The twelfe Booke. 216 156

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The first Chapter.

The Hebrue word Habar expounded, where also the supposed secret force of charmes and inchantments is shewed, and the efficacie of words is diverse waies declared.

THIS Hebrue word Habar, being in Greeke Epathin, and in Latine Incantare, is in English, To inchant, or (if you had rather have it so) to bewitch. In these inchantments, certeine wordes, verses, or charmes, &c: are secretlie uttered, wherein there is thought to be miraculous efficacie. There is great varietie hereof: but whether it be by charmes, voices, images, characters, stones, plants, metals, herbes, &c: there must herewithall a speciall forme of words be alwaies used, either divine, diabolicall, insensible, or papisticall, whereupon all the vertue of the worke is supposed to depend.Psal. 58. This word is speciallie used in the 58. psalme, which place though it be taken up for mine adversaries strongest argument against me; yet me thinkes it maketh so with me, as they can never be able to answer it.Psal. 58. 4. 5. For there it plainelie appeareth, that the adder heareth not the voice of the charmer, charme he never so cunninglie: contrarie to the poets fabling,

Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis/Virgil. in Damone.
217.By Ab. Fleming.The coldish snake in medowes greene,
With charmes is burst in peeces cleene.

But hereof more shall be said hereafter in due place.

I grant that words sometimes have singular vertue and efficacie, either in persuasion or disuasion, as also diverse other waies; so as thereby some are converted from the waie of perdition, to the estate of salvation: and so contrariwise, according to the saieng of Solomon;Prover. 18.
Chron. 30.
Psal. 10.
Psal. 51.
Psal. 139.
Jerem. 32.
Isai. 6.
Isai. 50.
Exod. 7. 8. 9.
Prov. 16.
Death and life are in the instru- ment of the toong: but even therein God worketh all in all, as well in framing the heart of the one, as in directing the toong of the other: as appeareth in manie places of the holie scriptures.

The second Chapter.

What is forbidden in scriptures concerning witchcraft, of the operation of words, the superstition of the Cabalists and papists, who createth substances, to imitate God in some cases is presumption, words of sanctification.

THAT which is forbidden in the scriptures touching inchantment or witch craft, is not the wonderfull working with words. For where/157. words have had miraculous operation, there hath beene alwaies the speciall providence, power and grace of God uttered to the strengthening of the faith of Gods people, and to the furtherance of the gospell:Acts. 5. as when the apostle with a word slue Ananias and Saphira. But the prophanation of Gods name, the seducing, abusing, and cousening of the people, and mans presumption is hereby prohibited, as whereby manie take upon them after the recitall of such names, as God in the scripture seemeth to appropriate to himselfe, to foreshew things to come, to worke miracles, to detect fellonies, &c: as the Cabalists in times past tooke upon them, by the ten names of God, and his angels, expressed/218. in the scriptures, to worke woonders: and as the papists at this daie by the like names, by crosses, by gospels hanged about their necks, by masses, by exorcismes, by holie water, and a thousand consecrated or rather execrated things, promise unto themselves and others, both health of bodie and soule.

But as herein we are not to imitate the papists, so in such things, as are the peculiar actions of God,Jonas. 1. we ought not to take upon us to counterfet, or resemble him, which with his word created all things. For we, neither all the conjurors, Cabalists, papists, soothsaiers, inchanters, witches, nor charmers in the world, neither anie other humane or yet diabolicall cunning can adde anie such strength to Gods workmanship, as to make anie thing anew, or else to exchange one thing into another. New qualities may be added by humane art, but no new substance can be made or created by man. And seeing that art faileth herein, doubtles neither the illusions of divels, nor the cunning of witches, can bring anie such thing truelie to passe. For by the sound of the words nothing commeth, nothing goeth, otherwise than God in nature hath ordeined to be doone by ordinarie speech, or else by his speciall ordinance. Indeed words of sanctificationWords of sanctification, and wherein they consist. are necessarie and commendable, according to S. Paules rule; Let your meat be sanctified with the word of God, and by praier. But sanctification dooth not here signifie either change of substance of the meate, or the adding of anie new strength thereunto; but it is sanctified, in that it is received with thanksgiving and praier; that our bodies may be refreshed, and our soule thereby made the apter to glorifie God.

The third Chapter.

What effect and offense witches charmes bring, how unapt witches are, and how unlikelie to worke those things which they are thought to doo, what would followe if those things were true which are laid to their charge.

THE words and other the illusions of witches, charmers, and conjurors, though they be not such in operation and effect, as they are commonlie taken to be: yet they are offensive to the majestie/219 and name of God, obscuring the truth of divinitie, & also of philosophie. For if God onlie give life & being to all creatures, who can put any such ver/tue158. or livelie feeling into a body of gold, silver, bread, or wax, as is imagined? If either preests, divels, or witches could so doo, the divine power shuld be checked & outfaced by magicall cunning, & Gods creatures made servile to a witches pleasure. What is not to be brought to passe by these incantations, if that be true which is attributed to witches?An ample description of women commonlie called witches. & yet they are women that never went to schoole in their lives, nor had any teachers: and therefore without art or learning; poore, and therefore not able to make any provision of metal or stones, &c: whereby to bring to passe strange matters, by naturall magicke; old and stiffe, and therefore not nimble handed to deceive your eie with legierdemaine; heavie, and commonlie lame, and therefore unapt to flie in the aire, or to danse with the fairies; sad, melancholike, sullen, and miserable, and therefore it should be unto them (Invita Minerva) to banket or danse with Minerva; or yet with Herodias, as the common opinion of all writers heerein is. On the other side, we see they are so malicious and spitefull, that if they by themselves, or by their divels, could trouble the elements, we should never have faire weather. If they could kill men, children, or cattell, they would spare none; but would destroy and kill whole countries and housholds. If they could transfer corne (as is affirmed) from their neighbors field into their owne, none of them would be poore, none other should be rich. If they could transforme themselves and others (as it is most constantlie affirmed) oh what a number of apes and owles should there be of us! If Incubus could beget Merlins among us, we should have a jollie manie of cold prophets/

The fourth Chapter.220.

Why God forbad the practise of witchcraft, the absurditie of the lawe of the twelve tables, whereupon their estimation in miraculous actions is grounded, of their woonderous works.

THOUGH it be apparent,A common and universall error. that the Holie-ghost forbiddeth this art, bicause of the abuse of the name of God, and the cousenage comprehended therein: yet I confesse, the customes and lawes almost of all nations doo declare, that all these miraculous works, before by me cited, and many other things more woonderfull, were attributed to the power of witches. The which lawes, with the executions and judicials thereupon, and the witches confessions, have beguiled almost the whole world. What absurdities concerning witchcraft, are written in the law of the twelve tables, which was the highest and most ancient law of the Romans? Whereupon the strongest argument of witches omnipotent power is framed; as that the wisedome of such lawgivers could not be abused. Whereof (me thinks) might be made a more strong argument on our side; to wit, If the cheefe and principall lawes of the world be in this case ridiculous, vaine, false, incredible, yea and contrarie to Gods lawe; the residue of the lawes and arguments to that effect, are to be suspected. If that argument should hold, it might proove all the popish lawes against protestants, & the hea/thenish159. princes lawes against christians, to be good and in force: for it is like they would not have made them, except they had beene good. Were it not (thinke you) a strange proclamation, that no man (upon paine of death) should pull the moone out of heaven?J. Bodinus.
DanÆus.
Hyperius.
Heming.
Bar. Spineus*
Mal. Malef.
* SpinÆus. And yet verie many of the most learned witchmongers make their arguments upon weaker grounds; as namelie in this forme and maner; We find in poets, that witches wrought such and such miracles; Ergo they can accomplish and doo this or that wonder. The words of the lawe are these;/221. Qui fruges incantasset poenas dato, NÉve alienam segetem pellexeris excantando, neq; incantando, Ne agrum defruganto: the sense wherof in English is this; Let him be executed that bewitcheth corne, Transferre not other mens corne into thy ground by inchantment, Take heede thou inchant not at all neither make thy neighbors field barren: he that dooth these things shall die, &c.

The fift Chapter.

An instance of one arreigned upon the lawe of the twelve tables, whereby the said lawe is proved ridiculous, of two witches that could doo woonders.

ALTHOUGH among us, we thinke them bewitched that wax suddenlie poore, and not them that growe hastilie rich; yet at Rome you shall understand, that (as PlinieA notable purgation of C. F. C. convented for a witch. reporteth) upon these articles one C. Furius Cressus was convented before Spurius Albinus; for that he being but a little while free, and delivered from bondage, occupieng onelie tillage; grew rich on the sudden, as having good crops: so as it was suspected that he transferred his neighbors corne into his fields. None intercession, no delaie, none excuse, no deniall would serve, neither in jest nor derision, nor yet through sober or honest meanes: but he was assigned a peremptorie daie, to answer for life. And therefore fearing the sentence of condemnation, which was to be given there, by the voice and verdict of three men (as we heere are tried by twelve) made his appearance at the daie assigned, and brought with him his ploughs and harrowes, spades and shovels, and other instruments of husbandrie, his oxen, horsses, and working bullocks, his servants, and also his daughter, which was a sturdie wench and a good huswife, and also (as Piso reporteth) well trimmed up in apparell, and said to the whole bench in this wise; Lo heere my lords I make mine appearance, according to my promise and your pleasures, presenting unto you my charmes and witchcrafts, which have so inriched me. As for the labour, sweat, wat/ching,222. care, and diligence, which I have used in this behalfe, I cannot shew you them at this time. And by this meanes he was dismissed by the consent of that court, who otherwise (as it was thought) should hardly have escaped the sentence of condemnation, and punishment of death.

It is constantlie affirmed in M. Mal.Mal. malef. par. 2. quÆ. 1. cap. 5. that Stafus used alwaies to hide himselfe in a *monshoall,[* moushoall] and had a disciple called Hoppo, who made Stadlin a maister witch, and could all when they list invisiblie transferre the third part of their neighbours doong, hay, corne, &c: into theire owne ground, make/160. haile, tempests, and flouds, with thunder and lightning; and kill children, cattell, &c: reveale things hidden, and many other tricks, when and where they list. But these two shifted not so well with the inquisitors, as the other with the Romane and heathen judges. Howbeit, Stafus was too hard for them all: for none of all the lawiers nor inquisitors could bring him to appeere before them, if it be true that witchmongers write in these matters.

The sixt Chapter.

Lawes provided for the punishment of such witches as worke miracles, whereof some are mentioned, and of certeine popish lawes published against them.

T HERE are other lawesPunishmet of impossibilities. of other nations made to this incredible effect: as Lex Salicarum provideth punishment for them that flie in the aire from place to place, and meete at their nightlie assemblies, and brave bankets, carrieng with them plate, and such stuffe, &c: even as we should make a lawe to hang him that should take a church in his hand at Dover, and throwe it to Callice. And bicause in this case also popish lawes shall be seene to be as foolish and lewd as any other whatsoever, and speciallie as tyrannous as that which is most cruell: you shall heare what trim new lawes the church of Rome hath latelie devised. These are therefore the words of pope Innocent the eight to the inquisitors/223. of Almanie, and of pope Julius the second, sent to the inquisitors of Bergomen. It is come to our eares,A wise lawe of pope Innocent and Julie, were it not that they wanted wit when they made it. that manie lewd persons, of both kinds, as well male as female, using the companie of the divels Incubus and Succubus, with incantations, charmes, conjurations, &c: doo destroie, &c: the births of women with child, the yoong of all cattell, the corne of the feeld, the grapes of the vines, the frute of the trees: Item, men, women, and all kind of cattell and beasts of the feeld: and with their said inchantments, &c: doo utterlie extinguish, suffocate, and spoile all vineyards, ortchards, medowes, pastures, grasse, greene corne, and ripe corne, and all other podware: yea men and women themselves are by their imprecations so afflicted with externall and inward paines and diseases, that men cannot beeget, nor women bring foorth anie children, nor yet accomplish the dutie of wedlocke, denieng the faith which they in baptisme professed, to the destruction of their owne soules, &c. Our pleasure therefore is, that all impediments that maie hinder the inquisitors office, be utterlie removed from among the people, least this blot of heresie proceed to poison and defile them that be yet innocent. And therefore we doo ordeine, by vertue of the apostolicall authoritie, that our inquisitors of high Almanie, maie execute the office of inquisition by all tortures and afflictions, in all places, and upon all persons, what and wheresoever, as well in everie place and diocesse, as upon anie person; and that as freelie, as though they were named, expressed, or cited in this our commission/

The seventh Chapter.161.

Poetical authorities commonlie alleaged by witchmongers, for the proofe of witches miraculous actions, and for confirmation of their supernaturall power.

HERE have I place and oportunitie, to discover the whole art of witchcraft; even all their charmes, periapts, characters, amulets, praiers, blessings, curssings, hurtings, helpings, knaveries, cousenages, &c. But first I will shew what authorities are produced to defend and mainteine the same, and that in serious sort,/224. by Bodin, SpinÆus, Hemingius, Vairus, DanÆus, Hyperius: M. Mal. and the rest.

Virg. eclog. 8.Carmina vel coelo possunt deducere lunam,
Carminibus Circe socios mut avit*[* mutavit] Ulyssis,
Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis:
Inchantments plucke out of the skie,
The moone, though she be plaste on hie:
Dame Circes with hir charmes so fine,
Ulysses mates did turne to swine:
The snake with charmes is burst in twaine,
In medowes, where she dooth remaine.

Againe out of the same poet they cite further matter.

Virg. eclog. 8.Has herbas, atq; hÆc Ponto mihi lecta venena,
Ipsa dedit MÆris: nascuntur plurima Ponto.
His ego sÆpÈ lupam fieri, & se condere sylvis,
MÆrim sÆpe animas imis exire sepulchris,
Atq; satas aliÒ vidi traducere messes.
These herbs did Meris give to me,
And poisons pluckt at Pontus,
For there they growe and multiplie,
And doo not so amongst us.
With these she made hir selfe become,
A wolfe, and hid hir in the wood,
She fetcht up soules out of their toome,
Remooving corne from where it stood.

Furthermore out of Ovid they alledge these folowing.

NocteOvid. fast. 6. volant, puerÓsq; petunt nutricis egentes,
Et vitiant cunis corpora capta suis:
Carpere dicuntur lactentia viscera rostris,/162.
Et plenumpotu*[* plenum potu] sanguine gutur habent:
To children they doo flie by night,
And catch them while their nursses sleepe,/225.
And spoile their little bodies quite,
And home they beare them in their beake.

Againe out of Virgill in forme following.

Hinc mihi MassylÆ gentis monstrata sacerdos,Virg. Aene. 4.
Hesperidum templi custos, epulÁsq; draconi
QuÆ dabat, & sacros servabat in arbore ramos,
Spargens humida mella, soporiferÚmq; papaver.
HÆc se carminibus promittit solvere mentes,
Quas velit, ast aliis dur as*[* duras] immittere curas,
Sistere aquam fluviis, & vertere sidera retrÒ,
NocturnÓsq; ciet manes, mugire videbis
Sub pedibus terram, & descendere montibus ornos:
From thence a virgine preest is come,Tho. Phaiers translation of the former words of Virg.
from out Massyla land,
Sometimes the temple there she kept,
and from hir heavenlie hand
The dragon meate did take: she kept
also the frute divine,
With herbes and liquors sweete that still
to sleepe did men incline.
The minds of men (she saith) from love
with charmes she can unbind,
In whom she list: but others can
she cast to cares unkind.
The running streames doo stand, and from
their course the starres doo wreath,
And soules she conjure can: thou shalt
see sister underneath
The ground with roring gape, and trees
and mountaines turne upright, &c.

Moreover out of OvidOvid. metamor. 7. they alledge as followeth.

CÙm volui ripis ipsis mirantibus amnes
Infontes*[* In fontes] rediere suos, concÚssaq; sisto,/
226.Stantia concutio, cantu freta nubila pello,
NubilÁq; Ìnduco, ventos abigÓq; vocÓq;
Vipereas rumpo verbis & carmine fauces,/163.
VivÁque saxa, sua convulsÁque robora terra,
Et sylvas moveo, jubeÓque tremescere montes,
Et mugire solum, manÉsque exire sepulchris,
TÉque luna traho, &c:
The rivers I can make retire,
Into the fountaines whence they flo,
(Whereat the banks themselves admire)
I can make standing waters go,
With charmes I drive both sea and clowd,
I make it calme and blowe alowd.
The vipers jawes, the rockie stone,
With words and charmes I breake in twaine
The force of earth congeald in one,
I moove and shake both woods and plaine;
I make the soules of men arise,
I pull the moone out of the skies.

Also out of the same poet.

Ovid. de Medea.VirbÁque ter dixit placidos facientia somnos,
QuÆ mare turbatum, quÆ flumina concita sistant:
And thrise she spake the words that causd
Sweete sleepe and quiet rest,
She staid the raging of the sea,
And mightie flouds supprest.
Ovid. de Medea, epistola. 4. Et miserum tenues in jecur urget acus,
She sticketh also needels fine
In livers, whereby men doo pine.

3. Amor. Eclog. 6.Also out of other poets.

Carmine lÆsa Ceres, sterilem vanescit in herbam,
Deficiunt lÆsi carmine fontis aquÆ,
Illicibus glandes, cantatÁque vitibus uva/227.
Decidit, & nullo poma movente fluunt:
With charmes the corne is spoiled so,
As that it vades to barren gras,
With charmes the springs are dried lowe,
That none can see where water was,
The grapes from vines, the mast from okes,
And beats downe frute with charming strokes./164.
QuÆ sidera excantata voce Thessala
LunÁmqueHorac.* epod. 5[* Horat] coelo diripit:
She plucks downe moone and starres from skie,
With chaunting voice of Thessalie.
Hanc ego de coelo ducentem sidera vidi,
Fluminis ac rapidi carmine vertit iter,
HÆc cantu findÍtque solum, manÉsque sepulchrisTibul. de fascinatrice, lib. 1. Eleg. 2.
Elicit, & tepido devorat ossa rogo:
CÙm lubet hÆc tristi depellit lumina coelo,
CÙm lubet Æstivo convocat orbe nives:
She plucks each star out of his throne,
And turneth backe the raging waves,
With charmes she makes the earth to cone,
And raiseth soules out of their graves:
She burnes mens bones as with a fire,
And pulleth downe the lights from heaven,
And makes it snowe at hir desire
Even in the midst of summer season.
Mens hausti nulla sanie polluta veneni,Lucan. lib. de bello civili. 6.
Incantata perit:
A man inchanted runneth mad,
That never anie poison had.
Cessavere vices rerum, dilatÁque longaIdem. Ibid.
HÆsit nocte dies, legi non paruit Æther,
Torpuit & prÆceps audito carmine mundus:
The course of nature ceased quite,/228.
The aire obeied not his lawe,
The daie delaid by length of night,
Which made both daie and night to yawe;
And all was through that charming geare,
Which causd the world to quake for feare.
Carmine Thessalidum dura in prÆcordia fluxit,Idem. Ibid.
Non fatis adductus amor, flammÍsque severi
Illicitis arsere ignes:
With Thessall charmes, and not by fate
Hot love is forced for to flowe,
Even where before hath beene debate,
They cause affection for to growe.
Idem. Ibid.Gens invisa diis maculandi callida coeli,/165.
Quos genuit terra, mali qui sidera mundi
JurÁque fixarum possunt pervertere rerum:
Nam nunc stare polos, & flumina mittere norunt,
Aethera sub terras adigunt, montÉsque revellunt:
These witches hatefull unto God,
And cunning to defile the aire,
Which can disorder with a nod
The course of nature everie where,
Doo cause the wandring starres to staie
And drive the winds beelow the ground,
They send the streames another waie,
And throwe downe hilles where they abound.
C. Manilius astronom. suÆ. lib. 1.——————linguis dixere volucrum,
Consultare fibras, & rumpere vocibus angues,
Solicitare umbras, ipsÚmque Acheronta movere,
In noctÉmque dies, in lucem vertere noctes,
Omnia conando docilis solertia vincit:
They talked with the toongs of birds,
Consulting with the salt sea coasts,
They burst the snakes with witching words,/
229.Solliciting the spirituall ghosts,
They turne the night into the daie,
And also drive the light awaie:
And what ist that cannot be made
By them that doo applie this trade?

The eight Chapter.

Poetrie and poperie compared in inchantments, popish witchmongers have more advantage herein than protestants.

YOU see in these verses, the poets (whether in earnest or in jest I know not) ascribe unto witches & to their charmes, more than is to be found in humane or diabolicall power. I doubt not but the most part of the readers hereof will admit them to be fabulous; although the most learned of mine adversaries (for lacke of scripture) are faine to produce these poetries for proofes, and for lacke of judgement I am sure doo thinke, that ActÆonsOvid Metamorph. lib. 3. fab. 2. transformation was true. And why not? As well as the metamorphosis or transubstantiation of Ulysses his companions into swine: which S. Augustine,Ovid. Metamorph. 14. fab. 5, 6. and so manie great clarkes credit and report.

Neverthelesse, popish writers (I confesse) have advantage herein of our protestants: for (besides these poeticall proofes) they have (for advantage) the word and authoritie of the pope himselfe, and others of that/166. holie crue; whose charmes, conjurations, blessings, curssings, &c: I meane in part (for a tast) to set downe; giving you to understand, that poets are not altogither so impudent as papists herein, neither seeme they so ignorant, prophane, or impious.The authors transition to his purposed scope. And therefore I will shew you how lowd also they lie, and what they on the other side ascribe to their charmes and conjurations; and togither will set downe with them all maner of witches charmes, as convenientlie as I maie/

The ninth Chapter.230.

Popish periapts, amulets and charmes, agnus Dei, a wastcote of proofe, a charme for the falling evill, a writing brought to S. Leo from heaven by an angell, the vertues of S. Saviors epistle, a charme against theeves, a writing found in Christs wounds, of the crosse, &c.

THESE vertues under these verses (written by pope Urbane the fift to the emperour of the GrÆcians) are conteined in a periapt or tablet, to be continuallie worne about one, called Agnus Dei, which is a little cake, having the picture of a lambe carrieng of a flag on the one side; and Christs head on the other side, and is hollow: so as the gospell of S. John, written in fine paper, is placed in the concavitie thereof: and it is thus compounded or made, even as they themselves report.

Balsamus & munda cera, cum chrismatis unda
Conficiunt agnum, quod munus do tibi magnum,
Fonte velut natum, per mystica sanctificatum:
Fulgura desursum depellit, & omne malignum,
Peccatum frangit, ut Christi sanguis, & angit,
PrÆgnans servatur, simul & partus liberatur,
Dona refert dignis, virtutem destruit ignis,
Portatus mundÈ de fluctibus eripit undÆ:
Balme, virgine wax, and holie water,Englished by Abraham Fleming.
Looke in the Beehive of the Romish church.
Lib. 4. cap. 1. fol. 243.
an Agnus Dei make:
A gift than which none can be greater,
I send thee for to take.
From founteine cleere the same hath issue,
in secret sanctifide:
Gainst lightning it hath soveraigne vertue,
and thunder crackes beside./231.
Ech hainous sinne it weares and wasteth,
even as Christs precious blood,
And women, whiles their travell lasteth,
it saves, it is so good.
It doth bestow great gifts and graces,/167.
on such as well deserve:
And borne about in noisome places,
from perill doth preserve.
The force of fire, whose heat destroieth,
it breaks and bringeth downe:
And he or she that this enjoieth,
no water shall them drowne.

A charme against shot, or a wastcote of proofe.

BEfore the comming up of these Agnus Deis, a holie garment called a wastcote for necessitie was much used of our forefathers, as a holy relike, &c: as given by the pope, or some such archconjuror, who promised thereby all manner of immunitie to the wearer thereof; in somuch as he could not be hurt with anie shot or other violence. And otherwise, that woman that would weare it, should have quicke deliverance: the composition thereof was in this order following.

The maner of making a wastecote of proofe. On Christmas daie at night, a threed must be sponne of flax, by a little virgine girle, in the name of the divell: and it must be by hir woven, and also wrought with the needle. In the brest or forepart thereof must be made with needle worke two heads; on the head at the right side must be a hat, and a long beard; the left head must have on a crowne, and it must be so horrible, that it maie resemble Belzebub, and on each side of the wastcote must be made a crosse.

Against the falling evill.

MOreover, this insuing is another counterfet charme of theirs, whereby the falling evill is presentlie remedied.

Gaspar fert myrrham, thus Melchior, Balthasar aurum,
HÆc tria qui secum portabit nomina regum,/
232.Solvitur À morbo Christi pietate caduco.
Gasper with his myrh beganne
these presents to unfold,
Then Melchior brought in frankincense,
and Balthasar brought in gold.
Now he that of these holie kings
the names about shall beare,
The falling yll by grace of Christ
shall never need to feare.

This is as true a copie of the holie writing, that was brought downe from heaven by an angell to S. Leo pope of Rome; & he did bid/168. him take it to king Charles,These effects are too good to be true in such a patched peece of poperie. when he went to the battell at Roncevall. And the angell said, that what man or woman beareth this writing about them with good devotion, and saith everie daie three Pater nosters, three Aves, and one Creede, shall not that daie be overcome of his enimies, either bodilie or ghostlie; neither shalbe robbed or slaine of theeves, pestilence, thunder, or lightening; neither shall be hurt with fier or water, nor combred with spirits, neither shall have displeasure of lords or ladies: he shall not be condemned with false witnesse, nor taken with fairies, or anie maner of axes, nor yet with the falling evill. Also, if a woman be in travell, laie this writing upo hir bellie, she shall have easie deliverance, and the child right shape and christendome, and the mother purification of holy church, and all through vertue of these holie names of Jesus Christ following:

? Jesus ? Christus ? Messias ? Soter ? Emmanuel ? Sabbaoth ? Adonai ? Unigenitus ? Majestas ? Paracletus ? Salvator noster ? Agiros iskiros ? Agios ? Adanatos ? Gasper ? Melchior ? & Balthasar ? MatthÆus ? Marcus ? Lucas ? Johannes.

The epistle of S. Savior, which pope Leo sent to king Charles, saieng, that whosoever carrieth the same about him, or in what daie so ever he shall read it, or shall see it, he shall not be killed with anie iron toole, nor be burned with fier, nor be drowned with water, neither anie evill man or other creature maie hurt him. The crosse of Christ is a woonderfull defense ? the crosse/233. of Christ be alwaies with me ? the crosse is it which I doo alwaies worship ? the crosse of Christ is true health ? the crosse of Christ dooth lose the bands of death ? the crosse of Christ is the truth and the waie ? I take my journie upon the crosse of the Lord ? the crosse of Christ beateth downe everie evill ? the crosse of Christ giveth all good things ? the crosse of Christ taketh awaie paines everlasting ? the crosse of Christ save me ? O crosse of Christ be upon me, before me, and behind me ? bicause the ancient enimie cannot abide the sight of thee ? the crosse of Christ save me, keepe me, governe me, and direct me ? Thomas bearing this note of thy divine majestie ? Alpha ? Omega ? first ? and last ? middest ? and end ? beginning ? and first begotten ? wisedome ? vertue ?.

A popish periapt or charme, which must never be said, but carried about one, against theeves.

I Doo go, and I doo come unto you with the love of God, with the humilitie of Christ, with the holines of our blessed ladie, with the faith of Abraham, with the justice of Isaac, with the vertue of David, with the might of Peter, with the constancie of Paule, with the word of God, with the authoritie of Gregorie, with the praier of Clement, with the floud of Jordan, [? = per or par]? ? p c g e g a q q est p t 1 ka b g l k 2 a x t g t b am*[* a m 2. ed.] g 2 4 2 1 q; p x c g k q a 9 9 p o q q r. Oh onelie Father ? oh onlie lord ? And Jesus ? passing through the middest of them ? went ? In the name of/169. the Father ? and of the Sonne ? and of the Holie-ghost ?.

Another amulet.

JOseph of Arimathea did find this writing upon the wounds of the side of Jesus Christ, written with Gods finger, when the bodie was taken away fro the crosse. Whosoever shall carrie this writing about him, shall not die anie evill death, if he beleeve in Christ, and in all perplexities he shall soone be delivered, neither let him feare any danger at all. Fons ? alpha & omega ? figa ? figalis ? Sabbaoth ? Emmanuel ? Adonai ? o ? Neray ? Elay ? Ihe ? Rentone ? Neger ? Sahe ? Pangeton ? Commen ? a ? g ? l ? a ? MatthÆus ? Marcus ? Lucas ? Johannes ? ? ? titulus triumphalis ? Jesus Nasa/renus rex JudÆorum234. ? ecce dominicÆ crucis signum ? fugite partes adversÆ, vicit leo de tribu JudÆ, radix, David, aleluijah, Kyrie eleeson, Christe eleeson, pater noster, ave Maria, & ne nos, & veniat super nos salutare tuum: Oremus, &c.*[* From Fons is in Rom. from titulus in Ital.]

I find in a Primer intituled The houres of our Ladie, after the use of the church of Yorke, printed anno 1516. a charme with this titling in red letters; To all them that afore this image of pitie devoutlie shall saie *five* If the party faile in the number, he may go whistle for a pardon. Pater nosters, five Aves, and one Credo, pitiouslie beholding these armes of Christs passion, are granted thirtie two thousand seven hundred fiftie five yeares of pardon. It is to be thought that this pardon was granted in the time of pope Boniface the ninth; for Platina saith that the pardons were sold so cheape, that the apostolicall authoritie grew into contempt.

A papisticall charme.

Signum sanctÆ crucis defendat me À malis prÆsentibus, prÆteritis, & futuris, interioribus & exterioribus: that is, The signe of the crosse defend me from evils present, past, and to come, inward and outward.

A charme found in the canon of the masse.

Also this charme is found in the canon of the masse, HÆc sacrosancta commixtio corporis & sanguinis domini nostri Jesu Christi fiat mihi, omnibÚsque sumentibus, salus mentis & corporis, & ad vitam promerendam, & capessendam, prÆparatio salutaris: that is, Let this holie mixture of the bodie and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ, be unto me, and unto all receivers thereof, health of mind and bodie, and to the deserving and receiving of life an healthfull preparative.

Other papisticall charmes.

Aqua benedicta, sit mihi salus & vita:
Let holie water be, both health and life to me.By Ab. Fleming.
Adque nomen Martini omnis hÆreticus fugiat pallidus,
When Martins name is soong or said,
Let heretikes flie as men dismaid./

235.But the papists have a harder charme than that; to wit, Fier and fagot, Fier and fagot/

170.A charme of the holie crosse.

Furthermore as followeth.

Sancta crux Æquiparatur salutifero Christo.
O blasphÆmiam inenarrabilem!
Ista suos fortiores
Semper facit, & victores,
Morbos sanat & languores,
Reprimit dÆmonia.
Dat captivis libertatem,
VitÆ confert novitatem,
Ad antiquam dignitatem,
Crux reduxit omnia.
O Crux lignum triumphale,
Mundi vera salus vale,
Inter ligna nullum tale,
Fronde, flore, germine.
Medicina Christiana,
Salva sanos, Ægros sana,
Quod non valet vis humana,
Fit in tuo nomine, &c./
236.Englished by Abraham Fleming. Looke in the Beehive of the Romish church. lib. 4. cap. 3. fol. 251, 252.It makes hir souldiers excellent,
and crowneth them with victorie,
Restores the lame and impotent,
and healeth everie maladie.
The divels of hell it conquereth,
releaseth from imprisonment,
Newnesse of life it offereth,
it hath all at commandement.
O crosse of wood incomparable,
to all the world most holsome:
No wood is halfe so honourable,/
171.in branch, in bud, or blossome.
O medcine which Christ did ordaine,
the sound save everie hower,
The sicke and sore make whole againe,
by vertue of thy power.
And that which mans unablenesse,
hath never comprehended,
Grant by thy name of holinesse,
it may be fullie ended, &c.

A charme taken out of the Primer.

This charme following is taken out of the Primer aforesaid. Omnipotens ? Dominus ? Christus ? Messias ? with 34. names more, & as many crosses, & then proceeds in this wise; Ista nomina me protegant ab omni adversitate, plaga, & infirmitate corporis & animÆ, plenÈ liberent, & assistent in auxilium ista nomina regum, Gasper, &c: & 12 apostoli (videlicet) Petrus, &c: & 4 evangelistÆ (videlicet) MatthÆus, &c: mihi assistent in omnibus necessitatibus meis, ac me defendant & liberent ab omnibus periculis & corporis & animÆ, & omnibus malis prÆteritis, prÆsentibus, & futuris, &c./

The tenth Chapter.237.

How to make holie water, and the vertues therof. S. Rufins charme, of the wearing and bearing of the name of Jesus, that the sacrament of confession and the eucharist is of as much efficacie as other charmes, & magnified by L. Vairus.

I F I did well, I should shew you the confection of all their stuffe, and how they prepare it; but it would be too long. And therefore you shall onlie have in this place a few notes for the composition of certeine receipts, which in stead of an Apothecarie if you deliver to any morrowmasse preest, he will make them as well as the pope himselfe. Marie now they wax everie parlement deerer and deerer; although therewithall, they utter many stale drugs of their owne.

If you looke in the popish pontificall,In ecclesiÆ dedicatione. you shall see how they make their holie water; to wit, in this sort: I conjure thee thou creature of water, in the name of the father, and of the sonne, & of the Holie-ghost, that thou drive the divell out of everie corner and hole of this church, and altar; so as he remaine not within our precincts that are just and righteous. And water thus used (as Durandus saith)In rationali divinorum officiorum. hath power of his owne nature to drive away divels. If you will learne to make any more of this popish stuffe, you may go to the verie masse booke, and find manie good receipts: marrie if you search Durandus, &c; you shall find abundance.

I know that all these charmes, and all these palterie confections (though/172. they were farre more impious and foolish) will be mainteined and defended by massemongers, even as the residue will be by witchmongers: and therefore I will in this place insert a charme, the authoritie wherof is equall with the rest, desiring to have their opinions herein. I find in a booke called Pom. sermon. 32.Pomoerium sermonum quadragesimalium, that S. Francis seeing Rufinus/238. provoked of the divell to thinke himselfe damned, charged Rufinus to saie this charme, when he next met with the divell; Aperi os, & ibi imponam stircus, which is as much to saie in English as, Open thy mouth and I will put in a plumme: a verie ruffinlie charme.

Leonard VairusL. Vairus. lib. de fascin. 3. cap. 10.
Idem, ibid.
writeth, De veris, piis, ac sanctis amuletis fascinum atq; omnia veneficia destruentibus
; wherein he speciallie commendeth the name of Jesus to be worne. But the sacrament of confession he extolleth above all things, saieng, that whereas Christ with his power did but throwe divels out of mens bodies, the preest driveth the divell out of mans soule by confession. For (saith he) these words of the preest, when he saith, Ego te absolvo, are as effectuall to drive awaie the princes of darknes, through the mightie power of that saieng, as was the voice of GodIdem, ibid. to drive awaie the darknes of the world, when at the beginning he said, Fiat lux. He commendeth also, as holesome things to drive awaie divels, the sacrament of the eucharist, and solitarines, and silence. Finallie he saith, that if there be added hereunto an Agnus Dei, and the same be worne about ones necke by one void of sinne, nothing is wanting that is good and holesome for this purpose. But he concludeth, that you must weare and make dints in your forhead, with crossing your selfe when you put on your shooes, and at everie other action, &c: and that is also a present remedie to drive awaie divels, for they cannot abide it.

The eleventh Chapter.

Of the noble balme used by Moses, apishlie counterfeited in the church of Rome.

T HE noble balme that Moses made, having indeed manie excellent vertues, besides the pleasant and comfortable savour thereof; wherewithall Moses in his politike lawes enjoined kings, queenes, and princes to be annointed in their true and lawfull elections and coronations, untill the everlasting king had put on/239. man upon him, is apishlie counterfeited in the Romish church, with diverse terrible conjurations, three breathings, crossewise, (able to make a quezie stomach spue) nine mumblings, and three curtsies, saieng thereunto, Ave sanctum oleum, ter ave sanctum balsamum. And so the divell is thrust out, and the Holie-ghost let into his place. But as for Moses his balme, it is not now to be found either in Rome or elsewhere that I can learne. And according to this papisticall order, witches, and other superstitious people follow on, with charmes and conjurations made in forme; which manie bad physicians also practise, when their learning faileth, as maie appeare by example in the sequele/

The twelfe Chapter.173.

The opinion of Ferrarius touching charmes, periapts, appensions, amulets, &c. Of Homericall medicines, of constant opinion, and the effects thereof.

ARGERIUS FERRARIUS,Arg. Fer. lib. de medendi methodo. 2. cap. 11.
De Homerica medicatione.
a physician in these daies of great account, doth saie, that for somuch as by no diet nor physicke anie disease can be so taken awaie or extinguished, but that certeine dregs and relikes will remaine: therefore physicians use physicall alligations, appensions, periapts, amulets, charmes, characters, &c., which he supposeth maie doo good; but harme he is sure they can doo none: urging that it is necessarie and expedient for a physician to leave nothing undone that may be devised for his patients recoverie; and that by such meanes manie great cures are done. He citeth a great number of experiments out of Alexander Trallianus, Aetius, Octavianus, Marcellus, Philodotus, Archigines, Philostratus, Plinie, and Dioscorides; and would make men beleeve that Galen (who in truth despised and derided all those vanities) recanted in his latter daies his former opinion, and all his invectives tending against these magicall cures: writing also a booke intituled De Homerica medicatione, which no man could ever see, but one Alexander Trallianus, who saith he saw it:/240. and further affirmeth, that it is an honest mans part to cure the sicke, by hooke or by crooke, or by anie meanes whatsoever. Yea he saith that Galen (who indeed wrote and taught that Incantamenta sunt muliercularum figmenta, and be the onlie clokes of bad physicians) affirmeth, that there is vertue and great force in incantations.This would be examined, to see if Galen be not slandered. As for example (saith Trallian) Galen being now reconciled to this opinion, holdeth and writeth, that the bones which sticke in ones throte, are avoided and cast out with the violence of charmes and inchanting words; yea and that thereby the stone, the chollicke, the falling sicknes, and all fevers, gowts, fluxes, fistulas, issues of bloud, and finallie whatsoever cure (even beyond the skill of himselfe or anie other foolish physician) is cured and perfectlie healed by words of inchantment. Marie M. Ferrarius (although he allowed and practised this kind of physicke) yet he protesteth that he thinketh it none otherwise effectuall, than by the waie of constant opinion: so as he affirmeth that neither the character, nor the charme, nor the witch, nor the devill accomplish the cure; as (saith he) the experiment of the toothach will manifestlie declare, wherein the cure is wrought by the confidence or diffidence as well of the patient, as of the agent; according to the poets saieng:

Nos habitat non tartara, sed nec sidera coeli,
Spiritus in nobis qui viget illa facit.
Englished by Abraham Fleming.Not hellish furies dwell in us,
Nor starres with influence heavenlie;
The spirit that lives and rules in us,
Doth every thing ingeniouslie,/

174.This (saith he) commeth to the unlearned, through the opinion which they conceive of the characters and holie words: but the learned that know the force of the mind and imagination, worke miracles by meanes thereof; so as the unlearned must have externall helps, to doo that which the learned can doo with a word onelie. He saith that this is called Homerica medicatio, bicause Homer discovered the bloud of the word suppressed, and the infections healed by or in mysteries.

The xiii. Chapter.241.

Of the effects of amulets, the drift of Argerius Ferrarius in the commendation of charmes, &c: foure sorts of Homericall medicines, & the choice thereof; of imagination.

AS touching mine opinion of these amulets, characters, and such other bables, I have sufficientlie uttered it elsewhere: and I will bewraie the vanitie of these superstitious trifles more largelie hereafter. And therefore at this time I onelie saie, that those amulets, which are to be hanged or carried about one, if they consist of hearbs, rootes, stones, or some other metall, they maie have diverse medicinable operations; and by the vertue given to them by God in their creation, maie worke strange effects and cures: and to impute this vertue to anie other matter is witchcraft. And whereas A. Ferrarius commendeth certeine amulets, that have no shew of physicall operation; as a naile taken from a crosse, holie water, and the verie signe of the crosse, with such like popish stuffe: I thinke he laboureth thereby rather to draw men to poperie, than to teach or persuade them in the truth of physicke or philosophie. And I thinke thus the rather, for that he himselfe seeth the fraud hereof; confessing that where these magicall physicians applie three seeds of three leaved grasse to a tertian ague, and foure to a quartane, that the number is not materiall.

But of these Homericall medicinesFoure sorts of Homericall medicines, and which is the principall. he saith there are foure sorts, whereof amulets, characters, & charmes are three: howbeit he commendeth and preferreth the fourth above the rest; and that he saith consisteth in illusions, which he more properlie calleth stratagems. Of which sort of conclusions he alledgeth for example, how Philodotus did put a cap of lead upon ones head, who imagined he was headlesse, whereby the partie was delivered from his disease or conceipt. Item another cured a woman that imagined, that a serpent or snake did continuallie gnaw and/242. teare hir entrailes; and that was done onelie by giving hir a vomit, and by foisting into the matter vomited a little serpent or snake, like unto that which she imagined was in hir bellie.

Item,The force of fixed fansie, opinion, or strong conceipt. another imagined that he alwaies burned in the fier, under whose bed a fier was privilie conveied, which being raked out before his face, his fancie was satisfied, and his heate allaied. Hereunto perteineth, that the hickot is cured with sudden feare or strange newes: yea by that meanes agues and manie other strange and extreame diseases have beene healed. And some that have lien so sicke and sore of the gowt, that they could not remove a joint, through sudden feare of fier, or ruine/175. of houses, have forgotten their infirmities and greefes, and have runne awaie. But in my tract upon melancholie, and the effects of imagination, and in the discourse of naturall magicke, you shall see these matters largelie touched.

The xiiii. Chapter.

Choice of Charmes against the falling evill, the biting of a mad dog, the stinging of a scorpion, the toothach, for a woman in travell, for the Kings evill, to get a thorne out of any member, or a bone out of ones throte, charmes to be said fasting, or at the gathering of hearbs, for sore eies, to open locks, against spirits, for the bots in a horsse, and speciallie for the Duke of Albas horsse, for sowre wines, &c.

THERE be innumerable charmes of conjurers, bad physicians, lewd surgians, melancholike witches, and couseners, for all diseases and greefes; speciallie for such as bad physicians and surgions knowe not how to cure, and in truth are good stuffe to shadow their ignorance, whereof I will repeate some.

For the falling evill.

TAke the sicke man by the hand, and whisper these wordes softlie in his eare, I conjure thee by the sunne and moone, and by243. the gospell of this daie delivered by God to Hubert, Giles, Cornelius, and John, that thou rise and fall no more. ? Otherwise: Drinke in the night at a spring water out of a skull of one that hath beene slaine. ? Otherwise: Eate a pig killed with a knife that slew a man. ? Otherwise as followeth.

Ananizapta ferit mortem, dum lÆdere quÆrit,
Est mala mors capta, dum dicitur Ananizapta,
Ananizapta Dei nunc miserere mei.
Englished by Abraham Fleming.
{
Ananizapta smiteth death,
whiles harme intendeth he,
This word Ananizapta say,
and death shall captive be,
Ananizapta Ô of God,
have mercie now on me.
}

Against the biting of a mad dog.

PUt a silver ring on the finger,J. Bodinus. lib. de dÆmon 3. cap. 5. within the which these words are graven ? Habay ? habar ? hebar ? & saie to the person bitten with a mad dog, I am thy saviour, loose not thy life: and then pricke him in the nose thrise, that at each time he bleed. ? Otherwise: Take pilles made of the skull of one that is hanged. ? Otherwise: Write upon a peece of bread, Irioni, khiriora, esser, khuder, feres; and let it be eaten by the/176. partie bitten. ? Otherwise: O rex gloriÆ Jesu Christe, veni cum pace: In nomine patris max, in nomine filii max, in nomine spiritus sancti prax: Gasper, Melchior, Balthasar ? prax ? max ? Deus I max ?

But in troth this is verie dangerous; insomuch as if it be not speedilie and cunninglie prevented, either death or frensie insueth, through infection of the humor left in the wound bitten by a mad dog: which bicause bad surgions cannot cure, they have therfore used foolish cousening charmes. But DodonÆus in his herball saith, that the hearbe Alysson cureth it: which experiment, I doubt not, will proove more true than all the charms in the world. But where he saith, that the same hanged at a mans gate or entrie, preserveth him and his cattell from inchantment, or bewitching, he is overtaken with follie/

Against the biting of a scorpion.244.

SAie to an asse secretlie, and as it were whispering in his eare; I am bitten with a Scorpion.

Against the toothach.

SCarifie the gums in the greefe, with the tooth of one that hath beene slaine. ? Otherwise: Galbes galbat, galdes galdat. ? Otherwise: A ab hur hus, &c. ? Otherwise: At saccaring of masse hold your teeth togither, and say *Os* That is, You shall not breake or diminish a bone of him. non comminuetis ex eo. ? Otherwise: strigiles falcesq; dentatÆ, dentium dolorem persanate; O horssecombs and sickles that have so many teeth, come heale me now of my toothach.

A charme to release a woman in travell.

THrowe over the top of the house, where a woman in travell lieth, a stone, or any other thing that hath killed three living creatures; namelie, a man, a wild bore, and a she beare.

To heale the Kings or Queenes evill, or any other sorenesse in the throte.

REmedies to cure the Kings or Queenes evill, is first to touch the place with the hand of one that died an untimelie death. ? Otherwise: Let a virgine fasting laie hir hand on the sore, and saie; Apollo denieth that the heate of the plague can increase, where a naked virgine quencheth it: and spet three times upon it.

A charme read in the Romish church, upon saint Blazes daie, that will fetch a thorne out of anie place of ones bodie, a bone out of the throte, &c: Lect. 3.

FOr the fetching of a thorne out of any place of ones bodie, or a bone out of the throte, you shall read a charme in the Romish church upon S. Blazes daie; to wit, Call upon God, and remember S. Blaze. This S. Blaze could also heale all wild beasts that were sicke or lame, with laieng on of his hands: as appeareth in the lesson red on his daie, where you shall see the matter at large//

A charme for the headach.245. 177.

TIe a halter about your head, wherewith one hath beene hanged.

A charme to be said each morning by a witch fasting, or at least before she go abroad.

THE fier bites, the fier bites, the fier bites; Hogs turd over it, hogs turd over it, hogs turd over it; The father with thee, the sonne with me, the holie-ghost betweene us both to be: ter. Then spit over one shoulder, and then over the other, and then three times right forward.

Another charme that witches use at the gathering of their medicinable hearbs.

Haile be thou holie hearbe
growing on the ground
All in the mount *Calvarie* Though neither the hearbe nor the witch never came there.
first wert thou found,
Thou art good for manie a sore,
And healest manie a wound,
In the name of sweete Jesus
I take thee from the ground.

An old womans charme, wherewith she did much good in the countrie, and grew famous thereby.

AN old woman that healed all diseases of cattell (for the which she never tooke any reward but a penie and a loafe) being seriouslie examined by what words she brought these things to passe, confessed that after she had touched the sicke creature, she alwaies departed immediatelie; saieng:

My loafe in my lap,
my penie in my pursse;
Thou are never the better,
and I am never the wursse./

Another like charme.246.

A Gentlewoman having sore eies, made hir mone to one, that promised hir helpe, if she would follow his advise: which was onelie to weare about hir necke a scroll sealed up, whereinto she might not looke. And she conceiving hope of cure thereby, received it under the condition, and left hir weeping and teares, wherewith she was woontNote the force of constant opinion, or fixed fancy. to bewaile the miserable darkenesse, which she doubted to indure: whereby in short time hir eies were well amended. But alas! she lost soone after that pretious jewell, and thereby returned to hir woonted weeping, and by consequence to hir sore eies. Howbeit, hir jewell or scroll being found againe, was looked into by hir deere friends, and this onelie posie was conteined therein:

178.The divell pull out both thine eies,
And *etish* Spell the word backward, and you shall soone see this slovenlie charme or appension. in the holes likewise.

Whereby partlie you may see what constant opinion can doo, according to the saieng of Plato; If a mans fansie or mind give him assurance that a hurtfull thing shall doo him good, it may doo so, &c.

A charme to open locks.

AS the hearbes called AethiopidesTheevish charmes. will open all locks (if all be true that inchanters saie) with the help of certeine words: so be there charmes also and periapts, which without any hearbs can doo as much: as for example. Take a peece of wax crossed in baptisme, and doo but print certeine floures therein, and tie them in the hinder skirt of your shirt; and when you would undoo the locke, blow thrise therin, saieng; Arato hoc partiko hoc maratarykin. I open this doore in thy name that I am forced to breake, as thou brakest hell gates, In nomine patris, & filii, & spiritus sancti, Amen.

A charme to drive awaie spirits that haunt anie house.This is called and counted the Paracelsian charme.

HAng in everie of the foure corners of your house this sentence written upon virgine parchment; aa Psal. 150.Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum: bb Luk. 16.Mosen habent & prophetas: cc Psa. 64.Exurgat Deus et dissi/pentur inimici ejus.247.

A prettie charme or conclusion for one possessed.

THe possessed bodie must go upon his or hir knees to the church, how farre so ever it be off from their lodging; and so must creepe without going out of the waie, being the common high waie, in that sort, how fowle and durtie soever the same be; or whatsoever lie in the waie, not shunning anie thing whatsoever, untill he come to the church, where he must heare *masse* Memorandum that hearing of masse be in no case omitted, quoth Nota. devoutlie, and then followeth recoverie.

Another for the same purpose.

THere must be commended to some poore begger the saieng of five Pater nosters, and five Aves; the first to be said in the name of the partie possessed, or bewitched: for that Christ was led into the garden; secondlie, for that Christ did sweat both water and bloud; thirdlie, for that Christ was condemned; fourthlie, for that he was crucified guiltlesse; and fiftlie, for that he suffered to take awaie our sinnes. Then must the sicke bodie heare masse eight daies together, standing in the place where the gospell is said, and must mingle holie water with his meate and his drinke, and holie salt also must be a portion of the mixture.

Another to the same effect.

THe sicke man must fast three daies,Johannes Anglicus ex Constantino, Gualtero, Bernardo, Gilberto, &c. and then he with his parents must come to church, upon an embering fridaie, and must heare the masse for that daie appointed, and so likewise the saturdaie and sundaie following. And the preest must read upon the sicke mans head, that gospell which is read in September, and in grape harvest, after the feast of holie crosse In diebus quatuor temporum, in ember daies: then let him write it and carrie it aboute his necke, and he shall be cured/

Another charme or witch-craft for the same.179.

THis office or conjuration following was first authorised and printed at Rome, and afterwards at Avenion, Anno. 1515. And least that the divell should lie hid in some secret part of the/248. bodie, everie part thereof is named; Obsecro te Jesu Christe, &c: that is: I beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ, that thou pull out of everie member of this man all infirmities, from his head, from his haire, from his braine, from his forhead, from his eies, from his nose, from his eares, from his mouth, from his toong, from his teeth, from his jawes, from his throte, from his necke, from his backe, from his brest, from his paps, from his heart, from his stomach, from his sides, from his flesh, from his bloud, from his bones, from his legs, from his feete, from his fingers, from the soles of his feete, from his marrowe, from his sinewes, from his skin, and from everie joint of his members, &c.

Doubtles Jesus Christ could have no starting hole, but was hereby everie waie prevented and pursued; so as he was forced to doo the cure: for it appeareth hereby, that it had beene insufficient for him to have said; Depart out of this man thou uncleane spirit, and that when he so said he did not performe it. I doo not thinke that there will be found among all the heathens superstitious fables, or among the witches, conjurors, couseners, poets, knaves, fooles, &c: that ever wrote, so impudent and impious a lie or charme as is read in Barnardine de bustis;Barnard. de bustis in Rosar. serm. serm. 15. where, to cure a sicke man, Christs bodie, to wit: a wafer cake, was outwardlie applied to his side, and entred into his heart, in the sight of all the standers by. Now, if grave authors report such lies, what credit in these cases shall we attribute unto the old wives tales, that Sprenger, Institor, Bodine, and others write? Even as much as to Ovids Metamorphosis, Aesops fables, Moores Utopia, and diverse other fansies; which have as much truth in them, as a blind man hath sight in his eie.

A charme for the bots in a horsse.

YOu must both saie and doo thus upon the diseased horsse three daies together, before the sunne rising: In nomine pa?tris & fi?lii & spiritus?sancti; Exorcizo te vermem per Deum pa?trem, & fi?lium & spiritum ? sanctum: that is, In the name of God the Father, the Sonne, & the Holy-ghost, I conjure thee O worme by God the Father, the Sonne, & the Holy-ghost; that thou neither eat nor drinke the flesh bloud or bones of this horsse; and that thou hereby maist be made as patient as Job, and as good as S. John/ Baptist,249. when he baptised Christ in Jordan, In nomine pa?tris & fi?lii & spiritus ? sancti. And then saie three Pater nosters, and three Aves, in the right eare of the horsse, to the glorie of the holie trinitie. Do?minus fili?us spiri?tus Mari?a.

There are also divers bookes imprinted, as it should appeare with the authoritie of the church of Rome, wherein are conteined manie medicinall praiers, not onelie against all diseases of horsses, but also for everie impediment and fault in a horsse: in so much as if a shoo fall off in the middest of his journie, there is a praier to warrant your horsses/180. hoofe, so as it shall not breake, how far so ever he be from the SmithesThe smiths will canne them small thankes for this praier. forge.

Item, the Duke of Alba his horsse was consecrated, or canonized, in the lowe countries, at the solemne masse; wherein the popes bull, and also his charme was published (which I will hereafter recite) he in the meane time sitting as Vice-roy with his consecrated standard in his hand, till masse was done.

A charme against vineager.

THat wine wax not eager, write on the vessell,*[* Ps. 33. 9. Vulg.] Gustate & videte, quoniam suavis est Dominus.O notable blasphemie.

The xv. Chapter.

The inchanting of serpents and snakes, objections aunswered concerning the same; fond reasons whie charmes take effect therin, Mahomets pigeon, miracles wrought by an Asse at Memphis in Aegypt, popish charmes against serpents, of miracle workers, the tameing of snakes, Bodins lie of snakes.

CONCERNING the charming of serpents and snakes, mine adversaries (as I have said) thinke they have great advantage by the words of David in the fiftie eight psalme; and by Jeremie, chapter eight, expounding the one prophet by Virgil, the other by Ovid. For the words of DavidPsal. 58. are these; Their poison is like the poison of a serpent, and like a deafe adder, that stoppeth his/250. eare, and heareth not the voice of the charmer, charme he never so cunninglie. The words of VirgilVirg. eclog. 8. are these, Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis. As he might saie, David thou liest; for the cold natured snake is by the charmes of the inchanters broken all to peeces in the field where he lieth. Then commeth Ovid,Ovid. metamor. 7. and he taketh his countriemans part, saieng in the name and person of a witch; Vipereas rumpo verbis & carmine fauces; that is, I with my words and charmes can breake in sunder the vipers jawes. Marrie JeremieJerem. 8. 17. on the other side encountereth this poeticall witch, and he not onelie defendeth, but expoundeth his fellowe prophets words, and that not in his owne name, but in the name of almightie God; saieng, I will send serpents and cockatrices among you, which cannot be charmed.

Now let anie indifferent man (christian or heathen) judge, whether the words and minds of the prophets doo not directlie oppugne these poets words (I will not saie minds:) for that I am sure they did therein but jest and trifle, according to the common fabling of lieng poets. And certeinlie, I can encounter them two with other two poets; namelie Propertius and Horace, the one merrilie deriding, the other seriouslie impugning their fantasticall poetries, concerning the power and omnipotencie of witches. For where Virgil, Ovid, &c: write that witches with their charmes fetch downe the moone and starres from heaven, etc.; Propertius mocketh them in these words following:/

181.At vos deductÆ quibus est fallacia LunÆ,
Et labor in magicis sacra piare focis,
En agedum dominÆ mentem convertite nostrÆ,
Et facite illa meo palleat ore magis,
Tunc ego crediderim vobis & sidera & amnes
Posse Circeis ducere carminibus:
But you that have the subtill slight,Englished by Abraham Fleming.
Of fetching downe the moone from skies;
And with inchanting fier bright,
Attempt to purge your sacrifies:
Lo now, go to, turne (if you can)
Our madams mind and sturdie hart,/
251.And make hir face more pale and wan,
Than mine: which if by magicke art
You doo, then will I soone beleeve,
That by your witching charmes you can
From skies aloft the starres remeeve,
And rivers turne from whence they ran.

And that you may see more certeinlie, that these poets did but jest and deride the credulous and timerous sort of people, I thought good to shew you what Ovid saith against himselfe, and such as have written so incrediblie and ridiculouslie of witches omnipotencie:

Nec mediÆ magicis finduntur cantibus angues,
Nec redit in fontes unda supina suos:
Snakes in the middle are not rivenEnglished by Abraham Fleming.
with charmes of witches cunning,
Nor waters to their fountaines driven
by force of backward running.

As for Horace his verses I omit them, bicause I have cited them in another place. And concerning this matter CardanusCard. lib. 15. de var. rer. cap. 80. saith, that at everie eclipse they were woont to thinke, that witches pulled downe the sunne and moone from heaven. And doubtles, hence came the opinion of that matter, which spred so farre, and continued so long in the common peoples mouthes, that in the end learned men grew to beleeve it, and to affirme it in writing.

But here it will be objected,An objection answered. that bicause it is said (in the places by me alledged) that snakes or vipers cannot be charmed; Ergo other things may: To answer this argument, I would aske the witchmonger this question, to wit; Whether it be expedient, that to satisfie his follie, the Holie-ghost must of necessitie make mention of everie particular thing that he imagineth may be bewitched? I would also aske of him, what privilege a snake hath more than other creatures, that he onelie may not, and all other creatures may be bewitched? I hope they will not saie, that either/182. their faith or infidelitie is the cause thereof; neither doo I admit the answer of such divines as saie, that he cannot be bewitched:/252. for that he seduced Eve; by meanes whereof God himselfe curssed him; and thereby he is so privileged, as that no witches charme can take hold of him. But more shall be said hereof in the sequele.

DanÆusDan. in dialog. cap. 3. saith, that witches charmes take soonest hold upon snakes and adders; bicause of their conference and familiaritie with the divell, whereby the rather mankind through them was seduced. Let us seeke then an answer for this cavill; although in truth it needeth not: for the phrase of speach is absolute, & importes not a speciall qualitie proper to the nature of a viper anie more, than when I saie; A connie cannot flie: you should gather & conclude thereupon, that I ment that all other beasts could flie. But you shall understand, that the cause why these vipers can rather withstand the voice & practise of inchanters and sorcerers, than other creatures, is: for that they being in bodie and nature venomous, cannot so soone or properlie receive their destruction by venome, wherby the witches in other creatures bring their mischeefous practises more easilie to passe, according to Virgils saieng

CorrupÍtque lacus, infecit pabula tabo,Virg. geo. 4.
She did infect with poison strongEnglished by Abraham Fleming.
Both ponds and pastures all along.

And thereupon the prophet alludeth unto their corrupt and inflexible nature, with that comparison: and not (as Tremelius is faine to shift it) with stopping one eare with his taile, and laieng the other close to the ground; bicause he would not heare the charmers voice. For the snake hath neither such reason; nor the words such effect: otherwise the snake must know our thoughts. It is also to be considered, how untame by nature these vipers (for the most part) are; in so much as they be not by mans industrie or cunning to be made familiar, or traind to doo anie thing, whereby admiration maie be procured: as Bomelio FeatesFeates his dog, and Mahomets pigeon. his dog could doo; or Mahomets pigeon, which would resort unto him, being in the middest of his campe, and picke a pease out of his eare; in such sort that manie of the people thought that the Holie-ghost came and told him a tale in his eare: the same pigeon also brought him a scroll, wherein was written, Rex esto, and laid the same in his necke. And bicause I have spoken of the doci/litie of a dog and a pigeon, though I could cite an infinite number of like t253.ales, I will be bold to trouble you but with one more.

At Memphis in Aegypt,A storie declaring the great docilitie of an asse. among other juggling knacks, which were there usuallie shewed, there was one that tooke such paines with an asse, that he had taught him all these qualities following. And for gaine he caused a stage to be made, and an assemblie of people to meete; which being done, in the maner of a plaie, he came in with his asse, and said; The Sultane hath great need of asses to helpe to carrie stones and other stuffe, towards his great building which he hath in hand. The asse im/mediatlie183. fell downe to the ground, and by all signes shewed himselfe to be sicke, and at length to give up the ghost: so as the juggler begged of the assemblie monie towards his losse. And having gotten all that he could, he said; Now my maisters, you shall see mine asse is yet alive, and dooth but counterfet; bicause he would have some monie to buie him provender, knowing that I was poore, and in some need of releefe. Hereupon he would needs laie a wager, that his asse was alive, who to everie mans seeming was starke dead. And when one had laid monie with him thereabout, he commanded the asse to rise, but he laie still as though he were dead: then did he beate him with a cudgell, but that would not serve the turne, untill he addressed this speech to the asse, saieng (as before) in open audience; The Sultane hath commanded, that all the people shall ride out to morrow, and see the triumph, and that the faire ladies will then ride upon the fairest asses, and will give notable provender unto them, and everie asse shall drinke of the sweete water of Nilus: and then lo the asse did presentlie start up, and advance himselfe exceedinglie. Lo (quoth his maister) now I have wonne: but in troth the Maior hath borrowed mine asse, for the use of the old ilfavoured witch his wife: and thereupon immediatlie he hoong downe his eares, and halted downe right, as though he had beene starke lame. Then said his maister; I perceive you love yoong prettie wenches: at which words he looked up, as it were with joifull cheere. And then his maister did bid him go choose one that should ride upon him; and he ran to a verie handsome woman, and touched hir with his head: &c. A snake will never be brought to such familiaritie, &c. BodinJ. Bod. lib. de dÆm. 2. cap. 6. saith, that this was a man in the likenesse of an asse: but I maie/254. rather thinke that he is an asse in the likenesse of a man. Well, to returne to our serpents, I will tell you a storie concerning the charming of them, and the event of the same.

In the citie of SalisboroghMal. malef. part 2. qu. 3. cap 9.
John. Bodin.
there was an inchanter, that before all the people tooke upon him to conjure all the serpents and snakes within one mile compasse into a great pit or dike, and there to kill them. When all the serpents were gathered togither, as he stood upon the brinke of the pit, there came at the last a great and a horrible serpent, which would not be gotten downe with all the force of his incantations: so as (all the rest being dead) he flew upon the inchanter, and clasped him in the middest, and drew him downe into the said dike, and there killed him. You must thinke that this was a divell in a serpents likenesse, which for the love he bare to the poore snakes, killed the sorcerer; to teach all other witches to beware of the like wicked practise. And surelie, if this be not true, there be a great number of lies conteined in M. Mal. and in J. Bodin. And if this be well weighed, and conceived, it beateth downe to the ground all those witchmongers arguments, that contend to wring witching miracles out of this place. For they disagree notablie, some denieng and some affirming that serpents maie be bewitched. Neverthelesse, bicause in everie point you shall see how poperie agreeth with paganisme, I will recite certeine charmes against vipers, allowed for the most part in and by the church of Rome: as followeth.

Exorcismes or conjuratios against serpents. I conjure thee O serpent in this houre, by the five holie woonds of our/184. Lord, that thou remove not out of this place, but here staie, as certeinelie as God was borne of a pure virgine. ? Otherwise: I conjure thee serpent In nomine patris, & filii, & spiritus sancti: I command thee serpent by our ladie S. Marie, that thou obeie me, as wax obeieth the fier, and as fier obeieth water; that thou neither hurt me, nor anie other christian, as certeinelie as God was borne of an immaculate virgine, in which respect I take thee up, In nomine patris & filii, & spiritus sancti: Ely lash eiter, ely lash eiter, ely lash eiter. ? Otherwise: O vermine, thou must come as God came unto the Jewes.L. Vair. lib. de fascinat. 1. cap. 4. ? Otherwise: L. Vairus saith, that Serpens quernis frondibus contacta, that a serpent touched with oke leaves dieth, and staieth even in the beginning of his going, if a feather of the bird Ibis be cast or throwne upon him: and that/255. a viper smitten or hot with a reed is astonied, and touched with a beechen branch is presentlie numme and stiffe.

Usurpers of kinred with blessed Paule and S Katharine. Here is to be remembred, that manie use to boast that they are of S. Paules race and kinred, shewing upon their bodies the prints of serpents: which (as the papists affirme) was incident to all them of S. Paules stocke. Marie they saie herewithall, that all his kinsfolks can handle serpents, or anie poison without danger. Others likewise have (as they brag) a Katharine wheele upon their bodies, and they saie they are kin to S. Katharine, and that they can carrie burning coles in their bare hands, and dip their said hands in hot skalding liquor, and also go into hot ovens. Whereof though the last be but a bare jest, and to be doone by anie that will prove (as a bad fellow in London had used to doo, making no tariance at all therein:) yet there is a shew made of the other, as though it were certeine and undoubted; by annointing the hands with the juice of mallowes, mercurie, urine, &c: which for a little time are defensatives against these scalding liquors, and scortching fiers.

But they that take upon them to worke these mysteries and miracles, doo indeed (after rehearsall of these and such like words and charmes) take up even in their bare hands, those snakes and vipers, and sometimes put them about their necks, without receiving anie hurt thereby, to the terror and astonishment of the beholders, which naturallie both feare and abhorre all serpents. But these charmers (upon my word) dare not trust to their charmes, but use such an inchantment, as everie man maie lawfullie use, and in the lawfull use thereof maie bring to passe that they shalbe in securitie, and take no harme, how much soever they handle them: marie with a woollen rag they pull out their teeth before hand, as some men saie; but as truth is, they wearie them, and that is of certeintie. And surelie this is a kind of witchcraft, which I terme private confederacie. BodinJ. Bodin. lib. de dÆm. 1. cap. 3. saith, that all the snakes in one countrie were by charmes and verses driven into another region: perhaps he meaneth Ireland, where S. Patrike is said to have doone it with his holinesse, &c.

James Sprenger, and Henrie Institor affirme, that serpents and snakes, and their skins exceed all other creatures for witchcraft: in so much as witches doo use to burie them under mens/256. threshholds, either of the house or stalles, whereby barrennes is procured both to woman and beast: yea and that the verie earth and ashes of them continue to have force of fascination. In respect whereof they wish all men now and then to dig/185. awaie the earth under their threshholds, and to sprinkle holie water in the place, & also to hang boughes (hallowed on midsummer daie) at the stall doore where the cattell stand: & produce examples thereupon, of witches lies, or else their owne, which I omit; bicause I see my booke groweth to be greater than I meant it should be.

The xvi. Chapter.

Charmes to carrie water in a sive, to know what is spoken of us behind our backs, for bleare eies, to make seeds to growe well, of images made of wax, to be rid of a witch, to hang hir up, notable authorities against waxen images, a storie bewraieng the knaverie of waxen images.

LEONARDUS VAIRUSL. Vairus lib. fascin. 1. ca. 5.
Oratio TuscÆ vestalis.
saith, that there was a praier extant, whereby might be carried in a sive, water, or other liquor: I thinke it was Clam claie; which a crow taught a maid, that was promised a cake of so great quantitie, as might be kneded of so much floure as she could wet with the water that she brought in a sive, and by that meanes she clamd it with claie, & brought in so much water, as whereby she had a great cake, and so beguiled hir sisters, &c. And this tale I heard among my grandams maides, whereby I can decipher this witchcraft. Item, by the tingling of the eare, men heretofore could tell what was spoken of them. If anie see a scorpion, and saie this word (Bud) Of the word (Bud) and the Greeke letters ? & ?. he shall not be stoong or bitten therewith. These two Greeke letters ? and ? written in a paper, and hoong about ones necke, preserve the partie from bleereiednesse. Cummin or hempseed sowne with curssing and opprobrious words grow the faster and the better. Berosus Anianus maketh witchcraft of great antiquitie: for he saith, that/257. Cham touching his fathers naked member uttered a charme, wherby his father became emasculated or deprived of the powers generative.

A charme teaching how to hurt whom you list with images of wax, &c.

MAke an image in his name, whom you would hurt or kill, of new virgine wax; under the right arme poke whereof place a swallowes hart, and the liver under the left; then hang about the necke thereof a new thred in a new needle pricked into the member which you would have hurt, with the rehearsall of certeine words, which for the avoiding of foolish superstition and credulitie in this behalfe is to be omitted. And if they were inserted, I dare undertake they would doo no harme, were it not to make fooles, and catch gudgins. ? Otherwise: Sometimes these images are made of brasse, and then the hand is placed where the foote should be, and the foote where the hand, and the face downeward. ? Otherwise: For a greater mischeefe, the like image is made in the forme of a man or woman, upon whose head is written the certeine name of the partie: and on his or hir ribs these words, Ailif, casyl, zaze, hit/ mel meltat:186. then the same must be buried.The practiser of these charmes must have skill in the planetarie motions, or else he may go shoo the goose. ? Otherwise: In the dominion of Mars, two images must be prepared, one of wax, the other of the earth of a dead man; each image must have in his hand a sword wherwith a man hath beene slaine, & he that must be slaine may have his head thrust through with a foine. In both must be written certeine peculiar characters, and then must they be hid in a certeine place. ? Otherwise: To obteine a womans love, an image must be made in the houre of Venus, of virgine wax, in the name of the beloved, wherupon a character is written, & is warmed at a fier, and in dooing therof the name of some angell must be mentioned. To be utterlie rid of the witch, and to hang hir up by the haire, you must prepare an image of the earth of a dead man to be baptised in another mans name, whereon the name, with a character, must be written: then must it be perfumed with a rotten bone, and then these psalmes read backward: Domine Dominus noster, Dominus illuminatio mea, Domine exaudi orationem meam, Deus laudem meam ne tacueris: and then burie it, first in one place, and/258. afterwards in another. Howbeit, it is written in the 21 article of the determination of Paris, that to affirme that images of brasse, lead, gold, of white or red wax, or of any other stuffe (conjured, baptised, consecrated, or rather execrated through these magicall arts at certeine days) have woonderfull vertues, or such as are avowed in their bookes or assertions, is error in faith, naturall philosophie, and true astronomie: yea it is concluded in the 22 article of that councell, that it is as great an error to beleeve those things, as to doo them.

But concerning these images, it is certeine that they are much feared among the people, and much used among cousening witches, as partlie appeereth in this discourse of mine else-where, & as partlie you may see by the contents of this storieA proved storie concerning the premisses. following. Not long sithence, a yoong maiden (dwelling at new Romnie heere in Kent) being the daughter of one M. L. Stuppenie (late Jurat of the same towne but dead before the execution hereof) and afterwards the wife of Thomas Eps, who is at this instant Maior of Romnie) was visited with sicknesse, whose mother and father in lawe being abused with credulitie concerning witches supernaturall power, repaired to a famous witch called mother Baker, dwelling not far from thence at a place called Stonstreet, who (according to witches cousening custome) asked whether they mistrusted not some bad neighbour, to whom they answered that indeed they doubted a woman neere unto them (and yet the same woman was, of the honester & wiser sort of hir neighbors, reputed a good creature.) Nevertheles the witch told them that there was great cause of their suspicion: for the same (said she) is the verie partie that wrought the maidens destruction, by making a hart of wax, and pricking the same with pins and needels; affirming also that the same neighbor of hirs had bestowed the same in some secret corner of the house. This being beleeved, the house was searched by credible persons, but nothing could be found. The witch or wise woman being certified hereof, continued hir assertion, and would needs go to the house where she hir selfe (as she affirmed) would certeinlie find it. When she came thither, she used hir cunning (as it chanced) to hir owne confusion, or at least/wise187. to hir detection: for heerein she did, as some of the wiser sort mistrusted that she woulde doo, laieng downe privilie such an/259. image (as she had before described) in a corner, which by others had beene most diligentlie searched & looked into, & by that means hir cousenage was notablie bewraied. And I would wish that all witchmongers might paie for their lewd repaire to inchantors, and consultation with witches, and such as have familiar spirits, as some of these did, and that by the order of the high commissioners, which partlie for respect of neighborhood, and partlie for other considerations, I leave unspoken of.

The xvii. Chapter.

Sundrie sorts of charmes tending to diverse purposes, and first, certeine charmes to make taciturnitie in tortures.

Also this: Psal. 44.Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum veritatem nunquam dicam regi. ? Otherwise: As the milke of our ladie was lussious to our Lord Jesus Christ; so let this torture or rope be pleasant to mine armes and members. ? Otherwise:Luk. 4.
John. 19
Jesus autem transiens per medium illorum ibat. ? Otherwise: You shall not break a bone of him/

260.Counter charmes against these and all other witchcrafts, in the saieng also whereof witches are vexed, &c.

ERuctavitPsal. 44.
Scripture properlie applied.
cor meum verbum bonum, dicam cuncta opera mea regi. ? Otherwise: Domine labia mea aperies, & os meum annunciabit veritatem. ? Otherwise: Contere brachia iniqui rei, & lingua maligna subvertetur.

A charme for the choine cough.

TAke three sips of a chalice, when the preest hath said masse, and swallow it downe with good devotion, &c/

For corporall or spirituall rest.188.

In nomine patris, up and downe,
Et filii & spiritus sancti upon my crowne,
Crux Christi upon my brest,
Sweete ladie send me eternall rest!*[* Ital. & Rom.]

Charmes to find out a theefe.

THe meanes O most woonderfull vertue hidden in the letters of S. Helens holie name!how to find out a theefe, is thus: Turne your face to the east, and make a crosse upon christall with oile olive, and under the crosse write these two words [Saint Helen].*[* So in text.] Then a child that is innocent, and a chast virgine borne in true wedlocke, and not base begotten, of the age of ten yeares, must take the christall in his hand, and behind his backe, kneeling on thy knees, thou must devoutlie and reverentlie saie over this praier thrise: I beseech thee my ladie S. Helen, mother of king Constantine, which diddest find the crosse whereupon Christ died: by that thy holie devotion, and invention of the crosse, and by the same crosse, and by the joy which thou conceivedst at the finding thereof and by the love which thou barest to thy sonne Constantine, and by the great goodnes which thou dooest alwaies use, that thou shew me in this christall, whatsoever I aske or desire to knowe; Amen. And when the child seeth the angell in the christall, demand what you will, and the angell will make answer thereunto. Memorandum,†[† Rom.] that this be doone just at the sunne/261. rising, when the wether is faire and cleere.

CardanusCard. lib. 16. de var. rer. cap. 93. derideth these and such like fables, and setteth downe his judgement therein accordinglie, in the sixteenth booke De rerum var. These conjurors and couseners forsooth will shew you in a glasse the theefe that hath stolne anie thing from you, and this is their order. They take a glasse viall full of holie water, and set it upon a linnen cloth, which hath beene purified, not onelie by washing, but by sacrifice, &c. On the mouth of the viall or urinall, two olive leaves must be laid acrosse, with a litle conjuration said over it, by a child; to wit thus: Angele bone, angele candide, per tuam sanctitatem, meÁmq; virginitatem, ostende mihi furem: with three Pater nosters, three Aves, and betwixt either of them a *crosse* For if the crosse be forgotten all is not woorth a pudding. made with the naile of the thumbe upon the mouth of the viall; and then shall be seene angels ascending and descending as it were motes in the sunne beames. The theefe all this while shall suffer great torments, and his face shall be seene plainlie, even as plainlie I beleeve as the man in the moone. For in truth, there are toies artificiallie conveied into the glasse, which will make the water bubble, and devises to make images appeare in the bubbles: as also there be artificiall glasses, which will shew unto you that shall looke thereinto, manie images of diverse formes, and some so small and curious, as they shall in favour resemble whom so ever you thinke upon. Looke in John Bap. Neap. for the confection of such glasses. The subtilties hereof are so detected, and the mysteries of the glasses so common now, and their/189. cousenage so well knowne, &c: that I need not stand upon the particular confutation hereof. Cardanus in the place before cited reporteth, how he tried with children these and diverse circumstances the whole illusion, and found it to be plaine knaverie and cousenage.

Another waie to find out a theefe that hath stolne anie thing from you.

GO to the sea side, and gather as manie pebles as you suspect persons for that matter; carrie them home, and throwe them into the fier, and burie them under the threshhold, where the parties are like to come over. There let them lie three daies, and then before sunne rising take them awaie. Then set a porrenger/262. full of water in a circle, wherein must be made crosses everie waie, as manie as can stand in it; upon the which must be written: Christ overcommeth, Christ reigneth, Christ commandeth. The porrenger also must be signed with a crosse, and a forme of conjuration must be pronounced. Then each stone must be throwne into the water, in the name of the suspected. And when you put in the stone of him that is guiltie, the stone will make the water boile, as though glowing iron were put thereinto. Which is a meere knacke of legier de maine, and to be accomplished diverse waies.

To put out the theeves eie.

REad the seven *psalmes[* penitential] with the Letanie, and then must be said a horrible praier to Christ, and God the father, with a cursse against the theefe. Then in the middest of the step of your foote, on the ground where you stand, make a circle like an eie, and write thereabout certeine barbarous names, and drive with a coopers hammar, or addes into the middest thereof a brasen naile consecrated, saieng: Justus es Domine, & justa judicia tua. Then the theefe shall be bewraied by his crieng out.

Another waie to find out a theefe.

These be meere toies to mocke apes, and have in them no commendable devise.STicke a paire of sheeres in the rind of a sive, and let two persons set the top of each of their forefingers upon the upper part of the sheeres, holding it with the sive up from the ground steddilie, and aske Peter and Paule whether A. B. or C. hath stolne the thing lost, and at the nomination of the guiltie person, the sive will turne round. This is a great practise in all countries, and indeed a verie bable. For with the beating of the pulse some cause of that motion ariseth, some other cause by slight of the fingers, some other by the wind gathered in the sive to be staid, &c: at the pleasure of the holders. Some cause may be the imagination, which upon conceipt at the naming of the partie altereth the common course of the pulse. As may well be conceived by a ring held steddilie by a thred betwixt the finger and the thombe, over or rather in a goblet or glasse; which within short space will strike against the side therof so manie strokes as the holder thinketh it/263. a clocke, and then will staie: the which who so prooveth shall find true.

A charme to find out or spoile a theefe.

OF this matter, concerning the apprehension of theeves by words, I will cite one charme, called S. Adelberts cursse, being both for/190. length of words sufficient to wearie the reader, and for substantiall stuffe comprehending all that apperteineth unto blasphemous speech or curssing, allowed in the church of Rome, as an excommunication and inchantment.

Saint Adelberts cursse or charme against theeves.

BY the authoritie of the omnipotent Father, the Sonne, and the Holie-ghost, and by the holie virgine Marie mother of our Lord Jesu Christ, and the holie angels and archangels, and S. Michaell, and S. John Baptist, and in the behalfe of S. Peter the apostle, and the residue of the apostles, and of S. Steeven, and of all the martyrs, of S. Sylvester, and of S. Adelbert, and all the confessors, and S. Alegand, and all the holie virgins, and of all the saints in heaven and earth, unto whom there is given power to bind and loose: we doo excommunicate, damne, cursse, and bind with the knots and bands of excommunication, and we doo segregate from the bounds and lists of our holie mother the church, all those theeves, sacrilegious persons, ravenous catchers, dooers, counsellers, coadjutors, male or female, that have committed this theft or mischeefe,This is not to doo good to our enimies, nor to praie for them that hurt and hate us; as Christ exhorteth. or have usurped any part therof to their owne use. Let their share be with Dathan and Abiran, whome the earth swallowed up for their sinnes and pride, and let them have part with Judas that betraied Christ, Amen: and with Pontius Pilat, and with them that said to the Lord, Depart from us, we will not understand thy waies; let their children be made orphanes. Curssed be they in the field, in the grove, in the woods, in their houses, barnes, chambers, and beds; and curssed be they in the court, in the waie, in the towne, in the castell, in the water, in the church, in the churchyard, in the tribunall place, in battell, in their abode, in the market place, in their talke, in silence, in eating, in watching, in sleeping, in drinking/264. in feeling, in sitting, in kneeling, in standing[,] in lieng, in idlenes, in all their worke, in their bodie and soule, in their five wits, and in everie place. Curssed be the fruit of their wombs, and curssed be the fruit of their lands, and curssed be all that they have. Curssed be their heads, their mouthes, their nostrels, their noses, their lips, their jawes, their teeth, their eies and eielids, their braines, the roofe of their mouthes, their toongs, their throtes, their breasts, their harts, their bellies, their livers, all their bowels, and their stomach.

Curssed be their navels, their spleenes, their bladder. Curssed be their thighs, their legs, their feete, their toes, their necks, their shoulders. Curssed be their backs, curssed be their armes, curssed be their elbowes, curssed be their hands, and their fingers, curssed be both the nails of their hands and feete; curssed be their ribbes and their genitals, and their knees, curssed be their flesh, curssed be their bones, curssed be their bloud, curssed be the skin of their bodies, curssed be the marrowe in their bones, curssed be they from the crowne of the head, to the sole of the foote: and whatsoever is betwixt the same, be it accurssed, that is to saie, their five senses; to wit, their seeing, their hearing, their smelling, their tasting, and their feeling. Curssed be they in the holie crosse, in the passion of Christ, with his five wounds, with the effusi/on191. of his bloud, and by the milke of the virgine Marie. I conjure thee Lucifer, with all thy soldiers, by the *father,* Thus they make the holie trinitie to beare a part in their exorcisme, or else it is no bargaine. the son, and the Holie-ghost, with the humanitie and nativitie of Christ, with the vertue of all saints, that thou rest not day nor night, till thou bringest them to destruction, either by drowning or hanging, or that they be devoured by wild beasts, or burnt, or slaine by their enimies, or hated of all men living. And as our Lord hath given authoritie to Peter the apostle, and his successors, whose place we occupie, and to us (though unworthie) that whatsoever we bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever we loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven: so we accordinglie, if they will not amend, doo shut from them the gates of heaven, and denie unto them christian buriall, so as they shall be buried in asses leaze. Furthermore, curssed be the ground wherein they are buried, let them be confounded in the last daie of judgement, let them have no conversation among christians, nor be/houseled*[* be-houseled text.] at the 265.houre of death; let them be made as dust before the face of the wind: and as Lucifer was expelled out of heaven, and Adam and Eve out of paradise; so let them be expelled from the daie light. Also let them be joined with those, to whome the Lord saith at the judgement;Matth. 15. Go ye curssed into everlasting fier, which is prepared for the divell and his angels, where the worme shall not die, nor the fier be quenched. And as the candle, which is throwne out of my hand here, is put out: so let their works and their soule be quenched in the stench of hell fier, except they restore that which they have stolne, by such a daie: and let everie one saie, Amen. After this must be soong ** That is, In the midst of life we are in death, &c.In media vita in morte sumus, &c.

This terrible cursse with bell, booke, and candell added thereunto, must needs worke woonders: howbeit among theeves it is not much weighed, among wise and true men it is not well liked, to them that are robbed it bringeth small releefe: the preests stomach may well be eased, but the goods stolne will never the sooner be restored. Hereby is bewraied both the malice and follie of popish doctrine, whose uncharitable impietie is so impudentlie published, and in such order uttered, as everie sentence (if oportunitie served) might be prooved both hereticall and diabolicall. But I will answer this cruell cursse with another cursse farre more mild and civill, performed by as honest a man (I dare saie) as he that made the other, whereof mention was latelie made.

So it was, that a certeine sir John,*[* i.e. a priest.] with some of his companie, once went abroad a jetting, and in a moone light evening robbed a millers weire, and stole all his eeles. The poore miller made his mone to sir John himselfe, who willed him to be quiet; for he would so cursse the theefe, and all his confederates, with bell, booke, and candell, that they should have small joy of their fish. And therefore the next sundaie, sir John got him to the pulpit, with his surplisse on his backe, and his stole about his necke, and pronounced these words following in the audience of the people.

All you that have stolne the millers eeles,*[* Rom.]A cursse for theft.
Laudate Dominum de coelis,
And all they that have consented thereto,*/
192.Benedicamus Domino./

266.Lo (saith he) there is sauce for your eeles my maisters.

Another inchantment.

CErteine preests use the hundred and eight psalme as an inchantment or charme, or at the leastwise saieng, that against whome soever they pronounce it, they cannot live one whole yeere at the uttermost.

The xviii Chapter.

A charme or experiment to find out a witch.

IN die dominico sotularia juvenum axungia seu pinguedine porci, ut moris est, pro restauratione fieri perungunt: and when she is once come into the church, the witch can never get out, untill the *seachers* [= seekers] for hir give hir expresse leave to depart.

But now it is necessarie to shew you how to prevent and cure all mischeefes wrought by these charmes & witchcrafts, according to the opinion of M. Mal.Preservatives from witchcraft according to M. Mal. L. Vairus & others. and others. One principall waie is to naile a horsse shoo at the inside of the outmost threshhold of your house, and so you shall be sure no witch shall have power to enter thereinto. And if you marke it, you shall find that rule observed in manie countrie houses. ? Otherwise: Item the triumphant title to be written crossewise, in everie corner of the house, thus: Jesus ? Nazarenus ? rex ? JudÆorum ?. Memorandum*[* Rom.] you may joine heerewithall, the name of the virgine Marie, or of the foure evangelists, or Verbum caro factum est. ? Otherwise: Item in some countries they naile a woolves head on the doore. ? Otherwise: Item they hang Scilla (which is either a roote, or rather in this place garlike) in the roofe of the house, for to keepe awaie witches and spirits: and so they doo Alicium also. ? Otherwise: Item perfume made of the gall of a blake dog, and his bloud besmeered on the posts and walles of the house, driveth out of the doores both devils and witches. ? Otherwise: The house/267. where Herba betonica is sowne, is free from all mischeefes. ? Otherwise: It is not unknowne that the Romish church allowed and used the smoke of sulphur, to drive spirits out of their houses; as they did frankincense and water hallowed. ? Otherwise: Apuleius saith, that Mercurie gave to Ulysses, when he came neere to the inchantresse Circe, an hearbe called Verbascum, which in English is called Pullein, or Tapsus barbatus, or Longwoort; and that preserved him from the inchantments. ? Otherwise: Item Plinie and Homer both doo saie, that the herbe called Molie is an excellent herbe against inchantments; and saie[,] all that thereby Ulysses escaped Circes hir sorceries, and inchantments. ? Otherwise also diverse waies they went to worke in this case, and some used this defensative, some that preservative against incantations.

And heerein you shall see, not onelie how the religion of papists, and infidels agree; but also how their ceremonies and their opinions are all one concerning witches and spirits.

For thus writeth Ovid touching that matter:*[* Ital.]

Ovid de Medea.TÉrque senem flamma, ter aqua, ter sulphure lustrat:
She purifies with fier thriseEnglished by Abraham Fleming.
old horie headed Aeson,/193.
With water thrise, and sulphur thrise,
as she thought meet in reason.

Againe, the same Ovid commeth in as before:*

Adveniat, quÆ lustret anus, lectÚmque locÚmque,
Deferat & tremula sulphur & ova manu.
Let some old woman hither come,By Ab. Fleming.
and purge both bed and place,
And bring in trembling hand new egs
and sulphur in like case.

And Virgil also harpeth upon the like string:* Virg. in Bucolicis.

————————baccare frontem
Cingite, ne vati noceat mala lingua futuro:/
268.Of berrie bearing baccar bowze [boughs] Englished by Abraham Fleming.
a wreath or garland knit,
And round about his head and browze
see decentlie it sit;
That of an evill talking tung
Our future poet be not stung.

Furthermore, was it not in times of tempests the papists use, *or[* ? of or in.] superstition, to ring their belles against divels; trusting rather to the tonging of their belles, than to their owne crie unto God with fasting and praier, assigned by him in all adversities and dangers: according to the order of the Thracian preests, which would rore and crie, with all the noise they could make, in those tempests. Olaus GothusOlaus Goth. lib. de gentib. Septentriona-lib. 3. cap. 8. saith, that his countriemen would shoot in the aire, to assist their gods, whome they thought to be then togither by the eares with others, and had consecrated arrowes, called SagittÆ Joviales, even as our papists had. Also in steed of belles, they had great hammers, called Mallei Joviales, to make a noise in time of thunder. In some countries they runne out of the doores in time of tempest, blessing themselves with a cheese, whereupon there was a crosse made with a ropes end upon ascension daie. Also three hailestones to be throwne into the fier in a tempest, and thereupon to be said three Pater nosters, and three Aves, S. Johns gospell, and in fine fugiat tempestas, is a present remedie. Item, to hang an eg laid on ascension daie in the roofe of the house, preserveth the same from all hurts. *Item,* A witches conjuration to make haile cease and be dissolved. I conjure you haile and wind by the five wounds of Christ, by the three nailes which pearsed his hands and his feete, and by the foure evangelists, Matthew, Marke, Luke, and John, that thou come downe dissolved into water. Item, it hath beene a usuall matter, to carrie out in tempests the sacraments and relikes, &c. Item, against stormes, and manie dumme creatures, the popish church useth excommunication as a principall charme. And now to be delivered from witches themselves, they hang in their entries an hearbe called pentaphyllon, cinquefole, also an olive branch, also frankincense, myrrh, valerian, verven, palme, antirchmon, &c: also haythorne, otherwise white[t]horne gathered on Maie daie: also the smoke of a lappoints fethers driveth spirits/269. awaie. There be innumerable popish exorcismes, and conjurations for hearbs and other things, to be thereby made wholsome both for the bodies and soules of men and beasts, and also for/194. contagion of weather. Memorandum,*[* Rom.] that at the gathering of these magicall herbs, the Credo is necessarie to be said, as VairusL. Vair. lib. de fascin. 2. cap. 11. affirmeth; and also the Pater noster, for that is not superstitious. Also Sprenger saith, that to throw up a blacke chickenMal. Malef. par. 2. quÆ 1. cap. 15. in the aire, will make all tempests to cease: so it be done with the hand of a witch. If a soule wander in the likenesse of a man or woman by night, molesting men, with bewailingNote that you read never of anie spirit that walked by daie, quoth Nota. their torments in purgatorie, by reason of tithes forgotten, &c: and neither masses nor conjurations can helpe; the exorcist in his ceremoniall apparell must go to the toome of that bodie, and spurne thereat, with his foote, saieng; Vade ad gehennam, Get thee packing to hell: and by and by the soule goeth thither, and there remaineth for ever. ? Otherwise: There be masses of purpose for this matter, to unbewitch the bewitched. ? Otherwise: You must spet into the pissepot, where you have made water. ? Otherwise: Spet into the shoo of your right foote, before you put it on: and that Vairus saith is good and holsome to doo, before you go into anie dangerous place. ? Otherwise: That neither hunters nor their dogs maie be bewitched, they cleave an oken branch, and both they and their dogs passe over it. ? Otherwise: S. AugustineAug. de civit. Dei. lib. 7. cap. 12. saith, that to pacifie the god Liber, whereby women might have fruite of the seeds they sowe, and that their gardens and feelds should not be bewitched; some cheefe grave matrone used to put a crowne upon his genitall member, and that must be publikelie done.

To spoile a theefe, a witch, or anie other enimie, and to be delivered from the evill.

UPon the Sabboth daie before sunrising, cut a hazell wand, saieng: I cut thee O bough of this summers growth, in the name of him whome I meane to beate or maime. Then cover the table, and saie ? In nomine patris ? & filii ? & spiritus sancti ? ter. And striking thereon saie as followeth (english it he that can) Drochs myroch, esenaroth, ? betu ? baroch ? ass ? maaroth ?: and then saie; Holie trinitie punish him that hath/270. wrought this mischiefe, & take it away by thy great justice, Eson ? elion ? emaris, ales, age; and strike the carpet with your wand.

A notable charme or medicine to pull out an arrowhead, or anie such thing that sticketh in the flesh or bones, and cannot otherwise be had out.

SAie three severall times kneeling; Oremus, prÆceptis salutaribus moniti, Pater noster, ave Maria. Then make a crosse saieng: The Hebrew knightThe Hebrue knight was canonized a saint to wit, S. Longinus. strake our Lord Jesu Christ, and I beseech thee, O Lord Jesu Christ ? by the same iron, speare, bloud and water, to pull out this iron: In nomine patris ? & filii ? & spiritus sancti ?

Charmes against a quotidian ague.

CUt an apple in three peeces, and write upon the one; The father is uncreated: upon the other; The father is incomprehensible: upon the third; The father is eternall. ? Otherwise: Write upon a massecake cut in three peeces; O ague to be worshipped: on the second; O sicknesse to be ascribed to health and joies: on the third; Pax ? max ? fax ? and let it be eaten fasting. ? Otherwise: Paint upon three like peeces of a massecake, Pater pax ? Adonai ? filius vita ? sabbaoth ? spiritus sanctus ? Tetragrammaton ? and eate it, as is afore said/

195.For all maner of agues intermittant.

A crossed appension, with other appensions.JOine two little stickes togither in the middest, being of one length, and hang it about your necke in the forme of a crosse. ? Otherwise: For this disease the Turkes put within their doublet a ball of wood, with an other peece of wood, and strike the same, speaking certeine frivolous words. ? Otherwise: Certeine monks hanged scrolles about the necks of such as were sicke, willing them to saie certeine praiers at each fit, and at the third fit to hope well: and made them beleeve that they should thereby receive cure.

Periapts, characters, &c: for agues, and to cure all diseases, and to deliver from all evill.

For bodie and soule.THe first chapter of S. Johns gospell in small letters consecrated at a masse, and hanged about ones necke, is an in/comparable271. amulet or tablet, which delivereth from all witchcrafts and divelish practises. But me thinkes, if one should hang a whole testament, or rather a bible, he might beguile the divell terriblie. For indeed so would S. Barnard have done, whom the divell told, that he could shew him seven verses in the psalter, which being dailie repeated, would of themselves bring anie man to heaven, and preserve him from hell. But when S. Barnard desired the divell to tell him which they were, he refused, saieng, he might then thinke him a foole so to prejudice himselfe. Well (quoth S. Barnard)S. Barnard overmatcheth the divell for all his subtiltie. I will doo well enough for that, for I will dailie saie over the whole psalter. The divell hearing him saie so, told him which were the verses, least in reading over the whole psalter dailie, he should merit too much for others. But if the hanging of S. Johns gospell about the necke be so beneficiall; how if one should eate up the same?

More charmes for agues.

TAke the partie by the hand, and saie; AequÈ facilis sit tibi hÆc febris, atque MariÆ virgini Christi partus. ? Otherwise: Wash with the partie, and privilie saie this psalme, Exaltabo te Deus meus, rex, &c. ? Otherwise: Weare about your necke, a peece of a naile taken from a crosse, and wrapped in wooll. ? Otherwise: Drinke wine, wherein a sworde hath beene drowned that hath cut off ones head. ? Otherwise: Take three consecrated massecakes, and write upon the first: Qualis est pater talis est vita: on the second; Qualis est filius, talis est sanctus: on the third; Qualis est spiritus tale est remedium.Pretious restorities.*[* ? restorati[v]es] Then give them to the sicke man, enjoining him to eate none other thing that daie wherein he eateth anie of them, nor yet drinke: and let him saie fifteene Pater nosters, and as manie Aves, in the honour and praise of the Trinitie. ? Otherwise: Lead the sicke man on a fridaie before sunne rising towards the east, and let him hold up his hands towards the sunne, and saie: This is the daie, wherein the Lord God came to the crosse. But as the crosse shall never more come to him: so let never the hot or cold fit of this ague come anie more unto this man, In nomine patris ? & fi?lii, & spiritus ? sancti ?. Then saie seven and twentie Pater nosters, and as manie Aves, and use this three daies togither. ? Otherwise:/

272.FÉcana, cagÉti, daphnes, gebÁre, gedÁco,
This is too mysticall to be englished quoth Nota.GÉbali stant, sed non stant phebas, hecas,* & hedas.[* 1584, pheb as, hec as]

Everie one of these words must be written upon a peece of bread, and/196. be given in order one daie after another to the sicke bodie, and so must he be cured. This saith Nicholas Hemingius he chanced to read in the schooles in jest; so as one noting the words, practised the medicine in earnest; and was not onelie cured himselfe, but also cured manie others thereby. And therefore he concludeth, that this is a kind of a miraculous cure, wrought by the illusion of the divell: whereas in truth, it will fall out most commonlie, that a tertian ague will not hold anie man longer than so,Fernelius. though no medicine be given, nor anie words spoken. ? Otherwise: This word, Abra cadabra written on a paper, with a certeine figure joined therewith, and hanged about ones necke, helpeth the ague. ? Otherwise: Let the urine of the sicke bodie made earlie in the morning, be softlie heated nine daies togither continuallie, untill all be consumed into vapor. ? Otherwise: A crosse made of two litle twigs joined togither, wherewith when the partie is touched, he will be whole; speciallie if he weare it about his necke. ? Otherwise: Take a like quantitie of water out of three ponds of equall bignesse, and tast thereof in a new earthen vessell, and drinke of it when the fit commeth.

Notable follies of the Spaniards & Italians.In the yeare of our lord 1568, the Spaniards and Italians received from the pope, this incantation following; whereby they were promised both remission of sinnes, and good successe in their warres in the lowe countries. Which whether it be not as prophane and impious, as anie witches charme, I report me to the indifferent reader. ? Crucem pro nobis subiit ? & stans in illa sitiit ? Jesus sacratis manibus, clavis ferreis, pedibus perfossis, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus: Domine libera nos ab hoc malo, & ab hac peste: then three Pater nosters, and three ave Maries. Also the same yeere their ensignes were by the authoritie aforesaid conjured with certeine ceremonies, & consecrated against their enimies. And if you read the histories of these warres, you maie see what victorie they gained hereby. Item, they baptised their cheefe standard, and gave it to name S. Margaret, who overthrew the divell. And bicause you shall under/stand273. the mysterie hereof, I have the rather set it downe elsewhere, being indeed worth the reading.

For a bloudie flux, or rather an issue of bloud.

TAke a cup of cold water, and let fall thereinto three drops of the same bloud, and betweene each drop saie a Pater noster, and an Ave, then drinke to the patient, and saie; Who shall helpe you? The patient must answer S. Marie.He must answer by none other, for she perhaps hath the curing thereof by patent. Then saie you; S. Marie stop the issue of bloud. ? Otherwise: Write upon the patients forhead with the same bloud; Consummatum est. ? Otherwise: Saie to the patient; Sanguis mane in te, sicut fecit Christus in se; Sanguis mane in tua vena, sicut Christus in sua poena; Sanguis mane fixus, sicut Christus quando fuit crucifixus: ter. ? Otherwise, as followeth.

In the bloud of Adam death was taken ?
In the bloud of Christ it was all to shaken ?
And by the same bloud I doo thee charge,
That thou doo runne no longer at large. ? Otherwise.

Christ was borne at Bethelem, and suffered at Jerusalem, where his bloud was troubled. I command thee by the vertue of God, and through/197. the helpe of all saincts, to staie even as Jordan did, when John baptised Christ Jesus; In nomine patris ? & filii ? & spiritus "sancti ? ? Otherwise: Put thy nameles finger in the wound, and make therwith three crosses upon the wound, and saie five Pater nosters, five Aves, and one Credo, in the honour of the five wounds. ? Otherwise:See J. Wier. cap. 11. conf. Touch that part and saie, De latere ejus exivit sanguis & aqua. ? Otherwise: In nomine patris ? & filii ? & spiritus sancti ? &c. Chimrat, chara, sarite, confirma, consona, Imohalite. ? Otherwise: Sepa ? sepaga ? sepagoga ? sta sanguis in nomine patris ? podendi ? & filii ? podera ? & spiritus sancti ? pandorica ? pax tecum, Amen.

Cures commensed and finished by witchcraft.

THere was a jollie fellowe that tooke upon him to be a notable surgion, in the dutchie of Mentz, 1567. to whom there resorted a Gentleman that had beene vexed with sicknesse, named/274. Elibert, having a kerchiefe on his head, according to the guise of sicke folke. But the surgion made him pull off his kerchiefe, and willed him to drinke with him freelie. The sickeman said he durst not; for he was forbidden by physicke so to doo. Tush (said this cunning man) they know not your disease: be ruled by me, and take in your drinke lustilie. For he thought that when he was well tippled, he might the more easilie beguile him in his bargaine, and make his reward the greater, which he was to receive in part aforehand. When they had well droonke, he called the sicke man aside, and told him the greatnes and danger of his disease, and how that it grew by meanes of witchcraft, and that it would be universallie spread in his house, and among all his cattell, if it were not prevented: and impudentlie persuaded the sicke man to receive cure of him.The surgion here most impudentlie setteth his knaverie abroch. And after bargaine made, he demanded of the sicke man, whether he had not anie at home, whom he might assuredlie trust. The sicke man answered, that he had a daughter and a servant. The cousener asked how old his daughter was? The patient said, twentie. Well (said the cousener) that is fit for our turne. Then he made the mother and father to kneele on their knees to their daughter, and to desire hir in all things to obey the physician, and that she would doo in everie thing as he commanded hir; otherwise hir father could not be restored to his health. In which respect hir parents humblie besought hir on their knees so to doo. Then he assigned hir to bring him into his lodging hir fathers haire, and hir mothers, and of all those which he kept in his house, as well of men and women, as also of his cattell. When she came therewith unto him, according to the match made, and hir parents commandement, he lead hir downe into a lowe parlor, where having made a long speech, he opened a booke that laie on the boord, and laieth thereon two knives acrosse, with much circumstance of words.A pretended conjuration. Then conjureth he, and maketh strange characters, and at length he maketh a circle on the ground, wherein he causeth hir to sticke one of those conjured knives; and after manie more strange words, he maketh hir sticke the other knife beside it. Then fell downe the maid in a swoone for feare; so as he was faine to frote hir and put a sop into hir mouth, after the receipt whereof she was sore troubled and amazed. Then he made hir brests to be uncovered, so as when/275. they were bare, he dal/lied198. with them, diverslie and long together. Then he made hir lie right upward, all uncovered and bare belowe hir pappes. Wherein the maid being loth to obeie him, resisted, and in shame forbad that villanie. Then said the knave; Your fathers destruction is at hand: for except you will be ruled, he and all his familie shall susteine greater greefe and inconvenience, than is yet happened unto him. And no remedie, except you will seeke his utter overthrowe, I must have carnall copulation with you, and therewithall fell into hir bosome, and overthrew hir and hir virginitie. So did he the second daie, and attempted the like on the third daie.Ad vada tot vadit urna quÒd ipsa cadit. But he failed then of his purpose, as the wench confessed afterwards. In the meane time he ministred so cruell medicines to the sicke man, that through the torments therof he feared present death, and was faine to keepe his bed, whereas he walked about before verie well and lustilie. The patient in his torments calleth unto him for remedie, who being slacke and negligent in that behalfe, made roome for the daughter to accompanie hir father, who asked hir what she thought of the cure, and what hope she had of his recoverie. Who with teares remained silent, as being oppressed with greefe; till at the last in abundance of sorrowe she uttered the whole matter to hir father. This dooth Johannes Wierus report, saieng, that it came unto him by the lamentable relation of the father himselfe. And this is here at this time for none other purpose rehearsed, but that men may hereby learne to take heed of such cousening merchants, and knowe what they be that take upon them to be so cunning in witchcraft; least they be bewitched: as maister Elibert and his daughter were.

Another witchcraft or knaverie, practised by the same surgion.

Three morsels, the first charmed with christs birth, the second with his passion, the third with his resurrection.THis surgion ministred to a noble man, that laie sicke of an ague, offering unto him three peeces of a roote to be eaten at three morsels; saieng to the first: I would Christ had not beene borne; unto the second: I would he had not suffered; unto the third: I would he had not risen againe. And then putting them about the sicke mans necke, said; Be of good cheere. And if he lost them, whosoever tooke them up, should therewithall take awaie/276. his ague. ? Otherwise: Jesus Christ, which was borne, deliver thee from this infirmitie ? Jesus Christ which died ? deliver thee from this infirmitie ? Jesus Christ which rose againe ? deliver thee from this infirmitie. Then dailie must be said five Pater nosters, and five Aves.

Another experiment for one bewitched.

A cousening physician, and a foolish patient.ANother such cousening physician persuaded one which had a timpanie, that it was one old viper, and twoo yoong mainteined in his bellie by witchcraft. But being watched, so as he could not conveie vipers into his ordure or excrements, after his purgations: at length he told the partie, that he should suffer the paines of childbirth, if it were not prevented; and therefore he must put his hand into his breech, and rake out those wormes there. But the mother of the sicke partie having warning hereof, said she could doo that hir selfe. So the cousener was prevented, and the partie died onelie of a timpanie, and the knave ran awaie out of the countrie.

Otherwise.

MOnsieur BodinJohn. Bodin. telleth of a witch, who undertaking to cure a woman bewitched, caused a masse to be soong at midnight in our ladies chap/pell.199. And when she had overlien the sicke partie, and breathed certeine words upon hir, she was healed. Wherein Bodin saith, she followed the example of EliasKakozelia. the prophet, who raised the Sunamitie. And this storie must needs be true: for goodman Hardivin Blesensis his host at the signe of the lion told him the storie.

A knacke to knowe whether you be bewitched, or no, &c.

ITMal. malef. pa. 1. quÆ. 17.
Barth. Spin. in novo
Mal. malef.
is also expedient to learne how to know whether a sicke man be bewitched or no: this is the practise thereof. You must hold molten lead over the sicke bodie, and powre it into a porrenger full of water; and then, if there appeare upon the lead, anie image, you may then knowe the partie is bewitched/

The xix. Chapter.277.

That one witchcraft maie lawfullie meete with another.

SCOTUS, Hostiensis, Gofridus, and all the old canonists agree, that it is lawfull to take awaie witchcraft by witchcraft, Et vana vanis contundere. And ScotusScotus in 4. distinct. 34. de imperio. saith, It were follie to forbeare to encounter witchcraft by witchcraft; for (saith he) there can be none inconvenience therein; bicause the overthrower of witchcraft assenteth not to the works of the divell. And therefore he saith further, that it is meritorious so to extinguish and overthrow the divels workes. As though he should saie; It maketh no matter, though S. Paule saie; Non facies malum, ut indÈ veniat bonum, Thou shalt not doo evill, that good maie come thereof. HumbertusDist. 4. saith, that witchcraft maie be taken awaie by that meanes whereby it was brought. But Gofredus Gofred. in summa sua. inveieth sore against the oppugners thereof. Pope Nicholas the fift gave indulgence and leave to bishop Miraties (who was so bewitched in his privities, that he could not use the gift of venerie) to seeke remedie at witches hands. And this was the clause of his dispensation, Ut ex duobus malis fugiatur majus, that of two evils, the greater should be avoided. And so a witch, by taking his doublet, cured him, and killed the other witch: as the storie saith, which is to be seene in M. Mal. and diverse other writers.

The xx. Chapter.

Who are privileged from witches, what bodies are aptest to be bewitched, or to be witches, why women are rather witches than men, and what they are.

NOW if you will know who and what persons are privileged from witches, you must understand, that they be even suchMal. malef. par. 2. quÆ. 1. cap. 1. as cannot be bewitched. In the number of whome first be the in/quisitors,278. and such as exercise publike justice upon them. Howbeit,** Whereof looke more in a little booke set foorth in print. a justice in Essex, whome for diverse respects I have left unnamed, not long since thought he was bewitched, in the verie instant whiles he examined the witch; so as his leg was broken therby, &c: which either was false, or else this rule untrue, or both rather injurious unto Gods providence. Secondlie, such as observe dulie the rites and ceremonies of holie church, and worship them with reverence, through the sprinkling of holie water, and receiving consecrated salt, by the lawfull use of candles hallowed on Candelmas daie, and greene leaves consecrated on Palme sundaie (which things they saie the/200. church useth for the qualifieng of the divels power) are preserved from witchcraft. Thirdlie, some are preserved by their good angels, which attend and wait upon them.

But I maie not omit here the reasons, which they bring, to prove what bodies are the more apt and effectuall to execute the art of fascination. And that is, first they saie the force of celestiall bodies, which indifferentlie communicate their vertues unto men, beasts, trees, stones, &c. But this gift and naturall influence of fascination maie be increased in man, according to his affections and perturbations; as thorough anger, feare, love, hate, &c. For by hate (saith Vairus)L. Vair. lib. de fascin. 1. c. 12. entereth a fierie inflammation into the eie of man, which being violentlie sent out by beams and streames, &c: infect and bewitch those bodies against whome they are opposed. And therefore he saith (in the favour of women) that that is the cause why women are oftener found to be witches than men. For (saith he) they have such an unbrideled force of furie and concupiscence naturallie, that by no meanes it is possible for them to temper or moderate the same. So Much like the eiebiting witches, of whom we have elswhere spoken. as upon everie trifling occasion, they (like brute beasts) fix their furious eies upon the partie whom they bewitch. Hereby it commeth to passe, that whereas women having a mervellous fickle nature, what greefe so ever happeneth unto them, immediatlie all peaceablenes of mind departeth; and they are so troubled with evill humors, that out go their venomous exhalations, ingendred thorough their ilfavoured diet, and increased by meanes of their pernicious excrements, which they expell. Women are also (saith he) monethlie filled full of superfluous humors, and with them/279. the melancholike bloud boileth; whereof spring vapors, and are carried up, and conveied through the nosethrels and mouth, &c: to the bewitching of whatsoever it meeteth. For they belch up a certeine breath, wherewith they bewitch whomsoever they list. And of all other women,Who are most likelie to bewitch, and to be bewitched. leane, hollow eied, old, beetlebrowed women (saith he) are the most infectious. Marie he saith, that hot, subtill, and thin bodies are most subject to be bewitched, if they be moist, and all they generallie, whose veines, pipes, and passages of their bodies are open. And finallie he saith, that all beautifull things whatsoever, are soone subject to be bewitched; as namelie goodlie yoongmen, faire women, such as are naturallie borne to be rich, goodlie beasts, faire horsses, ranke corne, beutifull trees, &c. Yea a freend of his told him, that he saw one with his eie breake a pretious stone in peeces. And all this he telleth as soberlie, as though it were true. And if it were true, honest women maie be witches, in despight of all inquisitors: neither can anie avoid being a witch, except shee locke hir selfe up in a chamber.

The xxi. Chapter.

What miracles witchmongers report to have beene done by witches words, &c: contradictions of witchmongers among themselves, how beasts are cured herby, of bewitched butter, a charme against witches, and a counter charme, the effect of charmes and words proved by L. Vairus to be woonderfull.

IF I should go about to recite all charmes, I should take an infinite worke in hand. For the witching writers hold opinion, that anie thing al/most197.[2] maie be therby brought to passe; & that whether the words of the charme be understandable or not, it skilleth not: so the charmer have a steddie intention to bring his desire about. And then what is it that cannot be done by words? For L. VairusL. Vair. lib. de fascin. 1. ca. 5. saith, that old women have infeebled and killed children with words, and have made women with child miscarrie;/280. they have made men pine awaie to death, they have killed horsses, deprived sheepe of their milke, *transformed* According to Ovids saieng of Proteus & Medea, which he indeed alledgeth therefore, Nunc aqua, nunc ales, modÒ bos, modÒ cervus abibat. men into beasts, flowne in the aire, tamed and staied wild beasts, driven all noisome cattell and vermine from corne, vines and hearbs, staied serpents, &c: and all with words. In so much as he saith, that with certeine words spoken in a bulles eare by a witch, the bull hath fallen downe to the ground as dead. Yea some by vertue of words have gone upon a sharpe sword, and walked upon hot glowing coles, without hurt; with words (saith he) verie heavie weights and burthens have beene lifted up; and with words wild horsses and wild bulles have beene tamed, and also mad dogs; with words they have killed wormes, and other vermine, and staied all maner of bleedings and fluxes: with words all the diseases in mans bodie are healed, and wounds cured; arowes are with wonderfull strangenesse and cunning plucked out of mens bones. Yea (saith he) there be manie that can heale all bitings of dogs, or stingings of serpents, or anie other poison: and all with nothing but words spoken. And that which is most strange, he saith, that they can remedie anie stranger, and him that is absent, with that verie sword wherewith they are wounded. Yea and that which is beyond all admiration, if they stroke the sword upwards with their fingers, the partie shall feele no paine: whereas if they drawe their finger downewards thereupon, the partie wounded shall feele intollerable paine. With a number of other cures, done altogither by the vertue and force of words uttered and spoken.

Where, by the waie, I maie not omit this speciall note, given by M. Mal.Mal. Malef. par. 2. quÆ. 2. cap. 7. to wit, that holie water maie not be sprinkled upon bewitched beasts, but must be powred into their mouthes. And yet he, and also Nider,Nider in prÆceptorio, prÆcept. 1. ca. 11. saie, that It is lawfull to blesse and sanctifie beasts, as well as men; both by charmes written, and also by holie words spoken. For (saith Nider)Nider in fornicario. if your cow be bewitched, three crosses, three Pater nosters, and three Aves will certeinlie cure hir: and likewiseMal. Malef. part. 2. cap. 8. all other ceremonies ecclesiasticall. And this is a sure Maxime,*[* Ital.] that they which are delivered from witchcraft by shrift, are ever after in the night much molested (I beleeve by their ghostlie fathers.) Also they loose their monie out of their pursses and caskets: as M. Mal. saith he knoweth by experience/281. Also one generall rule is given by M. Mal.A good devise to starve up poore women. to all butter wives, and dairie maides, that they neither give nor lend anie butter, milke, or cheese, to anie witches, which alwaies use to beg therof, when they meane to worke mischeefe Mal. Malef. part. 2. quÆ. 2, cap. 7. to their kine or whitmeats. Whereas indeed there are in milke three substances commixted; to wit, butter, cheese, and whaie: if the same be kept too long, or in an evill place, or be sluttishlie used, so as it be stale and sower, which happeneth sometimes in winter, but oftener in summer, when it is set over the fier, the cheese and butter runneth togither, and congealeth, so as it will rope like birdlime, that you maie wind it about a sticke, and/198.[2] in short space it will be so drie, as you maie beate it to powder. Which alteration being strange, is woondered at, and imputed to witches. And herehence sometimes proceedeth the cause, why butter commeth not, which when the countrie people see that it commeth not, then get they out of the suspected witches house, a little butter, whereof must be made three balles, in the name of the holie trinitie; and so if they be put into the cherne, the butter will presentlie come, and the witchcraft will cease; Sic ars deluditur arte. But if you put a little sugar or sope into the cherne, among the creame, the butter will never come: which is plaine witchcraft, if it be closelie, cleanlie, and privilie handled. There be twentie severall waies to make your butter come, which for brevitie I omit; as to bind your cherne with a rope, to thrust thereinto a red hot spit, &c: but your best remedie and surest waie is, to looke well to your dairie maid or wife, that she neither eat up the creame, nor sell awaie your butter.

A charme to find hir that bewitched your kine.

PUtA ridiculous charme. a paire of breeches upon the cowes head, and beate hir out of the pasture with a good cudgell upon a fridaie, and she will runne right to the witches doore, and strike thereat with hir hornes.

Another, for all that have bewitched anie kind of cattell.

WHen anie of your cattell are killed with witchcraft, hast you to the place where the carcase lieth, and traile the bowels of the beast unto your house, and drawe them not in at/282. the doore, but under the threshhold of the house into the kitchen; and there make a fier, and set over the same a grediron, and thereupon laie the inwards or bowels; and as they wax hot, so shall the witches entrailes be molested with extreame heate and paine. But then must you make fast your doores, least the witch come and fetch awaie a cole of your fier: for then ceaseth hir torments. And we have knowne saith M. Mal. when the witch could not come in, that the whole house hath beene so darkened, and the aire round about the same so troubled, with such horrible noise and earthquakes; that except the doore had beene opened, we had thought the house would have fallen on our heads. Thomas Aquinas, a principall treator herein, alloweth conjurations against the changelings, and in diverse other cases: whereof I will saie more in the word Iidoni.

A speciall charme to preserve all cattell from witchcraft.

ATIn anie case observe the festivall time, or else you marre all. Easter you must take certeine drops, that lie uppermost of the holie paschall candle, and make a little waxe candle thereof: and upon some sundaie morning rath, light it, and hold it, so as it maie drop upon and betweene the hornes and eares of the beast, saieng: In nomine patris, & filii, et duplex s s: and burne the beast a little betweene the hornes on*[* or] the eares with the same wax: and that which is left thereof, sticke it in crossewise about the stable or stall, or upon the threshold, or over the doore, where the cattell use to go in and out, and for all that yeare your cattell shall never be be/witched.199.[2] ? Otherwise: Jacobus de Chusa Carthusianus sheweth, how bread, water, and salt is conjured, and saith, that if either man or beast receive holie bread and holie water nine daies together, with three Pater nosters, and three Aves, in the honour of the trinitie, and of S. Hubert, it preserveth that man or beast from all diseases, and defendeth them against all assaults of witchcraft, of satan, or of a mad dog, &c.

Lo this is their stuffe, mainteined to be at the least effectuall, if not wholsome, by all papists and witchmongers, and speciallie of the last and proudest writers. But to proove these things to be effectuall, God knoweth their reasons are base and absurd. For they write so, as they take the matter in question as granted,/283. and by that meanes go awaie therewith. For L. VairusL. Vair. lib. de fascin. 1. cap. 1. saith in the beginning of his booke, that there is no doubt of this supernaturall matter, bicause a number of writers agree herein, and a number of stories confirme it, and manie poets handle the same argument, and in the twelve tables there is a lawe against it, and bicause the consent of the common people is fullie with it, and bicause immoderate praise is to be approoved a kind of witchcraft, and bicause old women have such charmes and superstitious meanes as preserve themselves from it, and bicause they are mocked that take awaie the credit of such miracles, and bicause SalomonSapi. 4.
Gali. 3.
Psal. 119.
saith; Fascinatio malignitatis obscurat bona, and bicause the apostle saith; O insensati GalatÆ, quis vos fascinavit? And bicause it is written, Qui timent te, videbunt me. And finallie he saith, least you should seeme to distrust and detract anie thing from the credit of so manie grave men, from histories, and common opinion of all men: he meaneth in no wise to proove that there is miraculous working by witchcraft and fascination; and proceedeth so, according to his promise.

The xxii. Chapter.

Lawfull charmes, or rather medicinable cures for diseased cattell. The charme of charmes, and the power thereof.

B UTDirect and lawfull meanes of curing cattell, &c. if you desire to learne true and lawfull charmes, to cure diseased cattell, even such as seeme to have extraordinarie sicknesse, or to be bewitched, or (as they saie) strangelie taken: looke in B. Googe his third booke, treating of cattell, and happilie you shall find some good medicine or cure for them: or if you list to see more ancient stuffe, read Vegetius his foure bookes thereupon: or, if you be unlearned, seeke some cunning bullocke leech. If all this will not serve, then set Jobs patience before your eies. And never thinke that a poore old woman can alter supernaturallie the notable course, which God hath appointed among his/284. creatures. If it had beene Gods pleasure to have permitted such a course, he would no doubt have both given notice in his word, that he had given such power unto them, and also would have taught remedies to have prevented them.

Furthermore, if you will knowe assured meanes, and infallible charmes, yeelding indeed undoubted remedies, and preventing all maner of witchcrafts, and also the assaults of wicked spirits; then despise first all cou/sening200.[2] knaverie of priests, witches, and couseners: and with true faith read the sixt chapter of S. Paule to the Ephesians, and followe his counsell, which is ministred unto you in the words following, deserving worthilie to be called by the name insuing:

The charme of charmes.

A charme of charmes taken out of the sixt chapter of S. Paule to the Ephesians.Finallie my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may stand against the assaults of the divell. For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud, but against principalities and powers, & against worldlie governors the princes of the darkenes of this world, against spirituall wickednes, which are in the high places. For this cause take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evill daie; and having finished all things, stand fast. Stand therefore, and your loines girded about with veritie, and having on the brestplate of righteousnes, &c: as followeth in that chapter, verses 15. 16. 17. 18. 1 Thes. 5. 1 Pet. 5, verse. 8. Ephes. 1. and elsewhere in the holie scripture.

Otherwise.

IF you be unlearned, and want the comfort of freends, repaire to some learned, godlie, and discreet preacher. If otherwise need require, go to a learned physician, who by learning and experience knoweth and can discerne the difference, signes, and causes of such diseases, as faithlesse men and unskilfull physicians impute to witchcraft//

The xxiii. Chapter.285. 201.

A confutation of the force and vertue falselie ascribed to charmes and amulets, by the authorities of ancient writers, both divines and physicians.

MY meaning is not, that these words, in the bare letter, can doo anie thing towards your ease or comfort in this behalfe; or that it were wholesome for your bodie or soule to weare them about your necke: for then would I wish you to weare the whole Bible, which must needs be more effectuall than anie one parcell thereof. But I find not that the apostles, or anie of them in the primitive church, either carried S. Johns gospell, or anie Agnus Dei*[* Ital.] about them, to the end they might be preserved from bugges: neither that they looked into the foure corners of the house, or else in the roofe, or under the threshhold, to find matter of witchcraft, and so to burne it, to be freed from the same; according to the popish rules.Mal. Malef. part. 2. qu. 2. cap. 6. Neither did they by such and such verses or praiers made unto saints, at such or such houres, seeke to obteine grace: neither spake they of anie old women that used such trades. Neither did Christ at anie time use or command holie water, or crosses, &c: to be used as terrors against the divell, who was not affraid to assault himselfe, when he was on earth. And therefore a verie vaine thing it is to thinke that he feareth these trifles, or anie externall matter.1. Tim. 4, 7.
Origin. lib. 3. in Job.
Let us then cast awaie these prophane and old wives fables. For(as Origen saith) Incantationes sunt dÆmonu irrisiones idololatriÆ fÆx, animarum infatuatio, &c.

ChrysostomeJ. Chrysost. in Matth. saith; There be some that carrie about their necks a peece of a gospell. But** Marke that here was no latine service. is it not dailie read (saith he) and heard of all men? But if they be never the better for it, being put into their eares, how shall they be saved, by carrieng it about their necks? Idem. Ibid.And further he saith; Where is the vertue of the gospell? In the figure of the letter, or in the understanding of the sense? If in the figure, thou dooest well to weare it about thy/286. necke; but if in the understanding, then thou shouldest laie it up in thine heart. AugustineAugust. 26. quÆ. ultim. saith; Let the faithfull ministers admonish and tell their people, that these magicall arts and incantations doo bring no remedie to the infirmities either of men or cattell, &c.

The heathen philosophers shall at the last daie confound the infidelitie and barbarous foolishnes of our christian or rather anti-christian and prophane witchmongers. For as Aristotle saith, that Incantamenta sunt muliercularum figmenta: so dooth Socrates (who was said to be cunning herein) affirme, that Incantationes sunt verba animas decipientia humanas. Others saie; InscitÆ pallium sunt carmina, maleficium, & incantatio. GalenGalen. in lib. de comitiali morbo. also saith, that such as impute the falling e/vill,285. [=203.] and such like diseases to divine matter, and not rather to naturall causes, are witches, conjurers, &c. HippocratesHippocrat. lib. de morbo sacro. calleth them arrogant; and in another place affirming that in his time there were manie deceivers and couseners, that would undertake to cure the falling evill, &c: by the power and helpe of divels, by burieng some lots or inchantments in the ground, or casting them into the sea, concludeth thus in their credit, that they are all knaves and couseners: for God is our onlie defender and deliverer. O notable sentence of a heathen philosopher!/

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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