97.  It is also suggested that the power of vanishing from the sight possessed by the sisters—­the power to make themselves air—­was not characteristic of witches.  But this is another assertion that would not have been made, had the authorities upon the subject been investigated with only slight attention.  No feature of the crime of witchcraft is better attested than this; and the modern witch of story-books is still represented as riding on a broomstick—­a relic of the enchanted rod with which the devil used to provide his worshippers, upon which to come to his sabbaths.[1] One of the charges in the indictment against the notorious Dr. Fian ran thus:  “Fylit for suffering himself to be careit to North Berwik kirk, as if he had bene souchand athoirt [whizzing above] the eird."[2] Most effectual ointments were prepared for effecting this method of locomotion, which have been recorded, and are given below[3] as an illustration of the wild kind of recipes which Shakspere rendered more grim in his caldron scene.  The efficacy of these ointments is well illustrated by a story narrated by Reginald Scot, which unfortunately, on account of certain incidents, cannot be given in his own terse words.  The hero of it happened to be staying temporarily with a friend, and on one occasion found her rubbing her limbs with a certain preparation, and mumbling the while.  After a time she vanished out of his sight; and he, being curious to investigate the affair, rubbed himself with the remaining ointment, and almost immediately he found himself transported a long distance through the air, and deposited right in the very midst of a witches’ sabbath.  Naturally alarmed, he cried out, “‘In the name of God, what make I heere?’ and upon those words the whole assemblie vanished awaie."[4]

[Footnote 1:  Scot, book iii. ch. iii. p. 43.]

[Footnote 2:  Pitcairn, I. ii. 210.  Cf. also Ibid. p. 211.  Scot, book iii. ch. vii. p. 51.]

[Footnote 3:  “Sundrie receipts and ointments made and used for the transportation of witches, and other miraculous effects.

“Rx.  The fat of yoong children, & seeth it with water in a brazen vessell, reseruing the thickest of that which remaineth boiled in the bottome, which they laie up & keep untill occasion serveth to use it.  They put hereinto Eleoselinum, Aconitum, frondes populeas, & Soote.”  This is given almost verbatim in Middleton’s Witch.

“Rx.  Sium, Acarum Vulgare, Pentaphyllon, the bloud of a Flittermouse, Solanum Somniferum, & oleum.”

It would seem that fern seed had the same virtue.—­I Hen.  IV.  II. i.]

[Footnote 4:  Scot, book iii. ch. vi. p. 46.]