The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-09 00:00:00

WITCHCRAFT.

The following proofs of the ignorance and super-
stition of the Scotch clergy in the 17th century are
taken from the last number of the "Statistical accoun
of Scotland," under the head " parish of Irvine,'
Ayrshire : _ _

-"Both among the laity. and the clergy, superstition
was prevalent to ail extraordinary and lamentable ex-
tent: . Their loudest and most plaintive tvailings. wt.%
raised against the sin of witchcraft, so that about the,
period of which we have been writing, persons suspected
of it were prosecuted with persevering industry by the
people; and, at the instigation of the clergy, they were
punished by_ the executive, with unrelenting severity.
The leading cause of the fast which the General As-
sembly appointed in 1649, was the supposed prevalence
of witchcraft. Confession on the part of the accused
was the only attainable evidence of a definite kind, and
its validity was never queStionedby the judges. Of pro-
ceedings us such cases, several instances are stated in the
records of the presbytery of Irvine. The only effort
made in dealing'with the accused was to bring them to a
fuller acknowledgment of their guilt. This being done,
the day of execution was appointed. Of the 22d April
1650, the record of the presbytery of Irvine bears, that,
the presbyterie, finding that the sin of witchcraft was,
growing chilli°, and that in the several parochee meikle
of the hidden works of darkness' wasitdiscovered and
brought to light in the mercie of God, and that severalls
were upprehemlit and in firmance tor that sin, did meet
oocasionallie this day to heir and receive the confesJ,ion
of some,' of the said sin of witchcraft, that they might
rucommend the same to the Lords of Privie Counseltfor
the i,suing furth of a commission of assyse to sit upo n
lie said persons, and after hearing, the presbyterie does
judge the confessions of the persons following, relevant
te bo reCommenclit.' Then follow the cases of Margaret
Cooper, Janet Robison, and Catherine Montgomerie ; all
of whom confessed the renunciation of their baptism,
communion with the devil, and the taking of a new name
from him.' Other cases of similar import might be
extracted from the record of the presbytery of Irvine
but we pass on to another source of information, us to
the prevalence and treatment of witchcraft in Irvine,
about the period under consideration. This source is
found in the Memorials of Mr. Robert Law, liege 219.
During February, 1682, silver plate was stolen front the
house of Major-General Montgomerie. A female ser-
vant was suspected, but while she repelled the suspicion
with indignation, she proffered her cervices for the fiis-
emery, of the stolen goods. On a certain day, according
to our author, she `gozs down to a laich cellar, takes the
Bible with her, arid draws a circle about her, and turns a
riddle on end twice from north to south, or from the
right to the left hand, having in her hand nine feathere,
which she pulled out of the tail of a black cock, and
having read the 51st psalm forward, she reads backwardchap. 9, ver. 19 of the book of Revelation, be appears in
a seaman's cheathing with a blew cape, and asks what
she would ; she puts one question to him and he answers
it, and she casts three feathers at him, charging liim to
his place again, then he disappears at this time. Two
successive times, there is a similar appearance of the
devil, who is twice met in a similar manner, when she
found herself prepared to disclose the place where the
stolen goods were secreted,
and in the place mentioned
they were accordingly found. For this service, the
Major-General committed her to prison, where she con-
fessed the charge of witchcraft, and told them she had
learned the art from Doctor Colvin, who used to practise
it in Ireland."

WILTSHIRE TOPOGRAPHICAL SOClETT.—Saturday
last was the second anniversary of this novel and useful Society,
when several of its members met at the chambers of Mr. Alex-
ander, in the Adclphi, to elect the President, Vice-Presidents,
and other officers, for the ensuing year, and to report on the
progress and prospects of the Institution. Earl de Grey was
re-elected President, and the Bishop of Salisbury, Sir John
Cam Hobhouse, Robert Gordon, Esq., and Joseph Neild,
Esq., N.?., Vice-Presidents. Mr. Alexander and Mr.
I3ritton were continued as Honorary Secretaries, and the
Dean of Hereford, with Henry Meriek Hoare, Esq.,
were added to the Council. A "Topographical History of the
Parish of Grittleton," by the Rev. J. L. Jackson, with six
illustrations, was ordered to be printed, and the Histories of
" Kington, Langley, and Christian-Malford," were reported to
be so far advanced, as to be ready for publication before -the
ensuing Chzistmas. Collections for other parishes were de-
scribed to be in various stages of progress. An increase of
members was announced, and the funds of the Society de-
scribed to be equal to the payments for the publications in pro-
gress, and a surplus to invest in Government securities.
The
to
aFretonwchn
yesterdayAmbassad andferroma the
to the oue
eCountess StL at w
Auliairea,dsreo
re-
turned