raue roare commend discommend and as the priests would haue them vpon fitting occasions according to the difference of times places and commers in in all things to play the deuils accordinglie as Ma Maynie heere saith and his other play-deuils afore As euery scholler in this schoole had the wit and good grace to frame himselfe betimes to the bent of his holy Maister and to act his feates kindly roundly and artificially at a beck so was theyr proceeding with him or her more gentle and mild For if he could once read his lesson in his Maisters eyes and face what needed any other hard horne-booke to beate about his head but if he were dull and slow vnto this framing himselfe and must heere his lesson many times said ouer by hart by the Priest and yet could not learne his cue or else not perfectly remember his seuerall changes and keyes why then hee must tast of the discipline of the schoole to rouze vp his spirits better cause him entend his geare well that was the discipline of the holy chaire wherof ye shall heare anon such a discipline as by that time it had been tasted soundly but once or twice I suppose the deuill himselfe if he could haue had the sence of it that these poore schollers had would rather haue chosen to haue roared fomed wallowed and haue turned him into all shapes as the priests would haue him then euer to haue endured the course of the same But his chayre could not be spared for many good offices and therefore of that more at large heereafter CHAP. 9. ¶ Of the secrets and strange operation of the holy Chaire and holy Potion SAlue prìsca fides tripodis saith the Poet to the enchanted feate at Delphos which was so famous for the holy inspiration of the God Apollo that his Prophetesse could giue no Oracle except shee were placed ouer that sacred stoole We haue heere in hand a more sacred enchaunted seate which was so potent and of so various vses and offices to our holy Impostors as without it they could shew few or no wonders or miracles at all And that is the blessed chayre which I eft-soones mentioned vnto you which serued them to more good purposes for their holy legerdemaine then euer the chayre or sword at Delphos did Apolloes priests I should doe you wrong if I should not first describe this blessed Engine barely and nakedly vnto you and there repeate you the manifold commodities and delights of the same You shal haue Fidd and Sara the reporters of it vnto you who by reason of their wofull experience haue best skill to doe it At the end of the first Masse saith Fidd Willi that euer she saw which was said by Ma Dibdale hee told her that now they would make triall what was in her And therevpon she being perfectly well and telling Ma Dibdale and the rest as much yet they would needes haue her sit downe in a chayre which she did Then they began to binde her with towells whereat she greatly meruailed and was there-with cast into a great feare as not knowing what they meant to doe with her being in this case Ma Dibdale began to reade in his booke of Exorcising and after a good while seeing no other alteration in her then the tokens of feare which encreased by reason of his words and dealings then they vrged her to drinke aboue a pinte of Sacke and Sallet-oyle being hallowed and mingled with some kinde of spices when shee tasted this drinke which they termed an holy potion it did so much dislike her that shee could drinke but a little of it at once her stomacke greatly loathing it and then the Priest said all that came from the deuil who hated nothing worse then that holy drinke so as she was held and by very force caused to drinke it vp at diuers draughts Heere-vpon shee grew to be very sicke and giddy in her head and began to fall into a cold sweat verily then beleeuing that as the Priest said it was a wicked spirit that caused her to be in such case whereas afterwards when she better had considered of their dealing with her shee easily perceaued that the drinke they gaue her was such as might haue made a horse sicke This was the first part of the chayre-worke and the second was sweeter then this When her stomacke head and veines were full of the holy drinke then to take brimstone and burne it in a chafingdish of coales and by force to hold downe her face ouer the fume Which broyling with brimstone Ma Maynie confesseth he saw so butcherly practised vpon Sara Will as hee had seene her face after it looke more blacker and swart with the fume then any chimney-sweepers did Now I present vnto your imaginations Sara Will sitting bound in a chayre as poore wench shee often did with a pinte of this holy potion in her stomacke working vp into her head and out at her mouth and her eyes nose mouth and head stuffed full with the smoake of holy perfume her face being held down ouer the fume till it was all ouer as blacke as a stocke and think if you see not in your minde the liuely Idaea of a poore deuill-distressed woman in deede And heere least good Father Mengus should take it in ill part that we leaue him out of this deuillish worke who had his greatest part in prescribing the perfume for the chayre you shall first heare his Dos touching the bill for the holy perfume and then I shall be able to giue you a perfect receite to make an horse possessed After his holy benediction Page 173. Flag Daemon this is his perfume Accipiatur Sulphur Galbanum caet Take brimstone Assa faetida Galbanum S. Iohns Wort and Rue All these things being hallowed according to their owne proper and peculiar benediction must be cast vpon the fire and the smoake thereof applied to the nosethrills of the possessed Now you haue your full number of simples take your whole bill to possesse a horse with a deuill Take a lusty young stond horse and tye him with a big rope to a Smiths forge take the holy potion compounded of Rue Sacke Drugges and Sallet-oyle Ana more then a pinte put it with an horne downe into the horses throat that done take Brimstone Assa faetida Galbanum S. Iohns Wort and Rue burne them all together vpon a chafing-dish of coales apply the smoake so long to the nosethrils of the horse till you haue made his face with the smoake looke as blacke as the Smith and if the horse doe not snort flyng fome curuet and take on like a deuill you may pay the Smith for his holy drinke and take the horse with you for your paines There is neither Horse nor Asse nor Dogge nor Ape if he had beene vsed as these poore seely creatures were but would haue beene much more deuillishly affected then they Neither is any man liuing as I suppose of
rest as much yet they would needs haue her to sit downe in a chayre which shee did Then they began to binde her with towels whereat she greatly meruailed and was there-with cast into a great feare as not knowing what they meant to doe with her Beeing in this case maister Dibdale began to read vpon his booke of Exorcismes and after a good while seeing no other alteration in her then the tokens of feare for she cōfesseth the same increased by reason of his words and other his dealings with her then they vrged her to drinke aboue a pint of Sack and Sallet-oyle being hallowed and mingled with some kind of spices When she tasted this drinke which they termed a holy potion it did so much dislike her that shee could drinke but a little of it at once her stomacke greatly loathing of it And then the prests said all that came from the deuill who hated nothing worse then that holy drinke So as she was held and by very force caused to drinke it vp at diuers draughts Heere-vpon as she saith she grew to be very sicke and giddie in her head and began to fal into a cold sweate verily then beleeuing that as the priests said it was a wicked spirit that caused her to be in such case Whereas afterwards when shee better had considered of their dealings with her she easily perceaued that the drinke they gaue her was such as might haue made a horse sicke Againe she saith that being thus in the priests hands from a little before Christmas til two or three dayes before Whitsonday following she was often abused in this manner and at some times when she was bound as is before said and had drunk the holy potion ful sore against her wil they would burne brimstone in a chafing-dish and hold her nose by force ouer it by which meanes she nothing doubteth but that she did commonly grow into some great outrages spake the can not tel now what There was as she thinketh a discourse made of her fits by some of the priests the which if she could heare she supposeth she should remember many more things then now she doth But shee cannot forget she saith that many times she did complaine of hard dealing vsed towards her in her pretended fits and how iniuriously they dealt with her by giuing her that loathsome drink and burning brimstone vnder her nose Where-vnto the priests would commonly giue this aunswer eyther it was not she that spake but the deuill or otherwise when she was so wel that they could haue no pretence so to say then they would bid her be contented and tel her that she should by that meanes merit heauen gaine a crowne of glory And they would stand much vpon this last reason in shewing how much this exam had merited at Gods hands when any by seeing of her in her fits and the Priests dealings with her were reconciled She further saith that the priests would be often talking in this exam hearing of certaine women that were possessed beyond the Seas how the deuils in them could not abide the holy potion nor the burning of hallowed brimstone nor the applying vnto them of holy reliques nor the presence or touching of Catholique priests nor holy water nor the holy candel nor the blessed sacrament but would start say they burned rage raile against the priests commend vpon euery occasion those that were the soundest Protestants By this meanes this exam saith for her selfe and she thinketh she may safely so say for her sister and the rest that she learned what to say and doe when the priests had her in hand that is to start some times when they brought reliques vnto her to pretend that shee could not endure the presence of the Sacrament and many things besides as if the treatise of her may be gotten wil appeare Howbeit she saith that after some sixe or seauen weekes although at the first she did not marke the priests doings nor greatly obserue her own yet then she began to finde their iuglings and how she her selfe in saying this or that spake nothing but what she had learned of the priests The chiefe reason that she thinketh moued her not to mark them at the first was the good opinion she had conceaued of them being newly reconciled and yet as shee saith when shee saw before that time into what case they had brought her sister she thought that they vsed her not wel perswaded her to runne away from them This exam further saith that shee wel remembreth how one time Ma Sherwood told her that one Ma Bridges had gotten one of his mothers mayds with child and bad her tel him of it when he should come next thither and that this exam was troubled Where-vpon she saith that accordingly as soone as she saw the said Ma Bridges being her selfe in health and no way troubled in the presence of Ma Sherwood Goe to quoth she Ma Bridges you haue gotten your Mothers chamber-mayde with child and make no conscience of it Which words were no sooner vttered by her but Ma Sherwood tooke hold of them saying Yea sirra canst thou tel that thou shalt be constrained to tel more anone And thus he said pretending it was not this exam but the deuil that vttered those words Heere-with Ma. Bridges was greatly amazed and afraid and much speech was of it as if it had been some great miracle The said Ma. Sherwood as this exam saith at one time as she was tyed in the chayre did thrust a pinne into her shoulder and she there-with crying and saying what doe you O saith he heare you not the deuil what hee saith No quoth this exam it is not the deuil but my selfe that spake vnto you But he stil affirming that it was the deuil this exam could not be beleeued and so it was reckoned amongst them Againe shee saith that in one of the fits where-into they cast her by their holy potion and brimstone there were two needles thrust into her legge by some of the priests as she is now perswaded in her conscience and vppon her comming to her sences finding a paine in the place where the needles were she complained of it and would haue put down her hose to haue seene what her legge ayled but the priests would in no wise suffer that but presently they got holy reliques and tyed them about her legge affirming that the paine was procured by the wicked spirit and could not be eased but by those reliques When they had so tyed them about her legge they charged her in any wise not to touch them but yet notwitstanding this exam saith that being greatly troubled with paine desirous to case her selfe she did now and then attempt to slacken the reliques being tyed too hard as she thought At what time the priests stil watching of her as that she could do nothing but they would see her they did blame her for touching of the reliques bad her let
and that as she had heard of them that those parties did that thereby shee might please them Concerning the reports in the said booke that this exam should see vpon Christmas euen at night after twelue of the clocke when Masses doe begin viz great beames of lightning to proceede from the Sacrament as it had beene some beames shining out of a cloude that vpon Newyeares day she should see fire to flash in at the window and a browne dogge as big as a Bullock that the Sonday after the Sacrament being reserued and lying vpon the patten she could not see it for a great brightnes and that at the same time the Priest seemed to be cloathed in siluer that stoode by the patten She this exam aunswereth that she is perswaded in her conscience they be all vntrue reports of her For she saith she doubteth not but that otherwise she should haue remembred some of them as wel as she hath done other things in the said booke Onely she confesseth that she hath heard such things reported of Richard Maynie that he should haue such sights but sure she is she neuer saw them Concerning the report of her that she should say that the blessed Sacrament was but bread that there was no Purgatorie that the seruice in England being in English was as good as the other in Latine and that she should commend some Ministers She saith that it may wel be that she hath asked some questions touching the Sacrament Purgatorie and the English seruice and that she hath spoken wel of some Ministers but she is fully perswaded that when she demaunded such questions she did it of her selfe to be instructed and that it was not the deuil that spake so in her Also she saith that when she commended some Ministers she said therein truly and that she thinketh there are of them as there are of the priests some good and some bad Where it is reported of this exam that vpon the third day of Ianuarie she should see Christ in proper forme when she receaued the Sacrament that she found ease of the paine in her stomack by the application of a holy relique and that she flung away her beades saying to the Priests fie on you She saith that she wel remembreth that one offending her she threw her beades at the party but she denieth that euer she receaued any ease by applying of any holy reliques vnto her for ought that she perceaued how so euer the priests haue reported or that she euer saw any such thing when she receaued the Sacrament but thinketh that the Author of the booke hath deuised it of himselfe marrie she saith it is not vnlike that she might wel enough say Fie vpon some of the priests both because there were of them that vsed her hardly and for that she knew wel that they disliked not such words because they would take occasion therby to shew to those that were present that the deuil could not endure a Catholique priest That which is reported of her of the fourth of Ianuarie as touching the booke of Exorcisme she saith that she knew that booke very wel from any other both by the Letter it selfe because she can reade and by the great number of crosses which are in many places a great number of them together And no other knowledge she had of any such booke although it be giuen out that she knew the booke of Exorcisme being lapt vp in a paper before otherwise she saw it Where it is said that this exam should affirme there were foure scourges of deuils viz the booke of Exorcismes holy water the holy candell and hallowed Frankinsence she doth not remember that she termed them scourges but saith it is like enough that she said that the deuil could abide none of them because the priests had told her so As touching that which is written of this exam of the fifth of Ianuary that being exorcised shee vsed many idle words that she prated and scoffed cursed and sung called for a piper when the Priest bad the deuill tell him his name he should make aunswer in her Pudding of Thame all which is said to haue beene spoken by the spirit in her she saith that she might speake such words when her head was so troubled but she doth not remember them And for the Pudding of Thame she saith she hath oft heard it spoken of iestingly when she was a child And where it is said that she should affirme that the deuil could not tarry in her legge or foote as he was cōmaunded because of her hose which had beene worne by a vertuous and godly priest she confesseth that indeede she ware a payre of Ma Dibdales netherstocks and thinketh it not to be vnlikely that when vpon occasion she said that the hose she ware had beene Ma Dibdales but that further hearing some of the priests say that was the cause that the deuil would not remaine in her legge or foote she did say as much her selfe Concerning that which is written of this examinate of the 6. of Ianuary that after consecration shee saw in the Challice a little head as it were of a child that shee should call for dyce to play with that shee should see two at either corner of the Altar glistering like siluer that shee should tell a tale of a Mummery that came into the chamber where shee lay that shee scoffed at the Sacrament that a propper man in a short blacke garment girt about him hauing the rest of his apparrell also blacke and long haire turned vp also great ruffes starched with blew starch that shee complained that the priests hand burned her that his breath tormented her shee saith shee remembreth no part of all these What she might speake when her head was troubled with their drinks she knoweth not but she dooth not remember that euer she said that she saw such a little head in a chalice or that if she had seene it she should euer haue forgot it Whereas also it is said of her that there appeared vnto her in a fit the said 6. of Ianuary a Mummery cōming in at the doore with a bright eye before them a drumme sounding and sixe in number with motly vizards which daunced once about her and so departed She aunswereth that she belieueth that it is but a made tale by some of the priests or that if she told any such her selfe it was but a dreame or some such thing as shee had before heard of amongst them it beeing Christmas Also as touching the report of her that shee knew a peece of the holy Crosse by the smell that a priest put his finger into her mouth and bad the deuill bite it if hee durst and that the deuill in this examinate should aunswer hee durst not bite it because it had touched the Lord shee saith shee well remembreth that she heard them talke that they had a peece of the holy Crosse but shee dooth not
without receauing any adition of matter to feede and preserue the light except nutriment onely It was no great disgrace to the deuils puffe that could not blow out the holy candel being happily supported by the holy candlestick of the priest But you must be enformed of a farre greater foyle sustained by the deuil at the hands of a young child by the vertue of this holy candel holden in his hand Heare the Miraclist report it in his owne gracious Idiome Sara being set in a chaire shee raged more then ere shee did before especially at the presence of an infant holding a holy candell crying oft with terrible voyce and countenance I will eate thee but the child nothing abashed thereat was brought to hold the candell to her nose and to put him to silence O Catholicam fidem O fidem Cathoticam that hast such a check and soueraignty ouer all the power of hell as that thy priests leade about deuils after them as men leade Beares by the nose or Iack an Apes in a string and enduest thy young Infants with such heroical magnanimitie as they dare play with the deuils nose and crie Iack deuill ho deuill blow out the candell deuill and the poore deuil stands like a mute in a blacke sanctus with a bone in his mouth and dares not speake one word The two next deuil-scourges proclaimed from hel were Frankincense and the booke of Exorcismes the former whereof though it pleased you not to grace with any special miracle accomplished alone hauing many new initiats to aduaunce that stood you in more stead yet to shew that your deere Mother-church did not bestow her blessing vppon such a iewel for naught you gaue him his due time order and place and marshalled him very honourably according to his discent somtime with the powerful potion sometime with brimstone sometime wirh holy water sometime with holy candle shewing vs by the worthines of his companion that hee was none of the rascal crue Indeede you needed be the lesse careful for this by reason it is alwaies of worth very sufficient to grace and aduaunce it selfe both in regard of the antiquity as also of the honourable discent thereof as springing from no meaner stemme then the three Kings of Cullen that brought it with gold and Mirrhe for a present vnto our Sauiour Christ And therefore it hath beene worth the keeping esteeme in your Mother-church euer since and hath receiued her deere motherly blessing by consecration and benediction And so wee find that your holy Mother hath layd her holy hands vppon gold likewise and consecrated and blessed that amiable mettall to whereby it hath had and shewed as much power ouer deuils haunting houses walking in Churchyeards and speaking out of images as Frankincense holy candle and holy water haue But little did those three good Kings of Cullen know what a powerful rich present they had brought vnto our Sauiour whē they presented him with Frankincense as little deeming of fuming any deuil in theyr way or profugating a deuil from the body of our blessed Sauiour But your eyes pierced farther thē these 3. Kings could notwithstanding it is generally accoūted they had eye-sight enough as comming from the head and fountaine of wisedome vnderstanding and wit and you cleerely saw that the Egyptian priests perfuming theyr two grand Idols Isis and Osiris with this holy smoake and hearing Tully proclaime of theyr Images at Rome in omnibus vicis statuae factae ad eas thus cerei that they halowed them and theyr Altars with frankinsence and candle you haue very wisely deuoutly and heathenishly smoaked your Altars your images your Churches your vestments your reliques your beades your bookes your breeches with this perfume for feare of deuil-blasting and therefore you needed not vppon our deuil Theater to grace it with any new wonder The fourth feareful whip halowed out of hel was the booke of Exorcismes which though Stemp the priest shewed Sara a little corner of out of his pocket when he was new come from London to Denham telling her he had brought her Maister a whip and that Sara knew it as wel by the crosses figures as a begger knew his dish or an old curre a kitchin whippe by a corner of the steale it had beene so often thundred vpon yet we find in our tragaedie that this plaid not the most tragicall monster-part nor did not the greatest wonders and that vppon very wise and important considerations First this booke was sicut fortis equus spatio qui saepe supremo vecit Olympia It had playd so many worthy parts and caried away the garland so oft in all the Lists Turnaments and Iusts with the deuil that it needed no new Io paean to be honoured with-all Secondly it hath hanging on it all the seales and stamps of holy popes for many hundred yeeres with all their potent benedictions and it hath had the deere and louing mothers blessing with priuiledge of birth-right and priority of honour besides and therefore it might wel stand and breath a while without any new addition or title of aduauncement Thirdly it serued wonderous aptly ad terrorem et stuporem incutiendum populo in steede of thunder and lightning to bring Iupiter vpon the stage by these dreadful frightful Exorcismes thundring clapping and flashing out the astonishing of Gods names Iehouah Tetragrammaton Adonai and the rest to amaze and terrifie the poore people and to possesse them with an expectation of some huge monster-deuil to appeare Who standing at gaze with trembling and feare hearing the huge thunder cracke of adiuration flie abroad and no deuils to roare and then seeing the Exorcist in a rage to throw away his thunder booke behind him and hunt the deuil with his owne holy hands and instantly hearing the deuil rouze out of his cabin as a Lyon out of his denn bellow out with his roaring voyce Oh oh oh I burne I burne I scald I broyle I am tormented This must needes make the poore Madge Owlets cry out in admiration of the power of the potent priesthood O Catholicam fidem O fidem Catholicam O the Catholique faith O the power of the faith Catholique Brimstone and the holy potion needed no Herrauld from hell to proclaime their potency and might for where so euer they went they caried hel before them both for vgly blacknes smoake scorching broyling and heate As you may see in the poore she-deuil Sara that bore in her face the very Idaea of hell imprinted branded in her by these dreadful fumigations For the force vse and application of this Engine I referre you to the tenth chapter not that you must think that the loathsome hellish potion of Sacke Sallet-oyle and Rue mashed together and by force poured downe into her stomacke a full pint at a time did of their owne natural qualities fume vp and intoxicate her braine as Tobacco Giniper and Henbane mingled together would doe or that the owne vnkind fulsomnes of
Exorcists way to appeare within his circuit or to crosse his walke considering that Aeacus Minos and Radamanthus the three Iudges of hel be nothing so inexorable nor in any part so cruell tyrannicall and tormenting ouer the deuils as our Exorcists are who carry about vpon theyr backs the whole Panoplie of hel Styx Phlegeton Cocytus clubs bats whips scourges serpents scorpions brimstone coales flames besides the bottomlesse power that euery Exorcist hath euery one hauing as seemes a priuie key to the bottomlesse burning pit to let out in according to theyr liking to multiply the torments of hel-fire vpon any deuil vnto immensity of weight and infinity in perduration take but a little say of this from the parlie betweene Dibdale and the deuil The deuil was a little Colli-mollie would not come off Dibdale laies vpon him by his soueraigne cōmaund and his priuie key to hell 20000. yeeres torment in the deepest pit of hel with fire and brimstone on his back and for the multiplication of his paine and torment which hee had in hel before hee tels the deuil it shal be fifteene hundred times as much Now then let vs make vp our audite but at gesse cast in a grosse sum how many legions of deuils haue been thus serued by all the Exorcists in the Romane Church since theyr first creation and commission for hel and what an huge heape of millions wil this make of poore tormented deuils stacked vp top-ful in hel with twenty thousand yeeres torment and that fifteene hundred times doubled vpon them and all these lye yelling and grinding theyr teeth in hel vnder this immensity of weight of torments and these innumerable chaines of darknes that the Exorcists haue layd vpon them And these theyr fellow deuils friends and companions our Christmas deuils heere in Sara Fid and Anne Smith must needes know daily see and behold with theyr eyes and heare with theyr eares their most lamentable estate and for them for all this to come out of hel where they were fifteene hundred and twentie thousand times in better case and to stand in our Exorcists walke and meete them at Fulmer Hackney or Denham are they not iustly serued to haue a volley of nicknames discharged vppon them and to be tricked vp in the vices coate with long eares and so to be sent backe into hel to theyr fellowes to be tormented equally with thē and this torment of aduantage aboue all the rest to be mocked flouted and ieared at by theyr fellowes and to be taken by the coat eares for not hauing thus much wit as by other deuils harmes to learne to beware I come now to the third champion mustered in this worthy ranke with nicknames and Asses eares that is holy reliques which march last of the three not in regard of theyr vnworthinesse but in respect of theyr worth For these three woorthies in this blacke field against hel nicknames c. are the last and final ranke of our infernal campe excepting the two maine Standards for all the holy Crosse and the blessed sacrament which are yet to display and then you haue your Army royall for hel And the order of our infernall battaile is the old auncient order obserued by the Romans who placed their Triarios last vnto whose lot it neuer came to fight till the day grew dangerous and the victorie very doubtful Semblably the worthiest and most approued ranke of our Triarij against hel are nicknames asses eares and holy reliques which are drawne vp into the vant-gard and front of the battaile at a dreadfull pinch when holy water holy candle the amice the maniple the stole exorcismes Auemaries and all haue retired and in some sort haue abandoned the field and the deuil stands strong at shock and giues not an inch of ground These dreadful tormenters for hel we haue heere in hand are not the auncient famous renowmed glorious reliques iewelled vp in the Popes Propitiatorie at Rome as the sacred violl of our Ladies milke a peece of S. Paules breeches and chaire the tayle of the Asse whereon our Sauiour rode to Ierusalem and the rest but our reliques heere vsed for the most dreadful and tyrannical tormenters of the deuil were natiue home-bred reliques sprung out of our soyle and so most likelie to be of greatest force and commaund against the deuils of our owne Horizon Which as wee finde them recorded and aduaunced in the golden legend booke are the thumbs bones and ioynts of the three worthy Champions sent from his Hol and from Hel for fire-worke heere in England about anno 82 Cottam Brian and Campian who for haynous and vnnatural treasons against our Soueraigne and the state were executed at Tiburne canonized at Rome and Sainted by the deuils owne mouth from Hel as you haue formerly heard of Campian and now shal heare of Brian in the deuils owne voyce as the Miracle-father hath recorded it Exor I charge thee to tell me whose bone this is Deuil It is Brians bone hee is a Saint indeede hee neuer came in Purgatorie Loe heere Brian as fully sainted from hel by the deuil as S. Campian was and what timorous scrupulous Catholique can now make any doubt but these be infernal Saints considering Maho the Prince of hel hath heere dubbed them with his owne mouth Now for the grace that the deuil shewed vnto these new Hel-created Saints of the deuils owne making and to their hellish reliques you may be sure it was not meane Let the Recorder of hel report you who was both mouth and Notarie for the priests the deuils By often inuocation of the blessed Trinitie of our Sauiour there present in the blessed Sacrament by often calling vpon the blessed virgin with salue Regina and by calling on all holy Martyrs especially blessed Fa Campian with the rest of the Martyrs that had suffered at Tiburne and by applying of their holy reliques vnto the afflicted body Frateretto Fliberdigibet Hoberdicut Cocabatto with fourtie assistants were expelled Heere you see our blessed Sauiour and the Trinitie are winged out afore in the forelorne Hope as of little value and account And the dreadful kilcowes come behinde with especially Tiburne and reliques blased in their banner and these doe the dreadful feate vpon the deuils of the round We neuer read in all the Miracle-booke that the deuil trembled at the name of our blessed Sauiour but Brians bone being applied saith the Author and S. Cottam being called vpon the deuil aunswered in a trembling quiuering voyce thou shalt not haue thy prayer And he was scarcely to be vnderstoode the poore deuil chattered his teeth so sore What then should I tel you of Campians thumble put into Fids mouth Brians bone pinched hard to Saras bare legge as hard as a priest could hold it the great old rusty nayle crammed into Fids mouth amongst an handful of other choaking reliques what wonders they wrought with these poore she-deuils how these made them to vomite scritch
he would goe braue it out at the Court for they were all his friends This is the gentle quittance your holy renegadoes doe returne you for the fauour or conuiuencie which they finde in that her Maiesties Lawes are no more seuerely executed against them They bring you home a placard from his hellishnes at Rome to assure you that you are all in league and amity with the deuil For so the deuil or Edmunds doth proclaime you from hel or Rome Those famous renowmed Worthies of her Maiesties priuie Counsel whose bodies sleepe in peace and their soules as I trust repose in Abrahams blessed bosome how our infernal tragaedians haue disturbed their rest prophaned their happy memory violated their tombs and called forth their spirits like the Witch of Endor making them tennis-bals for their deuils to bandy on their stage take a true view of in the passage of a Dialogue betweene the Exorcist and the deuil Yonder cries the deuil in Sara nodding her head towards one part of the chamber stands such a one whom he had named before full of deuils and Leicester at this present houre euen now now vnder the right arme of that one before mentioned and all the Court are my friends Then went he forward with his speech naming certaine persons and said that they are now gone to the deuil and amongst the rest named Bedford already departed and that his soule is euen now with me in this chamber and so passed on his talke and passed on to matters of treason and therefore they are not to be mentioned Thus farre theyr owne Recorder in his owne sweet termes And were not those matters of treason vttered by the deuil strange matters from hel trow ye that the penner durst not cōmit them to writing hauing written so much touching our most sacred Prince her Court and Counsel before as the deuil himselfe durst not inspire more into his pen And who doth not feele this palpable legerdemaine at his fingers ends The deuil speakes treason against the Prince and state for the winning and gaining of Subiects from her Maiestie to the Pope and making them become traytors by his treasonable perswasions and this stands for good Romish Rhetorick and popish Diuinitie whilest it was spoken and acted by the Popes Orator the deuil and the deuil shewed himselfe an absolute powerful speaker for his graund maister the Pope enchaunting by his sweet eloquence 500 or as their owne disciples confesse vpon record foure or fiue thousand soules in a short time whom hee wonne from the Queene and reconciled them to the Pope by this wel acted tragaedie And might the deuil speake treason so aptly distinctly and elegantly on the stage that it enchaunted the harts and affections of the poore bewitched people and chained them to the Pope and is not this sweet enchaunting treason to be mentioned in wryting Quis causam nescit You were afraid good deuil-tragaedians to be sainted at Tiburne for this sweet enchaunting treason vttered by your proloquutor the deuill and it must be committed to none but your sworne new proselytes that knew how to keepe it from stragling abroad whom you haue by this one sentence of your wise Orator the deuil manteled in the same degree of horrible vnspeakeable treasons with your selues not onely for concealing and entertaining treason not to be mentioned or spoken for the abhomination of it but for yeelding themselues their faith and fealty to the Pope the true end and ayme of all those vnspeakable treasons Et quis hic daemon And who was the deuil the brocher herald and perswader of these vnutterable treasons but Weston the Iesuit the chiefe plotter and the arch-impostor Dibdale the priest or Stemp or all the holy Couey of the twelue deuilish comaedians in their seueral turnes for there was neither deuil nor vrchin nor Elfe but themselues who did metamorphoze themselues in euery scene into the person eyther of the deuil himselfe or of his Interpreter and made the deuils names their Puppet to squeake pipe and fume out what they pleased to inspire And thus as the deuil would haue it by a deuilish inconsiderate clause inserted that the deuill spoke treasons not once to be mentioned haue you proclaimed your selues and your 5000 new adhaerents for vnspeakeable vnutterable detestable Traytors The estate of our Cleargie they haue adorned with a special grace The deuill appearing vnto Trayford sayth the Miraclist in the likenes of an English Minister and disswading him to leaue the Catholique Romish Church c. This was a signe say they of our especial fauour with the deuil in that he pleased rather to put on our habite then the vestments of a Catholique Romish Priest and yet all circumstances considered this was no great fauor done vnto our profession in regard their holy geare was too hote for the deuils wearing A sute of purgatorie fire had beene much easier for the deuil then an Albe or vestment of that consecrate attire But a greater argument of loue and mutual good affection is the liberal commendation which Saras deuil doth very frankly bestow vpon our Ministers affirming by his deuils honestie that hee likes them well and that they be much better then the Catholique Romish priests Which the poore Ideot spectators tooke to be sooth indeede and deemed vs to be too great in the deuils bookes euer to be good And aboue all General Maho being straightlie charged by the Exorcist to tel his name he standing vpon his dictatorship tels the Exorcist plainly that hee cannot commaund him but that the English Ministers may What and their wiues too quoth the Exorcist Marry thou a wife too quoth the deuil Loe here good gentle Conies that come to weare the Woodcocks bil you heare the deuil alias Dibdale plainly tel you that the English Ministers and their marrying of wiues come both out of hel and are the deuils alias Dibdales owne counsel to the priest and so cannot be good But hunting nipping cros-biting a prety wench on the bare crossing recrossing surcrossing her with priestly hote holy hands per honesta in honesta giuing her such a Catholique close pinch that you make her crie oh and possessing her with a shee deuil vppon the same afterwards dispossessing repossessing and super-possessing her againe til the poore wench is so handled amongst you as the deuil and you giue out Marrie her who will she can neuer haue child This is but his Holines owne hunt and chase for his holy hellish disciples in which Catholique sport the deuil himselfe making one he can take no iust exception there-vnto After the deuils gracing our seueral callings by his deuillish commendation he must needes of his good nature speake something in fauour of our religion to especially in behalfe of those points wherein we haue opposition with the Church of Rome First therefore for his and our better credit the deuil tels the priest that himselfe is an heretique and
thank the said priests she hath by Gods goodnes recouered her health againe without any of the priests helps wherby she now perswadeth her selfe in her hart that she was then greatly deluded by them She further saith that she wel remembreth that Ma Trayford one night did seeme so be greatly troubled and afterwards did pretend to be sodainly wel Ma Dibdale the priest hauing catched him in his armes but she vtterly denieth that she euer saw any Mouse offering to come out of his mouth or after going out at his care or that the Priests mouth did hinder the deuill from comming out at Ma Trayfords mouth These things she saith are all fained and false and farther addeth that she wel remembreth when she was with them they would tel many things of her which she knew to be false but durst not say any thing against them for offending of them Where it is said that one deuill perswaded Ma Trayford to haue hanged himselfe and that another moued this exam to goe out at Masse time and that she thereby hindered Ma Trayfords vngracious purpose Iesus haue mercy vpon me quoth this exam what wickednes is this God is my Iudge that it is most false Also she saith that it is a shameful vntruth where it is reported of her that she by crying vpon God and her blessed Lady and by casting holy water vpon Ma Trayford made the deuill to leaue his hold hauing as the book saith in the likenes of a Toad catched him by the leg Touching the child George Peckham she confesseth that one time the priests holding of her hands he did beate this Examinate with one of their Stoles pittifully about the face in such sort as she did not loue him euer since For though the Stole could giue no great blow yet it made her face to smart exceedingly But this she saith was at Denham and denieth that for ought shee knoweth or remembreth he euer kept the deuill from her at Vxbridge eyther with holy water or holy candell Thus much also of Hobberdidaunce as it is in the booke she wel remembreth and saith that her Mistres as they were at worke had told them a merry tale of Hobberdidaunce that vsed his cunning to make a Lady laugh which tale she this examinate doth very wel yet remember therfore is fully perswaded that when the priests did pretend that the spirit was gone out of her and vrged her to tel what name it had she affirmed it to be called Hobberdidaunce There being reade to this examinate out of the same booke the pretended names of diuers spirits which the priests gaue out that they cast out of her and that the said priests deliuered whilst they were in her as Lustie Dick Killico Hob Cornercap Puffe Purre Frateretto Fliberdigibet Haberdicut Cocobatto Maho Kellicocam Wilkin Smolkin Nur Lustie iolly Ienkin Portericho Pudding of Thame Pour-dieu Boniour Motubizanto Bernon Delicate this exam sayth that there were very strange names written vpon the wals at Sir George Peckhams house vnder the hangings which they said were names of spirits And addeth that she perceauing stil that when they said it was the deuil that spake in her that they would needes haue her from time to time to giue it some name she to content them did alwayes deuise one name or other and verily thinketh that shee came neere some-times to some of the names which were written vpon the wall because she had often heard them and saith that they runne then in her head And she further thinketh that the priests themselues did set them downe in better order then she did vtter them But amongst the rest she saith that the name of Maho came into her minde for that she had heard before her vncle reade the same out of a booke there being a tale therein of Maho. The tale of Lusty Dick mentioned in the said book shee saith is set downe falsly euen as he that made the book list The Amice therin mentioned was a cloath that the priest had put ouer his head when he went to Masse which did signifie the cloath where-with the Iewes did blindfold Christ and saith it is likely that if they did lay it ouer her mouth she might blow it vp least it should stop her wind And for the other speeches she saith it may be that when they vrged her to aunswer those questions she aunswered as it came in her minde accordingly And for the stinke of brimstone she verily thinketh it may be true for that the chamber did stil stinke of it they vsed it so much That which is reported of her in the said booke of three Captaine deuils that should goe out of her eares hauing euery one of them 300 with them which this exam should haue felt in diuers parts of her body She saith it is an abhominable vntruth and that she meruaileth what they that so haue reported of her should meane in that manner to abuse her a poore wretch that neuer meant them any harme Touching that which is written of the pretended spirit named Puffe as that he should say vpon S. Hughs day he would goe ring for the Queene She verily beleeueth that eyther those words haue beene deuised by the writer of the booke or else that if she this exam vttered them it was because she heard them speaking of ringing that day in honour of the Queene and knew that thereby she should please them For as partly before hath beene touched she alwayes framed her selfe to vse such words as she thought would content the Priests And where there is mention made that she should say that spirits haue been raysed vp by a Coniurer to keepe money She confesseth it may be she might vse such speeches because she had heard talke that there had beene coniuring about the house for money As touching that tale of the xviij of Nouember how Purre was cast out of her how she was bound fast in a chayre and how the Crosse being layd vpon her head did so burne the deuill as that shee thought it would haue burnt out that part of her head which it touched She aunswereth that all of it almost is eyther falsly deuised as she perceaueth a number of things are in the said booke or else that it may be that she her selfe did then pretend something of it to be true But shee doth not now remember it For she saith there were so many things done and so long since as she thinketh she cannot remember a great part of them onely she addeth that she cannot forget her binding in a chayre manie times The manner whereof was as followeth When the priests were purposed to make the wicked spirit to shew himselfe in this exam and to expel him as they said they would cause her to be bound fast in a chayre and then giue vnto her a certaine drinke which as she remembreth was a hallowed drinke consisting of Oyle Sack Rue and some other
saith that one Sherwood a priest while shee was at Denham and tyed in her chaire would vsuallie pinch her by the armes and necke and hands and the places thereupon remaining blew he and the rest would say that it was the deuil that had so pinched her At such times as this exam when he so pinched her did cōplaine of it and reproued him for it they would say it was the deuill and not this examinate that so reprooued him Of this iniury she hath complayned to Ma Dibdale being well and hee would say vnto her that hee was sure Ma Sherwood would not vse her so and that she was deceiued in that she thought so of him She also further saith that shee well remembreth that she could neither doe nor say any thing but when they list they would say it was the deuill At some times when she was well if companie came in to whom they meant to shew any thing they would take occasion to peepe in her face vse such foolish words vnto her as might make her to laugh And if she did but so much as laugh vppon that occasion or looke away turning her head from them they had then enough it was the deuil they would say that laughed in her and then sometimes shee must to the chayre and at some other times they would coniure the spirit as they did pretend commaunding him to goe downe into her body and be quiet And when this exam held her peace which was when they spake no more to her then they would say the spirit was gone downe At these and such like times when they gaue her nothing to make her sicke she found her selfe no worse then shee was before but was content to sooth all what they said Shee further sayth that a maide that came from the Lord Vaux was appointed at Denham to keepe this exanimate who did alwaies tell the priests what shee this exam either did or spake and of herselfe would alwaies tell this exam that it was the deuill that so did or spake when this exam did very well know that shee did and spake at such times according as she was wont to doe before she came to the priests hands By reason of such her bad dealing with this exam shee this exam did not loue her and talking of her hard dealing with her shee this exam said she had thought one day to haue thrust her downe the stayres And heereof the priests made a great matter but did not blame this exam for it because as they said it was not she but the deuil that meant to haue thrust her downe the stayres Also she saith that if at any time she did belch as oftentimes she did by reason that shee was troubled with a wind in her stomacke the priests would say at such times that then the spirit began to rise in her Whereas diuers times since she hath beene likewise troubled with such wind in her stomack and rifting and thereby perceiueth that they said vntruly when they said that that wind was the deuil But as shee saith if they heard any croaking in her belly a thing whereunto many women are subiect especially when they are fasting then they would make a wonderful matter of that One time shee remembreth that shee hauing the said croaking in her belly or making of herselfe some such noyse in her bed they said it was the deuill that was about the bedde that spake with the voyce of a Toade and there-with they seemed as though they were greatly afraid But this examinate though shee knew there was no such cause of theyr feare if they were indeed at all afraid as they did pretend yet did shee let them alone and said nothing vnto them She further saith that one night whilst this examinate was in bedde there was a scraping in the corner of the chamber about the feeling as if it had been the scraping of a rat whereupon some that were in the chamber ran forth saying it was an euill spirit that made that noyse And Ma Cornelius a priest beeing in the next chamber came presently foorth in his gowne with his booke of Exorcismes in his hand went into the corner where the noise was There he began to charge the deuil vpon paine of many torments that he should depart Hee flung holy water vpon the walls and vsed such earnest speeches as this exam was very much afraid Howbeit she saith she well obserued that for all his speakings and sprinckling of holy water the noise did not cease till he had knockt with some thing vppon the feeling whereby she since hath verily thought and still dooth that it was either a rat or some such thing that made the noise and not the deuil She further saith that she neuer dreamed in the night but she did tel the priests of it in the morning for it was their commandement that she should so doe And such her dreames she hath learned by their speeches to call them visions Of these visions they would make of thē what they thought good Whereas this exam confesseth that diuers of them were such toyes as came into her head being woken and that she meruailed how they could make such matters of them This exam further saith that oftentimes when she was wel that the priests vpon her laughing or words would say It was not she but the deuill she did verily suspect that they did not say truly therein that she was not at all possessed marrie she confesseth that being young and vnexperienced when they came vnto her in so deuoute a manner with their holy vestures vppon them with holy water holy candels and with the Pix hauing the sacrament in it and prayed as it seemed so earnestly she did then alwayes suspect that there was something amisse in her as supposing that otherwise they would neuer haue dealt in that sort But afterwards when she was wel againe she had euer a great desire to be gone from them being verily perswaded that then she should be wel She further saith that except it were at such times as by giuing her the holy potion and burning brimstone vnder her nose she knew not oftentimes what either she did or spake The greatest feare which she had at other times when they vsed their Exorcisme was least they meant thereby to coniure vp some spirit they kept such a stirre and made mention of so many names which they said were names of so many spirits Whereas in the afore-said booke there are a number of things reported of this exam what she should doe see and speake in her fits she verily thinketh that some foolish things of her owne deuise excepted she neither did speake nor pretended to see any thing but in such sort as she had heard the priests report that other women beyond the Seas had done seene and spoken According to which reports she this exam being in the priests hands did frame her selfe to doe and speake and report she saw this
Ma Dibdale And further he told them that the birds necke was broken and did lie vnder a Rosemarie bush in the Garden where-vpon three or foure going downe and finding the bird there they made a great wonderment of it whereat this exam doth verily beleeue that eyther Mainy had killed the bird and laid it there himselfe or else that this exam sister did it and had told Mainy of it for she saith that her sister Mainy were very great Also this exam saith that if the story she had heard hath beene written of Mainyes fits could be got there would appeare very many notable practises Ma Edmunds the Iesuit was the chiefe man that dealt with Mainy hath written as she hath heard a great booke of them This Edmunds as hath beene said before was a chiefe man and therfore whereas the rest had but their Albes on when they exorcised any he commonly had vpon him either a vestment or a cope She wel remembreth that the said Mainy sitting vpon a time by one of the priests affirmed that vnto his sight the priests finger and thumbe did shine with brightnes especially on the inner sides where-vnto the Priest aunswered that it might wel so be because quoth he they were anointed with holy oyle when I was made Priest At which words this exam laughing calling Ma. Mainy a dissembling hypocrite the priest said that it was not she but the deuill that did so laugh and raile Furthermore this examinate well remembreth that Ma. Richard Mainy being exorcised in the presence of a hundred people at the least on S. Georges day in the morning the priests affirmed that seauen deuils did thē shew themselues in him by such gestures and signes as declared them to be the Authors of the seauen deadlie sinnes This examinate saith that she hath almost forgotten the gestures but she will set them down as neere as her memory will serue her The said maister Mainy beeing bound in the chayre did lift vp his head looking highly and made gestures with his hand as though hee were tricking vp himselfe whereupon the priests said that the spirit that was comming vp then was Pride as it appeared by the said gestures Afterwards the said Mainy beginning to gape and snort the priests said that the spirit that then rose vp in him was Sloth Then hee fell to vomiting and the priests said that the spirit that then rose was Gluttony and drunkennes Againe he the said Mainy talking df purses and thus much in the hundred and of the forfeyting of this or that lease the deuil that then was risen the priests called Couetousnesse And thus the priests and hee went through all the deadly sinnes The said Mainy or the deuill in him as was pretended cōmending the Protestants for his good friends because they had all the said seuen deadly sinnes in them but railing at Catholiques for that they could not endure them but did euer and anon cut them of by confession The same day also shee well remembreth two things that Ma. Mainy spake of betwixt his descriptions of the said seauen deadly sinnes Oh quoth hee this is a great day of pompe at the Court I will stay no longer amongst you raskall priests but will go thether amongst my fellowes they all loue me there I am theirs and they are all mine or to this effect Also one Robert Bedell of Denham beeing a very zealous Protestant was buried the same day in that forenoone there happened a storme whereuppon Mainy pretended that the deuil spake to this purpose in him viz. Now they are about to bury Bedell and because he serued mee all his life time I am sending of him into hell At which words many that were present wept and prayed that if it were possible he might be saued This matter was so vrged and talked of as afterwards they drew his wife to become a Romish Catholique and so she died This examinate further saith that one Anne Smith about the Christmas the same yeere came to Denham where shee had remained but a little while before the priests had got her into their hands and said shee vvas possessed Touching this woman a number of things hath beene written of her as this examinate hath heard all which this exam saith she verily belieueth in her cōscience as also of all the practises tales of the priests touching both this examinate and all the rest with whō they dealt that they were altogether knaueries meer inuentions to deceiue the people by procuring an admiration of theyr priesthood and thereby to withdraw her Maiesties subiects to their religion Shee well remembreth as she saith that at one time Ma. Dibdale charged the deuill in Anne Smith as it was pretended to speake vnto him and aunswer him to that which he demaunded but notwithstanding she held her peace Then he commaunded her to speak in the name of the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost by the vertue of the holy Sacrament but yet she was silent Heerewith Ma Dibdale growing to be more earnest charged her or the deuil that was pretended to be in her to speake to him by the power and vertue of his holy priesthood and then she aunswered him Wherevpon this exam being present said to maister Dibdale Why Ma. Dibdale is there more vertue in your priesthood then in the blessed Trinity and the holy Sacrament And hee aunswered that though hee were but a simple man yet it pleased God for the honour of his Church to shew by this meanes the power of the priesthood Againe this exam saith that after she perceiued the deceit which the priests vsed she would rather then her life haue gotten from them but she was so watched so were the rest she meaneth the other women as they could by no meanes escape out of their fingers Theyr pretence was least the deuil should cause thē to drowne or kill themselues But this exam is perswaded in her conscience that the truth was why they kept them so straightly least going home to their friends they should haue disclosed theyr dissimulation and false pretenses of casting deuils out of those who were as free from them as themselues This exam and her sister did not see either Father or mother beeing in the same towne all the while that they were in theyr hands neither would they suffer either their father or mother to speake with them though they desired it many times At one time this examinate remembreth that beeing in the Kitchen garden at Denham shee heard a noyse in her vnckles garden on the other side of the wall supposing that her vnckle might be there she cryed out as loude as shee could vnckle vnckle who beeing there by chaunce and hearing of her knew her voyce asked her what shee would haue oh quoth shee good vnckle helpe me from hence for I am almost killed already amongst them heere and shall not liue if I continue heere long Vpon this occasion this