Twowomen，especially，madethemselvesnotoriousatthistime，andwereinstrumentaltothedeathsofhundredsofindividuals。TheybothresidedinParis，andwerenamedLavoisinandLavigoreux。LikeSparsandTophania，ofwhomtheywereimitators，theychieflysoldtheirpoisonstowomenwhowantedtogetridoftheirhusbands；and，insomefewinstances，tohusbandswhowantedtogetridoftheirwives。Theirostensibleoccupationwasthatofmidwives。Theyalsopretendedtobefortune-tellers，andwerevisitedbypersonsofeveryclassofsociety。Therichandpoorthrongedaliketotheirmansardes，tolearnthesecretsofthefuture。Theirprophecieswereprincipallyofdeath。
Theyforetoldtowomentheapproachingdissolutionofhusbands，andtoneedyheirs，theendofrichrelatives，whohadmadethem，asByronexpressesit，“waittoo，toolongalready。“Theygenerallytookcaretobeinstrumentalinfulfillingtheirownpredictions。Theyusedtotelltheirwretchedemployers，thatsomesignoftheapproachingdeathwouldtakeplaceinthehouse，suchasthebreakingofglassorchina；
andtheypaidservantsconsiderablefeestocauseabreakage，asifbyaccident，exactlyattheappointedtime。Theiroccupationasmidwivesmadethemacquaintedwiththesecretsofmanyfamilies，whichtheyafterwardsturnedtodreadfulaccount。
Itisnotknownhowlongtheyhadcarriedonthisawfultradebeforetheywerediscovered。Detectionfinallyovertookthematthecloseoftheyear1679。Theywerebothtried，foundguilty，andburnedaliveonthePlacedeGreve，onthe22ndofFebruary，1680，aftertheirhandshadbeenboredthroughwithared-hotiron，andthencutoff。TheirnumerousaccomplicesinParisandintheprovinceswerealsodiscoveredandbroughttotrial。Accordingtosomeauthors，thirty，andtoothers，fiftyofthem，chieflywomen，werehangedintheprincipalcities。
Lavoisinkeptalistofthevisiterswhocametoherhousetopurchasepoisons。Thispaperwasseizedbythepoliceonherarrest，andexaminedbythetribunals。AmongthenameswerefoundthoseoftheMarshaldeLuxembourg，theCountessdeSoissons，andtheDuchessdeBouillon。TheMarshalseemsonlytohavebeenguiltyofapieceofdiscreditablefollyinvisitingawomanofthisdescription，butthepopularvoiceatthetimeimputedtohimsomethingmorethanfolly。
Theauthorofthe“MemoirsoftheAffairsofEuropesincethePeaceofUtrecht，“says，“Themiserablegangwhodealtinpoisonandprophecyallegedthathehadsoldhimselftothedevil，andthatayounggirlofthenameofDupinhadbeenpoisonedbyhismeans。Amongotherstories，theysaidhehadmadeacontractwiththedevil，inordertomarryhissontothedaughteroftheMarquisofLouvois。TothisatrociousandabsurdaccusationtheMarshal，whohadsurrenderedhimselfattheBastilleonthefirstaccusationagainsthim，repliedwiththemingledsentimentofprideandinnocence，’WhenMathieudeMontmorenci，myancestor，marriedthewidowofLouisleGros，hedidnothaverecoursetothedevil，buttotheStates-General，inordertoobtainfortheminorkingthesupportofthehouseofMontmorenci。’
Thisbravemanwasimprisonedinacellsixfeetandahalflong，andhistrial，whichwasinterruptedforseveralweeks，lastedaltogetherfourteenmonths。Nojudgmentwaspronounceduponhim。“
TheCountessofSoissonsfledtoBrussels，ratherthanundergotheriskofatrial；andwasneverabletoclearherselffromthestigmathatattachedtoher，ofhavingmadeanattempttopoisontheQueenofSpainbydosesofsuccessionpowder。TheDuchessofBouillonwasarrested，andtriedbytheChambreArdente。Itwouldappear，however，thatshehadnothingtodowiththeslowpoisons，buthadmerelyendeavouredtopryintothesecretsoffuturity，andgratifyhercuriositywithasightofthedevil。OneofthepresidentsoftheChambre，LaReynie，anuglylittleoldman，veryseriouslyaskedherwhethershehadreallyseenthedevil；towhichtheladyreplied，lookinghimfullintheface，“Ohyes！Iseehimnow。Heisintheformofalittleuglyoldman，exceedinglyillnatured，andisdressedintherobesofacounsellorofState。“M。laReynieprudentlyrefrainedfromaskinganymorequestionsofaladywithsosharpandreadyatongue。TheDuchesswasimprisonedforseveralmonthsintheBastile；andnothingbeingprovedagainsther，shewasreleasedattheintercessionofherpowerfulfriends。Theseverepunishmentofcriminalsofthisnotemighthavehelpedtoabatethefeverofimitationamongthevulgar；——theircomparativeimpunityhadacontrarytendency。TheescapeofPenautier，andthewealthyCardinaldeBonzyhisemployer，hadthemostperniciouseffect。Fortwoyearslongerthecrimecontinuedtorage，andwasnotfinallysuppressedtillthestakehadblazed，orthenoosedangled，forupwardsofahundredindividuals。
HAUNTEDHOUSES。
Here’saknockingindeed！****knock！knock！knock******Who’sthere，i’thenameo’Beelzebub？
***Who’sthere，i’thedevil’sname？Knock！knock！
knock！——Neveratquiet？
Macbeth。
Whohasnoteitherseenorheardofsomehouse，shutupanduninhabitable，fallenintodecay，andlookingdustyanddreary，fromwhich，atmidnight，strangesoundshavebeenheardtoissue——aerialknockings——therattlingofchains，andthegroaningofperturbedspirits？——ahousethatpeoplehavethoughtitunsafetopassafterdark，andwhichhasremainedforyearswithoutatenant，andwhichnotenantwouldoccupy，evenwerehepaidtodoso？TherearehundredsofsuchhousesinEnglandatthepresentday；hundredsinFrance，Germany，andalmosteverycountryofEurope，whicharemarkedwiththemarkoffear——placesforthetimidtoavoid，andthepioustoblessthemselvesat，andaskprotectionfrom，astheypass——theabodesofghostsandevilspirits。TherearemanysuchhousesinLondon；andifanyvainboasterofthemarchofintellectwouldbuttakethetroubletofindthemoutandcountthem，hewouldbeconvincedthatintellectmustyetmakesomeenormousstridesbeforesucholdsuperstitionscanbeeradicated。
Theideathatsuchhousesexistisaremnantofthewitchcreed，whichmeritsseparatenoticefromitscomparativeharmlessness，andfromitsbeingnotsomuchamadnessasafollyofthepeople。Unlikeothernotionsthatsprangfromthebeliefinwitchcraft，andwhichwehavealreadydweltuponatsufficientlength，ithassentnowretchestothestakeorthegibbet，andbutafewtothepilloryonly。
Manyhouseshavebeencondemnedashaunted，andavoidedbytheweakandcredulous，fromcircumstancesthemosttriflinginthemselves，andwhichonlywantedavigorousmindtoclearup，atonce，anddissipateallalarm。AhouseinAix-la-Chapelle，alargedesolate-lookingbuilding，remaineduninhabitedforfiveyears，onaccountofthemysteriousknockingsthattherewereheardwithinitatallhoursofthedayandnight。Nobodycouldaccountforthenoises；
andthefearbecameatlastsoexcessive，thatthepersonswhoinhabitedthehousesoneithersiderelinquishedtheirtenancy，andwenttoresideinotherquartersofthetown，wheretherewaslesschanceofinterruptionfromevilspirits。Frombeingsolongwithoutaninhabitantthehouseatlastgrewsoruinous，sodingy，andsomiserableinitsoutwardappearance，andsoliketheplacethatghostsmightbesupposedtohaunt，thatfewpersonscaredtogopastitaftersunset。Theknockingthatwasheardinoneoftheupperroomswasnotveryloud，butitwasveryregular。Thegossipsoftheneighbourhoodassertedthattheyoftenheardgroansfromthecellars，andsawlightsmovedaboutfromonewindowtoanotherimmediatelyafterthemidnightbellhadtolled。Spectresinwhitehabilimentswerereportedtohavegibedandchatteredfromthewindows；butallthesestoriescouldbearnoinvestigation。Theknocking，however，wasafactwhichnoonecoulddispute，andseveralineffectualattemptsweremadebytheproprietortodiscoverthecause。Theroomsweresprinkledwithholywater——theevilspiritswerecommandedindueform，byapriest，todepartthencetotheRedSea；buttheknockingsstillcontinued，inspiteofallthatcouldbedoneinthatway。Accidentatlastdiscoveredthecause，andrestoredtranquillitytotheneighbourhood。Theproprietor，whosufferednotonlyinhismindbutinhispocket，hadsoldthebuildingataruinouslysmallprice，togetridofallfutureannoyance。Thenewproprietorwasstandinginaroomonthefirstfloorwhenheheardthedoordriventoatthebottomwithaconsiderablenoise，andthenflyopenimmediately，abouttwoinchesandnomore。Hestoodstillaminuteandwatched，andthesamethingoccurredasecondandathirdtime。Heexaminedthedoorattentively，andallthemysterywasunravelled。Thelatchofthedoorwasbrokensothatitcouldnotbefastened，anditswungchieflyuponthebottomhinge。Immediatelyoppositewasawindow，inwhichonepaneofglasswasbroken；andwhenthewindwasinacertainquarter，thedraughtofairwassostrongthatitblewthedoortowithsomeviolence。Therebeingnolatch，itswungopenagain；andwhentherewasafreshgust，wasagainblownto。
Thenewproprietorlostnotimeinsendingforaglazier，andthemysteriousnoisesceasedforever。Thehousewasreplasteredandrepainted，andoncemoreregaineditslostgoodname。Itwasnotbeforetwoorthreeyears，however，thatitwasthoroughlyestablishedinpopularfavour；andmanypersons，eventhen，wouldalwaysavoidpassingit，iftheycouldreachtheirdestinationbyanyotherstreet。
AsimilarstoryisnarratedbySirWalterScott，inhisLettersonDemonologyandWitchcraft，theheroofwhichwasagentlemanofbirthanddistinction，wellknowninthepoliticalworld。Shortlyafterhesucceededtohistitleandestates，therewasarumouramongtheservantsconcerningastrangenoisethatusedtobeheardatnightinthefamilymansion，andthecauseofwhichnoonecouldascertain。Thegentlemanresolvedtodiscoverithimself，andtowatchforthatpurposewithadomesticwhohadgrownoldinthefamily，andwho，liketherest，hadwhisperedstrangethingsabouttheknockinghavingbegunimmediatelyuponthedeathofhisoldmaster。Thesetwowatcheduntilthenoisewasheard，andatlasttracedittoasmallstore-room，usedasaplaceforkeepingprovisionsofvariouskindsforthefamily，andofwhichtheoldbutlerhadthekey。Theyenteredthisplace，andremainedforsometime，withouthearingthenoiseswhichtheyhadtracedthither。Atlengththesoundwasheard，butmuchlowerthanitseemedtobewhiletheywerefurtheroff，andtheirimaginationsweremoreexcited。Theythendiscoveredthecausewithoutdifficulty。A
rat，caughtinanold-fashionedtrap，hadoccasionedthenoisebyitseffortstoescape，inwhichitwasabletoraisethetrap-doorofitsprisontoacertainheight，butwasthenobligedtodropit。Thenoiseofthefallresoundingthroughthehousehadoccasionedthemysteriousrumours，which，butfortheinvestigationoftheproprietor，would，inallprobability，haveacquiredsobadanameforthedwellingthatnoservantswouldhaveinhabitedit。ThecircumstancewastoldtoSirWalterScottbythegentlemantowhomithappened。