‘1. Holt, who came like a white kitling.
‘2. Jarmara, who came in like a fat Spaniel, without any legs at all; she said she kept him fat, for she clapt her hand on her belly, and said he suckt good blood from her body.
‘3. Vinegar Tom, who was like a long-legg’d Greyhound, with an head like an Oxe, with a long taile and broad eyes, who, when the discoverer spoke to, and bade him goe to the place provided for him and his Angels, immediately transformed himselfe into the shape of a child of foure yeeres old, without a head, and gave halfe a dozen turnes about the house, and vanished at the doore.
‘4. Sack and Sugar, like a black Rabbet.
‘5. Newes, like a Polcat. All these vanished away in a little time. Immediately after, this Witch confessed several other Witches, from whom she had her Imps, and named to divers women where their markes were, the number of their Marks, and Imps, and Imps’ names, as Elemanzer, Pyewacket, Peck in the Crown, Grizzel Greedigut, &c., which no mortall could invent.’
Witches, however, were not the sole proprietors of familiar spirits, for the Roundheads declared that Prince Rupert had one, in the shape of a large white poodle dog, a present from Lord Arundel, whose name was Boy. Boy accompanied his master in many an engagement, but seemed to bear a charmed life, even having the credit given him of catching bullets and bringing them to his master. This evidently must be a dog of no common breed, and it was not thought so, as we read in one of the Commonwealth tracts, which was a reputed dialogue between Tobie’s and Prince Rupert’s dogs:
‘Tobie’s Dog. ... I heare you are Prince Rupert’s White Boy.
P. Rup. Dog. I am none of his White Boy, my name is Puddle.
Tob. Dog. A dirty name, indeed, you are not pure enough for my company; besides, I hear on both sides of my eares that you are a Laplander, or Fin Land Dog, or, truly, no better than a Witch in the shape of a white Dogge.
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