“We put this intill this hame,
In our lord the Devil’s name;
The first hands that handle thee,
Burn’d and scalded may they be! 
We will destroy houses and hald,
With the sheep and nolt into the fauld;
And little sall come to the fore,
Of all the rest of the little store!”

Metamorphoses were, according to Isobel, very common among them, and the forms of crows, cats, hares, and other animals, were on such occasions assumed.  In the hare shape Isobel herself had a bad adventure.  She had been sent by the devil to Auldearne in that favourite disguise, with some message to her neighbours, but had the misfortune to meet Peter Papley of Killhill’s servants going to labour, having his hounds with them.  The hounds sprung on the disguised witch, “and I,” says Isobel, “run a very long time, but being hard pressed, was forced to take to my own house, the door being open, and there took refuge behind a chest.”  But the hounds came in and took the other side of the chest, so that Isobel only escaped by getting into another house, and gaining time to say the disenchanting rhyme:—­

“Hare, hare, God send thee care! 
I am in a hare’s likeness now;
But I shall be a woman even now—­
Hare, hare, God send thee care!”

Such accidents, she said, were not uncommon, and the witches were sometimes bitten by the dogs, of which the marks remained after their restoration to human shape.  But none had been killed on such occasions.

The ceremonial of the Sabbath meetings was very strict.  The Foul Fiend was very rigid in exacting the most ceremonious attention from his votaries, and the title of Lord when addressed by them.  Sometimes, however, the weird sisters, when whispering amongst themselves, irreverently spoke of their sovereign by the name of Black John; upon such occasions the Fiend rushed on them like a schoolmaster who surprises his pupils in delict, and beat and buffeted them without mercy or discretion, saying, “I ken weel eneugh what you are saying of me.”  Then might be seen the various tempers of those whom he commanded.  Alexander Elder, in Earlseat, often fell under his lord’s displeasure for neglect of duty, and, being weak and simple, could never defend himself save with tears, cries, and entreaties for mercy; but some of the women, according to Isobel Gowdie’s confession, had more of the spirit which animated the old dame of Kellyburn Braes.  Margaret Wilson, in Auldearne, would “defend herself finely,” and make her hands save her head, after the old Scottish manner.  Bessie Wilson could also speak very crustily with her tongue, and “belled the cat” with the devil stoutly.  The others chiefly took refuge in crying “Pity! mercy!” and such like, while Satan kept beating them with wool cards and other sharp scourges, without attending to their entreaties or complaints.  There were attendant devils and imps, who served the witches.  They were usually distinguished by their liveries, which were sad-dun,