Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/206

 I 70 Folk- Lore of the Wye Valley.

since, Miss. Luke he opened the Bible where he thought proper." This was about four months ago.

I have been told he sometimes gives written charms, the ink of which is to be washed off and drunk by the patient. He always looks in his ZadkieVs Almanack to find a lucky day. (" Yes, Miss, 't will help 'ee, this book will," he said to me.) That he suits his methods to his company the foregoing details will show, but that his gift is un- doubted I could prove by many instances. He is called out to distant farms, and both human patients and cattle are brought to him from all around. Many sick beasts owe their cure to him, and our late doctor had a great respect for his knowledge of herbs and bone-setting.

That the methods of professional charmers were the same in earlier days is shown by the account given me of " an old tiny lady, very funny, who did travel about, a charmer she was. She did catch hold of 'ee, an' 'ee couldn't never hear what she did say. She got it, and she said, ' That'll do, an you'll find my words come true.' "

Charming leads us on naturally enough to the kindred but very distinct subject of witchcraft. Here the stories are endless, for if there be one thing more than another in which we still believe, it is in " Bewitching." Most of the tales one hears are very confused and like each other, and much concerned with pigs.

There is a mysterious Book, supposed to be in the possession of various women, which is the subject of trembling curiosity. A certain Mrs, Reynolds had been doing plain sewing at my aunt's house, and Kate, the maid, was much excited. ' She's the second daughter of old Mrs. Williams." " Oh ! she was called a witch, was not she .'' " " Yes, and her daughters are too, both on 'em. It's Mrs. Reynolds who's the best one, she's got the Book. Did you ever hear why she's out with Mrs. Thomas .'' Oh yes " (very cheerfully), " they did have words, and she did say something over the pig, and it's never picked up since."