As touching
the aforesaid Doctor Fian, alias John Cunningham,
the examination of his acts since his apprehension
declareth the great subtlety of the Devil,
and therefore maketh things appear the more
miraculous. For being apprehended by the
accusation of the said Geillis Duncane aforesaid,
who confessed he was their Register,
>> note 1 and
that there was not one man suffered to
come to the Devil's readings but only
he, the said Doctor was taken and imprisoned,
and used with the accustomed pain provided
for those offenses, inflicted upon the
rest as is aforesaid.
First, by thrawing
>> note 2 of
his head with a rope, whereat he would
confess nothing.
Secondly, he was persuaded by fair means
to confess his follies, but that would prevail
as little.
Lastly, he was put to the most severe and
cruel pain in the world, called the boots,
>> note 3 who
after he had received three strokes, being
enquired if he would confess his damnable
acts and wicked life, his tongue would
not serve him to speak. In respect whereof
the rest of the witches willed to search
his tongue, under which was found two pins
thrust up into the head, whereupon the
Witches did say, "Now is the charm
stinted,"
>> note 4 and
showed that those charmed pins were the cause he could not confess any thing.
Then was he immediately released of the boots, brought before the King, his
confession was taken, and his own hand willingly set thereunto, which contained
as followeth.
First, that at the general meetings of those
witches, he was always present; that he was
clerk to all those that were in subjection
to the Devil's service, bearing the name
of witches; that always he did take their
oaths for their true service to the Devil;
and that he wrote for them such matters as
the Devil still pleased to command him.
Item, he confessed that by his witchcraft
he did bewitch a gentleman dwelling near
to the Saltpans,
>> note 5 where
the said Doctor kept school, only for being
enamored of a gentlewoman whom he loved
himself. By means of which his sorcery,
witchcraft and devilish practices, he caused
the said gentleman that once in 24 hours
he fell into a lunacy and madness, and
so continued one whole hour together, and
for the verity of the same, he caused the
gentleman to be brought before the King's
Majesty, which was upon the 24th day of
December last, and in His Majesty's
chamber, suddenly he gave a great scritch
>> note 6 and
fell into a madness, sometime bending himself, and sometime capering so directly
up, that his head did touch the ceiling of the chamber, to the great admiration
of His Majesty and others then present. So that all the gentlemen in the
chamber were not able to hold him, until they called in more help, who together
bound him hand and foot. And suffering the said gentleman to lie still until
his fury were past, he within an hour came again to himself, when being demanded
of the King's Majesty what he saw or did all that while, answered that
he had been in a sound sleep.
Item, the said Doctor did also confess that
he had used means sundry times to obtain
his purpose and wicked intent of the same
gentlewoman, and seeing himself disappointed
of his intention, he determined by all ways
he might to the same, trusting by conjuring,
witchcraft and sorcery
to obtain it in this manner.
It happened this gentlewoman being unmarried,
had a brother who went to school with the
said doctor, and calling his scholar to him,
demanded if he did lie with his sister;
>> note 7 who
answered he did, by means whereof he thought
to obtain his purpose, and therefore secretly
promised to teach him without stripes
>> note 8 so
he would obtain for him three hairs of
his sister's privities, at such time
as he should spy best occasion for it.
Which the youth promised faithfully to
perform, and vowed speedily to put it in
practice, taking a piece of conjured paper
of his master to lap them in when he had
gotten them. And thereupon the boy practiced
nightly to obtain his master's purpose,
especially when his sister was asleep.
But
God who knoweth the secrets of all hearts,
and revealeth all wicked and ungodly practices,
would not suffer the intents of this devilish
Doctor to come to that purpose which he supposed
it would, and therefore to declare that he
was heavily offended with his wicked intent,
did so work by the gentlewoman's own
means, that in the end the same was discovered
and brought to light. For she being one night
asleep, and her brother in bed with her,
suddenly cried out to her mother, declaring
that her brother would not suffer her to
sleep. Whereupon her mother, having a quick
capacity,
>> note 9 did
vehemently suspect Doctor Fian's intention, by reason she was a witch
of her self, and therefore presently arose, and was very inquisitive of the
boy to understand his intent. And the better to know the same, did beat him
with sundry stripes, whereby he discovered the truth unto her.
The mother therefore being well practiced
in witchcraft, did think it most convenient
to meet with
>> note 10 the
doctor in his own art, and thereupon took
the paper from the boy, wherein he should
have put the same hairs, and went to a
young heifer which never had borne calf
nor gone to the bull, and with a pair of
shears, clipped off three hairs from the
udder of the cow, and wrapped them in the
same paper, which she again delivered to
the boy, then willing him to give the same
to his said Master, which he immediately did.
The schoolmaster so soon as he had received
them, thinking them indeed to be the maid's
hairs, went straight and wrought his art
upon them. But the doctor had no sooner done
his intent to them, but presently the heifer
or cow whose hairs they were indeed, came
unto the door of the church wherein the schoolmaster
was, into the which the heifer went, and
made towards the schoolmaster, leaping and
dancing upon him, and following him forth
of the church and to what place so ever he
went, to the great admiration
>> note 11 of
all the townsmen of Saltpans, and many other who did behold the same. The
report whereof made all men imagine that he did work it by the Devil, without
whom it could never have been so sufficiently effected. And thereupon, the
name of the said Doctor Fian (who was but a very young man) began to grow
so common among the people of Scotland that he was secretly nominated for
>> note 12 a
notable conjuror.
All which, although in the beginning he
denied, and would not confess, yet having
felt the pain of the boots (and the charm
stinted, as aforesaid) he confessed all the
aforesaid to be most true, without producing
any witnesses to justify the same, and thereupon,
before the King's Majesty, he subscribed
the said confessions with his own hand, which
for truth remaineth upon record in Scotland.
After that the depositions and examinations
of the said Doctor Fian, alias Cunningham,
was taken, as already is declared, with his
own hand willingly set thereunto, he was
by the master of the prison committed to
ward, and appointed to a chamber by himself,
where forsaking his wicked ways, acknowledging
his most ungodly life, showing that he had
too much followed the allurements and enticements
of Satan, and fondly practiced his conclusions
>> note 13 by
conjuring, witchcraft, enchantment, sorcery,
and such like, he renounced the devil and
all his wicked works, vowed to lead the
life of a Christian, and seemed newly connected
towards God.
The morrow after upon conference had with
him, he granted that the Devil had appeared
unto him in the night before, apparelled
all in black, with a white wand in his hand,
and that the Devil demanded of him if he
would continue his faithful service, according
to his first oath and promise made to that
effect. Whom (as he then said) he utterly
renounced to his face, and said unto him
in this manner, "Avoid Satan, avoid,
for I have listened too much unto thee, and
by the same thou hast undone me, in respect
whereof I utterly forsake thee."
To whom the Devil answered that "Once
ere thou die thou shalt be mine." And
with that (as he said) the Devil brake the
white wand, and immediately vanished forth
of his sight.
Thus all the day this Doctor Fian continued
very solitary, and seemed to have care of
his own soul, and would call upon God, showing
himself penitent for his wicked life. Nevertheless
the same night he found such means that he
stole the key of the prison door and chamber
in the which he was, which in the night he
opened and fled away to the Saltpans, where
he was always resident, and first apprehended.
Of whose sudden departure when the King's
Majesty had intelligence, he presently commanded
diligent inquiry to be made for his apprehension,
and for the better effecting thereof, he
sent public proclamations into all parts
of his land to the same effect. By means
of whose hot and hard pursuit, he was again
taken and brought to prison, and then being
called before the King's Highness, he
was reexamined as well touching his departure,
as also touching all that had before happened.
But this Doctor, notwithstanding that his
own confession appeareth remaining in record
under his own handwriting, and the same thereunto
fixed in the presence of the King's Majesty
and sundry of his Council, yet did he utterly
deny the same.
Whereupon the King's Majesty, perceiving
his stubborn wilfulness, conceived and imagined
that in the time of his absence he had entered
into new conference and league with the Devil
his master, and that he had been again newly
marked,
>> note 14 for
the which he was narrowly searched, but
it could not in any wise be found. Yet
for more trial of him to make him confess,
he was commanded to have a most strange
torment, which was done in this manner
following:
His nails upon all his fingers were riven
and pulled off with an instrument called
in Scottish a "Turkas," which in
England we call a pair of pincers, and under
every nail there was thrust in two needles
over even up to the heads. At all which torments
notwithstanding the doctor never shrunk any
whit, neither would he then confess it the
sooner for all the tortures inflicted upon
him.
Then was he with all convenient speed, by
commandment, conveyed again to the torment
of the boots, wherein he continued a long
time, and did abide so many blows in them
that his legs were crushed and beaten together
as small as might be, and the bones and flesh
so bruised that the blood and marrow spouted
forth in great abundance, whereby they were
made unserviceable for ever. And notwithstanding
all these grievous pains and cruel torments
he would not confess anything, so deeply
had the Devil entered into his heart, that
he utterly denied all that which he had before
avouched, and would say nothing thereunto
but this: that what he had done and said
before was only done and said for fear of
pains which he had endured.
Upon great consideration therefore taken
by the King's Majesty and his Council,
as well for the due execution of justice
upon such detestable malefactors, as also
for example sake, to remain a terror to all
others hereafter that shall attempt to deal
in the like wicked and ungodly actions, as
witchcraft, sorcery, conjuration, and such
like, the said Doctor Fian was soon after
arraigned, condemned, and adjudged by the
law to die, and then to be burned according
to the law of that land provided in that
behalf. Whereupon he was put into a cart,
and being first strangled, he was immediately
put into a great fire, being ready provided
for that purpose, and there burned in the
Castle Hill of Edinburgh on a Saturday in
the end of January last past, 1591.
The rest of the witches which are not yet
executed remain in prison till farther trial
and knowledge of His Majesty's pleasure.