The twelfe Chapter.
The 12. 13. & 14. verses of 1. Samuel 28. expounded: wherin is shewed that Saule was cousened and abused by the witch, and that Samuel was not raised, is prooved by the witches owne talke.
HE manner and circumstance of their communication, or of hir conjuration, is not verbatim set downe and expressed in the text; but the effect thereof breeflie touched: yet will I shew you the common order of their conjuration, and speciallie of hirs at this time used. When SauleThe maner of the witch of Endors cousening of Saule. had told hir, that he would have Samuel brought up to him, she departed from his presence into hir closet, where doubtles she had hir familiar; to wit, some lewd craftie preest, and made Saule stand at the doore like a foole (as it were with his finger in a hole) to heare the cousening answers, but not to see the cousening handling thereof, and the couterfetting of the matter. And so goeth she to worke, using ordinarie words of conjuration, of which there are sundrie varieties and formes (whereof I shall have occasion to repeat some in another place) as you see the juglers (which be inferior conjurors) speake certeine strange words of course to lead awaie the eie from espi/eng147. the maner of their conveiance, whilest they may induce the mind to conceive and suppose that he dealeth with spirits; saieng, Hay, fortune furie, nunq; credo, passe, passe, when come you sirra. So belike after many such words spoken, she saith to hir selfe; Lo now the matter is brought to passe, for I see woonderfull things. So as Saule1. Sa. 28, 13. hearing these words, longed to knowe all, and asked hir what she sawe. Whereby you may know that Saule sawe nothing, but stood without like a mome, whilest she plaied hir part in hir closet: as may most evidentlie appeere by the 21. verse1. Sa. 28, 21. of this chapter where it is said; Then the woman came out unto Saule. Howbeit, a little before she cunninglie counterfaited that she sawe Samuel, and thereby knewe it was Saule that was come unto hir. Whereby all the world may perceive the cousening, and hir dissimulation. For by that which hath beene before said, it must needs be that she knew him. And (I praie you) why should she not have suspected aswell him to be Saule before, when in expresse words he required hir to bring unto him Samuel, as now, when Samuel appeered unto hir?/
109.Well, to the question before proposed by Saule, 1. Sa. 28, 4. she answereth and lieth, that she saw angels or gods ascending up out of the earth. Then proceedeth she with her inchanting phrases and words of course: so as thereby Saule gathereth and supposeth that she hath raised a man. For otherwise his question dependeth not upon any thing before spoken. For when she hath said; I sawe angels ascending, &c: the next word he saith is; What fashion is he of? Which (I saie) hangeth not upon hir last expressed words. And to this she answered not directlie, that it was Samuel; but that it was an old man lapped in a mantell: as though she knew not him that was the most notorious man in Israell, that had beene her neighbour by the space of manie yeeres, and upon whom (while he lived) everie eie was fixed, and whom also she knew within lesse than a quarter of an houre before, as by whose meanes also she came acquainted with Saule.1. Sa. 28, 12. Read the text and see.
But she describeth his personage, and the apparell which he did usuallie weare when he lived: which if they were both buried togither, were consumed and rotten, or devoured with wormes before that time. Belike he had a new mantell made him in hea/ven:148. and yet they saie Tailors are skantie there, for that their consciences are so large here. In this countrie, men give awaie their garments when they die: if Samuel had so doone, hee could not have borrowed it againe; for of likliehood it would have beene worne out in that space, except the donee had beene a better husband than I: for the testator was dead (as it is supposed) two yeares before.