tificate of the sober behaviour of the accused persons, he directed the jury so well, that they acquitted them.

Dilby, tried at York. Alice Hudson, said she received money from the devil, ten shillings at a time. About this period, Mary Johnson was tried at Hertford and hanged. She said, the devil appeared to her, cleaned her hearth of ashes, and hunted hogs out

1634. Seventeen Pendle Forest witches were condemned in Lancashire, by the contrivance of a boy and his father.* 1642. Mother Jackson condemned of the corn. She could not help

in London.

1645. Fifteen condemned at Chelmsford, in Essex, and banged; some at Chelmsford, and some at Manningtree; another died in gaol, another as going to execution. One was hanged at Cambridge the same year. She kept a tame frog, and it was sworn to be her imp. In this and the following year many were hanged at Bury St. Edmund's, in Suffolk. I have been told near forty at the several times of execution, and as many more in the county as made up

three score.

1646. Many hanged at Huntingdon, two of whom were Elizabeth Weed and John Winnick.

1649. One at Gloucester, convicted for having sucked a sow, in the form of a little black creature. Great numbers burnt in Scotland in these unsettled times: Mr. Ady saith many thousands.t

1653. Catherine Huxly, hanged at Worcester, and Jane Lakeland, either hanged or burnt at Ipswich.

1664. Alice Hudson and Doll

laughing, she said, to see how he feazed them about!

But the most remarkable trial on record, is that which took place before Lord Chief Justice 'Hale, at Bury St. Edmund's, Anno 1664. One would have imagined that so eminent a scholar, and so good a man, would have discouraged rather than fostered this cruel and abominable delusion. But it was otherwise decreed, and this celebrated character, whose piety and theological reading (it has been well observed) seemed only to have the effect of rendering him credulous and unrelenting, followed closely in the footsteps of his bigoted predecessors. The following is a relation of the principal incidents of this extraordinary proceeding, and it will plainly show, how strictly the letter of the law was enforced, and how horribly it affected the well-being and security of the community.

Amy Duny and Rose Cullender stood indicted for practising the arts of sorcery and witchcraft; and several witnesses gave evidence as to the

This boy, who was only eleven years of age, must have been one of the veriest rascals that ever existed. In a deposition made at Padham, before Richard Shuttleworth and John Starkey, Esquires, two of his Majesty's Justices of the peace for the county of Lancaster, the following facts, with others equally fearful and miraculous, are related. "The deponent saith, that upon All-Saints' day last past, he, this informer, being with one Henry Parker, a near door neighbour to him, in Wheatly Lane, desired the said Parker to give him leave to gather some bullies, which he did; in gathering whereof he saw two greyhounds, namely, a black and a brown; one came running over the next field towards him, he verily thinking one of them to be Mr. Nutter's, and the other to be Mr. Robinson's, the said gentlemen then having such like: and saith, the said greyhounds came to him, and fawned on him, they having about their necks, either of them a collar, unto each of which was tied a string: which collars (as this informer affirmeth) did shine like gold. And he, thinking that some either of Mr. Nutter's, or Mr. Robinson's family should have followed them, yet seeing nobody did follow them, took the same greyhounds, thinking to course with them." The long and short of all this, is the transformation of one of the greyhounds into "one Dickenson's wife," a person well known to this malicious urchin, whose testimony, although it convinced a Jury, and obtained from them a verdict of guilty against seventeen females, did not make quite so formidable an impression upon the Judge, who consequently obtained a reprieve. Four of these ancient women were sent to London to be questioned by the Bishop of Chester "touching their crimes," where they were "viewed and examined by his Majesty's Physicians and Surgeons, and afterwards by his Majesty himself and the council." The result of this examination was the detection of the boy's machinations, who, with his father, was duly punished. See Webster's Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft, ch. xiv. p. 276, &c. and ch. xvii. p. 347, &c. Ed. 1677.

+ See A Candle in the Dark: shewing the Divine cause of the distractions of the whole Nation of England and of the Christian World; by Thomas Ady, MA. 1656.”

crimes imputed to them. The pro-
secutors appear to have evinced great
zeal and eagerness in their proceed-
ings. They laid thirteen indictments
against the prisoners, comprehend-
ing many charges, founded on facts
performed, not immediately previous
to their apprehension, but so long as
any of the witnesses could remember.
The sum of all the evidence given is
briefly as follows. Against Amy
Duny, it was sworn, that she once
said, "that the devil would not let
her rest till she were revenged on one
Cornelius Sandwell's wife;" that she
told the said Sandwell's wife, that, if
she did not fetch home her geese from
the common, they would be destroy-
ed, and they were destroyed; that,
if Cornelius Sandwell (whose tenant
she was) did not repair the chimney
of her house, it would fall,-and it
did fall. Then there was terrible
testimony concerning a firkin of fish,
which went far to prove the bewitch-
ing abilities of poor Amy. Mrs. Cor-
nelius Sandwell's brother had sent
her a firkin of fine Yarmouth her-
rings as a present; but when she
went to fetch it, the sailors told her
that they believed the devil was in
it, for it leaped into the sea, and was
gone; and, as Mrs. Sandwell very
sagely concluded, all this happened
at the instigation of Amy Duny.
John Soames (another witness) de-
posed" that he had three carts to
carry corn. One of them wrenched
Amy Duny's house, upon which she
came out in a rage (as who would
not?) and threatened;-that this
same cart was afterwards over-turn-
ed twice or thrice that day;-that
the cart was also set fast in a gate-
head, although they could perceive
that it did not touch the posts." But
the most material evidence was that
deposed by Dorothy Dunent, whose
children these unhappy prisoners
were said to have bewitched. They
were afflicted with fits (the usual
malady) which Amy Duny and Rose
Cullender had positively and plainly
predicted. There was also a charge
for bewitching one Susan Chandler,
"who looked very thin, and felt a
pricking, like pins, in her stomach."
This evidence, with more of a like
character, having been circumstan-

tially detailed, the judge and jury
were very much inclined to doubt its
veracity; and there was a pause in
the proceedings. It was resolved,
however, that the case should be re-
ferred to "Sir Thomas Browne, of
Norwich, the famous physician of
his time," who was then in court.
This was accordingly done, and Sir
Thomas declared it was his opinion,
"that the devil, in such cases, did
work upon the bodies of men and
women, upon a natural foundation,
(that is) to stir up and excite such
humours superabounding in their bo-
dies to a great excess, whereby he
did, in an extraordinary manner,
afflict them with such distempers as
their bodies were most subject to, as
particularly appeared in the children
of Dorothy Dunent; for he conceived,
that these swounding fits were natu-
ral, and nothing else but that they
call the mother, but only heightened
to a great excess by the subtilty of the
devil co-operating with the malice of
these which we term witches, at whose
instance he doth the villainies." This
at once decided the point, in the
minds of all but Lord Hale, who still
had his doubts; "but he proceeded
in such fear, and with so much cau-
tion, that he would not so much as
sum up the evidence, but left it to
the jury, with a prayer, . That
the great God of Heaven would
direct their hearts in this weighty
matter."'

The consequence of this irresolution in the Chief Justice was fatal to the prisoners, for in less than half an hour, the jury brought them in guilty upon all the thirteen several indictments; and they were condemned and executed,-declaring their innocence to the last.

We must now bring this paper to a termination. It has already far exceeded the limits we had intended at first to devote to it; but our object has been to show the prevalence and effect of witchcraft at a period when our ancestors could not plead barbarism in extenuation of their folly. Our future views of the subject will comprise the imputed attributes and ceremonies of witchcraft, with its origin, progress, and annihiR. lation.

See "A Trial of Witches at the Assizes held at Bury St. Edmund's, for the County of Suffolk, on the 10th of March, 1664, before Sir M. Hale, Knight." Also Hutchinson's Historical Essay.

THE APPROACH OF SPRING.

AND once again, thou lovely Spring,
Thy sight the day beguiles;
For fresher greens the fairy ring,
The daisy brighter smiles:

The winds, that late with chiding voice
Would fain thy stay prolong,

Relent, while little birds rejoice,
And mingle into song.

Undaunted maiden, thou shalt find
Thy home in gleaming woods,
Thy mantle in the southern wind,
Thy wreath in swelling buds :

And may thy mantle wrap thee round,
And hopes still warm and thrive,
And dews with every morn be found
To keep thy wreath alive.

May coming suns, that tempt thy flowers,

Smile on as they begin;

And gentle be succeeding hours

As those that bring thee in:

Full lovely are thy dappled skies,

Pearl'd round with promised showers,

And sweet thy blossoms round thee rise
To meet the sunny hours.

The primrose bud, thy early pledge,
Sprouts 'neath each woodland tree,
And violets under every hedge
Prepare a seat for thee:

As maid just meeting woman's bloom,
Feels love's delicious strife,

So Nature warms to find thee come

And kindles into life.

Through hedgerow leaves, in drifted heaps,

As left by stormy blast,

The little hopeful blossom peeps,

And tells of winter past;

While odd leaves flutter from the woods,

That hung the season through;

And leave their place for swelling buds

To spread their leaves anew.

'Mong wither'd grass upon the plain,

That lent the blast a voice,

The tender green appears again,

And creeping things rejoice;

Each warm bank shines with early flowers,

Where oft a lonely bee

Drones, venturing on in sunny hours,

Its humming song to thee.

The birds are busy on the wing,

The fish play in the stream;
And many a hasty curdled ring
Crimps round the leaping bream;
The buds unfold to leaves apace,
Along the hedgerow bowers,
And many a child with rosy face
Is seeking after flowers.

1892.3

The Approach of Spring.

The soft wind fans the violet blue,
Its opening sweets to share,
And infant breezes, waked anew,
Play in the maidens' hair;

Maidens that freshen with thy flowers,
To charm the gentle swain,

And dally, in their milking hours,
With lovers' vows again.

Bright dews illume the grassy plain,
Sweet messengers of morn,
And drops hang glistening after rain
Like gems on every thorn;

And though the grass is moist and rank
Where dews fall from the tree,

The creepy sun smiles on the bank
And warms a seat for thee.

The eager morning earlier wakes
To glad thy fond desires,
And oft its rosy bed forsakes

Ere night's pale moon retires;

Sweet shalt thou feel the morning sun

To warm thy dewy breast,

And chase the chill mist's purple dun

That lingers in the west.

Her dresses Nature gladly trims,

To hail thee as her Queen,

And soon shall fold thy lovely limbs

In modest garb of green:

Each day shall like a lover come

Some gifts with thee to share,

And swarms of flowers shall quickly bloom

To dress thy golden hair.

All life and beauty warm and smile

Thy lovely face to see,

And many a hopeful hour beguile

In seeking joys with thee:

The sweetest hours that ever come

Are those that thou dost bring,

And sure the fairest flowers that bloom

Are partners of the Spring.

I've met the Winter's biting breath

In Nature's wild retreat,

When Silence listens as in death,

And thought its wildness sweet;

And I have loved the Winter's calm

When frost has left the plain,

When suns that morning waken'd warm

Left eve to freeze again.

I've heard in Autumn's early reign

Her first, her gentlest song ;

I've mark'd her change o'er wood and plain,

And wish'd her reign were long

Till winds, like armies, gather'd round,

And stripp'd her colour'd woods,

And storis urged on, with thunder sound,
Her desolating floods.

And Summer's endless stretch of green,
Spread over plain and tree,

Sweet solace to my eyes has been,
As it to all must be;

And I have stood his burning heat,
And breathed the sultry day,

And walk'd and toil'd with weary feet,
Nor wish'd his pride away.

And oft I've watch'd thy greening buds,
Brush'd by the linnet's wing,

When, like a child, the gladden'd woods
First lisp the voice of Spring;

When flowers, like dreams, peep every day,
Reminding what they bring,

I've watch'd them, and am warm'd to pay
A preference to Spring.

JOHN CLARE.

ADDITIONS TO LORD ORFORD'S ROYAL AND NOBLE AUTHORS.

No. I.

IT is no uncommon thing to condemn, at one time, that which at another, we readily fall in with; or to pursue with eagerness that which we have before slighted. When Mr. Park's edition of Horace Walpole's very entertaining Catalogue of our Royal and Noble Authors made its appearance, in 1806, I well remember thinking, that he had spoiled one of the most delightful lounging books in our language, by carrying his improvements too far, by overloading it with notes, and extending it with unnecessary extracts. As a just retribution, however, for my too hasty

censure, I myself, soon after, stumbled on one or two articles which had escaped the researches even of the indefatigable editor, and having since, from time to time, sinned on, by adding yet another and another memorandum to my stock, the collection became tolerably bulky. I now send one or two of these nuga literaria for the pages of the LONDON MAGAZINE, hoping that, as a curious and not common document will occasionally be discovered amongst them, my contribution may not be entirely unacceptable.

KING JAMES THE FIRST

Was transmitted to posterity by the courtier-like pens of his day, as the deepest divine, most acute disputant, truly accomplished scholar, and genuine poet, this wicked world was ever blessed with,

Pacificus doctus Jacobus, Solomonque se

cundus.

But a practical critic, one of those experienced judges of literature, the booksellers, pronounced a very different sentence upon his Majesty's performances; a sentence, we fear, which time and experience have confirmed. I have sent you (says the learned Tho

mas Lydyat, in a letter to Mr., afterwards Archbishop, Usher) the King's book in Latin, against Vorstius, yet scant dry from the press; which Mr. Norton, who hath the matter wholly in his own hands, swore to me. he would not print, unless he might have money to print it: a sufficient argument

to make me content with my manuscript
lying still unprinted, unless he equivocat-
ed: but see how the world is changed!
Time was, when the best book-printers
and sellers, would have been glad to be be-
holding to the meanest book-makers. Now
Mr. Norton, not long since the meanest of
many book-printers and sellers, so talks and
deals, as if he would make the noble King
James, I may well say the best book-
maker of this his own, or any, kingdom
under the sun, be glad to be beholding to
make such a one as I am his vassal!
him any marvel therefore, if he think to

Poor Lydyat, the antagonist of
Scaliger, the friend of Prince Henry,

of Chaloner, and of Usher, was then anxious to publish some additions to a most learned and elaborate treatise he had before printed, De Emendatione Temporum; but we see, even in those days, booksellers knew, and exercised their power, and upon an