406 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



mygtyly tormented; but, if they 

 would speake as had been first direct- 

 ed them, at the end of the last he 

 woolld fall out of his fit as quyetly 

 as if one did lay him doune to slepe. 

 For the rest, Heave till it please God 

 we meete. Leicester, the 18th of 

 July, 1GI6. , 



Your loving brother, 



Robart Heyricke."* 



The execution of nine witches in 

 onemornlng is a circumstance scarce- 

 lycredible in these enlightened times. 

 The same year, however, exhibits 

 a similar prosecution against six 

 other unhappy women. 



" I received your letter yesterday, 

 dated the 10th of October, l6l6"; 

 for which I thank you hartely, for 

 I thought yt long since I hard any 

 thinge from you ; for anny news I 

 lieare but from you I account it but 

 uncertayne. I am desirous to sig- 

 nefye unto you of the witches, but 

 it must be in my next; for they be 

 but this day, as I am informed, ex- 

 amyned before Mr. Mair and the 

 justisis, and docktor Lam be, in our 

 town-hall ; and to-morrow I shall 

 know the substaunce of the matter; 

 and then you shall hear how the 

 matter goes w' them. So, v;ith my 

 love and hartyest salvtatyons to 

 yourself and my lady doone, I leave 

 you to the Most Highest. Leices- 

 ter, the 15th of October. Your 

 loving brother, Robart Heyricke. 



" Since the writing of the above, 

 the under sherive, by a warrant di- 

 rected to the highe-sherive, hathe 



set the 5 witches at liberty ; the 

 sixt is ded in the gayle." 



Ancient animal Custom in Halla- 

 ton, Leicestershire; froin the same. 



A Piece of land was many years 

 ago given, the rents and pro- 

 fits of which the rector for the time 

 being was to receive for his own 

 use, on condition of providing two 

 hare-pies, a quantity of ale, and 

 two dozen of penny loaves, to be 

 scrambled for on Easter Monday an- 

 nually, after divine service and a 

 sermon preached. The land, during 

 the open-field state, was called Hare- 

 Ci'op-Leys; and when the enclosure 

 took place. in 1770, land was allot- 

 ted to the rector in his allotment in 

 lieu of the said Hare-Crop-Leys. 



The manner of scrambling is thus : 

 two large pies (which, instead of 

 hares, are now made of veal and 

 bacon) are made in raised crusts at 

 the rector'shouse ; and, when baked, 

 are cut into quarters or parts, and 

 put into a sack; the ale (now about 

 two gallons) is put into two wooden 

 bottles, without handles or strings 

 to hold them by, the corks well 

 thrust in, and cut off close to the 

 bottle-mouths, and put into a sack 

 also; the penny loaves are quartered 

 and put into a basket, which a man 

 carries, as do two others the sacks ; 

 when the procession begins, con- 

 sisting of men, women, and chil- 

 dren. 



• This i? a striking addition to the many instances whicli might be produced of the 

 credulity of tlie last age. One has already been given under Belvoir (Appendix, 

 p. 69;) and others may be seen la " Briti.sh Topograpliy," vol. i. pp.311, 371, 429, 

 467; vol. ii. pp.-26, 46,52, 254,672, 744. The earliest of these was In 1566; the 

 latest in 1716. The greatest number that appear to have been executed at any one 

 time was in 1645, when Mr, Lawes, an innocent aged clergyman, of Brandeston, a 

 txiopcr and his vvilb, and 15 other women, were all condemned and executed at Bury. 



