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WITCHES IN THE SHIRE OF RENFREW.
IN the month of Auguſt 1696, Chriſtian Shaw, daughter to Shaw of Bargarran in the ſhire of Renfrew about eleven years of age obſerving one of the maids of the houſe to ſteal and drink ſome milk ſhe told her mother of it: Whereupon the maid, (Katherine Campbell) being of a proud and revengeful nature and a great curſer and ſwearer did: in a great rage, thrice imprecate the curſe of God upon the child. On Sunday following one Agnes Naſmith came to Bargarran's houſe, where ſhe aſked the ſaid Chriſtian how the lady and young child was, and how old the young child was. To which Chriſtian replied What do I know? Then Agnes aſked how herſelf did; and how old ſhe was: To which ſhe anſwered, that ſhe was well and in the eleventh year of her age. On Saturday night thereafter, the child went to bed in good health, but ſo ſoon as ſhe was aſleep began to cry, Help, help; and flew over the reſting bed where ſhe was lying. with ſuch violence that her brains had been daſhed out, if a woman had not broke the force of the child's motion, and ſhe remained as if ſhe had been dead, for the ſpace of half an hour. After this ſhe was troubled with ſore pains. And when any touched her ſhe cried and ſchreeched as if they had been killing her but could not ſpeak.
