LOCAL WITCHCRAFT. 



BY MR. DENYS CORBET. 



The first time I recollect hearing about witchcraft was in 

 my native jDarish, the Yale, when a boy. There witches 

 abounded, according to general report, though I do not now 

 recollect of anyone in particular having been bewitched. 

 That such cases were numerous, however, appeared certain 

 from the fact of there being at the Annevilles, in the western 

 part of the parish, an old unbewitcher, named Laine, who had 

 a tremendous practice. These unbewitcher s seem at all times 

 to have been superior to the witches themselves, for, while 

 they were never suspected of bewitching people, at least to 

 my knowledge, yet they had credit for being able to baffle and 

 render harmless all the witches' tricks, and to reveal to. their 

 victims the names of their tormentors, and frequently throw 

 them on a bed of sickness in their turn. As a rule anyone 

 who was considered uglier or cleverer than his neighbours, or 

 who seemed to get on better, was reputed a witch or wizard. 

 I could name several such whom I have known personally. 



While living in town, which I did for about twelve years 

 before finally settling in the country, I heard little about 

 witches or witchcraft. I, however, heard speak a good deal 

 about fortune-telling and unbewitching. Indeed, the two arts 

 were generally supposed to be combined. To this day, it 

 appears, that there are still a few individuals who are making 

 if not a fortune, at least a comfortable living, by working upon 

 the credulity of the ignorant. A respectable tradesman of 

 this town informed me, not long ago, that he has actually one 

 of these gentry, a woman, for his neighbour and customer, and 

 that it is astonishing to see the number of persons, chiefly 

 from the country, who are seen almost daily going to consult 

 her. They carry her butter, milk, eggs, and in fact, every 

 kind of farm produce, besides money, in order to propitiate 

 her, and get her to take the witches' spells off themselves, 

 their families, or their cattle. 



