[Footnote 1:  Book iii. ch. 13, p. 60.]

102.  Bessie Dunlop was tried for witchcraft in 1576.  One of the principal accusations against her was that she held intercourse with a devil who appeared to her in the shape of a neighbour of hers, one Thom Reed, who had recently died.  Being asked how and where she met Thom Reed, she said, “As she was gangand betwixt her own house and the yard of Monkcastell, dryvand her ky to the pasture, and makand heavy sair dule with herself, gretand[1] very fast for her cow that was dead, her husband and child that wer lyand sick in the land ill, and she new risen out of gissane,[2] the aforesaid Thom met her by the way, healsit[3] her, and said, ‘Gude day, Bessie,’ and she said, ’God speed you, guidman.’  ‘Sancta Marie,’ said he, ’Bessie, why makes thow sa great dule and sair greting for ony wardlie thing?’ She answered ’Alas! have I not great cause to make great dule, for our gear is trakit,[4] and my husband is on the point of deid, and one babie of my own will not live, and myself at ane weak point; have I not gude cause then to have ane sair hart?’ But Thom said, ’Bessie, thou hast crabit[5] God, and askit some thing you suld not have done; and tharefore I counsell thee to mend to Him, for I tell thee thy barne sall die and the seik cow, or you come hame; and thy twa sheep shall die too; but thy husband shall mend, and shall be as hale and fair as ever he was.’  And then I was something blyther, for he tauld me that my guidman would mend.  Then Thom Reed went away fra me in through the yard of Monkcastell, and I thought that he gait in at ane narrower hole of the dyke nor anie erdlie man culd have gone throw, and swa I was something fleit."[6]

[Footnote 1:  Weeping.  I have only half translated this passage, for I feared to spoil the sad simplicity of it.]

[Footnote 2:  Child-bed.]

[Footnote 3:  Saluted.]

[Footnote 4:  Dwindled away.]

[Footnote 5:  Displeased.]

[Footnote 6:  Frightened.]

This was the first time that Thom appeared to her.  On the third occasion he asked her “if she would not trow[1] in him.”  She said “she would trow in ony bodye did her gude.”  Then Thom promised her much wealth if she would deny her christendom.  She answered that “if she should be riven at horsis taillis, she suld never do that, but promised to be leal and trew to him in ony thing she could do,” whereat he was angry.

[Footnote 1:  Trust.]

On the fourth occasion, the poor woman fell further into sin, and accompanied Thom to a fairy meeting.  Thom asked her to join the party; but she said “she saw na proffeit to gang thai kind of gaittis, unless she kend wherefor.”  Thom offered the old inducement, wealth; but she replied that “she dwelt with her awin husband and bairnis,” and could not leave them.  And so Thom began to be very crabit with her, and said, “if so she thought, she would get lytill gude of him.”