horrible deeds of witchcraft, but declared even to know the exact time when she had given herself up to that hateful Satan, whereby to rob her at the same time of her virgin fame; seeing that she maintained, that at that time Satan doubtless had taken her virginity from her, when she could no longer heal the cattle; but they had died. Howbeit, to this my dear daughter said nothing, but only cast down her eyes and blushed at such lewdness, and to the other railing accusations, which that wretch vented with many tears, namely: that she had delivered her husband alive into the hands of Satan-she answered as afore-mentioned. But when the hag came to speak of her fresh baptism in the sea, and pretended that she had been seeking strawberries among the bushes, whereupon she forthwith recognised my little daughter's voice, and had come up softly unawares to her and thus discovered the devil's-workshe interrupted her smiling, and answered: "ay, thou wicked woman, how could'st thou hear my voice on the top of the mount in the wood, when I spake by the sea-shore? Verily thou liest: for the murmuring of the waves rendered it impossible for thee!"

This

vexed the old dragon, and wishing to mend the matter, she made it still worse, by saying: "surely thou didst move thy lips as I could see, and thence have I concluded that thou didst call upon the devil, thy para.

mour."

My dear daughter instantly replied: "O thou god. less woman, thou sayest that thou wast in the wood when thou heardest my voice; how then couldest thou see in the wood whether I was moving my lips near the water below or not?"

Such contradiction also astounded Dn. Consul, and

L

he began to threaten the old hag that after all, her end would be the rack if she brought forward such lies, whereat she answered and said: "see then if I lie!" When she went naked into the water she had no mark yet about her body, whereas when she came out of the water again, I saw that she had a mark between her breast of the size of a Witten, whence I judged that the devil must have given her it; albeit I did not see him about her, nor any other spirit or child of man, but it seemed that she was quite alone.

Hereupon the Amtshauptmann sprang from his seat and cried that this thing should be examined; whereat Dn. Consul answered: yea, but not by us, but by two honourable women; for he regarded not my daughter saying: that it was a mole, and that she had it from the day of her birth. Wherefore the beadle's wife came, into whose ear Dn. Consul whispered something, and as no entreaties nor weeping availed, my little daughter was obliged to go with her. Howbeit this was granted unto her: that Lise Kolken should not follow her, as she in troth wanted, but our maid, old Ilse. And in my grief I also went with them, forasmuch as I did not know what the women would do with her. She wept bitterly as they took off her clothes, and held her hand before her eyes for shame.

Ah, God! she was just as white about her body as my blessed wife, now in heaven, while that in her youth, as far as I can remember, she looked quite yellow, and I saw to my astonishment the spot between her breasts, of the which I had before known nothing. But presently she shrieked out violently and sprang back,

* A silver sixpence.

case.

seeing that the beadle's wife, when nobody perceived, had thrust a needle into the spot, so that the red blood ran over her breasts. Thereat my wrath was mightily kindled within me and I rebuked the woman, who defended herself by saying: that she had done according to the injunction of the judge, as verily it was the For when we came into the court again, and the⚫ Amtshauptmann asked how the matter stood, she testified that there certainly was a mark found there of the size of a Gulden,† and looking yellow, but that there was feeling in it, for that Rea had cried out aloud when she had pricked it unawares. In the meantime however, Dn. Camerarius suddenly sprang up and went to my little daughter and lifted up her eyelids, whereupon he began to tremble and exclaimed: "behold here the mark whichis ever infallible!"whereupon all the judges sprang up and inspected the little spot which showed itselfunder the right eyelid thathad proceeded from a stye, but which no one would believe. Dn. Consul then said: "Behold, Satan has marked thee both on body and soul; and notwithstanding thou continuest to lie unto the Holy Ghost; but it will avail thee nothing, and thou only makest thy condemnation to be the sorer! O, thou shameless woman, wilt thou not receive old Lise's witness, neither the witness of these people who have all heard thee on the mount calling on thy lover, the devil, whereupon he appeared unto thee as a hairy giant, and hugged thee and kissed thee?

*It was supposed that such like spots on witches then were indubitable marks of the devil when they had no feeling; and this procedure was adopted with every person suspected of witchcraft.

+ A silver coin value from 1s. 6d. to 2s.

See among others Delrio disquisit magicae lib. V. Tit. xiv. 63.

Hereupon old Paasch, Witthahn, and Zuter, came forward and testified that this happened at midnight, and that they would live and die with this confession on their lips. Old Lise had roused them on Saturday night by 11 o'clock, put before them a pot of beer, and persuaded them secretly to go after the priest's daughter for to see what she was doing on the mount. That at first they refused to go, but in order to get at the bottom of the work of witchcraft going forward in the village they had at length, after offering up a devout prayer, consented and followed her in God's name.

They were not long before they saw the witch through the bushes in the moonlight, where she seemed as if she were digging, and talked loud in a strange language, whereupon the grim arch-fiend suddenly appeared and clasped her round the neck. Then they ran away with horror and dismay, and with the help of Almighty God, in whom they ever trusted, were also happily preserved and protected from the power of the wicked enemy. For albeit, he had looked about after them, when it rustled in the bush, nevertheless he was not suffered to harm them.

At length it was also interpreted as a Crimen against my poor daughter, that she had fainted when she was led away from Coserow towards Pudgla, and again no one would believe her that this arose from grievous vexation at old Lise's singing, and not from an evil conscience as the judge given it out.

Now, when all the witnesses were examined, Dn. Consul asked her yet: whether she had caused the storm; item, what was the meaning of the frog that had fallen into her lap; item, the hedge-hog that was lying before him in the way? Whereupon she

answered: that she had done the one as little as she knew about the other; but at this Dn. Consul again shook his head, and finally asked her: If she would have an Advocate, or commit every thing to the best judgment of the court? whereupon she answered: that she by all means desired to have an Advocate. Wherefore I sent my servant-lad, Claus Neels, on the morrow to Wolgast to fetch the Syndicus Michelsen, who was a pious man, and with whom I put up at sundry times when I rode to the town, forasmuch as he courteously invited me.

I must yet observe that my old Ilse now returned into our service, for after the witnesses were gone away she remained yet alone in the court, and came up to me earnestly entreating me that she might be allowed to attend again on her old master, and her dear young mistress. For now she had saved her poor soul, and revealed everything that she knew. Wherefore she could no longer endure to see her old family in such a sad state, not having even a mouthful to eat, seeing that she heard that old Seep's wife, that hitherto made ready the food for me and my child, had often let the grits burn; item, oversalted the fish and other food. Also, that I was so weak with old age and trouble, that I must have succour, and that she would faithfully render such unto me, and would even sleep in the stable, if needs be. As for wages, she desired none, would I only not reject her. Such goodness of heart melted my little daughter even unto tears, and she said unto me: "Lo, father, the good among the people are already coming to us again, would the good angels then forsake us for ever?" "I thank thee, old Ilse, yea, verily thou shalt make ready my food for