The book Arran; - Cook Clan

THE CHURCH AFTER THE REFORMATION 149
exchange distorted opinions of each other, while it was a
most offensive accusation to hurl a charge of witchcraft
at any one, about as offensive as to use expressions into
which ' God ' or ' the devil ' entered. However, it is evidence
of change for the better that witchcraft, once so serious
a charge, had now become merely a term of abuse.
Kilbride, June 28, 1713.—E. S. in Blairmore ' answers
that they being lately in company together with the rest of
the women of the town, milking their Kous (cows), they were
talking of ane apparition which was reported to have appeared
lately to severall persons in the countrey, and that Katrine
K. said in the meantime It is the spirit of some person deceased
who left some money hid, God send it in my way
to inform me where the gold is, and that the nixt day when
Katrine was abusing her she said that she was a poor wretch
who for the love of gear prayed God to send the Divell in
her way to inform her of money or a treasure.' Katrine's
explanation was that she spoke ' in jest,' but her unsanctified
notion of a joke came under sessional censure. This is,
however, only an incident in the life of a turbulent township,
which provides an earlier chapter as follows :
Au^. 3, 1712.— ' It is reported to the Session that there
is a continua,ll disagreement betwixt the inhabitants of
Blairmore in such ane open manner that people of other
touns about hear them scolding and flyting, and that this
day, without any regard to the Sabbath, E. S., spouse to
W. S. there, was seen gathering her lap full of stones and
running after her neighbours cattle, throwing the stones
at them ; wherefore she and the rest of the inhabitants
of that toun are appointed to be summoned against next
dyett.
'Aug. 5.—E. S. sum. cit. and compeiring confesses her
stoning the cattle out of the corn and grass, and that it
was a fault in her to do it in such a manner on the Lord's
Day, but alledges it is her neighbour's fault to let their