serving, "That as such persons had renounced their baptism by water, so the water refuses to receive them." Sometimes those persons who were accused of mal-practices were tied neck and heels together, tossed into a pond-if they floated, it was a sure sign of guilt, and were taken out and burnt ;-but if they were innocent, they were only drowned.

At last the wretched Hopkins was doomed to undergo the experiment which he had so cruelly tried upon others: he was thrown into the water according to his own mode; but, unfortunately for himself, he swam: he was, therefore, taken out, and condemned and hung for a wizzard.

The celebrated Dr. Z. Grey, tells us, that nearly 4,000 persons suffered death for witchcraftry, from the year 1640 to the restoration of Charles II.

For a further history of Hopkins and his assosiates, we refer our readers to Hutchinson's History of Witchcraftry, page 61; where will be found a most singular and interesting account of them.

It is most probably to Hopkins, that Butler refers in Hudibras, part II. canto 3.

"Has not the present parliament

A ledger to the devil sent,
Fully empowered to treat about
Finding revolted witches out?
And has not he, within a year,
Hang'd threescore of 'em in one shire?
Some only for not being drowned,
And some for setting above ground,

Whole days and nights upon their breeches,
And feeling pain, were hang'd for witches;
And some for putting knavish tricks
Upon green geese and turkey chicks,
Or pigs that suddenly deceast
Of griefs unnatʼral as he guest,
Who after proved himself a witch
And made a rod for his own breech."

The last instance of ducking people for witchcraftry, we have on record, is that of John Osborne and his wife, at Marlston-moor, near Tring, in Hertfordshire; during which operation Osborne's wife was suffocated; for which offence a poor misguided man, of the name of Thomas Colley, was executed, and afterwards hung in chains, at Gubblecutt, 24th August, 1751.

The following is a literal copy of the notice given to the public crier, preparatory to the ducking:

"This is to give notice, that on Monday next, a man and a woman will be publicly ducked at Tring, in this county, for their crimes."

Will the reader believe, that the parliament of James I. passed an act to make it felony for any man or woman to be guilty of witchcraft? but such was the case; thanks to the enlightened reigns of the house of Hanover, it has long since been repealed.

SIR JEFFREY DUNSTAN,

THE CELEBRATED MAYOR OF GARRET.

ACCORDING to report, this deformed work of nature was found, in the year 1759, wrapped up in a cloth, at the door of a church-warden of the parish of St. Dunstan in the East; and, from the superiority of the mantle he had on, it is likely he was the child of some respectable person, who did not choose to own him, which is very probable, as his parentage was never discovered.

When honor and fortune smiled on Sir Jeffrey, he never troubled himself to search into the secrects of the Herald's office, for family arms; but, in opposition to them, formed his own armorial bearings; which were four wigs; and his crest, a quart pot, emblematic of his pursuits of life; for he could not resist, at times, the temptations of London; and he seemed to agree with a late learned senator, that the publicans in Lon