts from Kirk-session Records of Perth relative to Witchcraft—Witches at Kirkcaldy—A Clerical Witch-finder493
Hiring a Witch to detect a Witch—Clerical Witch-finders—Agnew, the Sturdy Beggar—A Distressed Family—Minister's Remonstrance and Advice—Fresh Afflictions—Prayer and Fasting—Spirits Speaking—Minister's Reply—Application to the Synod for Advice—Solemn Humiliation ordained by the Synod—Beggar suspected and hanged for Blasphemy—Bargarran Witches—An Esquire's Daughter bewitched—Physicians puzzled—Ministers' Visits to Bargarran—Presbytery ordering Days of Humiliation—Recourse to the Law—Catherine Campbell imprisoned—Girl's continued Affliction—Representation to His Majesty's Privy Council—Commission appointed to inquire into the case—Trial of Witches—Condemnation and Execution500
Victims of Superstition—Lady Glammis—Her Trial for causing the Death of her Husband and attempting to poison the King—Found Guilty, and Burned—Lady Fowlis an intended Victim—Image of the young Lady of Balnagowan—Elf Arrows—Consulting Egyptians—Hector Munro's connection with Witches—Charge against Sir John Colquhoun and Thomas Carlips for consulting Necromancers—Love Philters and Enchanted Tokens—Bewitching Sir George Maxwell—Witch-marks discovered before the Sheriff of Renfrewshire—Commission appointed by the Privy Council to try Witches—Witches Burned—Intercourse with Fairies—Another Witch Story511
Edinburgh and Leith Witches—Black Catalogue—James VI. and the Witches—Complaint to the Scottish Privy Council of Barbarous Conduct—Relics of Superstition—Witch-finders in Edinburgh and Leith—Royal Commission to Magistrates and Ministers to search for and put Witches to Death—Wife of a Judge in Edinburgh meeting a Witch's Fate—Repeal of the Laws against Witchcraft—Opposition to Acts being Repealed—Judge of the Supreme Courts against a Change of the Law—James Reid—Potter-row Witch—Alexander Hamilton, the Warlock—The Devil and Hamilton burning a Provost's Mill—Bewitched Man—A habit-and-repute Witch—Young Laird of Duddingston—Major Weir and his Magical Staff—A Magical Distaff—Agnes Williamson, a Haddingtonshire Witch—Elizabeth Bathgate of Eyemouth—Isabella