The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-09 00:00:00

117TCHCR.41.7.

The reign of JaMet the sixth of Scotland and First of
England may be said tt. have !Kam the witchcraft ape of
(,'rear Britain. Scotland had always been a sort of fairy
lard: but it remained fur that sagacious prince, at a time
wh..n knowlelge %ca., bei;inning to dispel ths mists of su.
per,tition, to etna:ilAite, by his authority and wahines, to
resolve a prejudize of education into an article of religious
belief among the Soettish p ,plc. Ile wrote and published
a " Treatise on wtetunnologie;" the purpose of which was,
to " resolve the doubthig hearts of litany, as to the fearful
abounding of these detestable slaves of the devil, witches
or enchanters." The tuthority of 13miptitre was pet verted,
to show net only the possibility, but certainty, that such
"detestable sla‘s•s" do exist; and many most ridiculous
stories of evil enchantment were addimai to establish their
" fearful abotniling." The treatise, which is hi the form
of a tliatir,ae, then proceeds to treat of the punishment
which such crimes deserve:

" I'. Then to make an entle of our conference, !mice I
see it drnwis katt, what forme of punishment think ye
merites this maAieiens end witehts? for I see that ye ac-
count them to Le all alike gyltie.
"R. (The king). They ought to I nut to death&
According to the I.lw ct Got!, the civil and imperial law
and the municipal law of all Christian nations.
" P. But what kynde of d. odic, I pray you ?
" E. It is cc:nmoulie used be fyre, but there is an indif-
ferent thing to he used in every couutrcy, ac‘or.liug to the
law or costume disirof.

"I'. But augit nn sr.re, age, nor rank, to Le excused?
" E. None a all." - - -

Su-h, in tact, was the cruel and barbarous law of James's
native country ; and such became die law also of Eng-
land when he succeeded to the sceptre of Elizabeth. Many
hundreds of unfortunate intraitluals in both countries be-
came ha victims, suffering death ignominiously for an im-
pois...!tic offence: neither sex, nor age, nor rank, as James
had sternly enjoined, were spared; and it was precisely
the most helpless and inoffensive, such as aged and lone
woinen, who were most expowd to its malignant operation.
Of those who have suffered death fur witchcraft in 11:hain
by far the greeter number have been persons of the lasi
description.
The absurdity of a law, so long since consigned to
' universal execration, stands in need Of no illustration ; but
it iney furnish amusement as well as instruction, to peruse
the sort of details which pint d it fer a time the respect
and a.uLinies;on from two nations which now rank as the
meet enlightened in Europe. 'lice following is a literal
copy of the indictment of certain witches of Borros-
towness, who were viol and executed as late as 1G79. Four
of the unfortunate creatures were poor widows.
" Annaple Thoinsone, widow in Tkwrostowness, Mar-
garet Pringk, relict of the deceast John Camrbell, sieve-
wright there, &c. &c.
" Ye, and ilk one of you, are intlytted and sensed, that
wherear, notwithstanding be the law of God particidurile
sett down in the 29 chapter of Leviticus and eighteen chap.
of Dewircnouty, and be the !awes and sews of parliament
of this kingdome and constant practiq thereof, particu-
'girlie 1_ the IS act, 29 parliament Q. Marie, the creme of
witchcraft is declaired to be sae horreid, :abominable, and
capitall creme, punishable with the pains of death and col-
fiscatiown of moveables e—neverthekss it is of veritie, that
you have emitted and are g elide of the said cryme of
witchcraft, in swa far ye have entered in pactiown with the
devill, the enemie of your ealvatiown, and have renowuced
our blissed Lord and 'Savior, and your haptiame, and have
given yourwlffes, both soulles and bodies, to the deviU,
and have bein at severall mettings with the devill, and
swyndrie wvtb witches, in divers places. And particu-
bulk ye, tfie said Annaple Thompeone, had a :netting
with the devill at the time of your weidowhood, before
you was married to your lact husband, in your cwming
wetwizt Linlithgow and Borrowsumes, where the devill,
n the lykenesa of one black man, toll you, that you
wis ane poor puddled bodie, and had one evill lyiff
and difficulties to win throw the world; and pro-
mesed iff ye weld followe him, and go alongst with him,
you should never want, hot have one better lyiff ; and
abowt fyve wekes thcrefter the devill appeared to you,
when you wis going to the coal-hill, abowt seven a-clock in
the morning. Having renewed his former tentatiown,
you did condeshend thereto, and declared yourself content
to follow bins and become his servant; whereupon the
devill and ye and each per-
sone of wis at several wetting with the devil!, in the linkes
of lioreowatones and in the house of you, Bessie Viekar ;
and ye did rut and think with the devil!, and with on
another, and with witches in her howss in the night trme;
and the said Win. Craw browght the ale, which ye drank,
extending to about sevin gallons, from the Kowa of Eli-
zabeth Handl= ; and you, the said Annaple, had another
metting about fyve wekcs ago, when you wis geeing to the
coal-hill of Grange, and he mecittcel you to go alongst and
drink with him in the Grange pannes ; and you, the
said Margaret Pringil, have ban ane witch this many
yeeres by gone, bath renowneed your baptisme and
becum the devill's servant, and promeis to follow him ; and
the devill towk you by the right hand, whereby it was for
eight days peivowslie pained, but, having it twitched new
again, it inimetleatlie becam hail; and you, the said Mar-
garet has bein the devill's servant these eight or
nine years by gone, and he appeared and conversed with
you at the town well of Borrowstones, and several tyrnes
in your owin house, and drank severall choppens of ale
with you • • • • • • • • • • • and the devill gave
you ane fyve merle piece of gold, whilk a lyttil after
becam one skleitt stone; and you. the said Margaret Ha-
milton, relict of James Pullwart, has bein ane witch and
the devill's servant thertie yerea since, bath renounced
your baptisme, as said is• • • • • •

• •

And ye, and ilk ane of you, was at a 'netting with the
devil] and other witches at the croce of Niurestain above
Kennel], upon the threttein of October last, where you all
danced, awl the devil) acted the pvper, and where you en-
deemed to have dcattoyed Androw Mitchell, sot; to John
Mitchell, elder in dean of Kinneill."
The charges thus gravely made against the "poore pad-
died bodies, Annaple Thompson and her associates, how-
ever ludicrous they may now won, were fully aubstantia:td
to the satisfaction of a jury, probably as rational and hu-
mane as any which the age could furiish ; and for so taPet-
lug and daucing,and drinking, and frolicking with his Sata-
nic majesty (who condescended to act the piper), the unfor-
tunate defendants were solemnly condemned " to be taken
to the west end of Borrowstones, the ordinary place of en-
ccution there, upon Tuesday, the twenue-third day of De-
cember current, betwixt two and four o'clock in the after-
noon, and ther to be wirriod at a steack • till they be dead,
and thereafter to have their bodies burned to ashes!"
• worried like a bull or a badger, by dogs it human share.

The Stewards appointed for next vest's Lincoln Races,
are Dr. John Willis, and Sir 1%1 Anicotts Ingilby,
Bart.

The pleasure yacht Carew°, the property of Mr. Har-
rison of Bridlington, was totally lost near the Bull buoy,
at the entrance of the Ilurnber, on Sitneday ise'nnight.
The crew were saved, and taken into Grimsby by the
Minna, Captain Curtis.
The distemper prevails to a great extent among horses.
Mar.y of the turf horses are afflicted at this time. with it,
and Sir Thomas Stanky's Cestrian colt, which won at the
late races at Lichfield and Shrewsbury, died last week.
A SABBATH t s Be LG I VM.—MOSt of the people go to
church; but as soon as the service is over, some go home
to their respective private employments (for there arc no
public works on Sunday), others, ratieularly the young
of both sexes, go to their amusements. San le have a
dance, of which they are as fond as their neighbours.
Others amuse themselves by ineetire.- in a house and sing-
ing altogether. There is something very solemn and ele-
vating in their chorus. But the chief attraction is some
mountebank er legerdemain exhibition. Instead oe street-
/reaching, as one might see in Whitecimpe! or the 'Bo-
rough, I have here seen, just as the chapel door was
deed, a man produce his monkey and hts cams:, and
very meritorious performances they were. The latter, un-
wieldy and dull in all appearance, danced lightly to the
tune of an Irish jig, and was applauded by hundreds of
zealous spectators. The monkey went throng!' varions
evolutions on the slack tope.

THE BRITISH PRESS

PRAISE OF CRIME.

Old Chancellor Forteacue's boast, that England con-
tained more rubbers and mourderets than any oilier coun-
try, is so curious, that it is well worth f.,eivinj entire:—
" Parertie onely is not the case, why the Commons of
France rise not agcyn their Soveryng Lord ; fer there
were never people in that lond more pore, than wt r in our
tome; the comnons of the counttey of ("nut, which was
almost deserte for lack of tyllara ; as yt now wel apperith,
by the new husbondrye that ys tie:me titer; namely, iu
grobbing and stockyng of trees, buslitri, and gruvys,
growyn, whte we were Cher, Lorth: of the countrey. And
yet the aforeskid COMMIS of Coo: made a ma:velons grete
ryivng, and take our townys, cestells, and fortresses;
belewe our captors and soldiers, at sneh a time, whan we
had but a fewe men of war lyymut in that mummy ; whiell
pro:Rh that it is cowanlil,c and lark of hartea and corage,
that kepith the Frenche men front rysyng, and not pover-
tye ; which enrage no Frenelme loan Lath like to the Eng.
Itsch man. It bath ben often seen in Englond that three or
(cur thefca, for povertic bath sett upon seven or eight true
men, and robbyd them al.—But at hula not ben seen in
Fruo.nce, that seven or eight thefts, have been hardy to
robbe three or four tree men. SS'lrcrefo're it is right acid,
that few Frencha men be hsngyd for robberye, for that
they have no hertys to do so terryble an mete. There be
therefor mo wren bangyd in Englond, in a year, for robberyc
and inftnslanghter, than timer be banged in Fraunce, for
such eatie of crime, in seven years. There is no man
hangyd in Scotland in seven yers together for robberyc;
and vet thay be often tymeshangyd for lacenye and stelyng
of goods in time absence of the owner thereof; but their
harts scry them not to take a mannys goods while he is
present, and Will defend it; which maner of takyn is
rdlid robberye. But the Englisch men be of another
corage ; for if be be peer, and see another man havyng
rychesse, which may be takyn from him by might, he wol
not spare to do so, but if (except) that poet man be right
true. Wherfor it is not povertie, but it is lecke of barte
and cosvanlise, that kepyth the Franche man from rysy lag."

About ten days ago, a man, calling himself Mr. Watson,
from Liverpool, accompanied by a female, visited l)unkeld,
*ith a horse and gig. During their stay, the female uni-
formly drove the gig, and managed the horse, both in and
out of the stable, with all the tact of a thorough-bred
groom ; while her companion visited the manufacturers in
Dunkeld and Perth, anti gave. large orders for goods,
which he meant to send to the West Indies, where, he
said, he had a large estate. Ile drew on the Perth Bmik
for I soh, but the Batik having become suspicious, sent to
Dunleld, and recovered the greater part of their money.
Ile gave bills fer various sems on the Bank of Sir William
Forbes and Compaoy, all of which were returned dis-
honoured. The impostor and the woman have since es-
caped, leaving several persons in Mulch' to lament the
credulity which Ind them to trust him. Ile has not since
been traced.—Fold Parer.
On Saturday morning a riot took place in North College-
street, occasioned by the body of a woman having been
obseived lying on a table, in a shed, by some boys who
were clambering on the roof. As the shed communicated
with the College by a suhtcrraneous passage, it was iin-
tnedigely concluded that the body had been exhumatcd,
and was intended for dissection. An alarm was instantly
given, and, it being breakfast hour, a great aowdof trades-
men speedily collected, who proceeded to force the door,
which opened into the shed, which they soon effected, with
the aid of hammers. A ptrty of policemen arrived at the
time, who put the body into a sack, and conveyed it to the
police office.. The mob,
.in the mean time, proceeded to
explore the passage which led to the College, under the
impression of finding some other corpse, but in this they
were misfitken. They, however, got hold of one or two

stuffed figures in the form of thehuman bode' used in the
anatomical lectures, which they brought to the street, and
hauled about for some time, till they were taken from them
by the pace. A strong body of officers, with considerable
difficulty, cleared the passage end the shed of the mob,
who, however, continued in the street for a considerable
time. The police arrived very opportunely as, from the
threate...: appearance of the web, much damage might
have soon been committed on the preparations in the College,
had they not been checked in their attempt to break in.
The body *as that of an old woman ; and although it lay
till last night at the police office, it was not claimed, but
rat subtequently buried in the Greyfriars' church-yard.—
Edinburgh Puler.
Env GT. eas.--On Monday night a party of smugglers
attempted to run cargo of spirits at party
Gap, but
were prevented by the Coast Blockade, who seized thirty
tubs ; seven were afterwards found staved, and two Wen
found in the adjoining fields. The cargo consisted of only
forty-two tubs. A man, who was seen loitering about a
short time afterwards, was taken, but the officer on duty
considering there was some doubt whether he belonged to
the party of smugglers, liberated him. At two o'clack in
the afternoon of the 29tli ult. two beats, the Robert of
Bexhill, and the Try, of llastinp, put to sea from Ear-
-1
bottrne, as it was supposed, upon a smuggling expedi-
tion. They proceeded in company to the Horse Bank,
weighed 2$ half-ankers of foreign spirits, which hail been
previously sunk there, and at three on the following morn-
tr., at high water, they landed under the high cliffs at Crow-
link, and attempted to haul the tubs up by a pulley, line, 1,
and baskets. 'Being interrupted by the Coast Blockade
sentinel, the boat put off to sea, and rink sixteen tubs off
the spot. The pursuit of the Coast Blockade, however,
was so active, that before eight o'clock the same morning,
the eight tuba landed had been seized, six of them with a
horse and cart and dark lantern, at Jerington. by Prior, a
riding officer ; the pulley, rope, and baskets were seized en
the cliff by Mr. Webber, a Deputy Quarter-master of the
Coest Blockade ; and the two boats, with their gear com-
plete, and tubs, fell into the hands of Mr.:tenant Chsppell,
and have been safely I.)llged in the Custom-house a: New-
haven. We state this case the more fully, to slier the
lendable zeal, Vigilance, and activity of the Coast Blockade
partite, and in itself it may Imre to evince their utility
upon the coast, notwithstanding the prejudices attempted to
be excited re;.ainst them by the growling, of the Whig
C:i ronir:e.—Bri;;Llnn

A general dissatisfaction the price of work seems to
prevail in Scotland. We have seen a letter from Ilawiek,
which states that the frame-work knitters in thrt town
have ap-reil to strike; and have adopted the following
plan:—'The hands employed by the different houses de-
termine, by ballot, who shall strike work first, and those
who continue to work shall contribute towards their sup-
port. The lot has fallen upon one of the most extensive
factories in that place. The quarrel seems to be the em-
ployers demanding more work without giving any advance
price.—Glasgow Parer.

EXTRAORDINARY PRDESTRIANS.--An English pellet,
trian, named Hngh Russell, undertook, on Saturday last,
to walk forty English miles in tight and a half success:re
hours, which task he performed within eight hours, being
half an hour short of the stipulated time. Ile chose a part
of the read near the extremity of the town, which termi-
nated at the gate of a gentleman's demesne, and treasured
exactly half a mile. 'r he only motive for this extraordi-
nary performance was an cmrctation of bring remunerated
by the rpectators ; the petlestr'an is only nineteen years of
age. An Irish lad named Byrne, was employed, a short
time ago, by a gentleman in this town, to deliver some par-
cels at Enniscorthy, in the county Wexford, which is 27
miles from Carlow. He left home at three o'clock in the
morning, delivered his messages, and returned back the
same day, ari:ving at Carlow at eight o'clock in the even-
ing, having walked fifty-four Irish, say sixty-nine Eng-
milts in thirteen and a half successive hours;
a:lowing him only one bast hour to refresh himself and
transact business.—Carlow Post.
F.tIA:. EFF/ CTS OF ExcEssir r IN .—TilSt
week, 3lr. B. Rowley, a surgeon, of Barin:ey, had en-
gaged to drink a quart of brandy in two hours, a•ni r-
wards to wane home perfectly sober. As if c: t.t thut or
success, mid quite unconscious of the erects that wen!.l
follow, he drank upwards of a pint in a fev.. mei:lents, mud
instantly fell from his chair and expired. An Mims: was
held on the body on Saturday, when a verdict of " D:erl
by excessive drinking" was rt turned. We trust this 1r 11
operate as a warning to persons in the habit of taking
strong liquors, not to risk the safety of their lives under
th- infhtence of such a fee:ish braratk.—Lerdr