i8 WOMAN AS WITCH 



a company of neighbours, with burning brands and 

 winnasonge. 



I am quite sure if St. Boniface had met by night such 

 a procession he would have ascribed it to the old pagan 

 worship, while to Alfons deSpina, or a mediaeval inquisitor, 

 it would have been an undoubted witch-gathering. 



But let us follow the remnants of these old gather- 

 ings round the Christian churches a little further, just 

 to convince ourselves that witchcraft and its observ- 

 ances have their origin in old religious rites belonging 

 to a totally different civilisation to our own. I select 

 only one or two examples of these fossils. 



In Darmstadt near Hallerstadt the people were in the 

 habit of dancing round the church during the sermon, 

 till, according to tradition, they wore out the deep 

 ditch which surrounds the church. 



In Scotland, before the Reformation, we hear of ball 

 being played in church. "A ball being brought in, 

 the Dean began a chant suited to Easter Day, and then 

 taking the ball in his left hand commenced a dance to 

 the tune, others of the priests dancing round hand in 

 hand. At intervals the ball was tossed by the Dean to 

 each of the choristers, the organ playing music appro- 

 priate to their various antics, until it was time to give 

 over and retire to take refreshment." This ball-play, 1 

 with dancing and song followed by refreshment, is 

 singularly characteristic of the old heathen rites the 

 bride-ball and songs of the German maidens at Easter. 

 Not only were public games at ball played at Easter 

 and Whitsuntide, but ball-money was forced from wed- 



1 Compare the Magdalen in gaudio in Essay XII. 



