The first Chapter.
Of witchmongers opinions concerning evill spirits, how they frame themselves in more excellent sort than God made us.
AMES SPRENGER and Henrie Institor, in M. Mal. Mal. malef. par. 2. cap. 4 quæst. 1.agreing with Bodin, Barth. Spineus, Danæus, Erastus, Hemingius, and the rest, doo make a bawdie discourse; labouring to proove by a foolish kind of philosophie, that evill spirits cannot onlie take earthlie forms and shapes of men; but also counterfeit hearing, seeing, &c: and likewise, that they can eate and devoure meats, and also reteine, digest, and avoid the same: and finallie, use diverse kinds of activities, but speciallie excell in the use and art of venerie. For M. Mal. saith, that The eies and earesIf his bodilie eies were out, he would see but ilfavoredlie. of the mind are farre more subtill than bodilie eies or carnall eares. Yea it is there affirmed, that as they take bodies, and the likenesse of members; so they take minds and similitudes of their operations. But by the way, I would have them answer this question. Our minds and soules are spirituall things. If our corporall eares be stopped, what can they heare or conceive of anie externall wisedome? And truelie, a man of such a constitution of bodie, as they imagine of these spirits, which make themselves, &c: were of farre more excellent substance, &c: than the bodies of them that God made in paradise; and so the divels workmanship should excexed the handie worke of God the father and creator of all things./
The second Chapter.74.
Of bawdie Incubus and Succubus, and whether the action of venerie may be performed betweene witches and divels, and when witches first yeelded to Incubus.
ERETOFORE (they saie) IncubusNider in fornicario.
T. Brabant in lib. de apib. was faine to ravish women against their will, untill Anno. 1400: but now since that time witches consent willinglie to their desires: in so much as some one witch exerciseth that trade of lecherie with Incubus twentie or thirtie yeares togither; as was confessed by fourtie and eight witches burned at Ravenspurge. But what goodlie fellowes Incubus begetteth upon these witches, is prooved by Thomas of Aquine,In. sen. dist. 4. art. 4. Bodin, M. Mal. Hyperius, &c.
ThisGen. 6, 4. is prooved first by the divels cunning, in discerning the difference of the seed which falleth from men. Secondlie, by his understanding of the aptnes of the women for the receipt of such seed. Thirdlie by his knowledge of the constellations, which are freendlie to such corporall effects. And lastlie, by the excellent complexion of such as the divell maketh choice of, to beget such notable personages upon, as are the/59. causes of the greatnesse and excellencie of the child thus begotten.
And to proove that such bawdie dooingsMal. malef. par. 2. quæ. 1
August. de doctrina Christ. betwixt the divell and witches is not fained, S. Augustine is alledged, who saith, that All superstitious arts had their beginning of the pestiferous societie betwixt the divell and man. Wherein he saith truelie; for that in paradise, betwixt the divell and man, all wickednes was so contrived, that man ever since hath studied wicked arts: yea and the divell will be sure to be at the middle and at both ends of everie mischeefe. But that the divell ingendreth with a woman, in maner and forme as is supposed, and naturallie begetteth the wicked, neither is it true, nor Augustines meaning in this place.
Howbeit M. Mal. proceedeth, affirming that All witches take/75. their beginning from such filthie actions, wherein the divell, in likenes of a prettie wench, lieth prostitute as Succubus to the man, and reteining his nature and seede, conveieth it unto the witch, to whome he delivereth it as Incubus. Wherein also is refuted the opinion of them that hold a spirit to be unpalpable. M. Mal.Mal. malef. quæ. 1. par. 1. saith, There can be rendred no infallible rule, though a probable distinction may be set downe, whether Incubus in the act of venerie doo alwaies powre seed out of his assumed bodie. And this is the distinction; Either she is old and barren, or yoong and pregnant. If she be barren, then dooth Incubus use hir without decision of seed; bicause such seed should serve for no purpose. And the divell avoideth superfluitie as much as he may; and yet for hir pleasure and condemnation togither, he goeth to worke with hir. But by the waie, if the divell were so compendious, what should he need to use such circumstances, even in these verie actions, as to make these assemblies, conventicles, ceremonies, &c: when he hath alreadie bought their bodies, and bargained for their soules? Or what reason had he, to make them kill so manie infants, by whom he rather loseth than gaineth any thing; bicause they are, so farre as either he or we knowe, in better case than we of riper yeares by reason of their innocencie? Well, if she be not past children, then stealeth he seed awaie (as hath beene said) from some wicked man being about that lecherous busines, and therewith getteth yoong witches upon the old.
And note, that they affirme that this businesse is better accomplished with seed thus gathered, than that which is shed in dremes, through superfluitie of humors: bicause that is gathered from the vertue of the seed generative. And if it be said that the seed will wax cold by the waie, and so lose his naturall heate, and consequentlie the vertue: M. Mal. Danæus,Mal. malef. par. 1. quæ. 1.
Danæus in dialog. de sortiariis. and the rest doo answere, that the divell can so carrie it, as no heate shall go from it, &c.
Furthermore, old witches are sworne to procure as manie yoong virgins for IncubusJa. Sprenger in Mal. male. as they can, whereby in time they growe to be excellent bawds: but in this case the preest plaieth Incubus. For you shall find, that confession to a preest, and namelie this word Benedicite, driveth Incubus awaie, when Ave Maries, crosses, and all other charmes faile./
The third Chapter.60. 76.
Of the divels visible & invisible dealing with witches in the waie of lecherie.
UT as touching the divels visible or invisible execution of lecherie, it is written, that to such witches, as before have made a visible legue with the preest, (the divell I should saie) there is no necessitie that Incubus should appeere invisible: marrie to the standers by hee is for the most part invisible.This was doone at Ravenspurge. For proofe hereof James Sprenger and Institor affirme, that Manie times witches are seene in the fields, and woods, prostituting themselves uncovered and naked up to the navill, wagging and mooving their members in everie part, according to the disposition of one being about that act of concupiscence, and yet nothing seene of the beholders upon hir; saving that after such a convenient time as is required about such a peece of worke, a blacke vapor of the length and bignesse of a man, hath beene seene as it were to depart from hir, and to ascend from that place. Neverthelesse, manie times the husband seeth Incubus making him cuckhold, in the likenesse of a man, and sometimes striketh off his head with his sword: but bicause the bodie is nothing but aire, it closeth togither againe: so as, although the goodwife be some times hurt thereby; yet she maketh him beleeve he is mad or possessed, & that he dooth he knoweth not what. For she hath more pleasure and delight (they say) with IncubusMal. Malef. that waie, than with anie mortall man: whereby you may perceive that spirits are palpable./
The fourth Chapter.77.
That the power of generation is both outwardlie and inwardlie impeached by witches, and of divers that had their genitals taken from them by witches, and by the same meanes againe restored.
HEY also affirme, that the vertue of generation is impeached by witches, both inwardlie, and outwardlie: for intrinsecallie they represse the courage, and they stop the passage of the mans seed, so as it may not descend to the vessels of generation: also they hurt extrinsecallie, with images, hearbs, &c. And to proove this true, you shall heare certeine stories out of M. Mal. worthie to be noted.
A yoong priest at MespurgeMal. Malef. cap. 6. quæ. 1 pa. 2. in the diocesse of Constance was bewitched, so as he had no power to occupie any other or mo women than one; and to be delivered out of that thraldom, sought to flie into another countrie, where he might use that preestlie occupation more freelie. But all in vaine; for evermore he was brought as far backward by night, as he went forward in the daie before; sometimes by land, sometimes in the aire, as though he flew. And if this be not true, I am sure that James Sprenger dooth lie.
For the further confirmation of our beleefe in Incubus, M. Mal. citeth a storie of a notable matter executed at Ravenspurge, as true and as cleanlie/61. as the rest. A yoong man lieng with a wench in that towne (saith he) was faine to leave his instruments of venerie behind him, by meanes of that prestigious art of witchcraft: so as in that place nothing could be seene or felt but his plaine bodie. This yoong man was willed by another witch, to go to hir whom he suspected, and by faire or fowle meanes to require hir helpe: who soone after meeting with hir, intreated hir faire, but that was in vaine; and therefore he caught hir by the throte, and with a towell strangled hir, saieng: Restore me my/78. toole, or thou shalt die for it: so as she being swolne and blacke in the face, and through his boisterous handling readie to die, said; Let me go, and I will helpe thee. And whilest he was loosing the towell, she put hir hand into his codpeece, and touched the place; saieng; Now hast thou thy desire: and even at that instant he felt himselfe restored.
Item,Ja. Sprenger. in Mal. malef. par. 2. quæ. 1. a reverend father, for his life, holinesse, and knowledge notorious, being a frier of the order and companie of Spire, reported, that a yoong man at shrift made lamentable moane unto him for the like losse: but his gravitie suffered him not to beleeve lightlie any such reports, and therefore made the yoong man untrusse his codpeece point, and sawe the complaint to be true and just. Whereupon he advised or rather injoined the youth to go to the witch whome he suspected, and with flattering words to intreat hir, to be so good unto him, as to restore him his instrument: which by that meanes he obteined, and soone after returned to shew himselfe thankfull; and told the holie father of his good successe in that behalfe: but he so beleeved him, as he would needs be Oculatus testis, and made him pull downe his breeches, and so was satisfied of the troth and certeintie thereof.
Another yoong man being in that verie taking,Mal. malef. cap. 7. par. 2. quæst. 1. went to a witch for the restitution thereof, who brought him to a tree, where she shewed him a nest, and bad him clime up and take it. And being in the top of the tree, he tooke out a mightie great one, and shewed the same to hir, asking hir if he might not have the same. Naie (quoth she) that is our parish preests toole, but take anie other which thou wilt. And it is there affirmed, that some have found 20. and some 30. of them in one nest, being there preserved with provender, as it were at the racke and manger, with this note, wherein there is no contradiction (for all must be true that is written against witches) that Note.If a witch deprive one of his privities, it is done onlie by prestigious meanes, so as the senses are but illuded. Marie by the divell it is reallie taken awaie, and in like sort restored. These are no jestes, for they be written by them that were and are judges upon the lives and deaths of those persons./
The fift Chapter.62. 79.
Of bishop Sylvanus his leacherie opened and covered againe, how maides having yellow haire are most combred with Incubus, how maried men are bewitched to use other mens wives, and to refuse their own.
OU shall read in the legend,In vita Hieronym. how in the night time Incubus came to a ladies bed side, and made hot loove unto hir: whereat she being offended, cried out so lowd, that companie came and found him under hir bed in the likenesse of the holie bishop Sylvanus,Saincts as holie and chaste as horsses & mares. which holie man was much defamed therebie, untill at the length this infamie was purged by the confession of a divell made at S. Jeroms toombe. Oh excellent peece of witchcraft or cousening wrought by Sylvanus! Item, S. Christine would needes take unto hir another maides Incubus, and lie in hir roome: and the storie saith, that she was shrewdlie accloied. But she was a shrew indeed, that would needes change beds with hir fellow, that was troubled everie night with Incubus, and deale with him hir selfe. But here the inquisitors note maie not be forgotten, to wit: that Maides having yellow haireMaides having yellow haire. are most molested with this spirit. Also it is written in the Legend, of S. Barnard, that a pretie wench that had had the use of Incubus his bodie by the space of six or seven yeares in Aquitania (being beelike wearie of him for that he waxed old) would needes go to S. Barnard another while. But Incubus told hir, that if she would so forsake him, being so long hir true loover, he would be revenged upon hir, &c. But befall what would, she went to S. Barnard, who tooke hir his staffe, and bad her laie it in the bed besides hir. And indeed the divell fearing the bedstaffe, or that S. Barnard laie there himselfe, durst not approch into hir chamber that night: what he did afterwards, I am uncerteine. Marrie you may find other circumstances hereof, and manie other like bawdie lies in the golden Legend. But here againe we maie not forget the in/quisitors80. note,Mal. Malef. par. 2. quæ. 2. cap. 2. to wit; that manie are so bewitched that they cannot use their owne wives: but anie other bodies they maie well enough away withall. Which witchcraft is practised among manie bad husbands, for whom it were a good excuse to saie they were bewitched.