with their master.  For where God begins justly to strike by his lawful lieutenants, it is not in the devil’s power to defraud or bereave him of the office or effect of his powerful and revenging sceptre.’  Thus I am safe; and I shall take care to go armed with a proper warrant, which I shall obtain from a magistrate, my honoured friend and singular good client, Master Roger Newell.  This will obtain me such assistance as I may require, and for due observance of my authority.  I shall likewise take with me a peace-officer, or constable.”

“You will do well, Master Potts,” said Nicholas; “still you must not put faith in all the idle tales told you, for the common folk hereabouts are blindly and foolishly superstitious, and fancy they discern witchcraft in every mischance, however slight, that befalls them.  If ale turn sour after a thunder-storm, the witch hath done it; and if the butter cometh not quickly, she hindereth it.  If the meat roast ill the witch hath turned the spit; and if the lumber pie taste ill she hath had a finger in it.  If your sheep have the foot-rot—­your horses the staggers or string-halt—­your swine the measles—­your hounds a surfeit—­or your cow slippeth her calf—­the witch is at the bottom of it all.  If your maid hath a fit of the sullens, or doeth her work amiss, or your man breaketh a dish, the witch is in fault, and her shoulders can bear the blame.  On this very day of the year—­namely, May Day,—­the foolish folk hold any aged crone who fetcheth fire to be a witch, and if they catch a hedge-hog among their cattle, they will instantly beat it to death with sticks, concluding it to be an old hag in that form come to dry up the milk of their kine.”

“These are what Master Potts’s royal authority would style ’mere old wives’ trattles about the fire,’” observed Mistress Nutter, scornfully.

“Better be over-credulous than over-sceptical,” replied Potts.  “Even at my lodging in Chancery Lane I have a horseshoe nailed against the door.  One cannot be too cautious when one has to fight against the devil, or those in league with him.  Your witch should be put to every ordeal.  She should be scratched with pins to draw blood from her; weighed against the church bible, though this is not always proof; forced to weep, for a witch can only shed three tears, and those only from the left eye; or, as our sovereign lord the king truly observeth—­no offence to you, Mistress Nutter—­’Not so much as their eyes are able to shed tears, albeit the womenkind especially be able otherwise to shed tears at every light occasion when they will, yea, although it were dissemblingly like the crocodile;’ and set on a stool for twenty-four hours, with her legs tied across, and suffered neither to eat, drink, nor sleep during the time.  This is the surest Way to make her confess her guilt next to swimming.  If it fails, then cast her with her thumbs and toes tied across into a pond, and if she sink not then is she certainly a witch.  Other trials there