Popular hatred rendered the existence of a reputed witch so miserable, that persons bearing that stigma often courted death in despair, confessing to crimes which they had never committed, for the purpose of ridding themselves of persecution.

“One of the latest convictions was that of Amy Duny and Rose Cullender, before Sir Matthew Hale at Bury, in 1664.  They were executed, and died maintaining their innocence.”  Their execution was a foul blot upon his name, as it is scarcely to be doubted but that they were the victims of imposture.  It was clearly ascertained by experiments in the judge’s presence, that the children who pretended to be bewitched, when their eyes were covered, played off their fits and contortions at the touch of some other person, mistaking it for that of the accused, yet “he charged the jury without summing up the evidence, dwelling only upon the certainty of the fact that there were witches, for which he appealed to the Scriptures, and, as he said, to ‘the wisdom of all nations;’ and the jury having convicted, the next morning left them for execution.”

But we proceed with a few explanatory notices respecting that portion of the history of this superstition, which will be found interwoven with the traditionary matter in our text.

A number of persons, inhabitants of Pendle Forest, were apprehended in the year 1633, upon the evidence of Edmund Robinson, a boy about eleven years old, who deposed before two of his Majesty’s justices at Padiham, that on All-Saints’-day he was getting “bulloes,” when he saw two greyhounds—­a black one and a brown one—­come running over the field towards him.  When they came nigh they fawned on him, and he supposed they belonged to some of the neighbours.  He expected presently that some one would follow; but seeing no one, he took them by a string which they had tied to their collars, and thought he would hunt with them.  Presently a hare sprang up near to him, and he cried “Loo, loo,” but the dogs would not run.  Whereupon he grew angry, and tied them to a bush for the purpose of chastising them, but instead of the black greyhound he now beheld a woman, the wife of one Dickisson, a neighbour; the other was transformed into a little boy.  At this sight he was much afraid, and would have fled; but the woman stayed him and offered him a piece of silver like a shilling if he would hold his peace.  But he refused the bribe; whereupon she pulled out a bridle and threw it over the little boy’s head, who was her familiar, and immediately he became a white horse.  The witch then took the deponent before her, and away they galloped to a place called Malkin Tower, by the Hoarstones at Pendle.  He there beheld many persons appear in like fashion; and a great feast was prepared, which he saw, and was invited to partake, but he refused.  Spying an opportunity, he stole away, and ran towards home.  But some of the company pursued him until he came to a narrow place called “the Boggard-hole,”