she fell down in a profound slumber through the power of that somniferous ointment. We opened the door and stole out, when we observed that her skin had turned perfectly blue, and that she was so fast asleep that blows made not the slightest impression upon her, whilst she continued unconscious of our presence. At length the effect of the ointment gradually ceased to operate, when the woman woke up, and began to tell us many wonderful stories as to how she had travelled over hills and vallies, and all manner of streams. We stoutly contradicted her, and, although, we pointed out to her the marks of the stripes on her body, which we had inflicted on her in her sleep, she remained obstinate in her assertions, persisting therein, and continuing impervious to all our arguments and declarations."

We shall conclude this chapter with a quotation from the book entitled Malleus Judicum, or the Law-hammer of the unmerciful Judge of Witches, where, in the chapter on "Whether witches ride upon broomsticks, pitchforks, and sticks, and sally forth to dances and luxurious banquets," S. 4., we find as follows:-"It is clearly against all reason and nature that a full grown person can pass through a funnel for smoke, which is often so narrow as barely to

admit the fist. Yea, they have even asserted that they have occasionaly slipped through a little hole into which one can barely introduce the finger. Whoever can believe this, will believe also that a camel can go through the eye of a needle-a tun of wine be contained in an aume, or a bushel of corn in a thimble. But men say, 'say what you will, we, nevertheless, do see witches attending these dances and we know them by sight;' to which we reply, that, if any man does see these things, he does not see men nor any corporeal being, but a spirit, whereby many innocent men are brought into evil report and into peril of their lives. There are, however, doubtless, people, who know how to describe the dances of witches, recognise persons, and actually delineate them. These people are well nigh altogether given over to the Devil, assisting him in his lies and murders, receiving wage and pay from him, and are much worse, more deserving of punishment than witches." See further on this head, if the reader chooses to consult him, Augustin Lercheimer, chap. 13. It is a pity that the author of Malleus Judicum, having so clear a judgment as to the impossibility of the accomplishment of witches' feasts, was yet not sufficiently free from the superstitions of the age, to discredit the appearance of spirits.

CHAPTER VI.

"Der püder ist so wie der rock,
Fur alt und grane weifchen,

Drum sitz ich nachanf meinin bock

Und zeig ein der bes leibehen."

GOETHE.

THE GOAT, AS THE WITCHES' PALFrey.

Gentle reader we are writing, currente calamo, sometimes in our own person, and referring here and there to the author, who forms our text book, and now and then, perhaps, translating whole pages literally from him. If then a change of style be here and there visible, to this cause must it be attributed.

Some chapters further back, we informed you

on the undoubted authority of Dr. Bräuner, of the various means of conveyance, animate and inanimate, pressed into the service of the witches, but that which stands at the head of this chapter has long been the favorite one par excellence. Broomsticks, et hoc genus omne, have long been discarded, the witches finding that they were fully as uncomfortable as the delinquent soldier used to feel the riding the wooden horse of yore-were wolves are getting scarce-cats are used now-a-days only as familiars, and not as steeds, calves have been struck out of the category, since the magnates of the land have patronized veal; the politeness of his majesty of darkness having in consequence exempted them from conscription-sheep are rarely used, and the fact of their being so occasionally is only obscurely made known by some such occurence as that of the Sessions Justices of Madras, making a road as crooked as a ramʼs horn, as a thoroughfare for the sea-air, thereby shadowing forth that they had previously dined on bewitched ram mutton; but the goat-the shaggy, the hirsute goat, still holds his own.

Therefore, reader, we beseech you to pause the next time you order kid for your dinner. Doubtless, a hind quarter of kid, delicately browned, and swimming in its own gravy, is

provokingly toothsome; but remember how many paw-paw men' and fie fie misses have been carried away, post haste, on the loins of a wicked old goat-kid's head curry, we grant, is not to be despised; but are you prepared to lay hold of the Devil's palfrey by the horns? Remember, we entreat you, that with every morsel of kid that goes down your gullet, there goes down at the same time, [as we whilom heard the present bishop of Calcutta declare from the pulpit touching a glass of arrack] a bit of the Devil.

And our author gives us good reasons why the goat should be the special favorite of the Devil and his subjects. Chastity is a virtue that the Devil dearly loves; chastity is the predominant virtue of monasteries and nunneries; chastity is the quality which pre-eminently distinguishes the goat-therefore the goat is properly selected as the witches' palfrey. And, now, let us see what the worthy Dr. Bräuner gives us in the shape of anecdote confirmatory hereof :

"I will here," he says gravely, "relate a circumstance which is quite fresh in my memory::When I was studying at Erfurt, in the year 1672, it came to pass that a maid, who was in the service of a joiner there, indulged in improper