THE EQUINOX
eighteen years ago, in the valley of Hinnom, on the stone
called Succoth, bind yourself in a diabolical pact with Satan,
whereby he granted the power to change your sex at will,
since which time you have become the father of an innumer-
able brood of devils, and in particular have travelled by night
in the form ofan owl to assault the virtue of many holy servants
of the True Faith, notably at the Convent of St Anne in this
city, whereby the bodies and souls of the nuns were possessed
and destroyed.
PROSECUTOR. We say this is plain witchcraft.
[LAYLAH lakes no notice.
BISHOP. Silence under such a charge is contumacious, and
equivalent to confession.
On the fourth count, guilty.
[JUDGES
echo “Guilty.”
CLERK. Fifthly, that you do take the form of a bat, and
suck the blood of sleeping children, and moreover have be-
witched divers cows to the prejudice of the Holy Orders of
Knights Hospitaller and others, lawful owners of the aforesaid
cows.
PROSECUTOR. All clear marks ofa witch!
LAYLAH. Your Saviour sent devils into swine.
BISHOP. Blasphemy on blasphemy! [crosses himself]. Sure
only the devil could speak thus.
On the fifth count, guilty.
[JUDGES echo “ Gui/ty."
CLERK. Sixthly—
BISHOP. Stay, gentle sir.
Have we not heard enough?
Must the ears of the Court be further polluted with a recital
of these abominations ?
G. M. OF ST ]. We have heard enough.
G. M. OF MALTA. Enough, my lord Bishop.
IOO