WHAT MORE HAPPENED DURING THE WINTER: ITEM, HOW IN THE SPRING WITCHCRAFT BEGAN IN THE VILLAGE
Nothing else of note the winter, save that the God a great of fish, from the Achterwater and the sea, and the again had good food; so that it might be said of us, as it is written, "For a small moment have I thee; but with great will I thee." Wherefore we were not of the Lord; and the whole did much for the church, new and cloths, that the enemy had the old ones. Item, they to make good to me the money I had paid for the new cups, which, however, I would not take.
There were still, however, about ten in the who had not been able to their seed-corn for the spring, as they had all their on and for bread. I therefore an agreement with them that I would them the money for it, and that if they not me this year, they might the next, which offer they took; and we sent seven to Friedland, in Mecklenburg, to seed-corn for us all. For my brother-in-law, Martin Behring, in Hamburg, had already sent me by the Wulf, who had home by Christmas, 700 for the amber: may the Lord it with him!
Old Thiemcke died this winter in Loddin, who used to be the in the parish, and had also my child into the world. Of late, however, she had had but little to do, that in this year I only two children, namely, Jung his son in Uekeritze, and Lene Hebers her little daughter, the same the Imperialists speared. Item, it was now full five years since I had married the last couple. Hence any one may that I might have to death had not the God so and me in other ways. Wherefore to him alone be all and glory. Amen.
Meanwhile, however, it so that, not long after the Sheriff had last been here, in the village. I sat reading with my child the second book of Virgilius of the of the city of Troy, which was more terrible than that of our own village, when a that our old neighbour Zabel his red cow, which he had only a days before, had out all-fours and about to die; and this was the more as she had but an hour before. My child was therefore to go and three from its tail, and them under the of the stall; for it was well that if this was done by a pure the cow would better. My child then did as they would have her, that she is the only in the whole village (for the others are still children); and the cow got from that very hour, all the were amazed. But it was not long the same thing Witthahn her pig, it was heartily. She too came to my child for God's to take on her, and to do something for her pig, as men had it. Hereupon she had on her also, and it did as much good as it had done before. But the woman, who was gravida, was taken in from the fright; and my child was out of the when the woman into her cottage, and by the wall, and called together all the woman of the neighbourhood, that the proper was dead, as mentioned above; and long something to the ground from under her; and when the to it up, the devil's imp, which had like a bat, up off the ground, and about the room, and then out of the window with a great noise, so that the into the street. When they looked after it nothing was to be found. Any one may judge for himself what a great noise this in all the neighbourhood; and the whole village that it was no one but old Seden his squint-eyed wife that had such a devil's brat.
But the people soon not what to believe. For that woman her cow got the same thing as all the other cows; she too came lamenting, and my to take on her, as on the rest, and to her cow for the love of God. That if she had taken it of her that she had said anything about going into service with the Sheriff, she only say she had done it for the best, etc. Summa, she talked over my child to go and her cow.
Meanwhile I was on my every Sunday the Lord with the whole congregation, praying that he would not allow the Evil One to take from us that which his had once more upon us after such want. Item, that he would to light the of such works, so that he might the he deserved.
But all was of no avail. For a very days had passed when the Stoffer Zuter his cow, and he, too, like all the rest, came to my daughter; she with him, but do no good, and the died under her hands.
Item, Katy Berow had a little pig with the money my had paid her in the winter for spinning, and the woman it like a child, and let it about her room. This little pig got the mischief, like all the rest, in the of an eye; and when my was called it no better, but also died under her hands; the woman a great and her for grief, so that my child was moved to her, and promised her another pig next time my should litter. Meantime another week passed over, which I on, together with the whole congregation, to call upon the Lord for his help, but all in vain, when the same thing to old wife Seden her little pig. Whereupon she again came for my with loud outcries, and although my child told her that she must have herself that nothing she do for the them any longer, she not to and pray her and to till she to do what she for her with the help of God. But it was all to no purpose, as the little pig died she left the sty. What think you this devil's then did? After she had through the village she said that any one might see that my was no longer a maid, else why she now do no good to the cattle, she had them? She my child had her on the Streckelberg, she so often this spring, and that God only who had taken it! But she said no more then, and we did not the whole until afterwards. And it is true that my child had often walked on the Streckelberg this spring, with me and also alone, in order to for flowers and to look upon the sea, while she aloud, as she was wont, such out of Virgilius as pleased her best (for she read a times, that she remembered).
Neither did I her to take these walks, for there were no now left on the Streckelberg, and if there had been they always a in the season. Howbeit, I her to for amber. For as it now deep, and we not what to do with the earth we up, I to the Lord no further, but to wait till my store of money very we would any more.
But my child did not do as I had her, although she had promised she would, and of this her came all our misery. (Oh, Lord, how a is fourth commandment!) For as his Johannes Lampius, of Crummin, who visited me this spring, had told me that the Cantor of Wolgast wanted to sell the Opp. St. Augustini, and I had said her that I above all to that book, but had not money left, she got up in the night without my knowledge to for amber, meaning to sell it as best she might at Wolgast, in order to present me with the Opp. St. Augustini on my birthday, which on the 28th Augusti. She had always over the earth she up with of fir, there were in the forest, so that no one should anything of it.
Meanwhile, however, it that the Rüdiger of Nienkerken came one day to news of the terrible that on in the village. When I had told him all about it he his doubtingly, and said he that all was nothing but and deceit; I was with great horror, as I had the lord to be a man, and now not but see that he was an Atheist. He what my were, and with a he answered me by I had read Johannes Wierus, who would nothing of witchcraft, and who that all were who only to themselves that they had a with the devil; and that to him they more of than of punishment? Hereupon I answered that I had not read any such book (for say, who can read all that write?), but that the here and in all other places proved that it was a error to the of witchcraft, as people might then that there were such as murder, adultery, and theft.
But he called my a dilemma, and after he had a great of the devil, all of which I have forgotten, it of heresy, he said he would relate to me a piece of which he himself had at Wittenberg.
It that one morning, as an Imperial captain his good at the Elstergate in order to his company, the presently to furiously, reared, his head, snorted, kicked, and roared, not as used to neigh, but with a as though the voice came from a throat, so that all the were amazed, and the bewitched. It presently the captain, and his with its hoof, so that he on the ground, and set off at full speed. Hereupon a his at the horse, which in the of the road, and presently died. That he, Rüdiger, had then near, together with many others, that the had orders to the of the to cut open the and see in what it was inwardly. However, that was right, and the and army physician that the was sound; all the people out more than about witchcraft. Meanwhile he himself (I the nobilis) saw a thin out from the horse's nostrils, and on to look what it might be, he out a match as long as my finger, which still smouldered, and which some had privately into its nose with a pin. Hereupon all of were at an end, and search was for the culprit, who was presently to be no other than the captain's own groom. For one day that his master had his jacket for him he an that he would have his revenge, which the provost-marshal himself had as he to be in the stable. Item, another soldier that he had the cut a piece off the not long he out his master's horse. And thus the lord, would it be with all if it were to the bottom; like as I myself had at Gützkow, where the devil's out to be a cordwainer, and that one day I should own that it was the same of thing here in our village. By of this speech I liked not the from that hour forward, him to be an Atheist. Though, indeed, afterwards, I have had to see that he was in the right, more's the pity; for had it not been for him what would have of my daughter?
But I will say nothing beforehand.--Summa: I walked about the room in great at his words, while the lord to argue with my upon witchcraft, now in Latin, and now in the tongue, as the came into his mouth, and wanted to her mind about it. But she answered that she was a thing, and have no opinion on the matter; but that, nevertheless, she that what in the village not be by natural means. Hereupon the called me out of the room (I what she wanted of me); but when I came again my was as red as scarlet, and the close her. I therefore asked her, as soon as he had off, anything had happened, which she at denied, but owned that he had said to her while I was gone that he but one person who bewitch; and when she asked him who that person was, he of her hand and said, "It is yourself, sweet maid; for you have a spell upon my heart, as I right well!" But that he said nothing further, but only on her with eyes, and this it was that her so red.
But this is the way with maidens; they have their if one's is but for a minute; and the proverb
To drive a and watch a maid
Needs the himself to aid
is but too true, as will be hereafter, more's the pity!
