InFranceandEngland，thewitchesweresupposedtorideuniformlyuponbroomsticks；butinItalyandSpain，thedevilhimself，intheshapeofagoat，usedtotransportthemonhisback，whichlengthenedorshortenedaccordingtothenumberofwitcheshewasdesirousofaccommodating。Nowitch，whenproceedingtotheSabbath，couldgetoutbyadoororwindow，wereshetotryeversomuch。Theirgeneralmodeofingresswasbythekeyhole，andofegress，bythechimney，upwhichtheyflew，broomandall，withthegreatestease。Topreventtheabsenceofthewitchesfrombeingnoticedbytheirneighbours，someinferiordemonwascommandedtoassumetheirshapesandlieintheirbeds，feigningillness，untiltheSabbathwasover。

　　Whenallthewizardsandwitcheshadarrivedattheplaceofrendezvous，theinfernalceremoniesoftheSabbathbegan。Satan，havingassumedhisfavouriteshapeofalargehe-goat，withafaceinfrontandanotherinhishaunches，tookhisseatuponathrone；andallpresent，insuccession，paidtheirrespectstohim，andkissedhiminhisfacebehind。Thisdone，heappointedamasteroftheceremonies，incompanywithwhomhemadeapersonalexaminationofallthewizardsandwitches，toseewhethertheyhadthesecretmarkaboutthembywhichtheywerestampedasthedevil’sown。Thismarkwasalwaysinsensibletopain。Thosewhohadnotyetbeenmarked，receivedthemarkfromthemasteroftheceremonies；thedevilatthesametimebestowingnicknamesuponthem。Thisdone，theyallbegantosingand。

　　danceinthemostfuriousmanner，untilsomeonearrivedwhowasanxioustobeadmittedintotheirsociety。Theywerethensilentforawhile，untilthenew-comerhaddeniedhissalvation，kissedthedevil，spatupontheBible，andswornobediencetohiminallthings。Theythenbegandancingagainwithalltheirmight，andsingingthesewords，“Alegremos，Alegremos！

　　Quegentevatenemos！“

　　Inthecourseofanhourortwo，theygenerallybecameweariedofthisviolentexercise，andthentheyallsatdownandrecountedtheevildeedstheyhaddonesincetheirlastmeeting。Thosewhohadnotbeenmaliciousandmischievousenoughtowardstheirfellow-creatures，receivedpersonalchastisementfromSatanhimself，whofloggedthemwiththornsorscorpionstilltheywerecoveredwithblood，andunabletositorstand。

......

购买会员看全站小说，或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载，搜索"Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions",免费读到尾