Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-08-19
Freaks of the Witches.

The witches had countless mischievous
contrivances for every possible purpose.
A decoction made of a toad baptized by the
name of ohm and fed on consecrated waters,
was thrown under a farmers table by
witch at Scissors, and all who sat round
the board died Immediately. Sand thrown
into the air raised the wind water simi-
larly used brought down rain. So late as
1716 Mrs Hicks and her daughter, the
latter aged nine, were hanged at Hunting
don for raising storm by turning their
stockings inside out and making lather
of soap. The hags of Lapland and their
sisters of the Isle of Man were accustomed
to sell seamen cords with three knots ON
each When the first was united a gentle
breeze arose, a strong gale followed the
opening of the second, and furious hur-
ricane the loosing of the third Ruin
was brought down by inscribing plates of
lead with magical devices and impreca-
tions, aud burying them on the land of the
person thus devoted to the f1ries
But the witches were not always en-
ployed in distributing ruin and murder
They varied their amusements with little
plunder and for every act they had a
settled formula. When they desired TO
be furnished with beer or wine, for ex-
ample, they had merely to ascertain who
in their vicinity was provided with these
drinkables. This done, the witch struck
a knife into the wall, placed pail under
meath, cut few capers, and muttered
some gibberish. Thereupon whatever
liquor wrs mentioned streamed plentifully
from the knife handle until the vessel was
full or the reservoir empty. And they
supplied their other wants in similar fash
ion.
And the necromancers could be sufi-
ciently conservative when it suited their
purpose, as was shown by that particular
con,rivance the amulet. This might con-
sist of any thing from dried toad to a
precious stone, and assume any form, but
was usually preferred as a ring on SEAL
One of these rings was worn by beauty
at medieval court, and so long as she
lived it rendered her the object of the
monarch's passionate attachment Nor
did the amulet lose its power when the
lady died. Being buried with its owner
it drew the royal lover with resistless force
to her tomb. A certain bishop, suspecting
the cause, secured the ring, and thus trans
ferred the monarch's favor to himself But
it proved so annoyingly obtrusive that, as
a matter of personal comfort, the church.
man hastened to get rid of it. He de-
posted the ring in all manner of out-of-the-
way places, and thus caused his master to
perpetrate the oldest freaks and exhibit
the most grotesque likings. At length a
course of penance, undertaken with that
object, procured the prelate dream which
revealed the means of reversing the spell.
A very simple one it proved, consisting
merely of burning the bones of the lady
along with the survivors of the witches
who had aided her in constructing the
talisman. One species of amulet-the
Hand Of Glory-was considered useful in
house-breaking and another in securing
the clerks of st. Nicholas against some of
the risks attached to their profession. The
latter consisted of piece of parchment
inscribed with the names of the three kings
of Cologne. and endowed with the necessa-
ry virtue by being rubbed over the skulls
of these worthless. So long as it was worn
it was esteemed a certain preservative
from sudden death