THE DARK AGES 43 



deeper horror clings to " Rutterkin," for by that 

 name was known one of the sinfullest of cats, — a 

 terrible cat, black, sinister, malevolent, 



" with eyne of burning coal," 



who helped his most wicked mistress in the " sor- 

 rowful bewitchment " of the Countess of Rutland 

 and her two young sons, and who did more to blast 

 the fair fame of his race than any puss in Christen- 

 dom. 



The record of the extraordinary trial in which 

 Rutterkin figures so darkly is to be found in the 

 "Churche Boke of Bottesford." Here is set forth 

 with many curious details the story of the witch, 

 Joan Flower, who conceived a venomous hatred of 

 the Earl of Rutland, and of his "noble Countess," 

 — a woman so gracious, good, beautiful and kind, 

 that she was reverenced alike by rich and poor, 

 friends, servants and dependents. Joan, knowing 

 full well that she could strike the mother most 

 deeply through her son, stole a glove belonging to 

 the heir, soaked it in scalding water, pricked it with 

 pins, and rubbed it on the back of her " familiar," 

 the black cat, Rutterkin. In consequence of this 

 deviltry, Henry, Lord Ross, sickened with strange 

 consuming pangs, which racked him in incessant 

 torture until he died. The hag, ill content even 

 with so dire a vengeance, next tried her arts upon 

 the younger boy, Francis, Lord Ross, who had sue- 



