The inquisitors triall of weeping by conjuration.
CONJURE thee by the amorous teares,Triall of teares. which Jesus Christ our Saviour shed upon the crosse for the salvation of the world; and by the most earnest and burning teares of his mother the most glorious virgine Marie, sprinkled upon his wounds late in the evening; and by all the teares, which everie saint and elect vessell of God hath powred out heere in the world, and from whose eies he hath wiped awaie all teares; that if thou be without fault, thou maist powre downe teares aboundantlie; and if thou be guiltie,Mal. Malef. quæ. 15. pa. 3. that thou weepe in no wise: In the name of the father, of the sonne, and of the holie ghost; Amen. And note (saith he) that the more you conjure, the lesse she weepeth./20.
The eight Chapter.
Certaine cautions against witches, and of their tortures to procure confession.
UT to manifest their further follies, I will recite some of their cautions, which are published by the ancient inquisitors, for perpetuall lessons to their successors: as followeth.
The first caution is that, which was last rehearsed concerning weeping; the which (say they) is an infallible note.
Secondlie, the judge must beware she touch no part of him, speciallie of his bare; and that he alwaies weare about his necke conjured salt, palme, herbes, and waxe halowed: which (say they)Ja. Sprenger.
H. Institor. are not onelie approoved to be good by the witches confessions; but/30. also by the use of the Romish church, which halloweth them onelie for that purpose.
Item,Mal. malef. pa. 3, quæ. 15. she must come to hir arreignement backward, to wit, with hir taile to the judges face, who must make manie crosses, at the time of hir approching to the barre. And least we should condemne that for superstition, they prevent us with a figure,Prolepsis or Præoccupation. and tell us, that the same superstition may not seeme superstitious unto us. But this resembleth the persuasion of a theefe, that dissuadeth his sonne from stealing; and neverthelesse telleth him that he may picke or cut a pursse, and rob by the high waie.