The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-05-21

In the brilliant reign OF Queen
Bess, when Shakespeare, the poet OF
sll time. wrote; when Bacon, the pro-
found aud accomplished philosopher.
gave his subtle acumen to the world;
when Luther shook the civilized ma
tons to their Genre: when Spenser
swept his msjesli. fr. aud . crowd
of lesser lights SEPT forth their radi-
ance, it would appear almost beyond
belief that superstition was rampant;
that witch and warlock. goblin and
ghoul, vampire and kelpie, banshee,
and rigwoodie hays were firmly be-
lieved in and held supreme sway
over the minds of the entire popu-
lace.
Not the delicate Ariel like fancies
Of fay and elf hiding in moss cups,
Graded in fiawer hearts, speeding on
butterfly wings, lulled in the arms Of
zephyrs or swinging on suubeams-
not these, but grim and ghaslIy, NAL
lcious, cunning, cruel kelpies and
were wolves, bags and horned 6ends.
These were bad enough, but infinite.
ly more terrible than these 10 their
results were the horrors copjured up
oy the credence given to %witcbcrsft,
which, amidst all the elegant liters-
ture, the profound PHILOSOPHY, the
theological illumination Of that Aug
ustian age. showed grim aud relent-
less against the fair background.
Gloomy aud unnoly was the cred.
ulity given to all the stories OF ban
shoes gliding to aud fro beneath great
snadowy trees 10 lonely forests; Of
unhallowed witches dragged by SAT
yr-like forms over bush and brake OF
witches mounted on broomslicks q
meet their uukempt sisters 10 unholy
alliance ia the air, To hold their orgies
OF blood of devils; horned. hoofed.
hateful, besetting decent folks ; Of the
gilt of second sight aud winding
sheets in the fame of candles ; Of the
evil eye casting poverty and blight,
sickness and even deatb-"the evil
eye OF SO Venomous a constitution be-
ing radiated in envy and malice, il
10th pierce and kill like q cockatrice
whatsoever creature il first setteth
its sight upon"
Aud these beliefs sat like q night
mare upon the heart Of humanity tor
centuries, crushing out its tenderest
Impulses and engendering fierce and
cruel hatred between man and man.
All the formulas of the fauh were
gloomy and terrifying, ending in the
stake and the scaffold most frequent
ly, crying with hungry zeal for the
blood Of the weak, the innocent and
ignorant.
Nowhere was the especial mad
witch panic. which swept over Eu-
rope in the sixteenth aud seventeenth
centuries, Tor fatal in its %consequen-
ces than in the British Isles. particu-
larly among the stern, uncompromis.
ing PuIitans Of Scotland, for whom
there seem to have been q peculiar
fascination in any formula which lev
elled all rank, bringing down beauty,
unstaiced regulations and wealth to
horrid shame and suffering
The stern, reliant integrity Of the
Covenanters, strange rs it seems,
found a certain attraction 10 the most
revolving characteristicsof this strange
infatuatlon.
And when an edict from the mean
spirited, shailow-souled James VI.
was promulgated, making w~itchcraft
a canon Of belief, it became q politi-
cal as well as religiously important
matter.
The Kirk did not keep aloof, but
sanctioned the abuses of the civil au-
thorities with its arbitrary DEGREES
and denuncisiions of all unbelievers
as atheist and Ssdd ucees /; and the
times were dark, indeed.
The lovely Lady Glsmmis, with
sor nigh-hearted courage. nrr woelth
and her sweet innocence, was among
The first VICTIMS
Then came Mistress Agues Samp-
son, who, spite of her grave deport-
Ineni, well-ordered life aud high en-
dowments of mind, was accused of
the most astonishing crimes! She
bad been baptised by Satan himself;
had chased the pains from some sick
and fastened Them upon Others; had
hung up a black toad by the heels
and sung two paters, a black and 3
white one, TO charm or ''sainn her
bed.
So for these and like crimes was
the proud grace-aife "wlrret" and
burned on Castle Hill, aud chnrn,
cattle and toad sick folks ard well
ones disenchanted TO the d%electation
of all good people.
Poor Katie Craigie died because
she found by enchanted stones that
her Robbie was dying, and had him
washed in the water in which the
stones had been "chlrled and chirn-
ed" which cured poor Robbie but
held poor Kate TO the stake for famil-
lar doings with a Kirk spirit who
had taught her this art of water
cure.
Old Andrew man being loved 10
bis brave young days by a lady fair,
who was queen of Elfame, although
before it was known had grown an
old, old man and earnestly asserted
bis innocence, was sent by way of
Castle Hill TO seek q better country
than witch-ridden Scotland.
The belief in the srchiend as help
er In all these doing was most pro-
found, and, we, standing on the hill
top of to-day's illumination and iJok.
ing back into the shadows of that
past, can well subscribe to any amount
of faith 10 his active participation in
all the false accusations, at least,
whatever else be had to do with
il.
Many a night did be, arrayed 10
bis best broadcloth, ssunter forth
among the fairest and comeliest.
Oace it was the beautiful wife of the
cooper of Carrin who sat at his right
baud at a feast, ito the discomfort of
his old bags whom he now did slight"
for which she was fyled for a witch
and pat 10 prison, whence she was
taken to the stake, dying at three and