The King had no sooner begun to speak as formerly,
but the voice came again, 'Sir John, come away, your sack stayeth for
you.' At that Sir John began to stamp with madness, and looked out and
returned several times to the King, but could not be quiet in his
discourse with the King, because of the voice that so often troubled
him, till the king had sported enough."--WEBSTER _on Witchcraft_, p.
124.
Note XXII. p. 393.--LADY LAKE.
Whether out of a meddling propensity common to all who have a
gossiping disposition, or from the love of justice, which ought to
make part of a prince's character, James was very fond of enquiring
personally into the causes _celebres_ which occurred during his reign.
In the imposture of the Boy of Bilson, who pretended to be possessed,
and of one Richard Haydock, a poor scholar, who pretended to preach
during his sleep, the King, to use the historian Wilson's expression,
took delight in sounding with the line of his understanding, the
depths of these brutish impositions, and in doing so, showed the
acuteness with which he was endowed by Nature. Lady Lake's story
consisted in a clamorous complaint against the Countess of Exeter,
whom she accused of a purpose to put to death Lady Lake herself, and
her daughter, Lady Ross, the wife of the Countess's own son-in-law,
Lord Ross; and a forged letter was produced, in which Lady Exeter was
made to acknowledge such a purpose.
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