To Hinder a Sportsman

Take a stick of green elder, from the two ends of which thou shalt clean out the pith. In each end place a strip of parchment of hare-skin, having written thereon with the blood of a black hen the following character and word. (See Figure 7.) Having made two of these slips, place one in each end of the stick and close the apertures up with pith, afterwards on a Friday in the month of February thou shalt fumigate the aforesaid stick with suitable incense thrice in the air, and having taken it thence thou shalt bury it in the earth under an elder-tree. Afterwards thou shalt expose it in the pathway by which the sportsman will pass, and once he has passed by it, he need not hope to kill any game during that day. If thou shalt wish a second time to lay a spell upon him in like manner, thou needest but to expose the stick again in his path; but take care to bury it again in the earth under an elder-tree, so as to be able to take it from thence each time that thou shalt have need of it; and to take it up each time as soon as the sportsman shall have passed.