THE DARK AGES 45 



of sorcery. Whereupon, — according to the chroni- 

 cle, — the bread, as it had been a living thing, stuck 

 in her throat, and slowly strangled her, to the su- 

 preme edification of the bystanders, who refused 

 to impiously interfere with the manifest workings 

 of Providence. In the parish church of Bottes- 

 ford may still be seen the beautiful tomb of the 

 Earl and Countess of Rutland, with the two little 

 boys kneeling at their parents' feet ; but what be- 

 came of Rutterkin, after his guilt had been estab- 

 lished, is nowhere mentioned, even in the garrulous 

 "Boke." 



Cats played a prominent part in that most pitiful 

 of all such pitiful tales, — the bewitchment of the 

 children of Mohra. In 1669 this tranquil Swedish 

 village was cast into fearful consternation. Over 

 three hundred boys and girls, from six to sixteen 

 years of age, had been seduced, it was believed, by 

 charms and cajolery to visit nightly the witches' 

 meetings, and enroll themselves in Satan's ranks. 

 The poor children freely and even eagerly confessed 

 their guilt, clinging with tenacity to all the painful 

 and grotesque details involved in such a story ; 

 babbling with infant tongues of things too evil for 

 their understanding ; and adding touch after touch 

 of loathsome extravagance, as their imaginations 

 became heated in the riotous atmosphere of credu- 

 lity. Among other particulars, they affirmed that 



