CHAPTER X
A lamentable history of the death of sundry students of Wittenberg
Not long after it was reported and blazed abroad that Wagner was departed, divers Scholars guessing that he had left his Books or the most part behind, determined to send for Harmarvan, which they did, who by no persuasions could be won to let them have his master’s Keys, so they devised amongst themselves to bind the Boy as he should go home to his Inn, whereat his Master had put him to board till his return. And night drawing on, Harmarvan went to his lodging, by the way Scholars to the number of seven met him and bound him, and beat him sore until he gave them all the Keys, which he carefully carried about him sewed in a wide German slop,[69] which when they had (they being all muffled and disguised strangely with vizards) they loosed, and then they ran hastily to Wagner’s house, as if they had fled from followers, or else followed some hastily flying, where being come, they opened the gates, and being entered shut them again, this being about eleven of the clock in ye night, and in they went, where they found two Barrels of mighty strong March English Beer of two years old, which they broached, and sat so long drinking till they were all well drunk. And then down they get into a back Court, and having lighted Tapers, having injuriously framed all the circles, squares, triangles, etc., and apparelled with all the conjuring robes that the Art requireth, there they begin in a most dreadful confusion of hellish syllables to inform the Fiend, and after these words followed as if there needs must such things follow after such words, a terrible roar, and then so bright a smothering thick fiery fume ascended out of the earth as if it would have made an eternal night, then a vehement flame followed which with continual motion, ran about the brims of the circle, until as weary it left moving (all this while they continued reasonably constant, and continued their invocations without any fear), then from beneath was heard most lamentable outcries, from above huge trembling, thunder, and round about nothing but fear and death in a thousand diverse shapes, then they began to quail a little, but yet by encouragement grew hardy by reason of the number, then round about was sounded alarms with drums, and on set with Trumpets, as if there all the World had conflicted, then ye flame which all this while ran about the circle became a body, but such a body, as, if it had been but a Picture, would have madded anyone. At whose sight they wholly overcome with deadly fear forgot the use of their Pentacles or any such gear, but even submitted themselves to the small mercy of the Fiend, who with great violence rent them and tore them most lamentably. Harmarvan who had raised a great many to the intent to follow them suspecting that which indeed was, was after long wandering (for they had caused a Devil descryer to void all within a certain circuit) with his company brought to the house, where round about they might see in the Court wherein these seven were conjuring, huge flames as if some great pile had been made to the burial of a noble Hero, climbing up in huge volumes up into the Air, or if some great store of stubble had been fired, so vehemently furious was the flame that no man there (and there were above thirty) was able once to draw near to any part of ye House, the cry was carried into the City of this fire, whereupon the whole town was assembled with hooks, buckets, ladders, etc., where in vain they emptied many a large Well, till divers learned Preachers falling down submissively on their knees, with good faith appeased this seeming fire which indeed was none, but a mere diabolical illusion, then they entered into the house, where they found the Barrels brought a bed and delivered, the cups, the whole furniture clean destroyed, broken, and thrown about the House, but drawing near unto the most rueful and lamentable spectacle of all, coming into the yard or grove which was moated about and enclosed with a thick Wall of trees very exceeding high, as Fir trees are, so very thick that no light was pierceable into it, in the very midst whereof was a round plot of some one hundred foot any way from the Centre, there found they the religious Circles, there the strange Characters, names of Angels, a thousand Crosses, there found they the five cross hilted Daggers for the five Kings of Hell, there many a strong bulwark builded with rows of Crosses, there found they the surplices, the stoles, pall, mitres, holy water pots broken, their periapts, seats, signs of the Angels of the seven days, with infinite like trash and damnable roguery, the fruits of the Devil’s rank fancy. But the most lamentable sight of all, the seven Scholars utterly torn in pieces, their blood having changed the colour of the ground into a dark Crimson, all their bodies as black as any coal, as if they had been scorched with a material fire, their flesh violently rent from the bones, and hanging down in morsels like the skirts of a side-coat, their bones all broken, their veins cut in sunder, and their bowels broad shed upon the earth, their brains poured out and covering the red grass all over, their noses stumped, their eyes thrust out, their mouths widened and slit up to the ears, their teeth dashed out, and their tongues starting out betwixt their gums, their hair clean singed off, in brief imagine with yourselves in your minds, and propound a picture in your thought, the most deformed, torn, and ill-favoured that you can think on, yet shall it not compare to the most lachrimable sight and shew of them, surpassing as much all credit as my skill duly to describe them, whom when they had buried without tarriance, razed the house to the ground, and filled up the moats with earth, heaping upon the place of this murther the stones of the house defaced, then they returned home discoursing with lamentable judgment upon the high and severe revenge of God’s indignation upon them which durst presume to tempt his glorious Majesty. And finally, unless repentance breed a more speedy remorse, such is the fatal end of such proud attempts. And surely this is most true, for I myself have seen the ground where the house stood, and yet the moats dammed up and the Water breaking through the stones even to this day, there did I see a skull and a shank bone of them not yet rotten: and there did I see the huge heap of stones wherewith they are covered, a fearful example of God’s wrath and justice against such infidel Christians.
A CARICATURE OF THE POPE
Footnotes
[69] Baggy breeches.