The xviii Chapter.
¶ A charme or experiment to find out a witch.
N 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 pœna; 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.
COTUS, 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.