The Book of Cats. I /I 



and foot, her clothes being upon her, and being 

 laid softly upon the water, sinketh not a long 

 time, some say not at all." And Dr. Hutchinson 

 confirms this, by saying, not one in ten even sink 

 in that position of their bodies. Its utter fallacy 

 was shown when the witch finders themselves were 

 thus tested ; and the last quoted writer says, that 

 if the books written against witchcraft were tested 

 by the same ordeal, they would in no degree come 

 off more safely. 



One of the most cruel cases was that of Mr. 

 Lowes, a clergyman, who had reached the patriar- 

 chal age of eighty. He was one of those unfor- 

 tunate ministers of the Gospel whose livings were 

 sequestered by the parliament, and who was sus- 

 pected as malignant because he preserved his 

 loyalty and the homilies of the Church. It would 

 have been well for him had this been the only 

 suspicion ; but he was accused of witchcraft ; and 

 it was asserted that he had sunk ships at sea by 

 the power he possessed, and witnesses were found 

 who swore to seeing him do it. He was seized and 

 tested. They watched him, and kept him awake at 

 niirht, and ran him backwards and for^vards about 

 the room until he was out of breath ; then they 

 rested him a little, and then ran him again. And 



