How witches are summoned to appeere before the divell, of their riding in the aire, of their accompts, of their conference with the divell, of his supplies, and their conference, of their farewell and sacrifices: according to Danæus, Psellus, &c.
ITHERTO, for the most part, are the verie words conteined in M. Mal. or Bodin, or rather in both; or else in the new M. Mal. or at the least-wise of some writer or other, that mainteineth the almightie power of witches. But DanæusDanæus in dialog. cap. 4. saith, the divell oftentimes in the likenes of a sumner, meeteth them at markets and faires, and warneth them to appeere in their assemblies, at a certeine houre in the night, that he may understand whom they have slaine, and how they have profited. If they be lame, he saith the divell delivereth them a staffe, to conveie them thither invisiblie through the aire; and that then they fall a dansing and singing of bawdie songs, wherein he leadeth the danse himselfe. Which danse, and other conferencies being ended, he supplieth their wants of powders and roots to intoxicate withall; and giveth to everie novice a marke, either with his teeth or with his clawes, and so they kisse the divels bare buttocks, and depart:/44. not forgetting every daie afterwards to offer to him, dogs, cats, hens, or bloud of their owne.Ide. Ibidem. And all this dooth Danæus report as a troth, and as it were upon his owne knowledge. And yet else-where Idem. in dialog. cap. 3. he saieth; In these matters they doo but dreame, and doo not those things indeed, which they confesse through their distemperature, growing of their melancholike humor: and therefore (saith he) these things, which they report of themselves, are but meere illusions.
Psellus addeth hereunto, that certeine magicall heretikes, to wit; the Eutychians, assemblie themselves everie good fridaie at night; and putting out the candles, doo commit incestuous adulterie, the father with the daughter, the sister with the brother, and the sonne with the mother; and the ninth moneth they returne and are delivered; and cutting their children in peeces, fill their pots with their bloud; then burne they the carcases,Card. lib. de var. rerum. 15. cap. 80. and mingle the ashes therewith, and so preserve the same for magicall purposes. Cardanus writeth (though in mine opinion not verie/38. probablie) that these excourses, dansings, &c: had their beginning from certeine heretikes called Dulcini, who devised those feasts of Bacchus which are named Orgia, whereunto these kind of people openlie assembled; and beginning with riot, ended with this follie. Which feasts being prohibited, they nevertheles hanted them secretlie; and when they could not doo so, then did they it in cogitation onelie, and even to this daie (saith he) there remaineth a certeine image or resemblance thereof among our melancholike women.
The fourth Chapter.
That there can no reall league be made with the divell the first author of the league, and the weake proofes of the adversaries for the same.
F the league be untrue, as are the residue of their confessions, the witchmongers arguments fall to the ground: for all the writers herein hold this bargaine for certeine, good, and granted, and as their onelie maxime. But surelie the/45. indentures, conteining those covenants, are sealed with butter; and the labels are but bables. What firme bargaine can be made betwixt a carnall bodie and a spirituall? Let any wise or honest man tell me, that either hath beene a partie, or a witnesse; and I will beleeve him. But by what authoritie, proofe, or testimonie; and upon what ground all this geere standeth, if you read M. Mal. Mal. Malef. par. 2. quæ. 7. cap. 2. you shall find, to the shame of the reporters (who doo so varie in their tales, and are at such contrarietie:) and to the reproch of the beleevers of such absurd lies.
For the beginning of the credit hereof,Upon what ground this real league began to growe in credit. resteth upon the confession of a baggage yoong fellow condemned to be burnt for witchcraft; who said to the inquisitors, of likelihood to prolong his life, (if at leastwise the storie be true, which is taken out of Nider;) If I wist (quoth he) that I might obteine pardon, I would discover all that I knowe of witchcraft. The which condition being accepted, and pardon promised (partlie in hope thereof, and partlie to be rid of his wife) he said as followeth.
The novice or yoong disciple goeth to some church, togither with the mistresse of that profession, upon a sundaie morning, before the conjuration of holie water, & there the said novice renounceth the faith, promiseth obedience in observing, or rather omitting of ceremonies in meetings, and such other follies; and finallie, that they doo homage to their yoong maister the divell, as they covenanted.