Page:Witch-Cult in Western Europe (1921).djvu/123

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THE ASSEMBLIES
123

the irregularity of the dates: 'Efter that, we vold still meit euerie ten, twelve, or twantie dayes continwally.'[1] Marie Lamont merely notes that the meetings were at night: 'The devil came to Kattrein Scott's house in the midst of the night. … When she had been at a mietting sine Zowle last, with other witches, in the night, the devill convoyed her home in the dawing.'[2] The Somerset witches had no special night: 'At every meeting before the Spirit vanisheth away, he appoints the next meeting place and time,'[3] and Mary Green went to a meeting 'on Thursday Night before Whitsunday last'.[4] At Paisley the meeting was on Thursday, the 4th of January, 1678, in the night, in John Stuart's house.[5] The Swedish witches were much harder worked: 'whereas formerly one journey a week would serve his turn, from their own Town to the place aforesaid, now they were forced to run to other Towns and places for Children, and that some of them did bring with them some fifteen, some sixteen Children every night.'[6]

The more modern examples suggest that the date became more fixed: 'On croit que c'est toujours un vendredi soir que les sorciers et sorcières se réunissent.'[7] 'Sorciers et sorcières vont au sabbat le vendredi, à travers les airs.'[8]

  1. Pitcairn, iii, p. 617.
  2. Sharpe, pp. 131, 133.
  3. Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 139.
  4. Id., pt. ii, p. 164.
  5. Id., pt. ii, pp. 293, 297.
  6. Horneck, pt. ii, p. 318.
  7. Monseur, p. 87.
  8. Lemoine, La Tradition, 1892, vi, p. 106.