There was in the Year 1649 in a Town called Lauder in Scotland a certain woman accused and imprisoned on suspicion of witchcraft. When others in the same prison with her, were convicted, and their Execution ordered to be on the Monday following, she desired to speak with a Minister, to whom she ⟨p. 61⟩declared freely that she was guilty of Witchcraft, acknowledging, also many other Crimes committed by her, desiring that she might dye with the Rest. She said particularly that she had Covenanted with the Devil, and was become his Servant, about twenty years before, and that he Kissed her, and gave her a Name, but that since he had never owned her. Several Ministers who were jealous that she accused herself untruly, charged it on her Conscience, telling her that they doubted she was under a Temptation of the Devil to destroy her own Body & Soul, and adjuring her in the Name of God to declare the Truth. Notwithstanding all this, she stiffly adhered to what she had said, & was on Monday morning Condemned and ordered to be Executed that day. When she came to the place of Execution, she was silent until the Prayers were ended. Then going to the Stake where she was to be Burnt; she thus expressed herself, All you that see me this Day! Know ye that I am to Dye as a Witch by my own Confession? and I free all men, especially the Ministers, and Magistrates from the Guilt of my Blood! I take it wholly on my self, and as I must make answer to the God of Heaven, I declare I am as free from Witchcraft as any Child, but being accused by a Malicious Woman, and imprisoned under the Name of a Witch, my Husband and Friends disowned […], and seeing no hope of ever being in Credit again, through the Temptation of the Devil, I made that Confession to destroy my own Life, being weary of it, and abusing rather to Dye than to Live. This her Lamentable Speech did astonish all the Spectators, few ⟨p. 62⟩of whom could refrain from Tears. The Truth of this Relation (saith my (n)Author) is certainly attested by a Worthy Divine now living, who was an Eye and an Ear-witness of the whole matter. But thus did that Miserable Creature suffer Death. And this was a just Execution.
There was in the Year 1649 in a Town called Lauder in Scotland a certain woman accused and imprisoned on suspicion of witchcraft. When others in the same prison with her, were convicted, and their Execution ordered to be on the Monday following, she desired to speak with a Minister, to whom she ⟨p. 61⟩declared freely that she was guilty of Witchcraft, acknowledging, also many other Crimes committed by her, desiring that she might dye with the Rest. She said particularly that she had Covenanted with the Devil, and was become his Servant, about twenty years before, and that he Kissed her, and gave her a Name, but that since he had never owned her. Several Ministers who were jealous that she accused herself untruly, charged it on her Conscience, telling her that they doubted she was under a Temptation of the Devil to destroy her own Body & Soul, and ad•juring her in the Name of God to declare the Truth. Notwithstanding all this, she sti•ly adhered to what she had said, & was on Monday morning Condemned and ordered to be Executed that day. When she came to the place of Execution, she was silent until the Prayers were ended. Then going to the Stake where she was to be Burn't; she thus expressed herself, All you that see me this Day! Know ye that I am to Dye as a Witch by my own Confession? and I free all men, especially the Ministers, and Magistrates from the Guilt of my Blood! I take it wholly on my self, and as I must make answer to the God of Heaven, I declare I am as free from Witchcraft as any Child, but being accused by a Malicious Woman, and imprisoned under the Name of a Witch, my Husband and Friends disowned 〈…〉, and seeing no hope of ever being in Credit again, through the Temptation of the Devil, I made that Confession to destroy my own Life, being weary of it, and abusing rather to Dye than to Live. This her Lamentable Speech did astonish all the Spectators, few ⟨p. 62⟩of whom could refrain from Tears. The Truth of this Relation (saith my (n)Author) is certainly attested by a Worthy Divine now living, who was an Eye and an Ear-witness of the whole matter. But thus did that Miserable Creature suffer Death. And this was a just Execution.
- (n)Mr. Sinclare invisible World. p. 45. And B•rton History of Daemons. p. 122.
