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When Satan, for weighty
dispatches,
Sought messengers cunning and bold,
He pass'd by the beautiful faces,
And pick'd out the ugly and old.
VOLLE
We are now come to consider
and describe the ancient and well0known order of Witchcraft; the nature
and object of which requires very little explanation in a country where it
has been so long established, as in Scotland. Taking a retrospective view
of the rise and progress of this once flourishing institution, we are told
it was founded by the Grand Master, shortly after the creation of the
world. That the wickedness of the inhabitants having kept pace with their
increase, Satan found work multiplying so fast on his hands, that his own
spiritual minions, numerous as they were, became inadequate to their
employment. Being seldom blind to his own interest, the idea of enlisting
a few human instruments to supply their deficiencies, naturally
suggested itself to his fertile
genius, and such has been the thirst for magic and power, which has at all
times pervaded the old women of those countries, that he never had great
difficulty in procuring abundance of volunteers to join his banners.
Having thus established his new
order of emissaries, Satan found them to answer his pur poses
uncommonly well. They drudged on in his work so laboriously, and with such
good success, that he found them more profitable tools, for deluding and
hooking-in the best portion of mankind, than his own proper agents,
whose means of communication and seduction were much more confined and
disadvantageous. Accordingly, he has found it his interest to continue the
institution to this day.
It will, no doubt, prove a matter of
some, astonishrnent to the amiable and considerate reader, how any body
that has the honour of wearing a human face, could think of espousing so
desperate a cause, for the sake of any gratification which Satan’s kingdom
affords. Common fame errs too
much, if he is at all a liberal master to those who are his servants, for
it is said, he seldom or never fulfils his conditions with any one of
them. Though mighty forward to
enter into pactions, and extraordinarily liberal in his terms, while
making a bargain, he is said to be far less ready to perform his share of
the conditions, when it is once concluded; and what is still worse, when
he forfeits a penalty, there is no law that can exact it of him.
Accordingly, we have heard of not a few deluded mortals, who sold
themselves to him for sums of money and other considerations, but never
yet heard of his having paid the purchase money.
So once fared a poor needy wretch of
a Highlandman, that bartered his soul to Satan for a cow, and who never
could get the latter to fulfil his bargain. It is no doubt true, that
after much importunity he did, at length, perform his stipulation, in a
way not very creditable to him. Urgently importuned by the disponer to
give him his cow, he ultimately fetched him one, which was but a few hours
in his possession, when it was challenged by a third party as his stolen
property; unwilling to explain how he came by it, the poor fellow was
flung into a prison, and speedily brought before the laird for
trial. In this distressing situation, the disponer was compelled to tell
the truth and manner he came by the cow, not doubting but that the
disclosure would have at once exculpated him from the charge. But
unfortunately for him, his ingenuous confession failed of its object, and
the poor man was condemned to the wuddie, reserving to him such
recourse against Satan as he might be advised to adopt. |
