Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	woman_n	world_n	worth_a	12	3	7.5740	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58995	The second part of the boy of Bilson, or, A true and particular relation of the imposter Susanna Fowles wife of John Fowles, of Hammersmith, in the county of Middlesex, who pretended her self to be posses'd with the Devil : giving an exact account of the beginning, progress, conferences, discovery, commitment, confession, &c. of the said imposter / the whole being writ and attested by Robert Howson, clerk, Captain John Ponsey, and Mr. Nicholas Wade, who were frequently with her during the time of her pretended possession, and before whom she made the confession herein contained, as also by a great number of clergy, both conformists and nonconformists mentioned in the following narrative.	Howson, Robert.; Ponsey, John.; Wade, Nicholas.	1698 (1698)	Wing S2300; ESTC R33732	11,682	29

he was asked how he made his Throat swell and he shewed it was by thrusting his Tongue being very long down his Throat which trick he found out himself the rest were taught him by the Priests Thus did the Bishop preserve an innocent old Woman condemned by the Law to die discover the abominable Forgeries of the Priests and convert a wicked Boy whom afterwards he bound Apprentice and proved a good Man I shall make no Remarks upon the foregoing Story but leave the Reader himself to compare it with the following Imposture which was thus THE HISTORY OF OUR Present Impostor OF all the prodigious Products either of the Inanimate Animate or Rational World that this monstrous Age hath produced the ensuing Instance may justly challenge the precedency Wherein the Prince of the Air hath imposed not only upon a great Number of Learned and Charitable Christians both Ministers and others of all Persuasions but upon himself too pretending to be where he was not and to do what he did not in that sense that was pretended that he might rivet himself the faster in his moral Possession and expose the heavenly Religion of the Holy Jesus to the Ridicule and Contempt of a blasphemous and prophane Age. But in all such Cases I humbly conceive 't is most safe to fall forward in being charitably mistaken till Observation Pains and Prayers with the Blessing of Heaven upon all shall undeceive the mistaken as it hath done blessed be God's Name in the ensuing Case of Susannah Fowles Wife of John Fowles of Hammersmith in the County of Middlesex Labourer who about the Age of Twenty years was in or about August 97 married to the said John Fowles who finding her Fortune to be less than she did pretend to and he did depend upon it caused such Discontent between them as threw her into such unreasonable and extravagant Passions that she did frequently Imprecate the Devil to fetch her from him and his Family Upon which the Devil soon found such Instruments as did not only foment but heighten the matter to that degree that she was perswaded she was possess'd with the Devil Which indeed was true though not in that yet in a far worse sense The Person she tells you in her Confession that did first perswade her to feign her self to be possessed was a Relation of hers that did live in Bloomsbury and as she believes a Roman Catholick So that now the World may expect the Second Part of the Boy of Bilson detected by that Learned and Pious Prelate Dr. Morton then Lord Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield and not without some probable Reasons for the same For in some short time after a very officious Gentleman who is call'd by the Name of Dr. Jourdan of Brentford made her a friendly Visit giving her a Spell to hang about her Neck which he told her would certainly keep out the Devil which was afterward examin'd and found to be an Exorcism with several Crosses and these words Alpha and Omega Immanuel and Jehovah above and below and on each side it being drawn in the manner of a Scheme Who likewise strictly charged her to cross her self upon the Forehead and Breast not doubting but thereby to effect the Cure And since that a Doctor of Divinity of this Church and in this City hath declared that the Papists did report that the Work would never be done till their Priests came And sometime after a very ingenious young Gentlewoman came to my Lodgings and told me That if We of the Church of England did not and the Popish Priests did cast the Devil out of this Woman she did believe that she should be a Proselyte to their Church To whom I answer'd That before she left so good a Church grounded upon so good a Faith by making our Ministers a foil to their Priests I did hope she would first be satisfied whether it was not an Imposture And moreover How far one evil Spirit may cast out another to carry on the common Cause of the dark and damned World would be very well worth her enquiry or to that purpose And it was observed by a very honest Gentleman that stood by that one day when she was in Rotten-Row in Old-street a Gentlewoman gave her a Wafer in a small piece of Cake bidding her to eat that in the Name of Jesus that was crucified upon the Cross To which if you add the Story of the Portugueses with their hairy Jackets and bare Feet mention'd in her Confession we may without breach of Charity conclude That if these Gentlemen were not the Contrivers they would if they could have been the Conjurers And now follows the Imposture it self which was managed as follows First by a pretended Apparition which she saith she frequently had and at last was so familiar with her that she call'd him her Friend Mr. Thomas describing him by his ghastly Face and by all the Parts of an humane Body saying to use her own Words That his Fingers did hang like the Fingers of a Bartholomew-Baby This Mr. Thomas at several times brought several Papers to which he did perswade her to subscribe her Name Monday the 17th of January as her Husband says she had a Paper brought with these words so legibly writ that he could read them I am thy servant Which she refusing to subscribe Mr. Thomas made his Exit for that time x v m s By the Advice of the worthy and ingenious Gentleman Captain Bonsey my own and others in order either to have her discovered or recovered she was brought to London about the 17th of February and lodged in an Apartment taken for her in Rotten-Row in Oldstreet having for her Attendance her Husband and his Sister Friday the 18th I made my first Visit to her in Old-street where I found several both Men and Women some admiring others pitying and all seemingly praying for her to whom after some short time I address'd my self as I and other Ministers had often done in the Name of the Blessed Jesus At which she pretended to be thrown into such Convulsions and Agonies both of Body and Mind as did obtain upon the belief of the Beholders that she was really possess'd or under some strange diabolical Influence out of which after she had continued in it about a quarter of an hour without any seeming sense either of Body or Mind she return'd with that composedness and sedateness of Mind as if she had been rather with God than the Devil Monday the 21st of February after having desired the Learned and Reverend Lecturer of the Parish to accompany me I went the second time when I found her in the same condition as before with one Mr. Powel and Mr. Burnet Dissenting Ministers who had bestowed some time and pains in Prayer with her and for her for which she seem'd to be very thankful When to strengthen the Imposture she did pretend to discover what had been privately discours'd by some in the Room in reference

The Second Part of the Boy of BILSON OR A True and Particular RELATION OF THE IMPOSTOR Susanna Fowles Wife of John Fowles of Hammersmith in the County of Middlesex who pretended her self to be Possess'd with the DEVIL Giving an Exact Account of the Beginning Progress Conferences Discovery Commitment Confession c. of the said IMPOSTOR The Whole being Writ and Attested by Robert Howson Clerk Captain John Bonsey and Mr. Nicholas Wade who were frequently with her during the Time of her Pretended Possession and before whom she made the Confession herein contained as also by a great number of the Clergy both Conformists and Nonconformists mentioned in the following Narrative LONDON Printed and are to be sold by E. Whitlock near Stationers Hall MDCXCVIII TO THE READER Courteous Reader THE following Relation sets before thee a living Instance of the Policy of that Grand Deceiver of Mankind the Devil and I doubt of those Master-workers for his Kingdom the Jesuits For if all Circumstances occurring in the subsequent Narrative be well weighed and considered there will I believe be found some probable grounds for such a Conjecture And therefore I was of Opinion that I could not do the World better Service than by setting before their Eyes A True and Faithful Account of this parlous Impostor thereby to give a light into the Tricks and Contrivances of such-like Damnable Designs for the future as also by laying open the heinousness of the Sin to restrain the wicked Inclinations of such as may be in danger to be misled by the Delusions of Satan and for the encouraging of all to a hearty Reliance upon the Providence of Almighty God who best knows what Condition is fittest for us 'T is observable That one chief End of all this kind of Impostors is to get Money as it was in the Case before us as does appear by her Confession and therefore I do most earnestly exhort all those whose Hearts are set too much upon the Goods of this World not to venture upon the least indirect Means to procure the same least the Devil who no doubt will be apt to prompt them on still further do not at last bring them to that State of Insensibility as to dare to attempt the most unaccountable Villainies to compass their unjust Ends which will at last without sincere and hearty Repentance bring them to their own most miserable Ends even Eternal Damnation The Second Part OF THE Boy of Bilson Or A True and Particular Relation OF THE IMPOSTOR Susannah Fowles AMong the many strange and unaccountable Impostures that have been Acted upon this great Stage of the World I cannot meet with any one that will parallel the Case before us unless it be the Story of the Boy of Bilson which because it was long since transacted and is but come to the Knowledge of a few I will here set down by way of Introduction to and Illustration of the following Narrative The Story was this In Stafford-Shire at a Town call'd Bilson was a Boy whose Father Mother Neighbours and many other People with admiration did absolutely think Possest with a Devil for he had strange sudden violent distorting Fits that appeared to all the Beholders contrary to Nature and being not full Fifteen Years Old it could not be imagined that he could be guilty of any Imposture and therefore his Case was the more Remakable The Jesuits the best Physicians in such Distempers hearing of it visited the Boy Prayed by him and used such other Charms and Exorcisms as make them admired by silly People giving his Parents good hope of Dispossessing him of the foul Spirit by which might palpably be discern'd how much God's Power was exprest in their Weakness and what Difference there was between the Truth and Holiness of the Catholick Religion and the Heresie professed among Protestants So that they that heard them and there were abundance that Resorted to the Place took them for very Holy Men. These Caterpillars visited him often sometimes in Private sometimes in Company but this kind of Spirit would not be commanded by them so that they grew almost desperate of the Cure The Boy in his Fits would rave against an Old Woman dwelling near to his Father intimating by Signs and ghastly Behaviour that she had sent a Spirit to torment him and when he was out of his Fits positively accused her of being a Witch and the Author of all his Misery This old Woman was sent to the Chancellor of Litchfield to be Examined and the Boy was brought thither to confront her And having his Back towards her at her coming into the Room where the Chancellor was before she yet entred or appeared he fell into a most bitter Agony crying out Now she comes now my Tormentor comes wreathing and tearing himself in so horrid a manner that it did not only breed Amazement but Pity in the Spectators there being many with Expectation attending the Issue Which with some other Probabilities were an Inducement to the Chancellor to send the Woman to Stafford Gaol At the next Assizes for the County the Boy and his Parents appear as Witnesses against the Witch The Boy was placed in a conspicuous part of the Court with his Face to the Bench Eying the Judge continually in a very peaceable and quiet Posture and as the Woman was coming in when the Court thought it impossible the Boy should be sensible of her Appearance he fell into a more raging Fit than ever he was Possest with before so stupendiously unnatural that it was deem'd by all that saw it that nothing but a Diabolical Spirit could work such horrid Effects This thus openly acted and the Relation of what was done at Litchfield and other like Circumstances so possess'd both the Court and Spectators that the Old Woman that had no good Reputation among her Neighbours being of a testy froward Temper a Temper incident to Old Age found few Friends to plead her Cause so that being Indicted for Witchcraft she was found Guilty by the Jury and Condemned to Die Dr. Morton Bishop of Litchfield happily then on the Bench upon Secular Affairs hearing that some Romish Priests had been tampering with the Boy with their Exorcisms to the Undevilling of him and finding little Reason produced why the Witch should use the Boy so ill was perswaded this might be some Trick of the Jesuits for enhancing the Credit of Miracles he therefore pray'd the Judge to Reprieve the Woman till the next Assizes and he would take the Boy home with him have him carefully and strictly looked to not doubting but before that time he should find out the bottom of some secret and hidden Contrivance The Judge assented to the Bishop's Request and so the Boy was carried to Eccleshall Castle the Bishop's House whither his Fits followed him with a great deal of Violence for being put out of his Road having formerly all sorts of People come to admire him and now being more carefully looked to he

grew sullen and would not eat somerimes in two or three days so that his Belly was almost clung and grown to his Back and he had a new Swelling about his Throat which never appeared before Lay in his Bed sometimes as it were Senseless sometimes staring with his Eyes and foaming at the Mouth sometimes striking those that stood near him his own careful Mother being one whom he had made all black and blue about the Arms and Breasts never spoke but in his Fits and then a strange Gibberish at other times he only muttered and made signs The Bishop visited him often striving sometimes to soften him with Gentleness at other times he handled him roughly but his Evil Spirit was not so easily laid The Bishop spoke to him one time some of the Greek Testament to see how that would work and it brought him into his Fits At another time he uttered some Verses out of the Greek Poets which his Devil was not so Learned as to distinguish for that put him into a Fit again so that the Bishop was confirmed that he was an Impostor of a most pernicious and pertinacious Spirit but how to conjure it out of him was the Difficulty And finding Words and Menaces made no Impression in him he fell to Blows for taking him out of his Bed and having one to hold him the Bishop gave him six very smart Lashes with a Rod which moved the Boy no more than if he had been an insensible Stock They also thrust Needles into his Toes and Fingers betwixt the Nails clapt burning Candles to his Eye-lids till they singed the Hair off to divert him when he was in his Fits yet he neither winch'd nor stirred so that the Actors were more troubled to execute than he to suffer In this Condition growing almost desperate he would make signs for Knives or any other Instrument to do himself a Mischief with therefore strict Care was taken and many watchful Eyes set over him to prevent any such Danger Thus he continued almost a quarter of a Year at last his Urine grew so black that the Physicians thought Nature had left her usual Operation having never found in any Humane Body so much adust Matter to give so deep and deadly a Tincture This struck the good Bishop very near for he was certain the Priests had been tammering with him and now if he should miscarry under his Hands those Mint-Masters of Mischief would Coin such Scandals against him as might pass current in the World's Opinion Therefore he used all the means he could possible as well to preserve him as to discover him but finding the Boy indure so many Tryals with Patience so much Hardship and Severity in tender Years he resolv'd if his Water continu'd black to shift the matter no further To find out which he set a trusty Servant to watch him through a hole that looked into the Chamber upon the Bed which the Boy knew not of The Bishop going that Morning with his Family to a Lecture all things were very still in the House and the Boy finding all quiet no Noise about him he lifts himself up stares and listens and at length gets out of his Bed and in the Straw or Mat under it takes out an Ink-horn and makes Water in the Chamber-pot through a piece of the Cotton in his Hand another little piece of the Cotton he puts between the Glans and the Prepuce drawing the Skin over it and that was for a Reserve if he should be forced to make Water when Company was by Thus having cunningly put himself in order he hides the Ink-horn again and returns to his Bed The Man that was appointed to watch him seeing all this discovered it to the Bishop at his coming home who came to him presently and askt him How he did he according to his usual manner pointed to his Water looked ghastly on it and mutter'd out his old howling Tone The Bishop that now meant to deal roundly with him said Sirrah you have Ink in your Bed-straw which you make use of to black your Water and your Knavery is found out and calling in his Man he took out the Ink-horn where the Boy had hid it and the Man justified that he saw him make Water through the Cotton Which with the Bishop's Threatning to send him to the House of Correction struck the Boy with such a sudden Terror that he rose from his Bed fell upon his Knees and humbly besought the Bishop to pardon him and he would discover to him the whole Truth And as he put on his Cloaths the Bishop laid open the Grievousness of his Sin which wrought so upon his Spirit that he melted into Tears crying to God for Mercy A very great Alteration that what he did but counterfeit the Devil so hardned him in that all the Torments and Pains inflicted by Man could not produce a Tear till God that melted the Rock had first touched the Heart Then he Confess'd as follows Namely That a Pedlar met him when he was going to School and with many inticing Words perswaded him to go to Mr. Gifford's House assuring him of good Entertainment and with his Allurements he went thither with him There he found four Romish Priests who gave him Money and many fair Words promising him great matters if he would be conformable to their Instructions They were three days in teaching him how to demean himself and after he was well tutored and had practised his Tricks there privately then they sent him home to his Father who thought he had been lost and was much troubled for him to exercise them in a more publick way He came home in a very distracted manner to the Amazement of his Parents and in a short time drew much Company to visit him and his Parents being Poor got Money from many Charitable People which did incourage him to persist in that way But when the Rumour of his being Possessed with an Evil Spirit was sufficiently bruited abroad the Priests came to dispossess him but he found so much Sweetness in the Ease and Profit of that Life that he would not be dis-inchanted by them though they charm'd never so cruelly for they beat him and pincht him and used him very hardly to make him desist Thus were the Deceivers deceived The Bishop askt him Why he accused the poor Old Woman of Witchcraft He answered The Priests told him he must lay the Cause of his being Possest upon some Old Woman and she being known to him and of a scolding Humour he fixt it on her Then the Bishop askt him How he came to fall into his Fits a little before the Woman appear'd in the Room both at her Examination and Arraignment For the first at Litchfield he said he heard some about him Mutter She is here which made him cry out She comes She comes And for the second at Stafford he heard the People remove and her Chains gingle as she came which gave him the sign Lastly