of a Rat, which vanished away. After this the Examinant and Anne Bishop went home, but before Anne Bishop went off, the Man in black said somewhat to her softly, which the Informant could not hear.
A few days after, Anne Bishop speaking about their going round the Church, told the Examinant, that now she might have her desire, and what she would wish for. And shortly after, the Devil appeared to her in the shape of a Man, promising that she should want nothing, and that if she cursed any thing with A pox take it, she should have her purpose, in case she would give her Soul to him, suffer him to suck her blood, keep his Secrets, and be his instrument to do such mischief as he would set her about. All which, upon his second appearing to her, she yielded to, and the Devil having prickt the fourth finger of her right hand between the middle and upper joynt (where the mark is yet to be seen) gave her a Pen, with which she made a cross or mark with her Blood on Paper or Parchment, that the Devil offered her for the confirmation of the Agreement, which was done in the presence of Anne Bishop. And as soon as the Examinant had signed it, the Devil gave her Sixpence, and went away with the Paper or Parchment.
Further she confesseth, That she hath been at several meetings in Lie Common, and other places in the night, and that her Forehead being first anointed with a Feather dipt in Oyl, she hath been suddenly carried to the place of their meeting. That about five or six Weeks since (or more) she met in the said Common in the night, where were present Anne Bishop, Mary Penny of Wincaunton, Elizabeth Style of Bayford, and a Man in black Clothes with a little Band, whom she supposeth to have been the Devil. At the meeting there was a Picture in Wax, which the Man in black took in his Arms, and having anointed its Forehead with a little greenish Oyl, and using a few words, Baptized it by the name of Elizabeth or Bess Hill, for the Daughter of Richard Hill. Then the Devil, this Examinant, Anne Bishop, and Elizabeth Style stuck Thorns in the Neck, Head, Hand-wrists, Fingers and other parts of the Picture, saying, A Pox on thee, I'le spite thee. This done, all sat down, a white Cloth being spread on the ground, and did drink Wine, and eat Cskes and Meat. After all was ended, the Man in black vanished, leaving an ugly smell at parting. The rest were on a sudden conveyed to their homes.
