Digital Edition of Newes from Scotland 1592 pamphlet

• Edward Allie PrinterNote: Allie Edward was a printer in London, son of another printer, John Alde or Alday, printer. He had multiple shops and became largely a trade printer, working with several of the publishers of that time. His first book entry occurs in the Registers on August Ist, 1586 [Arber, i. 450]. While his first prints consist mostly of ballads, he soon was able to print the works of famous writers such as Thomas Churchyard, Samuel Daniel, Thomas Dekker, Christopher Marlowe, John Taylor, and many other. In 1597, he had his press seized by the Company of Stationers after publishing a Catholic confession, but was able to resume his business under the influence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. He had judicial problems again in 1599 for printing books that had been censured and ordered to be burnt. After his death, his wife continued the printing business for a couple of years.
• William Wright BooksellerNote: He was a senior bookseller in London, the son of a carpenter, Matthew Wright of London. His first book entry in the Registers on July 1579. His printing focused in ballads, broadsides, news books and other genres of ephemeral literature. He firmly opposed the monopolies of printing privileges, and was imprisoned in the Counter for books he had not been granted authorization to print.
• John Fian School teacherNote: John Fian or Fean, Johnne Sibbet alias Cunninghame, and John Cunningham. His dittay was the first, and it incriminated Robert Grieson, Michael Clark, and Agnes Sampson, who he claimed to have seen at the North Berwick kirk. According to Newes, he was a young man at the time, and he had an elaborated narrative of how the devil approached to him. He is said to have experienced trances and extracorporeal travel. At his execution, he supposedly confessed to adultery with 32 women, but denied witchcraft, attributing his fantastic previous statements as strategic to save him from torture.
• King James I King of Scotland and EnglandNote: James I of Britain or James VI of Scotland became King after the death of Elizabeth I. He was the son of the executed Queen of Scots. Years after the case of the Berwick Witches - which according to Newes had as a major goal harm him - he wrote a demonological tract, Daemonologie, in the form of a dialogue with a sceptical interlocutor. He also paricipated actively in the examinations of the North Berwick accused, and seemed to be obsessed with the potential influence of evil supernatural forces on earth, especially for the crown.
• David Seaton deputy bailiffNote: David Seton or Seaton, deputy Bailliff of Tranent, dweller in the Seton house. He was responsible for examining Geilis Duncan. Catholic who opposed the expansion of Protestantism in Scotland, as well as other members of the Seton house, under Lord Robert Seton. The Setons had important connections with both Mary Queen of Scots and James I.
• Geillis Duncane house maid at David Seton'sNote: Maid at the house of Seaton, who suspected of her activity of going out of home late at night. She was accused of performing miraculous things not described at Newes. She was the first accused in the North Berwick trials and she incriminated Agnis Sampson under torture, after being searched for "the devil's mark".
• Agnis Sampson Cunning woman, healer and midwifeNote: Agnis was known in the community for her healing and midwifery services. Her confession included the flight and the gathering of other 200 witches, and she confessed an intention to harm the king.
• Margaret Acheson GoodwifeNote: Middle class woman, one of the accused in the North Berwick witch trials. According to neighbors's accounts, she was involved in rituals with dead bodies, and attended to halloween meetings with a cat.
• Jennit Bandilandis unknownNote: Only accused witch not mentioned in the dittays. It is believed that her recorded surname was a misspelling of "Sandelands"
• Ewphame Meealrean Upper class womanNote: Alternative spellings: Ewfame Makcalzene, Euphame MacCalzean. Upper-class woman, wife of Patrik, Makcalyane (alias Moscrop) who lived in Cliftonhall. In her trial she was accused of trying to kill her husband and other family members for political gain, and for consulting with lots of witches. She was burned alive on the castle hill, on June 25th 1591.
• Barbara Naper Upper-class womanNote: Barbara Naper (or Napier) was one of Agnes's higher status clients—which later led to her implication. At a later stage Geillis also seems to have implicated Euphame MacCalzean, Seton's own much richer sister-in-law. There is some evidence that family tension may have led to this accusation; perhaps it was done in the hope of seizing Euphame's considerable estates of Cliftonhall. It is about these two high-status female accused witches that we know most.
• Douglas Archibalde 8th Earl of Angus, privy councillor and sheriff of Berwick and lieutenant general of Scotland.Note: His influence stretched beyond Berwick and as a presbyterian (aligned with Elizabeth I), he fled to Newcastle, a center of Presbyterianism, where he felt safe against the rule of the Scottish government. After the death of Queen Elizabeth I, though, his influence was diminished because of his lack of support to James I (a more Episcopalian ruler).

1. To the Reader.

THE MANIFOLD untruths which is spread abroad, concerning the detestable actions and apprehension of those Witches whereof this history following truly entreated, has caused me to publish the same in print: and the rather for that several written Copies are lately dispersed thereof, containing, that the said witches were first discovered, by means of a poor Pedler traveling to the town of Trenent, and that by a wonderful manner he was in a moment conveyed at midnight, from Scotland to Bordeaux in France (being places of no small distance between) into a Merchant's Seller there, & after, being sent from Bordeaux into Scotland by certaine Scottish Merchant's to the King's Majesty, that he discovered those Witches and was the cause of their apprehension: with a number of matters miraculous [Page] and incredible: All which in truth are most false. Nevertheless to satisfy a number of honest minds, who are desirous to be informed of the verity and truth of their confessions, which for certainty is more stranger then the common report runs, and yet with more truth I have undertaken to publish this short Treatise, which declares the true discourse of all that hadhath happened, & as well what was pretended by those wicked and detestable Witches against the King's Majesty, as also by what means they wrought the same.

All which examinations (gentle Reader) I have here truly published, as they were taken and uttered in the presence of the King's Majesty, praying thee to accept it for verity, the same being so true as cannot be reproved.

2. A true discourse, of the apprehension of several Witches lately taken in Scotland: whereof some are executed, and some are yet imprisoned.
With a particuler recital of their examinations, taken in the presence of the King's Majesty.

God by his omnipotent power, has at al times and daily does take such care, and is so vigillant, for the weal and preservation of his own, that thereby he disappoints the wicked practises and evil intents of all such as by any means whatsover, seek indirectly to conspire any thing contrary to his holy will: indeed and by the same power, he has lately overthrown and hindered the intentions and wicked dealings of a great number of ungodly creatures, no better then devils: who suffering themselves to be allured and enticed by the devil whom they served, and to whom they were privately sworn: entered into detestable Art of witchcraft, [Page]which they studied and practised so long time, that in the end they had seduced by their sorcery a number of other to be as bad as themselves: dwelling in the boundaries of Lowthian, which is a principall shire or part of Scotland, where the King's Majesty uses to make his cheefest residence or abode: and to the end that their detestable wickedness which they privilege had pretended against the King's Majesty, the Commonwealth of that Country, with the Nobility and subjects of the same, should come to light: God of his unspeakable goodness did reveal and lay it open in very strange sort, thereby to make known unto the world, that their actions were contrary to the law of God, and the natural affection which we ought generally to bear one to another: the manner of the revealing whereof was as follows.

Within the town of Tranent in the Kingdom of Scotland, there one David Seaton, who being deputy bailiff in the town, had a maid servant called Geillis Duncane, who used secretly to be absent and to lie forth of her Master's house every other night: this Geillis Duncane took in hand to help all such as were troubled or grieved with any kind of sickness or infirmity: and in short space did perform many matters most miraculous, which things forasmuch as she began to do them upon a sudden, having never done the like [Page] before, made her Master and others to be in great admiration, and wonder there: by means whereof the said David Seaton had his maid in some great suspicion, that she did not those things by natural and lawful , but rather supposed it to be done by some extraordinary and unlawful means.

whereupon, her Master began to grow very inquisitive, and examined her which way and by what means she were able to perform matters of so great importance: at which she gave him no answere, nevertheless, her Master to the intent that he might the better try and find out the truth of the same, did with the help of others, torment her with the torture of the thumbscrew upon her fingers, which is a grievous torture, and binding or wrenching her head with a cord or rope, which is a most cruel torment also, yet would she not confess any thing, whereupon they suspecting that she had been marked by the devil (as commonly witches are) made dilligent search about her, and found the enemies mark to be in her fore crag or foreparte of her throat: which being found, she confessed that all her doings was done by the wicked appeal and enticements of the devil, and that she did them by witchcraft.

After this her confession, she was committed to prison, where she continued for a season, [Page]where immediatly she accused these persons following to be notorious witches, and caused them forthwith to be apprehended one after an

other, namely. Agnis Sampson the eldest Witch of them al, dwelling in Haddington, Agnes Tompson of Edinburgh, Doctor Fian, alias John Cunningham, master of the school at Saltpans [Page] in Lowthian, of whose life and strange acts, you shall hear more largely in the of this discourse: these were by the said Geillis Duncane accused, as also George Motts wife dwelling in Saltpans, Robert Griersonn skipper, and Jennit Bandilandis, with the Porter's wife of Seaton, the Smith at the bridge Hallis with innumerable others in that parts, and dwelling in those bounds aforesaid: of whom some are already executed, the rest remain in prison, to receive the doom of judgement at the King's Majesty will and pleasure.

The said Geillis Duncane also caused Ewphame Meealrean to be apprehended, who conspired and performed the death of her Godfather, and who used her art a gentleman being one of the Lords and Justices of the Session, for bearing good will to her Daughter: she also caused to be apprehended one Barbara Naper, for bewitching to death Archibalde, last Earl of Angus, who languished to death by withcraft and yet the same was not suspected, but that he died of so strange a disease, as the physician knew not how to cure or remedy the same: but of all other the said witches, these two last before recited, were reputed for as civil honest women as any that dwelled within the City of Edinburgh, before they were apprehended. Many other besides were taken dwelling in [Page]Lieth, who are detained in prison, until his Majesty's further will and pleasure be known of whose wicked doings you shall particularly hear, which was as follows.

This aforesaid Agnis Sampson which was the elder Witch, was taken and brought to Haliriud house before the King's Majesty and several other of the nobility of Scotland, where she was strictly examined, but all the persuasions which the King's Majesty used to her with the rest of his counsell, might not provoke or induce her to confess any thing, but stood stiffly in the denial of all that was laid to her charge: whereupon they caused her to be taken to to prison, there to receive such torture as has been lately provided for witches in that country: and forasmuch as by due examination of witchcraft and witches in Scotland, it has lately been found that the devil does generally mark them with a privy mark, by reason the Witches have confessed themselves, that the devil does lick them with his tongue in some privy part of their body, before he does receive them to be his servants, which mark commonly is given them under the hair in some part of their , whereby it may not easily be found out or seen, although they be searched: and generally so long as the mark is not seen to those which search them, so long the parties that have the [Page]mark will never confess any thing. Therefore by special commandment this Agnis Sampson had all her hair shaven off, in each part of her body, and her head thrown with a rope according to the custom of that Country, being a pain most grievous, which she continued almost an hour, during which time she would not confesse any thing until the devil's mark was found upon her privities, then she immediately confessed whatsoever was demanded of her, and justifying those persons aforesaid to be notorious witches.

Item, the said Agnis Tompson was after brought again before the King's Majesty and his Council, and being examined of the meetings and detestable dealings of those witches, she confessed that upon the night of Halloween last, she was accompanied as well with the persons aforesaid, as also with a great many other witches, to the number of two hundred: and that all they together went by Sea each one in a Riddle or Ciue, and went in the same very substantially with flasks of wine making merrie and drinking by the way in the same Riddles or Ciues, to the church of North Barrick in Lowthian, and that after they had landed, took hands on the land and danced this reel or short dance, singing all with one voice.

At which time she confessed, that this Geilles Duncane did go before them playing this reel or dance upon a small Trump, called a Iewes Trump, vntill they entred into the Kerk of North Barrick.

These confessions made the King in a wonderful admiration, and sent for the said Geillis Duncane, who upon the like Trump did play the said dance before the King's Majesty, who in respect of the strangeness of these matters, took great delight to be present at their examinations.

Item, the said Agnis Tompson confessed that the devil being then at North Barrick Church attending their comming in the habit or likenes of a man, and seeing that they tarried for too long, he at their coming urged them all to a penance, which was, that they should kiss his buttocks, in sign of duty to him: which being put over the Pulpit barre, everyone did as he had urged them: and having made his ungodly exhortations, wherein he did greatly persuade against the King of Scotlond, he received their oathes for their good and true service towards him, and departed: which done, they returned to Sea, and so home again.