Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	matter_n	see_v	3,060	5	3.1155	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19745	The most wonderfull and true storie, of a certaine witch named Alse Gooderige of Stapen hill, who was arraigned and conuicted at Darbie at the Assises there as also a true report of the strange torments of Thomas Darling, a boy of thirteene yeres of age, that was possessed by the deuill, with his horrible fittes and apparitions by him vttered at Burton vpon Trent in the countie of Stafford, and of his maruellous deliuerance.	I. D.	1597 (1597)	STC 6170.7; ESTC S1876	32,153	48

it is to be receaued amongst the witchcrafts whereof there bee great store vsed in our Land to the great dishonor of God But to our matter When Robert Toone the Boyes Uncle and his Schoolmaster saw that mistres Walkeden could nothing preuaile with this bad woman they took her aside to whom after many questions she granted that she was in the Wood that Saturday which the Boy spake of and that she saw no boy but Sherrats boye Further they demanded of her when she receiued the Communion She sayd a twelue month agoe And asking what she receiued She answered her damnation They asked her whether she knew what she said She answered againe what shuld I receiue but my damnation They caused her to say the Lords Praier and the Creed which she huddled vp wyth much adoo but when she came to these words in y e Lords Praier And lead vs not into temptation and in the Creed either to Iesus Christ The Holy Ghost or The Catholicke Church she would not say anie of those words After these examinations she departed to her owne house The next day he had manie sore fits in the which because he would clap his hands on his face and shrike pittifully they asked him the reason thereof at the end of his fit He answered that the greene Cat which hee saw had eyes like flames of fire and that caused him thus fearfully to hide his eyes that his paine which he indured was very greeuous like the pricking with daggers or stinging of Bees which caused his crying As this his vexatiō moued many that came to see him to shed teares so did it not a little greeue hys Uncle Toone who seeing these fits to increase thought it good that the Witch were brought before a Iustice and so went with Iesse Bee the 10. of Aprill before M. Tho Graysley Esquire and Iustice of Peace crauing his Precept to that purpose which he granted directed it to the Constable of Stapen-hill to bring both this Alice Gooderidge which was almost 60. yeres of age and old Elizabeth Wright also mother to this Alice who had bin 4 or 5. times before him on suspition of many such crimes The Precept thus graunted forth they were brought before Ma Graysley to whom shee would confesse nothing saue that she met a Boy which she thought to be Sherats boy who had broken her a basket full of egges in Abels Cloase and sayd shee if my wordes did him anie hurt I am sorry but that word Bell shee did not remember that she vsed The next morning when the Boy should rise his shirt was knit on diuers knots betwixt his legs and beeing asked how that came He said be could not tell All that day he continued in senseles fits with grieuous groaning and fearfull skreaming crying out looke where the Witch standeth with three warts vpon her face The next morning being Saturday about six of the Clocke at which time his Keepers thinking not the hower of his sits to be come tooke no great care of looking to him he was vpon the sodaine throwne vnder the bedde crying fearfully Flames of fire flames of fire Forthwith he got vpon the bed being fearfull and amazed in his countenance About foure of the clocke at which tyme his fittes were wont to leaue him they did now take him in wonderfull fierce manner till midnight with greater extremitie than at anie time before hauing sildome more intermission than to vomit and saye as it was his vsuall manner in most extreamities The Lord bee praysed In these fits he shriked pittifully and fearfully desiring them to take away the blacke Cat. Both now and most times be made signes of prayer with folded hands striking vpon his breast The 14. of April Sir Humphrey Ferrers and Master Graysley met at Robert Toones who caused thether to bee brought Elizabeth Wright and Alice Gooderidge together with her husband and daughter Master Graysley after some questions concerning his fits commanded that the Bible should be deliuered into the boyes handes who began to read the first Chap. of S. Iohns Gospel till he came to the 4. verse at which place when he read hee was ouerthrowne into a most cruell Fit Presently after which the old woman Eliza. Wright came into Robert Toones house which so soone as M. Graysley vnderstood he caused her to be broght into the parlor where the Child was but she was verie vnwilling to come in crying Alas that euer I was borne what shall I doo M. Graysley spake loud to her asking if she could do the boy anye good She answered that her daughter had that at home that she should doo good with He caused her with much adoo to looke vpon the boy which as soone as euer shee did he fell into a strange and cruell fit Lying vppon hys backe his eyes standing staring open in fearfull manner his teeth set in his head his armes clapped close to his sides and all the parts of his bodie quaking verie fearfully M. Graysley bad her kneele downe and pray for him which shee did but so as no bodie could vnderstand what she sayd Whilest she prayed the fit continued and therefore they thrust her out of doores which beeing done the boyes fit ended presently S. Humphrey and M. Graysley agreed that certaine women should search the mother the daughter seuerally to see if they could finde any such marks on them as are vsually found on witches The old woman they stript found behind her right sholder a thing much like the vdder of an ewe that giueth sucke with two teates like vnto two great wartes the one behinde vnder her armeh●le the other a handfull off towardes the top of her shoulder which when they had found they put on her cloths againe leauing the place bare that it might be seen both of sir Humfrey maister Graisley and diuers others of good worth as indeede it was They bade her say the Lords prayer which she hudled vp after her manner leauing out these wordes still vnsaide And leade vs not into temptation being then demanded how long she had those teates she aunswered she was borne so Then did they search Alice Gooderige and found vpon her belly a hole of the bignesse of two pence fresh and bloudy as though some great wart had beene cut off the place The Iustices examined her concerning the bewitching of the Boy but she would confesse nothing Then sir Humfrey tooke her to the boy and asked him whether this were shee that thus bewitched him he answered that it was surely shee then did sir Humfrey did him scratch her which when the boy offered to do his hand was presently benummed and pluckt to his side and he tormented in euery part foure seuerall times he assaied to do this but stil with like succes he was bidden to lay his hand on the standers by which he did without difficultie Then proceeded they in examining her concerning her hurt she said that she went to fetch

Sunday being the xxi of March That day besides that his wonted fit tooke him he began in other and more strange manner to bee vexed for hee sweyed downs as one in a swound Foorth with they tooke him vp and layd him vpon a bed where hauing layne some smal space he arose vp sodainly striuing and strugling in such sort that it was enough for two or three to hold him Then fell hee sodainly vpon his backe and lying in such manner raysed vp his leggs one after the other so stifly that the standers by could not ●●ow them in the hamme and thus continuing a whyle with greeuous roaring at last he raysed himselfe vp on his feete and his head his belly standing vp much aboue hys head or feete continuing so a little space he fell downe vpon his backe groning verie pittifully Then rising vp he ran round on his hands and his feete keeping a certaine compasse after that striuing and strugling with groning he fel a vomiting and then comming to himselfe saide the Lordes name bee praised This was the first fit that hee had and after this maner was hee ordinarily handled during the time of his possession saue that hee did seldome runne round in that manner that is aforesaid which being thus ended he fell vpon his knees sodainely to prayer and that so pithily that the standers by wondered thereat as much as they did at his strange visitation beeing no lesse comforted by the one than they were before greeued at the other The next day bee hadde many fittes in the whith hee woulde often point at a greene Catte that troubled him and still intreated his friends that were preitut to pray for him Betweene his fittes he requested them to reade the scriptures which when they could not doe for weeping to behold his miserie they sent at the boyes request for one Iesse Bee that doth dwell in Burton vpon Trent who tooke the notes of the whole matter and him the Boy after some speeches intreated to read where he would who read the xi Chapter according to Sa. Iohn till hee came to the fourth verse at which time the Boye was ouerthrowen into a fit like the f●●●ntes ī which hes lasted commonly about halfe a quarter of an houre Iesse continued reading the xi xii and xiii of Iohns Gospell and the first second of the Reuelation During which time his fitts continued one in the necke of another Which ending with a vomit hee vsed to saye The Lordes name bee praised and manie times Lord Iesu receiue my soule When Iesse either ceased to speake of anie comfortable matter or to read the scriptures the Boy was quiet from his fits but when he was so religiously occupied they came thicke vpon him which Iesse Bee considering and obseruing told the Boyes Aunt he suspected that the Boy was be witched Upon which occasion though she doubted of the matter she told him as before both her going to the Phisition and the Phisitions iudgement concerning the Boyes sicknesse which he ouer-hearing yet said nothing The next morning he said vnto the maide that made him readie I heard my Aunt tell Iesse Bee that I was bewitched the same Saterday that my sicknes tooke me I lost my Uncle in the Wood and in the Coppice I met a little old woman she had a gray gown with a black fringe about the cape a broad thrumd hat and three warts on her face I haue seene her begging at our doore as for her name I know it not but by sight I can know her againe As I passed by her in the Coppice I chanced against my will to let a scape which shee taking in anger sayd Gyp with a mischiefe and fart with a bell I wil goe to heauen and thou shalt goe to hell and forth with she stooped to the ground I stood still and looked at her viewing euerie part of her meruailing what shee stooped for so I came home and she went to Winsell Hereupon a more vehement suspition arising some iudged it to be the Witch of Stapen-hill others because she was olde and went little abroad rather thought it to be Alice Gooderidge her daughter who was had in great suspition of manie to be a dooer in those diuellish practices as afterward it proued Thus the boyes fits continued daily from the 23 of March till the eight of Aprill to the great trouble of his Aunt in looking to him and attending on such as came to see him whereof manie were of verie good account When in his fittes hee was depriued of the vse of speach hee would make signes of praying with folded hands sometime lifting them vp and sometime striking them vpon his breast oft times also in these fits he wold sodainly and amazedly open his eyes stating and shriking most pittifully clapping both his hands vpon his face not being able to indure the sight of such fearfull obiects as he beheld On this manner was he tormented in the day and had reasonable good rest in the night except through some fearfull dreames whereunto he was much subiect Being asked if hee could remember what hee did when hee made such signes He answered that somtimes he prayed and somtimes the Cattossed him vp downe in a string And thus for a good space he could remember readily make relation of his troubles The Thursdaye before Caster beeing the 8. of Aprill there came to see the Boye Mistresse Walkeden of Clifton his Grandmother and Mistres Saunders his Aunt to whom when it was told what the Boy sayd conterning the meeting of a woman in the wood Mistres Walkeden vpon the Witches cursing the Boyes sodaine sicknes his strange handling the Phisitions iudgement thoght it more than probable that the Boy was bewitched and by the markes that he had taken perceiued that it was Alice Gooderidge which had thus bewitched him yet making conscience to accuse her till it appeared vpon sure proofe sent for her into the Towne to talke with her priuately When with much adoe she was came they brought her into the chamber where the Bay was at which time the Boy fell sodainly into a maruellous sore fit which being ended Mistres Walkeden asked her if she knew that boy She answered she knew him not Manie other questions were asked but in vaine for she would not confesse anye thing Some of the standers by perswaded the Boye to serateh her which he did vpon the face and the back of the hands so that y e blood came out apace she stroked the back of her hand vpon the child saying take blood enough child God helpe thee To whom the Boy answered praye for thy selfe thy prayer can do mee no good Here by the way touching this vse of scratching the witch thogh it be commonly receiued as an approued meanes to discry y e witch and procure case to the bewitched yet seeing that neither by anie naturall cause or supernaturall warrant of Gods word it hath anie such vertue giuen vnto it