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44 by the ſame means to confirm and eſtabliſh the government to himſelf, and therefore, as guilt is always accompanied with ſuſpicion and fear, he ſent one of his truſtieſt ſervants to a witch, to enquire of things to come, both how long he ſhould enjoy the crown, and how many years he ſhould live; the witch anſwered, That he ſhould not live long, but ſhould ſhortly be murdered, not by his enemy but by his familiar friend; and when the meſſenger was very earneſt to know who ſhould kill him, ſhe anſwered, He himſelf ſhould do it; the man at firſt heard this with deteſtation, abhoring the thought of any ſuch villany, yet at length conſidering that it was not ſafe to diſcover the witches anſwer, and on the other ſide that it could not be long concealed, he reſolved, for his own ſecurity, rather to kill the tyrant with the favour of many, than to ſave him alive with the hazard of his own head; therefore as ſoon as he was returned home, he deſired the king that he might ſpeak with him in private about the witch's anſwer, and there he ſuddenly ſlew him, and gave him his juſt deſert, both for his horrible cruelty, and wicked ſorcery. Let all thoſe that make no conſcience of running to witches, either for loſt goods, recovery of their own or friends health, or upon any other occaſion, remember this example, either for their inſtruction to amend, or for their terror if they continue that deviliſh practice.—''Buchan, hiſt. Scot. lib.'' 4.

III. As divers very worthy authors have credibly related ſeveral wicked actions committed by magicians, and witches, ſo ſome of them have recorded the manner of their entering themſelves into that curſed profeſſion, and the ceremonies thereof, as they have been diſcovered by thoſe who have renounced thoſe deteſtable practices, which it may