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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07467	The admirable history of the posession and conuersion of a penitent woman Seduced by a magician that made her to become a witch, and the princesse of sorcerers in the country of Prouince, who was brought to S. Baume to bee exorcised, in the yeare 1610, in the moneth of Nouember, by the authority of the reuerend father, and frier, Sebastian Michaëlis, priour of the couent royall of S. Magdalene at Saint Maximin, and also of the said place of Saint Baume. Who appointed the reuerend father, Frier Francis Domptius, Doctor of Diuinity, in the Vniuersity of Louaine, ... for the exorcismes and recollection of the acts. All faithfully set down, and fully verified. Wherunto is annexed a pneumology, or discourse of spirits made by the said father Michaëlis, ... Translated into English by W.B.	Michaelis, Sébastien, 1543?-1618.; W. B., fl. 1613-1617.	1613 (1613)	STC 17854; ESTC S107052	483,998	666

and experience thereof is from the best and soundest part of men We are therefore to diue into the causes which when we once shall steddily comprehend it will easily bow and incline our vnderstandings to the beleefe of those things and make vs conceiue them not only to be possible but of a more ordinarie frequencie then hath hitherto bin beleeued And in regard that Spirits are the cause of these euents wee are first to know whither there are Spirits or no. There are three sorts of men that haue denied Spirits the first are Philosophers the second are the Sadduces and the third are Atheists Touching Aristotle the prince of Philosophers hee is of opinion that there is one supreme cause not tyed to the pressure and incumbrance of a bodie And he sets downe 47. Spirits subordinate to that supreme cause according to the number of motions which he obserued in the celestiall Orbes of heauen thinking with himselfe that those heauenly bodies could not so ordinately moue vnlesse they were animated and quickened thereunto by some Spirits of life Now whither hee had stolne this out of the holie Scripture or at the least had borrowed it from his Master Plato who might take it from thence because it is said in Ezekiel speaking of the celestiall bodies which are there called wheeles Spiritus vitae erat in rotis or whether hee had inuented the same by the collections which his experience had made from his frequent obseruing of them I cannot tell but surely he said truth except where hee seemeth by exclusion to shut out the rest as if there were no more then those that he recited Wherein he might consider that if those Spirits were necessarie for the vniforme and vncessant motions of the Spheares and by a consequent for the seruice of man Qui est quodammodo finis omnium much more is it conuenient that this first and supreme cause whom hee calleth the alone Prince of all things should be waited on with an infinite number of them for his owne vse and seruice Whereunto agreeth that of Daniel who teacheth vs that Millia millium ministrabant ei decies centena millia assistebant ei Thousand thousands ministred vnto him and tenne thousand times tenne thousand stood before him Whereof Dauid giueth the naturall reason saying Ministrieius vt faciant voluntatem eius and this doth tacitely agree with the saying of Ezechiel Spiritus vitae erat in rotis Mercurius Trismegistus as S. Thomas recites him doth determinately denie that there are good Spirits except those who wheele about the heauens And in this he agreeth with Aristotle although hee was a better Diuine then the other because he yeeldeth that God did make and create them which Aristotle seemed to deny who frameth to himselfe an eternitie euen of thistles and butter-flyes but touching the number of Spirits they are both of one opinion Aristotle doth deny that there are wicked Spirits whose authoritie Physitians did follow and adhere vnto as Psellus witnesseth intending those that were not Christians or which had apostated from the true Religion This sort of men doth ordinarily fall into two grosse errors the one against the immortalitie of the soule as it is recited in the 2. of Wisedome saying that the soule doth altogether resemble the flame that is nourished from the lampe the other is against Spirits for when they are shewed the effects wrought really by the Diuell in the bodies of those hee doth possesse they do adiudge of it more meanely then Aristotle did and affirme that these incongruities doe happen through the indisposition and depraued temper of humours and vitall spirits And thus as they doe by the immortalitie of the soule so heere also they change an immortall and incorruptible spirit into a spirit more earthly and which they would haue to bee quintessented from the temperament of naturall qualities which indeed is nothing else but a blast or smoake Hence it is that S. Augustine doth to this purpose fitly alleage the historie of a Physitian who saith hee was constrained to confesse the immortalitie of soules by a vision which hee had when he lay asleepe wherein hee saw although the casements of his eyes were shut vp and heard although his sense of hearing was tied vp and possessed by sleepe his good Angell speaking vnto him and making him to consider that his soule of it selfe without the aide or seruice of the bodie or any of the organs thereof did see and heare And this is the reason why such kinde of people doe relie and leane too much vpon Philosophie and causes in nature The Sadduces also may be ranked with them because they also denie Spirits as it is recited in the Acts of the Apostles from thence they fall into another inconuenience and that is to deny the immortality of the soule whereupon it followeth of necessitie that they must deny the resurrection of the body which three points are common vnto Atheists and all those that deny Spirits Others there are that are not so frontlesse and grosse in their opinions as the former but grant that as there are good Spirits for the motion of the heauen doth force from them that confession in that so good and necessarie a worke cannot proceed but from a good agent so there are also bad Spirits and that from them many actiōs of villany and naughtinesse doe proceed Of these Porphiry maketh mention in Epistola ad Anebuntem cited by S. Thomas saying that these are the Masters of Sorcerers and of all that vse witchcraft and that they neuer direct any man in a course of goodnesse but giue all passage and furtherance vnto those who haue any propension to doe mischiefe Plato also and his sect doe grant that there is a great number of Spirits whose residence is in the highest region of the aire as birds haue their abiding place in the low and middle region and fishes in the water but they doe heere intermingle many absurdities as wee will declare heereafter To conclude none haue euer perfectly knowen the nature of Spirits but those that haue receiued and vnderstood the holy Scripture Now against Philosophers and Painims wee haue experience against the Saduces who are hereticks amongst the Iewes as Tertullian saith wee haue the fiue bookes of Moses which they themselues admit and for Catholicks and Christians wee haue the consent of all the holy Scriptures both of the old and new Testament S. Thomas in his third booke against the Gentiles doth solidly and learnedly dispute against all the arguments of the Philosophers who affirmed that when any prodigie in nature did happen it was to be attributed to the influence of celestiall bodies which are able to bring forth many things that are hidden and buried from our knowledge It is true saith hee that nature is able to doe much yet notwithstanding it is bounded in and limited so strongly that for

maintained stoutly and stifly all that shee had before deliuered against him This done at euening hee was visited by the three Physitians Founteine Merindol and Crassy and two Chirurgeons Bontemps and Pronet and hauing stripped him in the presence of Thoron and Garandeau the forenamed Commissioners they found him in a shamefull and odious fashion whereat they were ashamed themselues and turned their faces aside Afterwards being blindfolded they searched him with needles and when they touched the sensible parts hee cryed saying You hurt mee and when hee cryed not they thurst in the needle vp to the head without any appearance of sense By which meanes they found vpon his body three markes where-upon hauing his eies vnmufled and being re-apparelled hee thought that they had found no markes on his body and so returned very merry to the prison but two dayes after being aduertised of the relation which the forenamed Phisitions and Surgeons had made he was much dismaid at it and would needs moue a question whether the Diuell had power to marke a Christian without his consent Then said father Michaelis to Monsieur Thoron if this man were in Auignion he should be burnt to morrow next for such markes doe plainely conuince him and they are neuer found but vpon Magicians For God permitteth not that his children who are members of the mysticall body of Iesus Christ should beare the marke of his enemie but hee markes them inwardly by the holy Ghost and the character of Baptisme and outwardly in the forehead by the chrisme and the signe of the Crosse and by this marke hee distinguisheth the elect from the reprobate in the 7. of the Reuelation And as it is said in the same booke he will not suffer his elect to carry the marke of the beast some being willing to dispute vpon the point alleaged that God permitted Satan to strike Iob in all his bodie To which the said father answered there is great difference betwixt a blow or a stripe and a marke the blow is giuen for correction the marke in token of subiection the slaues of Turkie carry their masters marke in their forehead burnt with an hoat yron but it is another matter when their masters whip them till the bloud come S. Antony and other holy men haue beene beaten by Diuels as Iob was but you shall neuer finde that the Diuell stamped markes vpon their bodies the stripes cease but the markes remaine and if that could be the Diuell would marke the Pope himselfe and all the Iudges and who is that father of a family who would suffer his sheepe or bull to carry another mans marke and so the question was at an end The selfe same Saterday at the confronting of the one against the other Magdalene said vnto the Magician Thou canst not deny foure things first thou canst not but remember how thou diddest abuse my body and take away my virginity at my fathers house in Marseille Secondly how thou diddest lead me to the Synagogue and with thine owne hand diddest baptise me in the name of the Diuell and anoynt me with their execrable Chrisome causing me to renounce God and my portion in Paradise and to make all other renounciations which they vse to doe in Synagogues Thou diddest also stampe the Diuels markes vpon me which I still carry in my body Thirdly thou hast giuen me an Agnus Dei and a peach charmed Fourthly how thou hast sent the Diuels vnto mee which doe now possesse mee because I would enter into the order of S. Vrsula To these accusations Lewes the Magician made answere that they were all false and that hee would take his oath in the name of God the Virgin and S. Iohn Baptist that it was most maliciously vntrue Then said Magdalene I vnderstand you well This is the oath of the Synagogue where by God the Father you meane Lucifer by the Sonne Belzebub by the holy Ghost Leui●ithan O damned villaine By the Mother of God thou meanest the mother of Antichrist and thou callest the Deuill who is the forerunner of Antichrist Saint Iohn Baptist. Whereupon the said Magician remained much confounded And for the more ample demonstration of his villany It is to be noted that in an Exorcisme performed at Saint Baume within the holy Penitence Belzebub said that this Magician was more swolne with rancor and malice against Christ Iesus then themselues were for they did abhorre and hold in detestation the more then deuellish inuentions which hee daily deuised hee also made certaine accursed memorialls to helpe the remembrance of those that were in the Synagogue that they might more abundantly and readily blaspheme and do villany to Christ Iesus especially during the time that he liued vpon the Earth But said he he hath cousened himselfe for we haue deceaued him in the schedule which he hath made vnto vs wherein it is couenanted that after the tearme of 24. yeares he was to be ours and we were to carry him away body and soule but wee haue so cunningly changed the number of yeares that there are but two yeares remaining It is 14. yeares agoe since he was first a Magician and now we haue reduced the schedule to sixteene yeares It is to be obserued that Magdalene did vpon this occasion tell vs that she had vnderstood by him that at the first he was but a sorcerer but the Synagogue seeing that he had a practicke head and did performe the deuillish acts that were enioyned him to their content and liking as also because he was a great inuenter of new d●uice● thereby to aduance the kingdome of Sathan they made him a Magician and at last they made choice of him for their Prince In the whole course and current of the Magicians obstinacie we haue obserued that as the true Christian hath a true sympathie with the hart of Christ Iesus and therefore his heart is humble charitable patient c. So the Magicians haue in their heart a participation of the obstinacy of Lucifer vnto whom they haue dedicated themselues but this is not by any infusion for that were impossible but by adhering and consenting to the ceaslesse batteries and temptations of the Deuill by which they are endarkned and remooued from the beame of grace The Acts of the 6. of March being Sunday AS well at the Exorcismes as at all the Masses which were said this day in the Chapel of the Archbishops Palace Belzebub did not cease to make diuers renunciations in the name and behalfe of Lewes Gaufridy as wee haue formerly noted vpon the first of March but now he vsed more vehemency and cryed so lowde that Magdalene grew hoarse so that her words could hardly be vnderstood yet did the Deuill still go on with that impeatuous course of speaking The same day Belzebub made recitall of the conference he had with Lewes in prison after that hee was searched whether he had any markes vpon him or no saying vnto him if thy markes be found

the names of things that are Sacred to that which is base and ridiculous and contrariwise those things which are stayned with pollutions much vnworthy of Christians are many times graced with goodly and glorious appellations Hence it ariseth that many haue so farre ouer-shot themselues that they hold those for barbarous and illiterate fellowes who in speaking of the Diuell doe vse the proper Greeke name Diabolus or the Hebrew name Satan or the word borrowed from the Latins Malignant which signifieth an aduersary a back-biter and one repleat with all maliciousnesse names so proper and proportionable vnto their nature that the holy Scripture doth sundry times vse the same yet is the vse thereof so discontinued in these times that we finde no mention of them in any Bookes Euery one doth contend to sound forth no other name then the goodly appellation of Daemon which signifieth one learned and wise and indeed Plato and other great Philosophers and Poets haue vsed it as a name of God who knoweth all things as Tertullian obserueth whereas insteed thereof they might vse plenty of names very frequent in the Scriptures and particularly recited by S. Ierome such as are the Diuell Satan Beliall the Aspe the Basiliske the roaring Lyon the great Dragon the Apostate the Deceauer and the like which make a singular expression of his bloody and malicious nature I could also wish that in our French language men should haue the vse of those names that would best befit the ordure and infamy of the desperate condition of these blinde and more then beastly Sorcerers For the tearme of Sorcerer signifieth nothing else but one that casteth lot being drawne from the Latine word Sors which is sometimes taken in good part and may safely and religiously bee vsed as these passages of the Scripture doe clearely shew vnto vs. Mittens super vtrumque hircum sortem Cuius fo rs exierit Domino offeres Iosua forte terram diuidet forte exiit vt incensum poneret Cecidit sors super Mathiam So that there may yet be vse of lots in the administration of Ecclesiasticall affaires which are of most importance as S. Thomas after S. Augustine doth notably obserue Heereupon it is that I desire the imposition of some tearme that should not thus gild-ouer this abominable art but as they that practise the same are the most filthy and brutish creatures of the world so should their appellation bee so odious that it should import nothing but downe right villany and should strike an horrour and detestation of them into those that speake of them or heare them mentioned And this was the opinion of Plato and the Stoicks when they would labour to prooue that the first institution of names did signifie according to the natures of things and had not their imposition by chance which they also euince by experience For said Plato when I say Mee I draw in my voice towards my selfe but when I say Thee I retort and let it out against him vnto whom I speake And these subtle touches of Philosophy are experienced to bee true not onely in the Greeke tongue in which Plato wrote but also in the two other principall tongues the Hebrew and the Latine If therefore these people had the stampe of these appeliations vpon them Men enthralled vnto Diuels the slaues of Satan or as S. Augustine calleth them Worshippers of Diuels or by such like tearmes as may best sute with their natures they should be expressed vnto the world a great deale more naturally and more vnto the life then by misterming them by the name of Sorcerers which is deriued from the latine word Sortilegus and by this meanes men would haue the malice and villany of such kinde of people in more horrour For if wee narrowly sift and looke into them it will be found that there is no appearance or remnant of goodnesse in them but onely they are good in their naturall essence like vnto Diuels and of a truth they are the most grosse and impure Idolaters that euer were or may bee found since that they worship the Diuell and know him to be the Diuell Whereas when Idolaters did worship him they had euer an opinion that he was God And therefore saith S. Augustine the ignorant people that are Idolaters doe not sinne so grieuously as doe your learned Philosophers for the simple people doe not apprehend the spring and first originall of these Idolls but Philosophers doe well know the head from whence they flow which proceeded from vncleannesse and from the vices and inuentions of men so that without comparison the Christians who are more particularly acquainted with the will of God shall bee in a farre more damnable estate then the former After this discourse touching their names I come now vnto the fact I am not ignorant that many haue formerly trauelled their spirits and pennes in this Argument of Sorcerers so that I might quit this labour and repute my selfe vnworthy to publish my gleanings after their baruest yet may I iustly vse the excuse of Lactantius Firmianus who crauing pardon in that hee had vndertaken to write against the Gentiles in fauour of Christian Religion since that such great and learned personages as Iustin Origen Tertullian and Arnobius had formerly written of the same I haue done it said hee as it were vpon constraint and to giue rellish and contentment vnto the variety of mens wills because wee are bound to fit and accommodate our selues both to the learned and vnlearned for the aduancement of the common good Some said he haue written against the Gentiles meerly from the grounds and authority of Scripture in which they giue no satisfaction vnto the Gentiles in that they doe repudiate the same but doe onely confirme the Christians and partly the Iewes Others haue argued the case and grounded the iudgment of their conceptions vpon naturall reason wherein those doe finde a main and an extraordinary delinquency who doe sagely and soberly prefer the Scripture before all other humane reason whatsoeuer But none saith he did euer mingle both together in any Authour which is it that now remaineth to be done And thereupon Lactantius concludeth that if hee did make a hansome medlie or mingle of all these diuersities he hoped to giue contentment to euery body euen downe to the Atheist All which I apply vnto my selfe for my lawfull excuse For some haue intreated of Sorcerers onely by way of a bare collection of Histories and of the criminall proceedings against them together with the relation of their owne auerments and confessions Others haue proceeded more scholastically and haue not departed or swarued from the Commentaries which are made vpon the 4. bookes of the Sentences A third sort not rellishing this manner of proceeding haue followed the steps and opinions of some auncient Paynim Philosophers as Mercurius Proclus Iamblicus whom they doe too much adhere vnto euen where they thwart the authority of the holy Scripture Whereupon