The ninth Chapter.
A strange cure doone to one that was molested with Incubus.
OW being wearied with the rehearsall of so manie lecheries most horrible, and very filthie and fabulous actions and passions of witches, together with the spirit Incubus, I will end with a true storie taken out of Jason Pratensis,Jaso. Pratensis de cerebri morbo, ca. 16. which though it be rude, yet is it not altogither so uncleane as the rest.
There came (saith he) of late a masse priest unto me, making pitious moane, and saieng, that if I holpt him not, he should be undoone, and utterlie overthrowne; so great was his infirmitie: for (saith he) I was woont to be faire and fat, and of an excellent complexion; and lo how I looke, being now a verie ghost consisting of skinne and bone, &c. What is the matter (quoth Jason?) I will shew you sir, said the priest. There commeth unto mee, almost everie night, a certeine woman, unknowne unto me, and/65. lieth so heavie upon my brest, that I cannot fetch my breath, neither have anie power to crie, neither doo my hands serve me to shoove hir awaie, nor my feete to go from hir. I smiled (quoth Jason) and told him that he was vexed with a disease called In/cubus,84. or the mare; and the residue was phantasie and vaine imagination. Naie (said the priest)The priest is opinionative in the error of his phantasie. it cannot be so: for by our blessed ladie, I tell you nothing but that with waking I saw with mine eies, and felt with mine hands. I see hir when she commeth upon me, and strive to repell hir; but I am so infeebled that I cannot: and for remedie I have runne about from place to place, but no helpe that I could get. At length I went to an old frier that was counted an od fellow; and thought to have had help at his hands, but the divell a whit had I of him; saving that for remedie he willed me to praie to God; whome I am sure I wearied with my tedious praiers long before. Then went I unto an old woman (quoth the priest) who was said to be a cunning witch: and she willed me, that the next morning, about the dawning of the daie, I should pisse, and immediatlie should cover the pispot, or stop it with my right netherstocke, and before night the witch should come to visit me. And although (quoth he) the respect of mine orders somewhat terrified me from the execution of hir advise; yet my necessities diverse waies, and speciallie my paines moved me to make triall of hir words. And by the masse (quoth the priest) hir prophesie fell out as sure as a club. For a witch came to my house, and complained of a greefe in hir bladder, and that she could not pisse. But I could neither by faire nor fowle meanes obteine at hir hands, that she would leave molesting me by night; but she keepeth hir old custome, determining by these filthie meanes to dispatch me.The priest recovered. I could hardlie (saith Jason) reclaime him from this mad humor; but by that time he had beene with me three or foure times, he began to comfort himselfe, and at last perceiving it, he acknowledged his disease, and recovered the same./
The tenth Chapter.85.
A confutation of all the former follies touching Incubus, which by examples and proofes of like stuffe is shewed to be flat knaverie, wherein the carnall copulation with spirits is overthrowne.
HUS are lecheries covered with the cloke of Incubus and witchcraft, contrarie to nature and veritie: and with these fables is mainteined an opinion, that men have beene begotten without carnall copulation (as Hyperius and others write that MerlinMerlin begotten of Incubus. was, An. 440.) speciallie to excuse and mainteine the knaveries and lecheries of idle priests and bawdie monkes; and to cover the shame of their lovers and concubines.
And alas, when great learned men have beene so abused, with the imagination of Incubus his carnall societie with women, misconstruing the scriptures, to wit, the place in Genesis 6. to the seducing of manie others; it is the lesse woonder, that this error hath passed so generallie among the common people./66.
But to use few words herein, I hope you understand that they affirme and saie, that Incubus is a spirit; and I trust you know that a spirit hath no flesh nor bones, &c: and that he neither dooth eate nor drinke. In deede your grandams maides were woont to set a boll of milke before him and his cousine Robin good-fellow, for grinding of malt or mustard, and sweeping the house at midnight: and you have also heard that he would chafe exceedingly, if the maid or good-wife of the house, having compassion of his nakednes, laid anie clothes for him, beesides his messe of white bread and milke, which was his standing fee. For in that case he saith; What have we here? Hemton hamten, here will I never more tread nor stampen.
But to proceed in this confutation.Quia humor spermaticus ex succo alimentari provenit. Where there is no meate eaten, there can be no seed which thereof is ingendred: although it be granted, that Robin could both eate and drinke, as being a/86. cousening idle frier, or some such roge, that wanted nothing either belonging to lecherie or knaverie, &c. Item, where the genitall members want, there can be no lust of the flesh: neither dooth nature give anie desire of generation, where there is no propagation or succession required.
And as spirits cannot be greeved with hunger, so can they not be inflamed with lustes. And if men should live ever, what needed succession or heires? For that is but an ordinance of God, to supplie the place, the number, the world, the time, and speciallie to accomplish his will.Ad facultatem generandi tam interna quàm externa organa requiruntur. But the power of generation consisteth not onlie in members, but chieflie of vitall spirits, and of the hart: which spirits are never in such a bodie as Incubus hath, being but a bodie assumed, as they themselves saie. And yet the most part of writers herein affirme, that it is a palpable and visible bodie; though all be phansies and fables that are written hereupon.