be dissembled or otherwise vttered in great distemper procured by loathsome potions and violent fumigations And they shal be very wel armed against all such deceites if euer it be their haps to heare or read the confessions and examinations of the parties before mentioned Marrie they must keepe their owne counsel For I am perswaded that if any shall seeme to be a curious beholder at such times and a mouer of questions he shal not be any welcome guest vnto them Heereof any may be further aduertised that wil take the paines to reade a little French Treatise of a counterfeit Daemoniack at Paris and how the Exorcists could in no sort endure the questions doubts that were propounded vnto them when they were at their work but pretended that such curiosity and want of faith did greatly hinder them in their proceedings There will be many exceptions taken to that which heere I haue deliuered vpon my conscience to proue that the said parties pretended to be possessed were not counterfeits as that some things fell out which were not possible to be dissembled The chiefe obiection wil be as touching a peece of a knife in length about two inches and a halfe which was said to come out of the bodie of Anne Smith hauing beene conuaied into her before as it was pretended by the deuil And to cleare the matter the deuil was made forsooth to shew by Philosophie that he was able to doe such a thing for to this effect it was giuen out that the deuil should reade vs as I may terme it a Lecture I am as you know by creation a spirit and haue lost no part of my knowledge and cunning in the secrets of nature and that I can dissolue any Iron or hard matter at my pleasure into a liquid substance and so I did and poured it into her porredge which she eating swallowed vp the knife in that liquid substance and the same being so in her body I reduced it into the artificiall forme which before it had And thus much you may beleeue quoth the deuil if you be but Philosophers or to this effect Whervnto for aunswer as the truth is so farre forth as I know or beleeue First as the peece of the knife came out of her mouth without hurting of her if it came out of her mouth at all and that there were not a shift of legerdemaine vsed to make it seeme indeede to those that were present that it came out of her mouth so might it be taken forth againe hauing beene put into her mouth by the Exorcist himselfe for ought I know as some of the said parties haue acknowledged that the Exorcists somtimes would thrust biggeâ—â— ones and peeces of reliques into their mouthes Amongst the which Friswood Williams deposeth that as she verily beleeueth they thrust a rustie naile into her mouth and afterwards pretended that it came out of her body 2. Anne Smith hath deposed that she is fully perswaded that they haue reported vntruly of the taking of a peece of a knife out of her mouth Howbeit shee saith shee durst not at that time contradict them but it is needelesse for mee to aunswer this or any such like obiection For the things are in themselues so ridiculous as I thinke no man will be so mad as to take vppon him to defend them And when wee our selues that were actors in those matters thought wee had wonne our spurres yet diuers auncient priests as Maister Heywood Maister Dolman Maister Redman and some others hearing of the course we held did shake their heads at it and shewed their great dislike of it Likewise the grauer sort that were then imprisoned at Wisbich were greatly offended there-with as I haue beene credibly informed and said that howsoeuer for a time wee might be admired yet in the end wee would thereby marre all and vtterly discredit both our selues and our calling Where-vpon wee the younger sort of the Seminarie priests that were then dealers herein thought our selues hardly dealt with by them and that they did but enuie at the coÌ„mendation which they saw wee daily gayned themselues being no actors amongst vs. But now I see that the said auncient Fathers had beene acquainted of likelihood with such deuises beyond the Seas and were greatly greeued to haue them brought into England notwithstanding Ma Edmunds and the rest would needes proceede as is before in part expressed and haue thereby to their perpetual shame made them true Prophets I haue my selfe before confessed that my pen is in the booke that was taken with Ma Barnes wherein I layd together those things that Sara Williams was pretended to haue done and said in one of her fits at Hackney the 10 of Ianuarie some things whereof I saw and heard my selfe others I receaued by peece-meale of Maister Thomson Ma Thulice and others and layd them altogether with the best skill I had to make them seeme strange and wonderfull For although both my selfe as I said before and so I thinke of the rest did know that all was but counterfeite yet for as much as we perceaued that thereby great credit did grow to the Catholique cause and great discredit to the Protestants wee held it lawfull to doe as we did Shortly after I had first conformed my selfe to the state of the Church established heere in England and there-vpon disclosed many things to the late Lo. Treasurer concerning sundry very pernicious designments against her Maistie and this state I fell againe to my old course by the perswasion of some of my auncient acquaintance that were priests hauing had small time to ground my selfe by study thereby to defend my said conformitie I was no sooner come to my old byace but they soone drew mee for the good of the Catholique cause to say that all in effect was false that I had before confessed Although not long after the treasons did so breake forth and were so fully confessed by Babington himselfe that not onely that which I had reported was iustified by them to be true but a great deale more then euer I knew or dreamed of Likewise I hauing detected in some part the folly of the said exorcisings it is scarce credible how earnest the said priests were with me to avow them againe for matters of veritie Wherevnto for the reason before mentioned I did vvillingly yeeld nothing doubting but that if God should once againe so draw his grace from mee as that I should become to be as then I was that is wholy addicted to popery as I trust in his mercy hee will neuer doe I should be as ready againe to deny all that now I haue affirmed vpon my oath as I was before For the generall conceit amongst all the priests of that order is that they may deny any thing which beeing confessed doth turne to the dishonour of the Catholique Church of Rome Besides they haue other obiections that serue theyr turnes as that the Magistrates in England are no competent Iudges the
vigilant champion had gained time againe by obtaining of his Holinesse men mony and munition with which hee came with open armes into Ireland like a Furie from Hell and in his vaine hopes had deuoured that kingdome for the vse of his holy Father the Pope forsooth and for his young Maister the Popes Nephew Where he breathing out his furious Ghost as a pledge of his wicked attempt Parsons the Popes Minion entertaines the time with a new coyned plot comming into England vpon no meaner errand then to continue the deposing of her Maiestie and the setting vp of another Prince The wise espying and circumspect implying of the aduantage of these times you see from what heads and fountaines of holinesse they came yet none of these is the time that doth consort with our casting out of deuils we haue now in hand Ours is the time when his Holi the King of Spaine and Parsons theyr Entelechie were plotting beyond the seas for the deliuery out of prison of the Q. of Scots by forcible attempt Which action after mature deliberation beeing cast vpon the Duke of Guise he the said Duke was thē busily preparing his forces for England for the suddaine effecting of the said attempt I omit how Charles Paget played his time in comming secretly into England to sollicite the Earle of Northumberland to diuers trecherous attempts How Frauncis Throgmorton plyed his time at the instigation of Mendoza in busily sounding of Hauens for the safe arriuall of the Guisian forces How Doctor Parry plyed his time in enforming his conscience for the suddaine and desperate murthering of the Queene for there was no time spared no meanes vnassaied no deuise vnthought vpō no person vnattempted euery one of that holy hellish association striuing to win the garland from other by hauing his hands soonest and deepest dyed in her Maiesties blood and I come to the time when the Guisian exploit grewe towards the prime and was on foote for England Which stratageme beeing inspired by the Pope into Parsons by Parsons into Edmunds alias Weston a Prouinciall of the order of Iesuits for that time residing heere in England betweene Parsons and whom as betweene two Intelligences in a superior and an inferior sphaere there was a mutuall communication of all matters of import and by the same Edmunds beeing breathed into the breastes of all theyr subordinates and dependants heere in the Land it cannot be cōceiued what a spirit life and alacritie the whole Popish bodie of Traytors halfe dead before did suddainly conceiue how euery limb member and ioynt of that holy bodie did bestir it selfe to be seruiceable to this holie designe But Fa Weston aboue all whose head and hart were so bigge with the Guisian attempt as hee thought his time come to aduaunce the banner of Ignatius for euer heere in England by making himselfe his order famous by some notable exploit and it beeing Gods permissiue prouidence that this popish body cōpiled of so many horrible detestable treasons should be wholy inspired from the spirit of his Holi of hell Weston as a limb of the same body mooued with the same spirit chooses to eternize himselfe from the power of hell by casting out deuils Wherein hee bestirs himselfe so spritely and playes such a deuill-prize at the L. Vaux his house in Hackney with such a wonderfull applause as Array Parsons Ape a runnagate Priest and a notable Polypragmon heere in our state meetes with Ma Tyrrell newly come from beyond seas and vaunts with a bigge looke that Fa Weston had shewed such soueraigne authority ouer hell as the deuils themselues should confesse theyr kingdom was neere at an end And the same Array was so full fraught with hope and confidence in the Spanish and Guisian attempt then in hand as his first congee was in Maister Tirrels eare at theyr entring into Paules bidding him to be of good cheere for that all things now went very well forwards The King of Spaine quoth he is now almost in readinesse with his forces for England it standeth vs now in hand that be Priests to further the Catholique cause as much as possibly in vs lyeth Paget and Morgan two principall limbs of this popish body being acquainted with the aforesaid plot fearing that the Guises attempt by deliuering the Scottish Queene by open Armes would sparkle abroad before it were ripe and so receiue a check by our English forces before it came to the push cast about in theyr braines for a shorter way at home Ballard the bloodie Priest is dealt withall to pricke on Babington Tilney and the rest of that aspiring popish band to attempt a desperate truculent act by laying violent handes vppon her Maiesties sacred person Which whilst it was in hammering the Catholique Priests not caring by what meanes they effected theyr trecherous designes set themselues on worke on all hands with working of wonders by dispossessing of deuils vnto the acting of whose miracles Babington and his consorts doe diuers times repaire to Sir George Peckhams house at Denham with foure or fiue Coaches full at once And this new tragedie of deuils had his time of rising and his fatall time of fall with the true tragedie performed vpon Bab and his complices for theyr detestable treason The pestilent drift pernicious course of this deuill-worke you shall heare of heereafter CHAP. 3. ¶ The places wherein these miracles were plaid IT hath been alwaies the ill fortune of this holy order of Exorcists that the professors of it haue been reputed errand Iuglers and Impostors yea sometimes by the greatest protectors of theyr owne religion A great man told Mengus that if there were fiftie Exorcists at once standing before him hee should deeme nine and fortie of them for no better then Impostors and Mengus as seemes was afraid himselfe should haue made vp iust tale Wherefore the Maisters of the Art haue so warily deuised theyr rules and canons as a man may see they labour to preoccupate mens minds for feare of suspition which giues the greater occasion to suspect them the more Mengus his caueat of declaring places not meete for exorcisme is this Praecauere debet Exorcista quantum potest ne absque graui necessitate exerceat hoc officium adiurandi daemones in domibus priuatis ne detur occasio scandali pusillis His positiue rule for the place appointed is Sed debet exorcizare in Ecclesia vel in alio loco Deo dicato vel alicui sancto His reasons against priuate houses and for Churches or at least consecrated places are first that beeing doone publiquely the weaker sort may haue no occasion to suspect the action of fraude 2. Tum quia in domibus priuatis vt in pluribus ad sunt mulieres quarum consortium debet summopere ab exorcistis vitari ne incidant in laqueum diaboli that is because in priuate houses there are commonly some women whose company the Exorcists ought to decline least happilie
belieue that shee knew it by the smell vnlesse it had beene sweetly kept and that she might smell the sauour thereof when it came neere her And further saith that it is not vnlike but that she refused to bite the priests finger for if it had beene Maister Dibdales finger she knew he was very likely to haue giuen her a box on the eare if shee had bitten it And it might be also that shee said she would not bite it because it had touched the Lord shee being then wel acquainted with those things but whether she did so or no she doth not now remember Whereas it is said that in one of her fits she was sencelesse the same day vntill the blessed Sacrament was applyed vnto one of her eares and that then she felt a cold wind to come in at one and a hote ayre to goe out at the other shee answereth that she remembreth no such thing as neither another report of a vision she should haue that night of a whole bench of deuils Although she confesseth that as her manner was the most mornings shee would tell thē one tale or other or els as she saith how should they haue had writing worke but she remembreth not whether she told them this tale or no. That which is reported to haue been done by her the seauenth of Ianuary as that she should as she thought let her beades fall downe to the ground because they seemed to burne her hand whereas the deuill threw them directly vpon the Altar and strooke downe the corner of the Chalice this exam remembreth no such thing but meruaileth that the deuil durst meddle with her beades because they were hallowed Where it is said that the same day this examinate or as they pretended the deuill in her was vnwilling to adore the blessed sacrament because of the brightnes of it that at the second eleuation she should say I will not be blessed At Pax domini sit semper vobiscum I will none of that At Agnus Dei qui tollis peccati mundi miserere nobis vpon thee and not vppon mee At the offering of the Pax to kisse it stinketh when the priest said Domine non sum dignus and betweene the receiuing of both kinds I will not receiue This exam saith that the priests had taught her the English of the Latine words before mentioned so as she verily thinketh that shee was not vnlike to say as it is reported of her when she heard those Latine words But she thinketh those things false that are reported of her to haue beene done by her the 8 of Ianuary as that shee should talke to the Exorcist in French whereas shee knoweth very few words in French but such as shee heard amongst them as Boniour or two or three more As touching the long reports of this exam how she was handled the ninth and tenth dayes of Ianuary viz amongst many other things how the deuill was remooued out of her hands by the putting on of the Exorcists gloues how Maho the chiefe deuill that was pretended to be in her who had two thousand deuils at his commaundement had beene in England euer since king Henry the eyghts time how the said Maho should tell Exorcist that if he would cut the sacrament with his knife hee should see it bleed and that he the sayd Maho could not choose but be tormented at the offering of it how Maho did first sweare vpon the blessed sacrament and kissed it and then vppon the booke of exorcismes and then kist that likewise how this examinate was vexed when the priests laboured with theyr holy hands and by touching of her with sacred relique till they had brought Maho into her belly she aunswereth with many teares God forgiue them that thus did abuse me there was neuer I thinke poore soule so dealt with And afterwards for further aunswer she saith that it appeareth by the booke that the said tenth day of Ianuary they gaue her the holy potion and burnt brimstone and Frankinsence vnder her nose which did so trouble her as shee thinketh that she might speake she knew not what and they likewise write and report of her as they thought good and as shee perceiued they had done by the rest she had heard read vnto her out of that booke She further saith that beeing at the L. Vaux his house at Hackney the priests a little before as she remembreth that shee was exorcised in the chayre cause a woman to squirt somthing by her priuie parts into her body which made her very sick She was so vsed once or twice more at Hackney and once at Denham whereby she knoweth as she saith that she sustained very great hurt Furthermore she saith that the last time that shee was exorcised at Hackney the priests gaue it out that the deuill departed out of her by her priuiest part And vpon her marriage some of them told her husband that shee would neuer bring him any children because as they affirmed the deuill had torne those parts in such sort as that she could not conceiue which shee thanketh God proueth to be false for shee hath had as shee saith fiue children But shee saith by hearing the booke read that is written of her shee hath called many things to mind and doth perceiue that shee hath beene very badly dealt with And further shee saith that after shee once came to be vnder their hands they vsed the matter so with her as that she neuer durst doe any thing but what she thought did please them so as the longer she continued with them the more they wrought vpon her because she had learned what words did best like them as her rayling against priests and commending of Protestants and speaking of many vaine and foolish words whereof they would make what they list Likewise she could tel how to feed them with visions saying she had seene this and that when she had seene no such matter but onely spake to content them Besides in Christmas time there was gaming and mumming at the L. Vaux his house and as she saith she saw the mummers dressed with their vizards whereby she learned to talke of such things when they said the spirit began to ascend out of her foote that is when he began from time to time as they say to trouble her Againe as before she saith that whilst she was at Denham she told Ma Dibdale that she verily thought she was no more possessed then any of them were meaning the rest of the priests And likewise as she perceaued three or foure yeeres after by Ma Yaxleyes words and shaking of his head when she complained vnto him how she had been dealt with that he himselfe did think no otherwise of her so she this exam as wel at other times whilst she was at Denham as afterwards manie times stil thought but now as she saith by hearing of the booke they haue written of her read she is not onlie fully perswaded that she
Sherwood sitting also by her looking on a booke she this exam being very angry in her minde to consider how she was vsed and with him in particuler for thrusting a pin into her shoulder and for diuers other his hard vsages towards her said vnto him that shee very greatly meruailed how he and the rest durst deale with her the rest as they did adding that if she this exam or any other should complaine of them they would certainly all of them be hanged For quoth she how many of the Queenes subiects haue you drawne from her by these your practises heere Heere-with Ma Sherwood was much moued and went to the priests to acquaint them with her words Some of them as she hath heard were of opinion that it were best to put her away from her Mistres but Ma Dibdale liked not that counsel fearing as she beleeueth that shee should haue disclosed theyr dealings For these her said speeches shee was within three or foure houres very hardly entreated Ma Sherwood and the other priests returning vnto her put her in minde what she had said and told her That it was not she but the deuill that vttered those words and therevpon had her to the chayre and with their holy potion and brimstone so plagued her as being there-with wonderful sick shee fel as she thinketh into a swound Shee further saith that whilest these matters were in hand at Denham there came very many thither from time to time The Catholiques would bring with them such of their friends as they durst trust being Protestants of purpose to draw them to the Romish Religion And she certainly knoweth that there was a very great number vpon those occasions reconciled sometimes an hundred a weeke at the least Marrie at one time she remembreth that one Ma Hampden of Hampden as she thinketh being brought thither by Ma Edward Ashefield now in prison as shee hath heard did greatly deceaue the priests expectations and put them into a great feare The manner was she saith of those who were pretended to be possessed when any Protestants came in to commend them greatly and to raile vpon the priests in so much as Ma Mainy when he saw Ma Hampden did presently salute him by the name of his fellow Iustice and vse such other words vnto him as when he heard how they were expounded hee was greatly discontented with them and there-vpon speaking aloude said thus in effect vnto him that brought him thither as farre as she remembreth being her selfe then present Coosen Ned I had thought you would haue brought me where I should haue seene some godlines and not to haue heard the deuill but this dealing I see is abhominable and I meruaile that the house sinketh not for such wickednes committed in it and so he departed With these his speeches the priests were greatly amazed fearing the worst got them away for that night Furthermore she saith that perceauing many things were false that the priests told to those that came vnto them for the better confirming of her iudgement therein she deuised of her selfe this tale She told them that being in bed there came a morrice-daunce into her chamber hauing these persons in it a man with Taber and a Pipe the Earle of Bedford that was dead before but one that the priests did greatly hate and some other noble men also she named who are now out of her memory all these she told them after they had daunced about the table in the chamber went out againe as they came in When the priests had this by the end they made great matters of it termed it a vision and told it the Catholiques for a very truth whereat this exam laughed in her minde but durst not gaine-say it and so it went amongst them for a currant vision And shee thinketh in her conscience it was euen as true as the rest of their reports both of this exam of the others there that were pretended to be possessed Also she saith that there was a notable deuise amongst the Priests to haue it thought that the wicked spirits came into this exam and her sister by witcherie Ma Richard Mainy before mentioned being the notablest counterfeit as she thinketh that euer the priests had in their fingers said in one of his fits or rather the deuil in him as it was pretended that one good-wife White of Bushie had bewitched this exam and her saide sister This good-wife White was commonly talked of in the Country to be a Witch the said Mainy also told the occasion how they were bewitched There were as it was pretended that the deuil said in Mainy certaine cattel bewitched in Denham some two or three yeeres before which could not be eased except the two spirits which troubled them were sent into two Christian bodies and there-vpon quoth hee to deliuer the cattel she sent those two spirits into this exam sister and her selfe When the priests heard these words they seemed to coniure the deuil in Ma Mainy to bring the witches spirit whereby she wrought thither to Denham And the night folowing this prank was played by the priests They had gotten in the night a Cat amongst them in the Parlor which they said was the witches spirit About the whipping of this Cat they pretended great paines and that they whipped her so long til at the last she vanished away out of their sight Afterwards they gaue it out that out of all question the Witch whilest they were whipping of the Cat was greatly vexed and there-vppon they sent a messenger to Bushie to see in what estate the Witch was who at his returne reported that when hee came to Bushie hee found the Witch in child-bed and that her child was dead When the priests heard this report see quoth the priests to those that were present how it falleth out to be true that we told you the whipping of her spirit in the likenes of a Cat was the cause that her child died yea quoth this exam is that true Why then you are murderers whereat the priests were moued but they knew how to aunswer that as they did in saying that it was not she but the deuill in her that vttered those words Of this whipping of the Cat there was great speeches and many that beleeued them wondred at it The messenger that was sent to Bushie hearing what a meruaile they made heereof became a recusant being at that time a Protestant There was also another strange thing that happened at Denham about a bird Mistris Peckham had a Nightingale which she kept in a Cage wherein Ma Dibdale tooke great delight and would often be playing with it This Nightingale was one night conuayed out of the Cage being the next morning diligently sought for could not be heard of til Ma Mainies deuil in one of his fits as it was pretended affirmed that the wicked spirit which was in this exam sister had taken the bird out of the Cage and killed it in despite of
examinats mother came to haue spoken with her but she could not be suffered The priests told her that her daughters were bewitched and possessed with wicked spirits and that they were thereby cast away if they did not helpe them by their authority saying that therfore she theyr mother might by no meanes speake with them vntill they had deliuered them from the said wicked spirits With this such like aunswers they sent away theyr mother diuers times weeping howbeit she saith that at sometimes her mother not cōtented with those aunswers would grow to some earnestnesse and hard speech because shee could not be permitted to see her daughters And then the Priests would shake her of with angry words and tell her that shee herselfe had asmuch neede to be exorcised as her daughters And at one time Mistris Katherine that serued Mistris Peckham beeing present when the priests and her mother had such speeches told her that if the priests did well they should deale with her as they did with her daughters After this exam had beene in the priests hands for a fortnight or three weekes before Christmas as shee remembreth vntill after the Ascension day next ensuing and had long perceiued their coosening practises with her and thereupon being growne to great weakenesse and almost desperate shee told the priests plainly at the end of one of her fits whereinto they had cast her by their drinks slibber-sawces and brimstone that if shee had a deuill in her they were best cast him out for que shee if euer you torment mee so againe dispatch mee if you list otherwise I will certainly by one meanes or other get away frō you tell my friends of all your proceedings dealings here both with me others Heere-vpon Ma. Dibdale willed her to be content and said that the next time they hoped to dispossesse her altogether and accordingly within three or foure dayes after they had her to the chaire and there vsing her as they had done many times before when shee came to her selfe againe they told her that now the deuil was gone and she was deliuered This exam further saith that the maner of the priests was to say often-times that they had cast out this or that deuil out of the parties but stil when they list they would take a smal occasion to say that yet there were some other deuils remaining within them And this examinate saith that she doubteth they would haue dealt so with her at that time too but that there began to be great speeches in the Country about the priests doings at Denham in so much as diuers auncient Catholiques themselues did vtterly dislike them and the priests them selues grew to be afraid Howbeit when this exam was thus at some quiet yet they would not suffer her to goe home to her father and mother but carried her vp to London placed her there with a sure friend of theirs one Mistres White and so they dealt with this exam sister not suffering her to see her parents almost for foure yeeres after as this exam remembreth Also she saith that when the priests thought good to meddle no more with her they caried her to London and placed her with one Mistres Dorothie White as hath beene said a recusant who then and since hath beene so beneficiall vnto them as that shee hath cleane ouerthrowne her state and vndone her children The cause why they placed her there was as she verily thinketh least beeing amongst her owne friends shee might disclose theyr bad dealings with her It was not long after this examinate came to mistrisse White but that one Harrington growing into acquaintance with her did afterwards marry her as shee belieueth The marriage was in the Marshalsea where after a Masse one Lister a priest as shee remembreth then prisoner there vsed certaine Latine words whereby they said she and the same Harrington were married together There were present there fiue or sixe After which time the said Harrington liued with this examinate at times for the space of about 4 or 5 yeeres shee notwithstanding continuing her seruice with Mistrisse White After this examinate had kept company with the said Harrington for about 4 yeres she grew to be with child and therevppon went first to her sisters in Oxfordshire and then to her parents at Denham Beeing at Denham she was presented for a recusant and thereuppon committed to the gayle at Alesbury At her beeing there in prison Ma. Harrington wrote a Letter vnto her within three or foure daies as she remembreth after her commitment the effect whereof was that if shee were examined who was the father of her child she should lay it vpon some that was gone beyond the seas for a souldier but in no wise to say it was his and the rather to perswade her he signified vnto her that it was not onelie his aduise but likewise the counsaile of Mistris White her Mistris and Maister Blackman a priest With this Letter this examinate was greatly mooued and then calling to mind how shee had beene vsed at Denham and afterwards kept at Mistris Whites from her friends and remembring also how the priests were euer wont to perswade her that she should neuer speake any thing as touching her possessing or dispossessing that might turne to theyr discredite and to the dishonor of the Church of Rome she this examinate beganne to suspect that the religion that the priests professed was like vnto themselues But the most principall thing with the rest that made her so to thinke was another poynt in Ma. Harringtons Letter wherein hee perswaded her that if shee were examined vpon her oath it forced not the Church did dispence with her so as shee might aunswer what shee thought good notwithstanding because an oath did not bind her to confesse any thing that might tend to the dishonor of theyr priesthood or of the Catholique Church When this exam was first brought before the Iustices at Alesbury she confessed that she was reconciled and shee is verily perswaded that if the said Letter had not come vnto her afterwards and mooued her as is aforesaid notwithstanding all the abuses offred her at Denham she had cōtinued still a wilfull recusant though it had cost her her life Marry vpon the occasions before mentioned this examinate hauing bethought herselfe better desired to speake with old Ma. Pigot of Dodersall a Iustice of peace in Buckinghamshire vnto whom she signified who was the father of her child and that she could be contented to alter her course of life goe to the Church againe as before she had done Hereuppon Ma. Pigot tooke this exam in his Coach with him to Sir Iohn Goodwins where she found the L. Grey and diuers others before whom after shee had submitted herselfe as she had done to Ma. Pigot shee was sent to the Court by the L. Grey with two of his seruaunts to the Lord Treasurer At her comming to the Court she saith shee was examined of diuers
reported This exam further saith that shee being present by Mainy when he was in exorcising after that shee the first time had been exorcised by Cornelius Ma Edmunds the Iesuit did aske the deuil in Mainy whether she this exam was possessed or not and the deuil aunswered that she was Then quoth Ma Edmunds how chaunce he could not be brought to speake this other day when she was exorcised He the said deuil as she then supposed aunswered that the reason was because the spirit that was in her was sullen and dumbe Then they demaunding of his deuil what was the name of the spirit that was in this exam he aunswered Soforce And this was betwixt Christmas and Shrouetide She further saith that it was a common thing amongst them to giue out words as though Protestants were all possessed and there-vpon the priests would aske some that were pretended to be possessed or the deuil in them as it was supposed whilest they were exorcising them why they did not trouble them before whilst they were Protestants And the deuil would aunswer that there was no reason for them so to doe because the Protestants were theirs already She further saith that after the time she was out of the priests hands her former disease of the Mother did diuers times take her and continued with her as before it had done vntill being married she had children Since which time she hath beene rid of that disease she thanketh God She further saith that shee wel remembreth the morning when Alexander the Apothecarie was to goe to London to fetch more priests the day before this exam was first exorcised his horse prauncing and flinging of him downe he returned backe againe and constantly affirmed that the wicked spirit that was in this exam had caused his horse to fling him whereat when this exam laughed he the said Alexander affirmed that it was the deuill that laughed at him The confession of Ma. Anthonie Tyrrell Clerke written with his owne hand and auouched vpon his oath the 15 of Iune 1602. DIuers interrogatories beeing propounded to this examinate cōcerning the pretended casting out of deuils by maister Edmunds alias Weston a Iesuit and certaine other Seminary priests in the yeeres 1585 and 1586 at Hackney Denham and other places and as touching likewise the occasions or inducements that mooued them at that time to take such matters vpon them hee hath set downe his aunswer as followeth I will first answer to the circumstance of time which is heere propounded vnto me In the yeere 1584 I Iohn Ballard priest since executed with Ma. Babington and the rest comming together from Rome through Burgundy found there a great presse of souldiours and were aduertised that they were to serue vnder the Duke of Guise When wee came to Roane wee heard then directly that the said preparations were against England The same yeere as I remember Ma. Crighton a Scottish Iesuit was taken at the sea and after brought into England who by occasion of certaine writings which he had was driuen to confesse at large as I haue beene informed what the whole plot was and how far both the Pope and the King of Spaine had ingaged themselues in it Hereof I doubt not but that sundry Catholiques in England had sufficient notice from beyond the seas and especially Ma. Edmunds alias Weston the Iesuit who was then the chiefe as maister Garnet as I take it is at this present and therefore could not be ignorant of such important matters wherein principall men of his owne societie were engaged Not long after my cōming into England in the yeere 1585 maister Martin Aray a priest meeting with me at the end of Cheapside as I was turning to enter into Paules Churchyard tooke mee by the hand and whispering me in the eare bad me be of good cheere for that all things went now very well forward The king of Spayne quoth he is now almost ready with his forces to come into England and we shall be sure to heare some good newes therof very shortly wherefore it standeth vs now in hand that be priests to further the Catholique cause as much as possibly in vs lyeth or to this effect And this was the state of that time nourished I well perceiued with great hope of some great alteration by the meanes before expressed About the time of maister Arayes aforesaid communication with me maister Edmunds alias Weston had lately as it was reported cast a deuill out of one Marwood whereupon he the said maister Aray at the time before mentioned did highly commend vnto mee the exorcismes of Fa. Edmunds saying that hee the said Edmunds would make the deuils themselues now confesse that theyr kingdome was neere at an end Vpon the pretended dispossession of the said Marwood sundry other priests mooued thereunto I am perswaded by the instigation of maister Edmunds or for that they meant to shew theyr zeale in imitating of him did take vpon them to exorcise and cast deuils out of diuers persons viz. Sara and Friswood Williams William Trayford Anne Smith Richard Mainy and Elizabeth Calthrop whose necke was found broken at the bottome of a payre of stayres as the brute went then amongst vs. VVhen I saw this course I liked it well and was my selfe an Actor in it and did well perceiue that it was the matter whereat Ma. Aray had aymed when he told me that it stoode vs Priests in hand to further the Catholique cause as much as possibly wee could And indeed our proceedings therein had for a time wonderfull successe I cannot in my conscience esteeme the number fewer that in the compasse of halfe a yeere were by that meanes reconciled to the Church of Rome then 5 hundred persons some haue said three or foure thousand As touching the seuerall manners of dispossessing the said parties and of theyr fits traunces and visions diuers discourses were penned amongst the which I my selfe did penne one Ma. Edmunds likewise writ I am perswaded a quire of paper of Ma. Mainyes pretended visions For he thought as it seemed to haue wrought some great matter by him but was disappointed very ridiculously so as I thinke the said vision will hardly come to light There was also a Treatise framed to proue first that in former times diuers had been possessed Secondly that Christ hath left to his Church certaine remedies for the dispossessing of such parties Thirdly that in the casting out of deuils there hath beene great vse of application to the Daemoniacks of holy reliques In prosecution of the first part amongst other points the Author sheweth that GOD permitteth some to be possessed that thereby the faithlesse Atheists may learne that there is both a God and a deuill and that the faith of the Catholique Church may also be confirmed by the power left vnto her in casting out of deuils In the handling of the second point hee tryumpheth against the Protestants saying that for all theyr reformation which they talke of to be
so neere the order of the Primitiue Church yet they are not able either to discerne who are possessed amongst them nor how to giue thē remedy The third part is handled more largely to the great aduauncement power of Reliques As for holy water that S. Macarius thereby cured a woman who by Magicall enchauntment seemed to be turned into a Mare Likewise how S. Peter hallowed bread against the assault of certaine deuils which were sent by Simon Magus in the likenes of dogges to deuoure him For the power of priesthood there is an example alledged of S. Martin how he putting his fingers into the mouth of a Daemoniacke the deuill durst not bite him though he bad him to bite him if he had any power so to doe There is also mention made of the vertue of the blessed sacrament of holy oyle and of the bones of Saints The vse of all those things was very frequent in the exorcising of the parties possessed Insomuch as wee omitted not the reliques and bones of Ma. Campian Ma. Sherwin Ma. Brian and Ma. Cottam to haue some little testimonie by implication from the deuill to prooue them holy Matyrs If I be not deceiued Ma. Edmunds alias Weston was the Author of this booke and the examples by him alledged were brought of purpose to giue the more credit to his and our proceedings with the said parties before mentioned And indeed he was not therein deceiued for wee that were priests were thereby greatlie magnified by Catholiques schismaticks and weak protestants the two former beeing confirmed in the Romane Catholicke faith and the third sort therevnto reconciled as hath beene before mentioned And that cannot be denied but that in the course which wee held with the said pretended Daemoniacks many occasions were giuen and aptly taken to scorne and deride the orders seruice now established by her Maiesties lawes in the Church of England Likewise I must confesse that the course we held was so pleasing to such as saw it or were informed of it by those that they trusted as it prooued very gainfull vnto vs all that were priests wee had out of question procured vnto our selues very great fauour credit and reputation so as it was no meruaile if some young Gentlemen as Ma. Babington the rest were allured to those strange attempts which they tooke in hand by maister Ballard who was an Agent amongst vs. They saw as they supposed for both maister Babington and diuers of his company were oftentimes at the exorcisings that we had a great commandement ouer deuils which preuailed greatly with them as I think It would haue been a very strange thing I am perswaded that wee could not haue wrought men at that time to attempt which was prudently foreseene by Fa. Edmunds of purpose as I am resolued in my conscience to prepare the harts minds of Catholiques by those practises that when such forces as were intended should haue come into England they might haue been more readily drawn by him and vs to haue ioyned theyr forces with them And this is that I can say concerning the occasions or inducements that such matters were taken in hand at the time articulated Now as touching the substance of the generall interrogatory it selfe I haue perused the seuerall examinations and confessions of Sara Williams and Friswood her sister of Anne Smith and of Richard Mainy gentleman and am fully perswaded that they haue deposed the truth in such poynts whereof they were examined belonging to theyr pretended possession dispossessiō The effect wherof is that they were drawn by our cunning carriage of matters to seeme as though they had beene possessed when as in truth they were not neither were there any of the priests ignorant in my cōscience of their dissimulation nor the parties themselues as now it appeareth of our dissembled proceeding with them After I had beene my selfe first at one of theyr exorcisings it was my chaunce to he that night with maister Thomson a priest and a great Actor in those matters at his chamber by the Spittle and falling into some conference about it I vsed some such words as though I doubted whether the party were actually and really possessed For I my selfe being not acquainted with anie plot deuised by Fa Edmunds or any other spake my minde some-what more plainely then I perceaued Ma Thomson wel liked of His aunswer vnto me was in effect that he being my friend did earnestly wish me to cast forth no such speeches whatsoeuer I did thinke For quoth he the matter is iudged to be so by Fa Edmunds and some others that are Priests Besides such Catholiques as haue beene present at such fits haue receaued it for a truth that the parties are possessed And although I for my part will not make it an article of my Creede yet I thinke that godlie credulitie doth much good for the furthering of the Catholique cause and for the defacing of our common enemies and their proceedings or to this effect Not long after also talking with Ma Stamp at the Lo. Vaux his house in Hackney concerning these matters and demaunding of him seriously his opinion what he thought of them his aunswer was that they were things of such importance as would further the Catholique cause more then all the bookes that had beene written of late yeeres about the controuersies in Religion with the Protestants with which aunswer I seemed to rest contented because I saw thereby he was not willing to enter into any playner course with me I would not haue this my confession further extended then my meaning is I doe not take vpon me either directly or indirecty to oppose my selfe to the three poynts of the Treatise before mentioned which are strengthened with some authorities both of the Scriptures and of the auncient Fathers and Writers How be it as I account it presumption to denie all those Histories as touching the casting out of deuils in the Primitiue Church since the Apostles times so to beleeue all that is written thereof I hold it a point of great madnes and I doubt not but the soundest Catholiques in Europe are of my opinion For be it true that is alledged in the said treatise of S. Ambrose that he neuer heard of any that could counterfeit himselfe to be a Daemoniack yet later experience hath taught vs the contrary And indeede the artificiall skil considered where-vnto priests haue attained it is a very easie matter to bring a young girle or a youth to doe and speake those things which the Exorcists can readily colour and interpret as if it were both done and spoken by deuils that did possesse them But yet this I wil say and giue it for a rule to all Catholiques heereafter that wil not purposely suffer themselues to be deluded let them but mark diligently when they are present at any such actions what the parties pretended to be possessed doe eyther act or speak and then they shal perceaue nothing but may very well