The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-05-13

WITCHcRAFr. At the time belief in the
power of witches obtained such singular influ-
ence over the minds of men, it became danger
GUS III Scotland to possess any peculiar medi-
cine or receipt for curing diseases. One who
employed such skill for the benefit of her fellow
creatures was called aohite witch but still
she was a sorceress, and as such was liable to
be brought to the stake. Having received the
secret from family tradition, or from any other
source, was not admitted as defence and to
have cured by any mysterious means was as
dangerous as to have assisted in a murder
The following example is worthy of notice
1t rests on tradition, but is very likely to be
true. An eminent English Judge was travel
ling the circuit, when an old woman was
brought before him, for using spell to cure
dmness of sight, by hanging clew of warn
round the neck of the patient. Marvellous
things were told by the witnesses, far beyond
the reach of ordinary medicine. The poor wo-
man made no other defence than by protesting,
that if there was any witchcraft in the ball of
yarn, she knew nothing of it. It had been
given her, she said, thirty years before, by
young Oxford student, for the cure of her own
family, who, having used it with advantage,
she saw no harm in lending it to others, who
labored under similar infrmity. Her defence
was little attended to by the jury but the Judge
was much agitated He asked the woman
where she resided when she obtained posses.
sion of this valuable relic She gave him the
name of village, in which she had formerly
kept petty ale-house He then looked at the
clew very earnestly, and at length addressed
the jury. Gentlemen" he said, {" we are on
the point of committing a great injustice to
this poor woman; and to prevent it, | must
publicly confess piece Of early folly which
does me no honor. At the time this poor crea-
ture speaks OF, was at college, leading an idle
and graceless life, which, had not been given
grace to correct it, must have made it highly
improbable that should ever have attained nv
present situation. | CHANGED to remain for
day and night in this woman's ale-house, with.
out having money to discharge my reckoning.
Not knowing what to do and seeing her much
occupied with child, who had weak eyes,
had the meanness to pretend could write out
a spell, that would mend her daughters sight,
if she would accept it instead of my bill. The
ignorant woman readily agreed and scrawl-
ed some figures on a piece Of parchment and
added two lines Of nonsensical droggrel, in rid.
icule OF her credullty, and caused her to make
It up IN that clew, which has so nearly cost her
life. TO prove the truth Of it, let the yarn be
unwound, and you may Judge Of the efficacy of
the SPELL" The clew was accordingly un.
wound, and this pithy couplet was found on
the enclosed bit OF parchment.
"The devil scratched out both thine eyes,.
And spit into the holes likewise"
Those who were cured by such spell were
evidently indebted to nature, assisted by imag.
nation. But the users of such charms were
not always as lucky as the poor ale.wife and
many were executed, as she would have been,
had she not CHANGED to light on her former Gus.
toner in the character Of her Judge.
Tales Of my Grandfather.
An exploring party from Liberia, who went
$50 miles into the interior of Africa, met with
immense forests filed NTH hAndn of eLenhnntx