vide, supra Holwell’s prophecies in his Catastrophe Mundi,’ and so on.  In 1683 ’we were allarumed with ane strange conjunction was to befall in it of 2 planets, Saturn and Jupiter in Leo....  Our winter was rather like a spring for mildnes.  If it be to be ascrybed to this conjunction I know not.’  In the case of comets there was less room for scepticism.  In December 1680, ‘a formidable comet appeared at Edinburgh.’  In discoursing on this comet he remarks that Dr. Bainbridge observed the comet of 1618 ’to be verticall to London, and to passe over it in the morning, so it gave England and Scotland in their civill wars a sad wype with its taill.  They seldom shine in wain, though they proceed from exhalations and other natural causes.’

    [26] Mr. Andrew Lang has pointed out to me that Lauder’s remarks on the
        identity of the popular legends in France and Scotland (Journal,
        p. 83) are a very early instance of this observation, now
        recognised to be generally applicable.

    [27] P. 74, i.e. of his MS. For the vision of blue bonnets, compare
        H.O., p. 142, and Wodrow’s History, iv. 180.

  [Sidenote:  H.N. 198.]

  [Sidenote:  H.N. 146.]

Lauder relates several trials for witchcraft in much detail, and they evidently gave him some uneasiness.  Some of the women commonly confessed and implicated other persons.  In one such case the women, who among other persons, accused the parish minister, said that the devil sometimes transformed them ’in bees, in crows, and they flew to such and such remote places; which was impossible for the devil to doe, to rarefy the substance of their body into so small a matter ... thir confessions made many intelligent sober persons stumble much what faith was to be adhibite to them.’  In another case from Haddington a woman confessed and accused five others and a man.  Lauder saw the man examined and tested by pricking.  He says, ’I remained very unclear and dissatisfied with this way of triall, as most fallacious:  and the man could give me no accompt of the principles of his art, but seemed to be a drunken foolish rogue.’  Then, according to his custom, he cites a learned authority, Martino del Rio, who lays bare the craft and subtlety of the devil, and mentions that ’he gives not the nip to witches of quality; and sometimes when they are apprehended he delets it....’  ’The most part of the creatures that are thus deluded by this grand impostor and ennemy of mankind are of the meanest rank, and are ather seduced by malice, poverty, ignorance, or covetousness.’  But he finds comfort in the pecuniary circumstances of the Tempter.  ’It’s the unspeakable mercy and goodness of our good God that that poor devill has not the command of money (tho we say he is master of all the mines and hid treasures of the earth) else he would debauch the greatest part of the world.’

CONTENTS OF HIS EARLY JOURNALS AND ACCOUNTS