Darrell say that it was ordinary with those that were in Somers case when the Witches haue been brought vnto them to be greatly vexed at their comming at their departure and to lye very quietly whilest the same Witches stoode by them Somers discouered his witches after this manner Being in a fitte he would amongst other speeches say fetch mee such a woman Now or euer she came to him he would seeme to be strangely vexed and more strangely when shee approached neere vnto him But when she was with him he was in quiet as if hee were a sleep but if she turned her backe then was hee troubled as before And this was their custome that were his friendes about him so soone as they had tried any woman detected straight way she was sent to prison and so they serued sixe or seuen This triall was sufficient Mother Boote and so of the rest is a witch and therefore with the rest must go to prison As Somers did name any for witches M. Darrel procured them to be fetched out of their houses Somers naming some for witches M. Darrel procured them to be sent for and bringing them to the boy did afterwardes go himselfe to see them put in prison saying that the boy could not bee in quiet till they were laide fast And this course M. Darrell held vpon the boyes words so as in two daies he procured to be imprisoned sixe to seuen vnder this pretence that they were witches Afterwardes also vppon the like occasion hee caused to bee apprehended and examined on Millicent Horsley and her sister Furthermore M. Darrel was charged to haue growne to such vanitie at that time through the admiration had of him especially by his followers and some other credulous persons by reason of the said course which hee and Somers held for the detecting of witches as that he affirmed hee doubted not by Somers meanes to detect all the witches in England M. Darrell confesseth part hereof in these words I finding William Somers to haue discouered thirteene witches at Nottingham and afterwards said in priuate to some friendes of mine that I thought Somers would bee able to discouer any witch if he came where they were or they came where he was But he denieth the rest which is deposed as followeth I heard M. Darrell say that he doubted not by this meanes vz by Somers detecting of witches to discouer all the witches in England Besides the folly of that which M. Darrel himselfe doth here confesse might easily by himselfe haue beene discerned but that through the conceite had of him he grew to be very impudent For those whome Somers had named for witches no man could iustly blame M. Darrell saith Robert Cooper desired the Maior of Nottingham to make inquirie through the towne if any person could charge any of the pretended witches The Maior did so accordingly and nothing being laid to diuers of their charges they were all set at libertie vppon bonds sauing two But this deuise of Darrels concerning the detecting of witches is almost laide asleepe Of all the partes of the tragicall Comedie acted betweene him and Somers there was no one Scene in it wherein M. Darrell did with more courage boldnes acte his part then in this of the discouerie of witches He sendeth for them procureth thē to be examined carieth them before Iustices of peace goeth to see thē imprisoned maketh no doubt but that they are witches and so bestirreth himselfe therein as many thereby were greatly seduced and had him in wonderfull estimation One of his friends maketh this discouery of witches to be one of the worthie fruites of that admirable worke of dispossessing of Somers telling vs that witches are the Lordes chiefest enemies that God would not haue them suffred to liue and that the hiding sauing of these witches is iustly thought to haue beene one of the first and principall causes of slaundering this worke of Somers dispossessing But consider how now the tide is turned The authour of the briefe Narration making a catalogue of all the worthy actes that fell out betwixt M. Darrell and Somers skippeth ouer the detection of witches being the fruites of a fortnights worke M. Darrell himselfe in his Apologie in this matter is altogether silent being otherwise very plentifull in the rest And this which followeth is supposed to be the cause of such a change M. Ireton being a man of very good parts and yet somewhat ouercarried in this cause being vnacquainted with the proceedings in it suspecting no euill is one of the men of whom M. Darrell and his friendes haue greatly bragged And it is true that his credite wrought some inconuenience through his facultie in belieuing those things which were told him albeit his speeches still did relie vppon this supposition that if those thinges which he heard were true then thus and thus Besides some indiscreet opposition in points of learning did make him to say something whereof more hold was taken then peraduenture he meant This M. Ireton hauing beene examined and particularly concerning the point in hand of detecting of witches saith thus I thinke that Somers did counterfeit those fittes wherein he tooke vpon him to disclose witches and am perswaded that he neuer had any skil by sathans meanes or otherwise so to do By this deposition that deceit of Darrels is so dasht as it is supposed we shall haue no more of it and the rather because it may be thought he was very weary of it being diuers waies greatly plunged in it Somers telleth to this purpose one pretie tale I cannot omit saith he how Maister Darrell and I had like to haue been foyled in this matter Widdow Boote suspected for a witch being to bee brought vnto me and I hauing notice thereof before did shew my selfe to bee greatly troubled both at her comming in and at her going away as my manner was But vpon a cunning tricke vsed by some that were there present I was greatly deceiued For after the departure of the said widdow she was brought and carried backe againe into the chamber and out twise or thrice secretly vnder one of their cloakes that had laid that plot as I afterwards perceiued so that neither Maister Darrell nor I hauing vnderstanding thereof nor any suspition of such kinde of dealing I could not put in practise my former trickes but was quiet at euery such her going in and comming out Whereupon they that vsed this deuise did presently publish the same and thereby affirmed that out of all question I was but a dissembler CHAP. VI. Of M. Darrels course from about the seuenth of December vntill the 14. of Ianuarie whilest Somers refused to dissemble any longer BY this time Somers began to be wearie of counterfeiting hauing spent a moneth from the time of his pretended dispossession in starting in playing his gamboiles vnder a couerlet and in detecting of witches And afterwardes for ought that M.
somewhat too much in the action of casting forth Diuels The cause of which his glorie inlarged it selfe forsooth in the saide yeare 1596. when pretence is made that he cast a Diuell out of a boy in Burton called Thomas Darling then about the age of foureteene yeares Of this worthy acte a booke being penned by one Iesse Bee a Sadler in Burton the same was first contracted by one M. Denison a minister in that countrey and then after it had beene seene and allowed by M. Darrell M. Hildersham it was published in print and was commonly sold and called for by this title vz. The booke of the dispossessing of the boy of Burton What M. Darrell tooke vpon him after this his second exploit it may bee surmised by glorying in the first But yet his name was not so famous vntill the 17. of March next following when being sent for into Lancashire by one M. Starkie vpon the report of M. Dee his Butler who told the said M. Starkie what M. Darrell had done at Burton he dispossessed in the said M. Starkies house seuen persons at one clap vz. Iohn Starkie Anne Starkie Margaret Hardman Elianor Hardman Ellen Holland Margaret Byrom and Iane Ashton which Iane is since fallen into the hands of certain Seminarie priests and hath beene caried by them vp and downe that countrey to sundry recusants houses as certaine idle men were wont to carry puppets and by her cunning counterfaiting of certaine fits staying of herselfe by the secret directions of the said Priestes she hath gotten God knoweth what they by such lewdnes haue wonne great credit but her Maiesties subiectes haue in the meane time beene shamefully abused Of the dispossessing of the said seuen parties there is a booke that runneth from hand to hand penned by M. Dicons preacher at Leigh as M. Darrell saith and iustified from point to point although very childishly by one M. More a preacher of his owne allowance who ioyned with M. Darrell in the pretended dispossessing of the said seuen Touching which booke there are added in the end of the said historie of the boy of Burton these words vz. Shortly you shall haue the true storie come forth of those seuen in Lancashire that were possessed with vncleane spirits and all seuen deliuered at one time by this man meaning M. Darrell as he himselfe confesseth But of all that euer M. Darrell dealt with William Somers one of Nottingham supposed to be possessed is the youth by whom as it seemeth he hath wonne his spurs in the opinion of many especially women He had in his hands nine of the former persons but two or three daies and so dispatched them but Somers stucke in his fingers almost fiue monethes When hee began with Katherine Wright he dealt but rudely as he confesseth himselfe vnskilfully Marry by the time that hee tooke Somers in hand at Nottingham which was in Nouember 1597. hee was growne his crafts maister Of his proceedings with the said Somers and of the said Somers fits diuers treatises are come abroad M. Darrell himselfe hath written a short historie concerning that matter and besides that an Apology of his own penning for the iustifying of himself is lately come out in print there is also published printed an other booke in his behalfe intituled A briefe narration of the possession dispossession repossession of W. Somers Lastly M. Darrell hauing played his tricks so long with William Somers that all which the boy could doe began to grow very stale in Nottingham then hee attempted to practise with Mary Cooper the sister of Somers and there was no remedie but she must be possessed and so he set a new matter on foot which was very zealously followed by certaine wiues in that towne but before it came to any perfection M. Darrell began to be disclosed for a dissembler Touching all these sauing those in Lancashire examinations haue beene taken and aswell by the confessions of the parties as by diuers other circumstances it doth plainely appeare that all which was done betwixt Darrell and them was meerely counterfeyted But for as much as his greatest peece of cunning and legerdemaine was imployed chiefly about Somers as hauing then learned more iugling-skill then before and that his practises with that boy were and still are so greatly insisted vpon by him his friends that nothing will be digested that is spoken against them the greatest paines haue bene taken to find out the packing that hath beene vsed in this cause CHAP. II. The occasion why M. Darrels dealing with Somers was called into question at Lambeth IT is a common vse when any men for matters of crime are called into question and especially if they are like to fal out hardly with the defendantes to discredite the witnesses to slaunder the plaintifes and to take exceptions both to the Iudges and to their proceedinges And hereof the course that M. Darrell and his frendes haue held may be an example hee the said M. Darrell being charged with diuerse notable cosenages in pretending by hypocriticall sleightes to cast out Deuils The particulars to this purpose in euery point are not here so pertinent some of those onely that concerne the occasions pretended why M. Darrell hath bene called into question and the persons that by authority haue looked into this cause and the witnesses that haue beene produced in it are meete to bee considered For they doe argue a great combination or associatiō to haue wrought some great worke if they had not by fortune stumbled in their way Some giue it out that the detecting of one Alice Freeman to be a Witch was the occasion through M. Freeman her kinsmans dealing that William Somers was first accounted to be a counterfaite Others of deeper insight say that the Deuill himselfe enuying the happy estate of Nottingham by meanes of M. Darrels preaching there did raise vp that slaunder of possession to hinder it There be also that giue it out iustly as they say that the first occasion of mouing this euill forsooth against M. Darrell was his threatning the iudgements of God against such Pastors as let their people perish for lacke of instruction And one seemeth to ascribe the hard conceite held by some of M. Darrel to the want of faith telling vs that when Lazarus was raised from the dead some were hardned and complayned vpon our Sauiour The same fellow also reporteth that it hath been giuen out by one a great man amongst them meaning her Maiesties Commissioners for causes ecclesiasticall that seeing they haue taken it in hand they will haue the credite of it insinuating that otherwise M. Darrell might long before this time haue beene discharged as a man blameles and innocent in those pointes whereof he was accused and to strengthen this grosse vntruth that appertayneth as shameles as the other where hee sayeth that there hath beene running to the Court to forestall the Lordes and Ladyes of Honor and to
and handled by the Doctors of Deuill driuing that of witches is now most pertinent For all the Deuils that M. Darrell hath hitherto incountred were sent by them as it seemeth into his patients Whether witches can send Deuils into men or women as many doe pretende is a question amongst those that write of such matters the learneder and sounder sort doe hold the negatiue Against whom Thyraeus opposeth himselfe with Thyraerus M. Darrell that not without very pregnant reasons if he may be credited For he is able to specifie or describe the particular parties that sent their spirites into his patientes together with their seuerall names and in what manner the witches did send them Middlecub the Familiar spirite of one Margaret Roper of Eckling in Darbishire did by her commandement possesse Katherine Wright Alice Goodridge of Staphen-hill in Darbyshire hauing a spirite called Minny in the likenes of a dogge parte colored red and white did send the same to torment Thomas Darling hauing first taught her saide spirite by strayning her own body and vomiting how he should handle and vex his The seauen in Lancashire were as it seemeth possessed by the meanes of one Edward Hartley who breathed wicked spirites into them as it was supposed by kissing them An old woman meeting William Somers vppon Blackewell-more heath did procure her spirite to enter into him or by his accepting at her handes a piece of bread and butter and eating it Touching this olde woman last mentioned M. Darrell for a time was peremptory to the effect specifyed but since there falling out a matter contrary to his expectation wherof hereafter he now affirmeth and one of his fellowes hath printed it that an olde woman in Worcestershire did that stratageme by sending into Somers a Familiar of hers called Lucie And for Marie Couper M. Darrels last patient it was one Alice Freeman of Nottingham that directed the deuill to possesse her shee poore woman suspecting shee had beene with childe till M. Darrell tolde her it was a wicked spirite within her that caused her so to swell would any man desire to haue a question more directly resolued The onely doubt is to those that be simple men how M. Darrell came to the knowledge of these thinges And it would bee well cleared The Iesuiticall and popish Exorcistes that holde for this worke of Witcherie haue but two wayes as it seemeth whereby they know when the spirites are sent by Witches and the one is the Confession of the deuill that is cast out and the other the Confession of the Witches who threw him in And thus far M. Darrell is fully prouided to answere for his skill For it was Middlecub the spirite he sayeth that tolde him that Margaret Roper did send him into Katherine Wright And touching Thomas Darling Alice Goodridge confessed that shee sent her Minnie into him mistaking him for one Sherrartes boy The Booke also of the seauen in Lancashire doth after a sorte insinuate that Edward Hartley confessed his sending of seauen deuils into them But how hee will shifte concerning Alice Freeman and the foresaide olde woman of Darbishire and Worcestershire he hath nothing as yet for ought that is knowne but VVilliam Somers and Marie Coupers reports which his M. Thyraeus sayeth are not sufficient although the partyes for the iustifying of them should offer themselues ad plagas virgas But to helpe him herein if men may be bold a little with the Iesuite why should not eyther Mary Couper or Wlliam Somers bee aswell belieued in saying that Alice Freeman and the saide olde women bewitched them and by that meanes sent their wicked spirites into them as Middlecub who tolde M. Darrell that Mary Roper sent him into Katherine Wright For when eyther Thyraeus or M. Darrell tell vs that the spirites haue confessed who sent them what doe they say in effect but that the parties themselues told them so Neither of them both dare say that the deuils after they were cast out did or doe vse to tel any such matter but the truth is that when by their knauery they haue induced the parties supposed to be possessed to say that such or such a woman bewitched them then they tell those that are present that it is not the saide parties but the wicked spirites that so confesse who sent them And touching the confession of the Witches themselues that may be left well inough to such learned men as haue written sufficiently of it In the meane while let M. Darrels foolish conceites be further considered of CHAP. VII Of the Causes pretended why men are possessed AS there are pretended diuers meanes whereby Sathan is sent into men and women to possesse them so are there sundry causes deuised why they are sent For example sometimes they say they are sent without any respect of the parties offences into whome they are sent and sometimes in regard of their offences Now of sinnes or offences they make two sortes the one Mortall and the other Veniall the Mortall are thus recyted Infidelity abusing of the Eucharist blasphemie pride luxuriousnes enuie couetousnes persecution of godly men disobedience to parentes slaundering speeches contempt of religion for one to curse himselfe to the deuill to be at league with Sathan and the contempt of the Sacrament of confirmation The Veniall you must thinke are in number many these following are reckoned to be of that kinde Idle wordes iesting speeches sporting lyes immoderate laughing and such like For the remission whereof Non requiritur poenitentia proprié accepta neque actualis neque habitualis neque sacramentalis repentance being properly taken is not necessarie neither actuall habituall nor sacramentall The Bishops blessing knocking on the breast and a little holy water will rid a man of them That the Deuill is sent into men for mortall sinnes they holde it cleare but whether for Veniall sinnes or not that is made a great question and Thyraeus resolueth it It is most certaine sayeth he that Veniall sinnes haue giuen Sathan occasion to possesse men and they are accordingly deliuered corporally vnto him pro leuissimis quibusque delictis for the least offence that can be committed A very hard cause that men should be in such a plight for no greater a matter then a little holy water will wash away Now forasmuch as the spirits that possesse men haue interest more or lesse in thē as some hold according to the qualitie of the causes for the which they were sent into them and will not therefore bee so easilie expelled when they enter for mortall sinnes as for Veniall as it is an especiall parte of the Exorcistes duty as their rules declare when they endeuour to cast out the Deuill to trauell by all the meanes they can deuise that they may learne the cause of his entrance And least any man should thinke that therein they loose their labours and for the better iustifying of Thyraeus resolution
his chiefe desire he the said M. Darrell confesseth thus I gaue my worde to Somers his maister that he should haue thirteene shillinges foure pence to release him of his apprentiship which afterwardes I did performe There was such kindnes betwixt M. Darrell and Somers at Nottingham as being it may be thoght old frends hee and some other of his adherentes entertained him with good cheare and when afterwardes he was accused to haue bewitched one M. Darrell dealt with the Maior of Nottingham that he might be bayled Touching the first I well remember sayeth a Deponent that the boye was one night at supper with M. Darrell M. Brinsley and two Ministers more at the signe of the Castell And for the second although M. Darrell deny it yet M. Aldridge sayeth that the occasion of Somers bayling was partly in respect of M. Darrels and his earnestnes with the Maior to that effect Moreouer it toucheth M. Darrell somewhat neare and doth generally argue such a compact to haue beene betwixt him and Somers in that whilest he was at Nottingham he had secret conference with him diuerse times This M. Darrel denyeth but it is thus proued I saw M. Darrell often times talk with my brother alone in my fathers house I well remember that William Somers did ofte come to M. Bonners house whilest M. Darrell lay there to enquire for M. Darrell and went to him to his chamber I saw the boy William Somers come one morning to M. Darrels chamber and as I remember no body with him I came one afternoone to M. Darrels lodging and there I found M. Iohn Beresforde and the boy with M. Darrell And I haue heard by good reporte that the boy did much frequent to goe to M. Darrell at many and seuerall times Againe when Somers was fallen at iarre with M. Darrell he the said Somers did both write vnto him in a threatning sort and vse to others such kind of wordes as did argue that there was some packe betwixt them the opening whereof might much concerne M. Darrell In his saide letter he did write thus as M. Darrell confesseth All thinges that I did were counterfeyte and I pray you let it passe for the more you meddle in it the more discredit it wil be for you And for his words to others Nicholas Shepheard sayeth I being desirous to know of Somers what hee meant to write so boldly to M. Darrell he answered that M. Darrell had best to let him alone or else it would turne to both their discredites And to the same effect Iohn Cooper Many times Somers did speake very hardly of M. Darrell wishing that hee had neuer knowne him Besides in that M. Darrel hath turned his copy as touching the Witch pretended by him to haue sent her spirite into Somers it sitteth verie neare vnto him whilest he was in Nott. little suspecting as it seemeth that Somers would haue disclosed their packing at Ashby or hauing not so throughly foreseen what might fall out in that behalf he was confident as he pretended vpō a tale told by Somers in one of his fits of a certain old woman that she the said woman had bewitched him and been the cause of all his trouble The tale was that the Lent before his pretended fits at Nott. he met an old woman on Blackwel more-heath that she spake vnto him that she told him she knew Katherine Wright that how they two wold come to Nott. vnto him that she asked him a penny that he saying he had none she affirmed he had three pence how except hee would giue her a penny she would breake his necke and throw him into a colepit that was neare at hand that he gaue her thereupon a penny that shee gaue vnto him a peece of bread and butter which was the sweetest that euer he did eat of in his life and that he saw a black cat at that time come vnto her Thus far the tale deuised by Somers as he confesseth as a trick of knauery in one of his fits Howbeit M. Darrel hearing the same in sort as is before expressed confesseth that he affirmed for a certainty or as he verily thought that the said woman was a Witch that it was she that had bewitched the boy had been the cause of all his former trobles Wherupon there was a general rumor saith M. Pare that it was she that had bewitched Somers none other Howbeit al this notwithstāding M Darrel now finding as it may be thoght that he laid the cause of Somers pretēded possession to short in that he the saide Somers had confessed their packing together at Ashbie doth now ascribe the cause of all the boyes troubles vnto a woman of Worcestershire that thereby hee might make it somewhat probable that Somers counterfeyting at M. Brakenburies did not proceed from his instructions as the boy deposeth but from the said woman that had bewitched him And thereupon now both he and his friendes doe giue it out in printe and otherwise that William Somers became to be possessed by the meanes of a Witch in Worcester who had sent a wicked spirite into him called Lucy and that rumor runneth therby strongly amongst such as do fauour him The tale and occasion of it was thus William Somers being playing his prankes before M. Darrell came to Nottingham in such sorte as it beganne to be reported that he was possessed he was vrged as he sayeth at one time by some that were present to tell how he thought he first grew to be troubled Whereupon he deuised this story as he confesseth of meere knauerie and to maintain and set forward the opinion already conceyued that he was possessed vz. that whilest he dwelt with M. Brakenburie he was bewitched as he thought by an old woman who accōpanied him as hee was going to Bramsgroue that he denying to giue her a hatband which he had found in the way she threatned him that thereupon the night following he was frighted and so began at M. Brakenburies to haue such like fittes as then hee had at Nottingham and that in one of his said fits hee heard something say vnto him that vpon such a day he wold leaue him not come to him again til about 4. years after which time quoth Somers being now expired I began to be againe troubled as now you may perceiue but all these deuises and knaueries of the boye will not serue M. Darrels turne it being the common practise of such iuglers to teach the parties with whom they deale to attribute their trouble to witches thereby to make it more probable to the simpler sort that they are possessed And Somers hath els where confessed M. Darrels course held with him to that effect and how at their first acquaintance hee told him that Katherine Wright was first molested by the meanes of a witch Moreouer hee had heard and read some part of a very ridiculous booke
such shapes and I confesse that I haue affirmed so much vnto others but cannot depose that so I haue affirmed vnto her howbeit I belieue if I haue not spoken so much vnto her yet I haue done it to others in her hearing But Mary Cooper deposeth thus The relation which I made before the iudges at the assises of my seeing strange sights and apparitions as the apparition of cattes and flames of fire with the rest I had dreamed of them by night in a dreame onely and when I had told M. Darrell what I had dreamed he perswaded me that it was no dreame but a true vision and bad mee say auowe that I had seene those cattes and flames of fire in deed By this his perswasion I did so say auow and caused it to be belief or a truth You heare in this deposition some mention of the Iudges whereupon it is fit to remember vnto you what a very straunge and malicious practise was vndertaken to haue procured the death of a poore woman one Alice Freeman vpon pretence that she was a witch This Alice Freeman was one of those whome Somers had named for witches is allied to M. Freeman an Alderman Iustice of peace in Nottingham This M. Freeman as it seemeth had no liking of M. Darrelles proceedings with Somers which stirred vppe great hatred and malice against him which because M. Darrell and his adherentes could not execute vpon him they thought they would be reuenged vpon his kinswoman It is said but vntruely by some of M. Darrels friends that before the detecting of Alice Freemon for a witch it was not reported in Nottingham that Somers was a dissembler thereby inferring that the offence taken by her detection was the cause that raised vp a slaunder forsooth of Somers dissimulation therefore no maruaile if M. Darrell his associates were greatly inflamed therewith Now this Alice Freeman hauing escaped that imputation in respect of Somers for that his bewitching was one while laid vpon the Darbishire witch and afterwards vpon the Worcestershire witch a practise was vndertaken to charge the said poore woman Alice Freeman to haue bewitched to death the childe before mentioned of this Marie Cooper and that she likewise was the cause of the said Maries trouble and vexation as hauing bewitched her in like manner This conceite being thrust into Marie Coopers head she charged the said Alice with that fellonie her inditement was framed at the next Assizes she was arraigned M. Darrell was one amongst diuers that gaue in euidence against the woman grounding himselfe much vppon Somers detecting of her for a witch and matters were so prosecuted against her as had not the Iudges in their wisedome discerned somewhat rectified their courses to a due issue it is verily thought the poore woman being founde guilty by the great enquest had beene condemned to death Of these particulars there are no depositions sauing what Mary Cooper her selfe hath confessed vpon her oath Howbeit that the said Alice was so dealt with it will not bee denied But let vs heare Mary Cooper I was procured saith she by Mistris Gray George Small and his wife M. Power and his wife to prosecute the matter of inditement which I preferred against Alice Freeman at the Assizes for a witch and I receiued money of mistres Gray to pay for the bill of inditement and likewise I receiued instructions from amongst them to frame in euidence and they likewise vrged me to moue for the good behauiour against Alice Freeman when she was acquitted But in my conscience I am perswaded and was perswaded of the said Alice Freeman that she was neuer any witch and I did all that I attempted against her at the vrging of the parties aforesaid Besides as soone as Alice Freeman was acquitted I went as I was willed before to Mistris Darrell M. Power and his wife Mistres Aldridge were met together and stayed for me and then and there M. Darrell and the rest were earnest with mee to frame a petition to my Lorde Anderson and notwithstanding the acquiting aforesaid to offer to take it vpon my oath that the said Alice Freeman had bewitched not onely my child for the which before she had beene indited and acquited but also my selfe and they framed and gaue me a petition accordingly but my conscience pricked me not to deliuer it If his be true which is thus deposed it is but agreeable vnto the violent humours that raigne in that kinde of people But sure the practise was fowle and therefore it was feared as it seemeth to be detected For after that Somers was in examination at London the said Mary had a shrewd caution giuen her She deposeth thereof in this sorte Maister Darrell saith she and the rest aboue named meaning Mrs. Gray Maister Power and his wife and Mrs. Aldridge told me that I must beware for if any hole could be espied in my coate I should be sent for to London as my brother William was This Mary Cooper hauing continued about three or foure weekes in her said dissimulation she did leaue off those practises as her brother saith without any assistance of M. Darrell to dispossesse her and hath beene well euer since And M. Aldridge afterwardes she grew to bee indifferently well and so doth continue onely she complaineth that she hath a kind of stirring in her bellie But in deede as information is giuen the poore woman liueth orderly and well amongst her neighbors and is not otherwise troubled then it happeneth out vppon occasion with other women Onely it seemeth she is in great feare of some hard measure to be offred vnto her vpon the comming to light of her examination For thus she deposeth Now that I haue from my conscience told the truth in this matter I shall be so pointed at reuiled and abused in the open streetes of the towne as I shall grow wearie of my life For the meeting with which inconuenience it is wished and not doubted that the Magistrates in Nottingham will be carefull Vnto these notable exploites of M. Darrels concerning Mary Cooper Katherine Wright the boy of Burton William Somers something might bee added of his pretended dispossessing the seuen so often mentioned in Lancashire out of one Maister Mores examination confession touching that matter His said examination is in the Registers office to her Maiesties Commissioners for causes ecclesiasticall where all the rest of the aforesaid examinations do remaine And if any will take the paines to peruse it he shal find that M. Darrel and M. Mores course held with those in Lancashire was as vaine and ridiculous as with any of the other The authour of the Briefe Narration after hee hath taken his pleasure against the proceedinges of her Maiesties Commissioners and such as they deputed for the better examination of these causes as disdaining and scorning them he writeth iudgeing other men of likelihood by his owne corrupt conscience in this