both placed in extreme jeopardy.  James, who seems to have been as perfectly convinced of the reality of witchcraft as he was of his own infallibility, at once came to the conclusion that the storm had been raised by the aid of evil spirits, for the express purpose of getting rid of so powerful an enemy of the Prince of Darkness as the righteous king.  The result was that a rigorous investigation was made into the whole affair; a great number of persons were tried for attempting the king’s life by witchcraft; and that prince, undeterred by the apparent impropriety of being judge in what was, in reality, his own cause, presided at many of the trials, condescended to superintend the tortures applied to the accused in order to extort a confession, and even went so far in one case as to write a letter to the judges commanding a condemnation.

[Footnote 1:  Pitcairn, I. ii. 218.]

104.  Under these circumstances, considering who the prosecutor was, and who the judge, and the effectual methods at the service of the court for extorting confessions,[1] it is not surprising that the king’s surmises were fully justified by the statements of the accused.  It is impossible to read these without having parts of the witch-scenes in “Macbeth” ringing in the ears like an echo.  John Fian, a young schoolmaster, and leader of the gang, or “coven” as it was called, was charged with having caused the leak in the king’s ship, and with having raised the wind and created a mist for the purpose of hindering his voyage.[2] On another occasion he and several other witches entered into a ship, and caused it to perish.[3] He was also able by witchcraft to open locks.[4] He visited churchyards at night, and dismembered bodies for his charms; the bodies of unbaptized infants being preferred.[5]

[Footnote 1:  The account of the tortures inflicted upon Fian are too horrible for quotation.]

[Footnote 2:  Pitcairn, I. ii. 211.]

[Footnote 3:  Ibid. 212.  He confessed that Satan commanded him to chase cats “purposlie to be cassin into the sea to raise windis for destructioune of schippis.”  Macbeth, I. iii. 15-25.]

[Footnote 4:  “Fylit for opening of ane loke be his sorcerie in David Seytounis moderis, be blawing in ane woman’s hand, himself sittand att the fyresyde.”—­See also the case of Bessie Roy, I. ii. 208.  The English method of opening locks was more complicated than the Scotch, as will appear from the following quotation from Scot, book xii. ch. xiv. p. 246:—­

“A charme to open locks.  Take a peece of wax crossed in baptisme, and doo but print certeine floures therein, and tie them in the hinder skirt of your shirt; and when you would undoo the locke, blow thrice therein, saieing, ’Arato hoc partico hoc maratarykin; I open this doore in thy name that I am forced to breake, as thou brakest hell gates.  In nomine patris etc.  Amen.’” Macbeth, IV. i. 46.]

[Footnote 5: