of the duties of the familiar was to acquaint the witch with the next meeting between the witches and the Devil. This always (although authorities differ) took place on Fridays, after midnight, and was called the Sabbath or Sabbat. But Scot, quoting Danæus, says: ‘The Divell oftentimes, in the likenes of a sumner, meeteth them at markets and Faires, and warneth them to appeare in their assemblies, at a certaine houre in the night, that he may understand whom they have slaine, and how they have profited.’
But these meetings might be many miles distant, and, consequently, the witches had to be provided with means of conveyance; which was effected with the aid of an unguent, as to the composition of which authorities vary. This was rubbed over the body, or upon a broomstick or dungfork, and hey, presto! they were in mid-air. But they must not make their exit by the door, only by such illegitimate ways as the chimney or the keyhole. Or, as we see, a wizard might mount his cat, or a witch a sheep; or, if a great favourite, the Devil himself would carry her, taking the form of a he-goat, in which shape he frequently presided at the Sabbat.
The broomstick was the orthodox old English style of aërial courses; but, as I have before said, an unguent was necessary. In ‘The Witch,’ before quoted, Heccat says:
‘Here take this unbaptized brat:
Boile it well; preserve the fat;
You know ’tis pretious to transfer
Our ’noynted flesh into the ayre,
In moonelyght nights, on steeple topps,
Mountains, and pine trees, that like pricks or stopps,
Seeme to our height, high towres, and roofes of princes
Like wrinckles in the earth.’
Scot, on the authority of John Bapt. Neap, gives the following recipes for ointments, which are singularly like those in ‘The Witch’:
‘℞. The fat of yoong children, and seeth it with water in a brasen vessell, reseruing the thickest of that which remaineth boiled in the bottome, which they laie up and keepe, untill occasion serueth to use it. They put hereunto Eleoselinum, Aconitum, Frondes populeas, and Soote.’
Another receipt to the same purpose.
‘℞. Sium, acarum vulgare, pentaphyllon, the blood of a flitter mouse, solanum somniferum and oleum. They stampe all these togither, and then they rubbe all parts of their bodies exceedinglie, till they looke red, and be verie hot, so as the pores may be opened, and their flesh soluble and loose. They ioine herewithall either fat, or oil in steed thereof, that the force of the ointment maie the rather pearse inwardly, and so be more effectuall. By this means (saith he) in a moonlight night they seeme to be carried in the aire.’
Thus, then, their means of conveyance being assured, they all meet together, at some appointed place, it may be hundreds of miles away—in a social congress of a very mixed character, Continental writers giving a fuller and more detailed report of their transactions than do the English. One Henri Boguet, a French Grand Juge, in his ‘Discours des Sorciers,’ Lyons, 1608, is particularly lucid on this subject.
He says that at this assembly the first thing the witches do is to adore Satan, who appears in the form, either of a huge black man or as a he-goat, and by way of doing homage to him they offer him candles which burn with a blue flame, and kiss his back, some kissing his shoulders. Sometimes he holds a black image which the witches kiss, at the same time offering a candle or burning brand which they light at a candle, which the Devil carries between his horns. They next proceed to dance a curious circular dance, in which they are placed back to back, whilst the lame witches incite them to leap and dance. The music of the hautboy is not wanting, someone always being found who will thus oblige the company, besides which Satan himself sometimes plays the flute; but if no orchestra is forthcoming, the witches and devils sing each their own song, making a sort of ‘Dutch medley.’ Sometimes they dance two and two, at other times they perform pas seuls, but always in confusion, and they dance back to back, so that they may not be recognised; indeed, it is for that reason that they hold their assemblies at night.
After the dance they break into couples, and indescribable orgies take place.
The next part of the programme is a banquet, composed of different kinds of viands, according to the place of meeting and the quality of the guests; but, according to the illustrations, the pièce de résistance was a dead child. The table was covered with butter, cheese, and meat, and according to some authorities a large copper was provided, from which each witch could take her meat. They drank wine out of wooden goblets, but the chief drink was water. But at these feasts there was never any salt, because it is an emblem of immortality, which the Devil hates more than anything. Besides, it is put in holy-water, and the Apostles were called the ‘salt of the earth’—sufficient reasons to disgust any Devil.
Before commencing the meal, and on finishing it, the witches say grace—not exactly as we do, but paraphrasing the benediction, filling it with blasphemies, and making Satan author and preserver of all things. And it is a curious thing that all authorities agree that the viands served at these feasts have no flavour or taste, and the meat is only horseflesh; also when the witches rise from table they are as hungry as when they sat down.
This highly unsatisfactory repast being finished, the witches tell Satan what they have done since their last meeting, and those are most welcome who have caused the greatest number of deaths among human beings and cattle, or the most illness, or spoilt most corn; in short, those who have committed the most wickednesses and abominations. The others, who have behaved rather more humanely, are hissed at and mocked by all; they are set on one side, and are often beaten and ill-treated by their master.
They then renew their renunciation of God and the Sacraments of the Church, as also their oath never to speak of God, of the Virgin Mary, or the Saints, unless in mockery and derision; they give up all hope of heaven, and swear that they will always hold him to be their master, and be faithful to him. He then exhorts them to all evil deeds, such as harming their neighbours, making them ill, killing their cattle, and revenging themselves on their enemies, and even uses these words, Revenge yourselves, or you shall die. Moreover, he promises them to lay waste and spoil the fruits of the earth, and gives them powders and ointments for that purpose; at least, he makes them believe so. He also makes them swear solemnly that they should accuse each other, and never reveal anything which had passed between them.
The witches then cause a hailstorm, in order to spoil the crops and the fruit.
But they also celebrate a parody of the Mass, the celebrant being vested in a black chasuble, without a cross on it; and after having put water in the chalice, he turns his back on the altar, and then elevates a slice of black radish instead of the Host, and all the witches cry with a loud voice, ‘Master, help us!’ The Devil at the same time makes sham holy-water, with which he who celebrates the Mass sprinkles the congregation, using a black asperge.
Finally, the Devil, after having taken the form of a he-goat, is consumed by fire, and reduced to ashes, which the witches collect and hide, in order that they may assist them in their diabolical designs.
Of the English Sabbat we shall hear enough when we come to the various cases of witchcraft. Scot quotes Bodin, the great French exponent of witchcraft, ‘who saith, at these magical assemblies the witches never fail to danse, and in their danse they sing these words: Har, har, diuell, diuell, danse here, danse here, plaie here, plaie here, Sabbath, Sabbath. And whiles they sing and danse, euerie one hath a broome in hir hand, and holdeth it up aloft. Item he saith that these night-walking, or rather, night-dansing
