seek their acquaintance Not knowing of their false governance He also saith and experience verifieth his assertion that they look ill favoaredly and are alwayes beggerly attired his words are these These fellowes look ill favouredly And are alwaies tired beggerly So as by smelling and thred bare aray These folk are known and discerned alway But so long as they have a street to wrap them in by night Or a rag to hang about them in the day light They will it spend in this craft They cannot stint till nothing be laft Here one may learn if he have ought To multiply and bring his good to nought But if a man ask them privily Why they are clothed so unthriftily They will round him in the eare and say If they espied were men would them slay And all because of this noble science Loe thus these folk betraien innocence The tale of the chanons yeoman published by Chaucer doth make by way of example a perfect demonstration of the art of Alchymistry or multiplication the effect whereof is this A chanon being an Alchymister or cousener espied a covetous priest whose purse he knew to be well lined whom he assaulted with flattery and subtill speech two principall points belonging to this art At the length he borrowed money of the priest which is the third part of the Art without which the professors can doe no good nor indure in good estate Then he at his day repayed the money which is the most difficult point in this art and a rare experiment Finally to requite the priests courtesie he promised into him such instructions as whereby with expedition he should become infinitely rich and all through this art of multiplication And this is the most common point in this science for herein they must be skilfull before they can be famous or attain to any credit The priest disliked not his proffer specially because it tended to his profit and embraced his courtesie Then the chanon willed him forthwith to send for three ounces of quicksilver which he said he would transubstantiate by his art into perfect silver The priest thought that a man of his profession could not dissemble and therefore with great joy and hope accomplished his request And now forsoeth goeth this jolly Alchymist about his businesse and work of multiplication and causeth the priest to make a fire of coales in the bottome whereof he placeth a croslet and pretending only to help the priest to lay the coals handsomely he foisteth into the middle ward of lane of coals a beechen coal within the which was conveyed an ingot of perfect silver which when the coal was consumed slipt down into the croslet that was I say directly under it The priest perceived not the fraud but received the ingot of silver and was not a little joyfull to see such certain successe proceed from his owne handy 〈◊〉 wherein could be no fraud as he surely conceived and therefore â—oy willingly gave the chanon forty pounds for the receipt of this experiment who for that sum of money taught him a lesson in Alchymistry but he never returned to hear repetitions or to see how he profited CHAP. III. Of a yeoman of the countrey cousened by an Alchymist I Could cite many Alchymisticall cousenages wrought by Doctor â—â—â—cot Feates and such other but I will passe them over and only repeat three experiments of that art the one practiced upon an honest yeoman in the country of Kent the other upon a mighty prince the child upon a covetous priest And first touching the yeoman he was oâ—â—â—aken and used in manner and forme following by a notable cousening varlet who professed Alchymistry juggling witchcraft and conjuration and by means of his companions and confederates discussed the simplicity and ability of the said yeoman and found out his estate and humour to be convenient in this purpose and finally came a wooing as they say to his daughter to whom he made love cunningly in words though his purpose tended to another matter And among other illusions and tales concerning his owne commendation for wealth parents inheritance alliance activity learning pregnancy and cunning he boasted of his knowledge and experience in Alchymistry making the simple man beleeve that he could multiply and of one angell make two or three Which seemed strange to the poor man insomuch as he because willing enough to see that conclusion whereby the Alchymister had more hope and comfort to attain his desire than if his daughter had yeelded to have married him To be short he in the presence of the said yeoman did include within a little ball of virgine wax a couple of angels and after certain ceremonies and conjuring words he seemed to deliver the same unto him but in truth through legierdemain he conveyed into the yeomans hand another ball of the same scantling wherein were inclosed many more angels than were in the ball which he thought he had received Now forsooth the Alchymister â—ad him lay up the same ball of wax and also use certain ceremonies which I thought good here to omit And after certain dayes hours and minutes they returned together according to the appointment and found great gaines by the multiplication of the angels Insomuch as he being a plain man was hereby perswaded that he should not only have a rare and notable good sonne in law but a companion that might help to adde unto his wealth much treasure and to his estate great fortune and felicity And to increase this opinion in him as also to win his further favour but especially to bring his cunnnig Alchymistry or rather his lewd purpose to passe he told him that it were folly to multiply a pound of gold when as easily they might multiply a million and therefore counselled him to produce all the money he had or could borrow of his neighbours and friends and did put him out of doubt that he would multiply the same and redouble it exceedingly even as he saw by experience how he dealt with the small summe before his face This yeoman in hope of gains and preferment c. consented to this sweet motion and brought out and laid before his feet not the one halfe of his goods but all that he had or could make or borrow any manner of way Then this juggling Alchymister having obtained his purpose folded the same in a ball in quantity farre bigger then the other and conveying the same into his bosome or pocket delivered another ball as before of the like quantity unto the yeoman to be reserved and safely kept in his chest whereof because the matter was of importance either of them must have a key and a severall lock that no interruption might be made to the ceremony nor abuse by either of them in defranding each other Now forsooth these circumstances and ceremonies being ended and the Alchymisters purpose thereby performed he told the yeoman that untill a certain day and hour limited to returne
duke and a strong he is seen like a lion with griphens wings he maketh a man subtill and wonderfull in handicrafts philosophy and in sciences contained in books and is ruler 〈◊〉 thirty six legions Cimeries is a great marquesse and a strong ruling in the parts of Aphâ—â—ca he teacheth perfectly grammar logick and rhetorick he discovereth treasures and things hidden he bringeth to passe that a man shall seem with expedition to be turned into a souldier he rideth upon a 〈◊〉 black horse and ruleth twenty legions Amy is a great president and appeareth in a flame of fire but having taken mans shape he maketh one marvellous in astrology and in all the liberall sciences he procureth excellect familiars he bewrayeth treasure preserved by spirits he hath the government of thirty six legions 〈◊〉 is partly of the order of angels partly of potestates he hopeth after a thousand two hundreth years to returne to the seventh throne which is not credible Flauros is a strong duke is seen in the forme of a terrible strong leopard in humane shape he sheweth a terrible countenance and fiery eyeâ—◠〈◊〉 answereth truly and fully of things present past and to come if he 〈◊〉 in a triangle he lyeth in all things and deceiveth in other things and beguileth in other businesses he gladly talketh of divinity and of the creation of the world and of the fall he is constrained by divine â—â—â—tue and so are all divels or spirits to burne and destroy all the conâ—â—â—rors adversaries And if he be commanded he suffereth the conjuroâ—â— to be tempted and he hath legions under him Balam is a great and a terrible king he commeth forth with the heads the first of a bull the second of a man the third of a ram he haâ—â— a serpents taile and flaming eyes riding upon a furious beare and carrying a hawke on his fist he speaketh with a hoarse voice answering perfectly of things present past and to come he maketh man invisible and wise he governeth fourty legions and was of the order of dominitions Allocer is a strong duke and a great he commeth forth like a souldier riding on a great horse he hath a lions face very red and with flaming eyes he speaketh with a big voice he maketh a man wonderfull in astronomy and in all the liberall sciences he bringeth good familiars and ruleth thirty six legions Saleos is a great earle he appeareth as a gallant souldier riding on a crocodile and weareth a dukes crowne peaceable c. Vuall is great duke and a strong he is seen as a great and terrible dromedary but in humane forme he soundeth out in a base voice the Egyptian tongue This man above all other procureth the especiall love of women and knoweth things present past and to come precuring the love of friends and foes he was of the order of potestates and governeth thirty seven legions Haagenti is a great president appearing like a great bull having the wings of a griphen but when he taketh humane shape he maketh a man wise in every thing he changeth all metals into gold and changeth wine and water the one into the other and commandeth as many legions as Zagan Phoenix is a great marquesse appearing like the bird Phoenix having a childs voyce but before he standeth still before the conjuror he singeth many sweet notes Then the exorcist with his companions must beware he give no eare to the melody but must by and by bid him put on humane shape then will he speake marvellously of all wonderfull sciences He is an excellent poet and obedient he hopeth to returne to the seventh throne after a thousand two hundreth yeares and governeth twenty legions Sâ—olas is a great prince appearing in the forme of a night-raven before the exorcist he taketh the image and shape of a man and teacheth astronomy absolutely understanding the vertuâ—s of herbs and pretious stones there are under him twenty six legions ¶ Note that a legion is 6666. and now by Multiplication count how many legions dâ—e arise out of every particular ✚ Secretum secretorum The secret of secrets Tu operus sis secretus horum Thou that workst them be secret in them CHAP. III. The houres wherein principall divels may be bound to wit raised and restrained from doing of hurt A Maymon king of the east Corson king of the south Zimimar king of the north Goap king and prince of the west may be bound from the third houre till noone and from the ninth houre till evening Marquesses may be bound from the ninth houre till compline and from compline till the end of the day Dukes may be bound from the first houre till noone and cleare weather is to be observed Prelates may be bound in any houre of the day Knights from day dawning till sunne rising or from evensong till the sunne set A President may not be bound in any houre of the day except the king whom he obayeth be invocated nor in the shutting of the evening Counties or earâ—â— may be bound at any houre of the day so it be in the woods or â—elâ— where men resort not CHAP. IV. The forme of adjuring or citing of the spirits aforesaid to arise 〈◊〉 appeare WHen you will have any spirit you must know his name and 〈◊〉 you must also fast and be cleane from all pollution three or foâ—â— dayes before so will the spirit be the more obedient unto you 〈◊〉 make a circle and call up the spirit with great intention and boâ—â— a ring in your hand rehearse in your owne name and your company for one must alwayes be with you this prayer following and â—o spirit shall annoy you and your purpose shall take effect And note 〈◊〉 this agreeth with popish charmes and conjurations In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the ✚ father ✚ and the sone and the Holy ghost ✚ holy trinity and unseparable unity I call upon them that thou mayest be my salvation and defense and the protection of the body and soule and of all my goods through the vertue of thy holy cross and through the vertue of thy passion I beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ by the merits of thy blessed mother S. Mary and of all thy saints thou give me grace and divine power over all the wicked spirits 〈◊〉 which of them soever I do call by name they may come by and by 〈◊〉 every coast and accomplish my wil that they neither be hurtfull nor 〈◊〉 full unto me but rather obedient and diligent about me And through vertue streightly commanding them let them fulfill my commandement Amen Holy holy holy Lord God of sabbaoth which wilt come to 〈◊〉 the quicke and the dead thou which art A and Ω first and last King of kings and Lord of lords Ioth Aglanabrath El Abiel Anathiel 〈◊〉 Sedonel Grayes Heli Messias Tolimi Elias Ischeros 〈◊〉 Imas By these thy holy names and by all
distinguished A day naturall is the space of foure and twenty houres accounting the night withall and beginneth at one of the clocke after midnight An artificiall day is that space of time which is betwixt the rising and falling of the ☉ c. All the rest is night 〈◊〉 beginneth at the ☉ rising Hereafter followeth a table shewing how the day and the night is divided by houres and reduced to the regiment of the planets The division of the day and the planetary regiment The division of the night and the planetary regiment CHAP. VII The characters of the angels of the seven days with their names of figures scales and periapts These figures are called the scales of the earth without the which no spirit will appeare except thou have them with thee CHAP. VIII An experiment of the dead FIrst fast and pray three dayes and abstaine thee from all filthynesse go to one that is new buried such a one as killed himselfe or destroyed himselfe willfully or else get thee promise of one that shall be hanged and let him sweare an oath to thee after his body is dead that his spirit shall come to thee and do thee true service at thy commandements in all dayes houres and minuts And let no persons see thy doings but thy fellow And about eleven a clocke in the night goe to the place where he was buried and say with a bold faith and hearty desire to have the spirit come that thou doest call for thy fellow having a candle in his left hand and in his right hand a crystall stone and say these words following the master having a hazell wand in his right hand and these names of God written thereupon Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Agla ✚ Craton ✚ Then strike three strokes on the ground and say Arise N. Arise N. Arise N. I conjure thee spirit N. by the resurrection of our Lord Jesu Christ that thou do obey to my words and come unto me this night verily and truly as thou beleevest to be saved at the day of judgement And I will swear to the an oath by the perill of my soule that if thou wilt come to me and appeare to me this night and shew me true visions in this crystall stone and fetch me the fairie Sibylia that I may talke with her visibly and she may come before me as the conjuration leadeth and in so doing I will give thee an almesse deed and pray for thee N. to my Lord God whereby thou mayest be restored to thy salvation at the resurrection day to be received as one of the elect of God to the everlasting glory Amen The master standing at the head of the grave his fellow having in his hands the candle and the stone must begin the conjuration as followeth and the spirit will appeare to you in the crystall stone in a faire forme of a child of twelve yeares of age And when he is in feele the stone and it will be hot and feare nothing for he or she will shew many delusions to drive you from your worke Feare God but feare him not This is to constraine him as followeth I conjure thee spirit N. by the living God the true God and by the holy God and by their vertues and powers which have created both thee and me and all the world I conjure thee N. by these holy names of God Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Algramay ✚ Saday ✚ Sabaoth ✚ Plaâ—â—both ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Neupuraton ✚ Deus ✚ Homo ✚ Omnipotens ✚ Simpiternus ✚ Ysus ✚ Terra ✚ Vnigeniius ✚ Salvator ✚ Via ✚ Vita ✚ Manus ✚ Fons ✚ Origo ✚ Filius ✚ And by their vertues and powers and by all their names by the which God gave power to man both to speak or think so by their vertues and powers I conjure thee spirit N. that now immediately thou doe appeare in this crystall stone visibly to me and to my fellow without any tarrying or deceipt I conjure thee N. by the excellent name of Jesus Christ A and Ω the first and the last For this holy name of Jesus is above all names for in this name of Jesus every knee doth bow and obey both of heavenly things earthly things and infernall And every tongue doth confesse that our Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of the Father neither is there any other name given to man whereby he must be saved Therefore in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by his nativity resurrection and ascension and by all that appertaineth unto his passion and by their vertues and powers I conjure the spirit N. that thou doe appeare visible in this crystall stone to me and to my fellow without any dissimulation I conjure thee N. by the blood of the innocent lambe Jesus Christ which was shed for us upon the crosse for all those that doe beleeve in the vertue of his bloud shall be saved I conjure thee N. by the vertues and powers of all the royall names and words of the living God of me pronounced that thou be obedient unto me and to my words rehearsed If thou refuse this to doe I by the holy trinity and by their vertues and powers doe condemne thee thou spirit N. into the place where there is no hope of remedy or rest but everlasting horror of paine there dwelling and a place where there is pain upon pain dayly horribly and lamentably thy pain to be there augmented as the starres in the heaven and as the gravell or sand in the Sea except thou spirit N. doe appeare to me and to my fellow visibly immediately in this crystall stone and in a fair form and shape of a childe of twelve yeares of age and that thou alter not thy shape I charge thee upon pain of everlasting condemnation I conjure thee spirit N. by the golden girdle which girdeth the loins of our Lord Jesus Christ so thou spirit N. be thou bound into the perpetuall paines of hell fire for thy disobedience and unreverent regard that thou hast to the holy names and words and his precepts I conjure thee N. by the two edged sword which Iohn saw proceed out of the mouth of the Almighty and so thou spirit N. be torne and cut in peeces with that sword and to be condemned into everlasting pain where the fire goeth not out and where the worm dyeth not I conjure thee N. by the heavens and by the celestiall city of Ierusalem and by the earth and the sea and by all things contained in them and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee spirit N. by the obedience that thou dost owe unto the principall prince And except thou spirit N doe come and appear visibly in this crystall stone in my presence here immediately as it is aforesaid Let the great curse of God the anger of God the shadow and darknesse of death and of eternall condemnation be upon thee spirit N. for ever and ever
and by his unspeakable name Tetragrammaton and by all the holy sacraments and by the holy majesty and deity of the living God I conjure and exorcise thee Bealphares by the vertue of all angels archangels thrones dominations principaâ—s potestats virtures cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and by the most truest and speciallest name of your master that you doe come unto us in faire form of man or woman kinde been visibly before this circle and not terrible by any manner of wayes This circle being our tuition and protection by the mercifull goodnesse of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that you doe make answer truly without craft or deceit unto all my demands and questions by the vertue and power of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. XIIII To bind the spirit Bealphares and to loose him again NOw when he is appeared bind him with these words which follow I conjure thee Bealphares by God the father by God the son and by God the Holy Ghost and by all the holy company in heaven and by their vertues and powers I charge thee Bealphares that thou shalt not depart out of my sight nor yet to alter thy bodily shape that thou art appeared in nor any power shalt thou have of our bodies or soules eartly or ghostly but to be obedient to me and to the words of my conjuration that be written in this book I conjure thee Bealphares by all angels and archangels thrones dominations principats potestates vertutes cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure and charge binde and constraine thee Bealphares by all the 〈◊〉 words aforesaid and by their vertues that thou be obedient unto me and to come and appeare visibly unto me and that in all dayes houres and minutes wheresoever I be being called by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ the which words are written in this book Look ready thou be to appeare unto me and to give mee good counsell how to come by treasures hidden in the earth or in the water and how to come to dignity and knowledge of all things that is to say of the magick art and of grammar dialectike rhetorike arithmeticke musick geometry and of astromomy and in all other things my will quickly to be fulfilled I charge upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen When he is thus bound ask him what thing thou wilt and he will tell thee and give thee all things that thou wilt request of him without any sacrifice doing to him and without forsaking thy God that is thy maker And when the spirit hath fulfilled thy will and intent give him license to depart as followeth A license for the spirit to depart GO unto the place predestinated and appointed for thee where thy Lord God hath appointed thee untill I shall call thee again Be thou ready unto me and to my call as often as I shall call thee upon pain of everlasting damnation And if thou wilt thou mayst recite two or three times the last conjuration untill thou doe come to this â—earin In throno If he will not depart and then say In throno that thou depart from this place without hurt or damage of any body or of any deed to be done that all creatures may know that our Lord is of all power most mightiest and that there is none other God but he which is three and one living for ever and ever And the malediction of God the father omnipotent the son and the holy ghost descend upon thee and dwell alwayes with thee except thou doe depart without damage of us or of any creature or any other evill deed to be done and thou to goe to the place predestinated And by our Lord Jesus Christ I do else send thee to the great pit of hell except I say that thou depart to the place whereas thy Lord God hath appointed thee And see thou be ready to me and to my call at all times and places at mine own will and pleasure day or night without damage or hurt of me or of any creature upon pain of everlasting damnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen Amen The peace of Jesus Christ be between us and you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Por crucis hoc ✚ signum c. Say In principio erat verbum verbum erat apud Deum In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word and so forward as followeth in the first chapter of saint Iohns Gospell staying at these words Full of grace and truth to whom bee all honour and glory world without end Amen A type or figure of the circle for the master and his fellowes to sit in shewing how and after what fashion it should be made THis is the circle for the master to sit in and his fellow or fellowes at the first calling sit back to back when hee calleth the spirit and for the fairies make this circle with chalk on the ground as is said before This spirit Bealphares being once called and found shall never have power to hurt thee Call him in the houre of ♃ or ♀ the ☽ increasing CHAP. XV. The making of the holy water EXorciso te creaturam salis per Deum vivum ✚ per Deum ✚ verum ✚ per Deum sanctum ✚ per Duem qui te per Elizaeum prophetam in aquam mitli jussit â—tâ—s naretur sterrilitas aquae ut efficiaâ—is sal exorcisaâ—us in saluum credentium ut sit omnibus te sumentibus sanitas animae corporis essugiat atque discedat ab co loco qui aspersus stâ—â—at omnis phantasia nequitia vel versutia diabolicae fraudis omnisque spiritus adjuratus per cum qui venturus est judicare vivos mo tuos saeculum perignem Amen Oremus Imunsam clementiam tuam omnipotens aeterne Deus humiliter imploramus ut hanc creaturam salis quam in usum generis humani tribuisti bene ✚ dicere sancti ✚ ficare tua prelate digneris ut sit omnibus sumentibus saâ—is menlis corporis ut quicquid ex co tactum suerit vel respersum careat omni immundicia omnique impugnatione spiritualis nequitia per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui tecum vivit regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen To the water say also as followeth Exorciso te creaturam aquae in nomine ✚ patris ✚ Iesu Christi filii ejus Domini nostri in virtute spiritus ✚ sanct ✚ ut siat aquae exorcisata ad estisgandam omnem potestatem inimici ipsum inimicum erodicare explantare valeas cum angelis suis apostatis per virtutem ejusdem Domini nostri Iesu Christi qui venturus est judicare vivos mortuos saeculum per ignem Amen Oremus Deus qui ad
to thee N. and to appeare to thee N. in any crystall stone glasse or other mirror and so to take it for my resting place And that so soone as my spirit is departed out of my body straightway to be at your commandements and that in and at all days nights houres and minutes to be obedient unto thee N. being called of the eâ—by the vertue of our Lord Jesuâ— Christ and our of hand to have common talke with thee at all times and in all houres and minutes to open and declare to thee N. the truth of all things present past and to come and how to worke the magick art and all other noble sciences under the throne of God If I do not performe this oath and promise to thee N. but doe flie from any part thereof then to be condemned for ever and ever Amen Also I N. do sweare to thee by God the Holy ghost and by the great wisedome that is in the divine Godhead and by their vertues and by all the holy angels archangels thrones dominations principats poteslaus virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by all their vertues do I N. sweare and promise thee to be obedient as is rehearsed And here for a witnesse do I N. give thee N. my right hand and do plight thee my faith and troth as God me helpe and holydome And by the holy contents in this booke do I N. sweare that my spirit shall be thy true servant all the dayes of thy life as is before rehearsed and here for a witnesse that my spirit shal be obedient unto thee N. and to those bonds of words that be written in this N. before the bonds of words shall be rehearsed thrise else to be damned for ever and thereto say all faithfull soules and spirits Amen Amen Then let him sweare this oath three times and at every time kisse the book and at every time make marks to the bond Then perceiving the time that he will depart get away the people from you and get or take your stone or glasse or other thing in your hand and say the Pater noster Ave and Credo and this prayer as followeth And in all the time of his departing rehearse the bonds of words and in the end of every bond say oftentimes Remember thine oath and promise And bind him strongly to thee and to thy stone and suffer him not to depart reading thy bond 24. times And every day when you do call him by your other bond bind him strongly by the first bond by the space of 24. dayes apply it and thou shalt be made a man for ever Now the Pater noster Ave and Credo must be said and then the prayer immediately following O God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Iacob God of Tobias â—he which diddest deliver the three children from the hot burning oven Sidrac Misac and Abednago and Susanna from the false crime and Daniel from the lions power even so O Lord omnipotent I beseech thee for thy great mercy sake to helpe me in these my works and to deliver me this spirit of N. that he may be a true subject unto me N. all the dayes of my life and to remaine with me and with this N. all the dayes of my life O glorious God Father Sonne and Holy ghost I beseech thee to help me at this time and to give me power by thy holy name merits and vertues wherby I may conjure and constraine this spirit of N. that he may be obedient unto me and may fulfill his oath and promise at all times by the power of all thine holinesse This grant O Lord God of hosts as thou art righteous and holy and as thou art the word and the word God the beginning and the end sitting in the thrones of thine everlasting kingdomes and in the divinity of thine everlasting Godhead to whom be all honour and glory now and for ever and ever Amen Amen CHAP. XVIII A bond to binde him to thee and to thy N. as followeth IN conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the living God by the true God and by the holy God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of thee N. that thou shalt not ascend nor descend out of thy body to no place of rest but onely to take thy resting place with N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life according to thine oath and promise I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by these holy names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Agla ✚ Saday ✚ Sabaoth ✚ planabothe ✚ panthon ✚ craton ✚ vcupmaton ✚ Deus ✚ homo ✚ omnipotens ✚ sempiternus ✚ ysus ✚ terra ✚ unigenitus ✚ salvator ✚ via ✚ vila ✚ manus ✚ sons ✚ origo ✚ filius ✚ and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou shalt not remaine in the fire nor in the water in the aier nor in any privy plaâ—e of the earth but onely with me N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life I charge the spirit of N. upon paine of everlasting condemnation remember thine oath and promise Also I conjure the spirit of N. and constraine thee by the excellent name of Jesus Christ A and Ω the first and the last for this holy name of Jesus is above all names for unto it all knees doe bow and obey both of heavenly things earthly things and infernals Nor is there any other name given to man whereby we have any salvation but by the name of Iesus Therefore by the name and in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by his nativity resurrection and ascension and by all that appertaineth to his passion and by their vertues and powers I do conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou shalt not take any resting place in the ☉ not in the ☽ nor in ♄ nor in ♃ nor in ♂ nor in ♀ nor in ☿ nor in any of the twelve signes nor in the concavity of the clouds nor in any other privie place to rest or stay in but onely with me N. or with this N. all the dayes of my life If thou be not obedient unto me according to thine oath and promise I N. do condemne the spirit of N. into the pit of bell for ever Amen I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the bloud of the innocent lambe Jesus Christ the which was shed upon the crosse for all those that do obey into it and beleeve in it shall be saved and by vertue thereof and by all the aforesaid riall names and words of the living God by me pronounced I do conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou do be obedient unto me according to thine oath and promise If thou refuse to do as is aforesaid I N by the holy Trinity and by his vertue and power do condemne the spirit of N. into the place whereas there is no
hope of â—â—ehiedy but everylasting condemnation and honor and paine upon paine daily horribly and lamentably the paines there to be augmented so thicke as the stars in the firmament and as the gravell sand in the sea except thou spirit of N. obey me N. as is afore rehearsed else I N. do condemne the spirit of N. into the pit of everlastâ—ng condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure thee and constraine the spirit of N. by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats porestats virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by the foure evangelist Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn and by all things contained in the old law and the new and by their vertues and by the twelve apostles and by all patriarchs prophets martyrs confessors virgins innocents and by all the elect and chosen is and shall be which followeth the lambe of God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. strongly to have common talke with me at all times and in all dayes nights houres and minutes and to talke in my mother tongue plainely that I may heare it and understand it declaring the truth unto me of all things according to thine oath and promise else to be condemned for ever Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the golden girdle which girdeth the loines of our Lord Jesus Christ so thou spirit of N. be thou bound and cast into the pit of everlasting condemnation for thy great disobedience and unreverent regard that thou hast to the holy names and words of God almighty by me pronounced Fiat Amen Also I conjure constraine command and binde the spirit of N. by the two edged sword which Iohn saw proceed out of the mouth of God almighty except thou be obedient as is aforesaid the sword cut thee in peeces and condemne thee into the pit of everlasting paines where the fire goeth not out and where the worme dieth not Fiat fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the throne of the Godhead and by all the heavens under him and by the celestiall city new Ierusalem and by the earth by the sea and by all things created and contained therein and by their vertues and powers and by all the infernalls and by their vertues and powers and by all things contained therein and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that now immediatly thou be obedient unto me at all times hereafter and to those words of me pronounced according to thine oath and promise else let the great curse of God the anger of God the shadow and darkenesse of everlasting condemnation be upon thee thou spirit of N. for ever and ever because thou hast denied thine health thy faith and salvation for the great disobedience thou art worthy to be condemned Therefore let the divine trinity angels and archangels thrones dominations principats â—potestaâ—es virtutes cherubim and seraphim and all the soules of the saints that shall stand on the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ at the generall day of judgement condemne the spirit of N. for ever and ever and be a witnesse against thee because of thy great disobedience in and against thy promises Fiat fiat Amen Being thus bound he must needs be obedient unto thee whether he will or no prove this And here followeth a bond to call him to your N. and to shew you true visions at all times as in the houre of ♄ to bind or inchant any thing and in the houre of ♃ for peace and concord in the houre of ♂ to marre to destroy and to make sicke in the houre of the ☉ to bind tongues and other bonds of men in the houre of ♀ to increase love joy and good will in the houre of ☿ to put away enimity or hatred to know of theft in the houre of the ☽ for love goodwill and concord ♄ lead ♃ tinne ♂ iron ☉ gold ♀ copper ☿ quicksiver ☽ silver c. CHAP. XIX This bond as followeth is to call him into your crystall stone or glasse c. ALso I do conjure thee spirit N. by God the father by God the sonne and by God the holy ghost A and Ω the first and the last and by the latter day of judgement of them which shall come to judge the quicke and the dead and the world by fire by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to come to him that holdeth the crystall stone in his hand and to appeare visibly as hereafter followeth Alsoâ— I conjure thee spirit N. by these holy names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ El ✚ Ousion ✚ Agla ✚ Iesus ✚ of Nazareth ✚ and by the vertues thereof and by his nativity death buriall resurrection and ascension and by all other things appertaining unto his passion and by the blessed virgin Mary mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by al the joy which she had when she saw her sonne rise from death to life and by the vertues and powers thereof I constraine thee spirit N. to come into the crystall stone and to appeare visibly as hereafter shall be declared Also I conjure thee N. thou spirit by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats potestats virtues cherubim and seraphim and by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿ and by the twelve signes and by their vertues and powers and by al things created and confirmed in the firmament and by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to appeare visibly in that crystall stone in faire forme and â—hape of a white angell a greene angell a blacke angell a man a woman boy a maiden virgine a white grayhound a divell with great hornes without any hurt or danger of our bodyes or soules and truly to imforme and shew unto us true visions of all things in that crystall stone according to thine oath and promise and that without any hindrance or tarrying to appeare visibly by this bond of words read over by 〈◊〉 three times upon paine of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Then being appeared say these words following I conjure thee spirit by God the father that thou shew true visions in that crystall stone where there be any N. in such a place or no upon paine of everlasting condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee spirit N. by God the sonne Iesus Christ that thou doe shew true visions unto us whether it be gold or silver or any other metals or whether there were any or no upon paine of condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee spirit N. by God the Holy ghost the which doth sanctifie all faithfull soules and spirits and by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to speake open and to declare the true way how we may come by these treasures hidden in N. how to have it in our custody who are the keepers thereof and how many there
Periapts characters c. for agues and to cure all diseases and to deliver from all evill THe first Chapter of St. Johns Gospell in small letters consecrated at a masse and hanged about ones neck is an incomparable amulet or tablet which delivereth from all witchcrafts and devilish practises But me thinks if one should hang a whole testament or rather a bible he might beguil the devil terribly For indeed so would S. Barnard have don whom the devil told that he could shew him seven verses in the psalter which being dayly repeated would of themselves bring any man to heaven and preserve him from hell But when St. Barnard desired the devil to tell him which they were he refused saying he might then think him a fool so to prejudice himself Well quoth St. Barnard I will do well enough for that for I will dayly say over the whole psalter The devil heaâ—ing him say so told him which were the verses lest in reading over the whole psalter daily he should merit too much for others But if the hanging of St. Johns Gospel about the neck be so beneficial how if one should eate up the same More charmes for agues TAke the party by the hand and say Aeque facilis sit tibi haec febris atque Mariae virgini Christi partus Otherwise Wash with the party and privily say this Psalme Exaltabo te Deus meus rex c. Otherwise Wear about your neck a piece of a naile taken from a crosse and wrapped in wool Otherwise drink wine wherein a sword hath been drowned that hath cut off ones head Otherwise take three consecrated masse cakes and write upon the first Qualis est pater talis est vita on the second Qualis est filius talis est sanctus on the third Qualis est spiritus tale est remedium Then give them to the sick man enjoining him to eate none other thing that day wherein he eateth any of them nor yet drink and let him say fifteen Pater nosters and as many Aves in the honour and praise of the Trinity Otherwise Lead the sick man on a Friday before sun-rising towards the east and let him hold up his hands towards the sun and say This is the day wherein the Lord God came to the crosse But as the crosse shall never more come to him so let never the hot or cold fit of this ague come any more unto this man In nomine patris ✚ fi ✚ lii spiritus ✚ sancti ✚ Then say seven and twenty Pater nosters and as many Aves and use this three daies together Otherwise Fécana cagé ti daphnes gebáre gedáco Gébali stant sed non stant phebas hecas hedas Every one of these words must be written upon a peece of bread and be given in order one day after another to the sick body and so must he be cured This saith Nicholas Hemingius he chanced to read in the schools in jest so as one noting the words practised the medicine in earnest and was not onely cured himself but also cured many others thereby And therefore he concludeth that this is a kind of miraculous cure wrought by the illusion of the devill whereas in truth it will fall on most commonly that a tertian ague will not hold any man longer then so though no medicine be given or any words spoken Otherwise This word Abra cadabra written on a paper with a certain figure joined therewith and hanged about ones neck helpeth the ague Otherwise let the urine of the sick body made early in the morning be softly heated nine daies together continually untill all be consumed into vapour Otherwise A crosse made of two little twigs joined together wherewith when the party is touched he will he whole specially if he wear it about his neck Otherwise Take a like quantity of water out of three ponds of equal bignesse and taste thereof in a new earthen vessel and drink of it when the fit commeth In the year of our Lord 1568. the Spaniards and Italians received from the pope this incantation following whereby they were promised both remission of sins and good successe in their warres in the Loâ—â— Countries Which whether it be not as prophane and impious as my witches charm I report me to the indifferent Reader ✚ Crucem pro 〈◊〉 subiit ✚ stans in illa sitiit ✚ Iesus sacratis manibus clavis ferreis 〈◊〉 bus perfossis Iesus Iesus Iesus Domine libera nos ab hoc malo 〈◊〉 peste then three Pater nosters and three Ave Maries Also the same year their ensigns were by the authority aforesaid conjured with certaine ceremonies and consecrated against their Enemies And if you read the histories of these warres you may see what victory they gained hereby Item they baptised their chief standard and gave it to name Margaret who overthrew the devill And because you shall understand the mystery hereof I have the rather set it down elsewhere being indeed worth the reading For a bloody flux or rather an issue of bloud TAke a cup of cold water and let fall thereinto three drops of the same bloud and between each drop say a Pater noster and an Art then drink to the patient and say who shall help you The patience must answer St. Mary Then say you St. Mary stop the issue of bloâ—d Otherwise Write upon the patients forehead with the same bloud Câ—â— summatum est Otherwise say to the patient Sanguis mane in te 〈◊〉 fecit Christus in se Sanguie mane in tua vena ficut Christus in sua 〈◊〉 Sanguis mane fixus sicut Christus quando fuit crucifixus ter Otherwise as followeth In the bloud of Adam death was taken ✚ In the bloud of Christ it was all to shaken ✚ And by the same bloud I do thee charge That thou do run no longer at large Otherwise Christ was borne at Bethelem and suffered at Jerusalem where his bloud was troubled I command thee by the vertue of God and through the help of all Saints to stay even as Jordan did when John baptised Christ Jesus In nomine patris ✚ filii ✚ spiritus sancti ✚ Otherwise Put thy namelesse finger in the wound and make therewith three crosses upon the wound and say five Pater nosters five Aves and one Credo in the honour of the five wounds Otherwise Touch that part and say De latere ejus exivit sanguis aqua Otherwise In nomine patris ✚ filii ✚ spiritus sancti ✚ c. Chimrat chara sarite confirma consona â—â—â—ohalite Otherwise Sepa ✚ sepaga ✚ sepagoga ✚ sta sanguis in nomine patris ✚ podendi ✚ filii ✚ podera ✚ spiritus sancti ✚ pandorica ✚ pax tecum Amen Cures commenced and finished by witchcraft THere was a jolly fellow that took upon him to be a notable Chirurgian in the dutchy of Mentz 1567. to whom there
spirits whisper in our minds and yet not speaking so lowd as our eares may heare them but in such sort as our soules speake togâ—ther when they are dissolved making an example by lowd speaking a farre oft a comparison of soft whispering neere hand so as the divell entreth so neere to the mind as the eare need not heare him and that every part of a divell or spirit seeth heareth and speaketh c. But herein I will beleeve Paul better then Psellus or his monke or the monks divell For Paul saith if the whole body were an eye where were hearing If the whole body where hearing where were smelling c. Whereby you may see what accord is betwixt Gods word and witchmongers The papists proceed in this matter and say that these spirits use great knavery and unspeakeable bawdery in the breach and middle parts of man and woman by tickling and by other lecherous devices so that they fall jumpe in judgement and opinion though very erroniously with the foresaid Psellus of whose doctrine also this is a parcell to wit that these divels hurt not cattell for the hate they beare unto them but for love of their naturall and temperate heate and moisture being brought up in deepe dry and cold places mary they hate the heate of the sun and the fire because that kind of heate drieth too fast They throwe down stones upon men but the blowes thereof doe no harm to them whom they hit because they are not cast with any force for saith he the divell have little and small strength so as these stones do nothing but fray and terrifie men as scarecrowes do birds out of the corne fields But when these divels enter into the pores then do they raise wonderfull tumults in the body and mind of man And if it be a subterrene divell 〈◊〉 doth writhe and bow the possessed and speaketh by him using the spirit of the patient 〈◊〉 his instrument But he saith that when Lucifugus possesseth a man 〈…〉 him dumbe and as it were dead and these be they that are cast out saith he only by fasting and prayer The same Psellus with his mates Bodin and the penners of M. Maâ— and others do find fault with the physitians that affirm such infirmities to be curable with diet and not by inchantments saying that physitians do only attend upon the body and that which is perceiveable by outward sense and that as touching this kind of divine philosophy they have no skill at all And to make divels and spirits seeme yet more corporall and terrene he saith that certaine divels are belonging to certaine countries and speake the languages of the same countries and none other some the Assyrian some the Chaldaean and some the Persian tongue and that they feele stripes and feare hurt and specially the diâ—t of the sword in which respect conjurors have swords with them in their circles to terrifie them and that they change shapes even as sodainly as men doe change colour with blushing fear anger and other moods of the mind He saith yet further that there be brute beasts among them and yet divels and subject to any kind of death insomuch as they are so foolish as they may be compared to flies fleas and wormes who have no respect to any thing but their food not regarding or remembring the hole from out of whence they came last Marry divels compounded of earth cannot often transform themselves but abide in someone shape such as they best like and most delight in to wit in the shape of birds or women and therefore the Greeks call them Nâ—idas Noreidas and Dreidas in the feminine gender which Dreidae inhabited as some write the Islands beside Scotland called Druidae which by that means had their denomination and name Other divels that dwell in dryer places transforme themselves into the masculine kind Finally Psellus saith they know our thoughts and can prophesie of things to come His definition is that they are perpetuall mindes in a passible body To verify these toies he saith that he himself saw in a certain night a man brought up by Aletus Libius into a mountain and that hee took an hearb and spat thrice into his mouth and annointed his eyes with a certain ointment so as thereby he saw great troops of divels and perceived a crow to flie into his mouth and since that houre he could prophesie at all times saving on Good-friday and Easter-sunday If the end of this tale were true it might not only have satisfied the Greek-church in keeping the day of Easter together with the church of Rome but might also have made the pope that now is content with our Christmas and Easter day and not to have gathered the minutes together and reformed it so as to shew how falsly he and his predecessors whom they say could not erre hath observed it hitherto And truly this and the dansing of the sun on Easter day morning sufficiently or rather miraculously proveth that computation which the pope now beginneth to doubt of and to call in question CHAP. V. The opinion of Fascius Cardanus touching spirits and of his familiar divell FAscius Cardanus had as he himself and his son Hierome Cardanus report a familiar divell consisting of the fiery element who so long as he used conjuration did give true answers to all his demands but when he burned up his book of conjurations though he resorted still unto him yet did he make false answers continually He held him bound twenty and eight years and loose five years And during the time that he was bound he told him that there were many divels or spirits He came not alwayes alone but sometimes some of his fellows with him He rather agreed with Psellus then with Plato for he said they were begotten 〈◊〉 died and lived long but how long they told him not howbeit as he might conjecture by the divels face who was 42 years old and yet appeared very young he thought they lived two or three hundred yeares and they said that their soules and ours also died with their bodies They had schooles and universities among them but he conceived not that any were â—o dull headed as Psellus maketh them But they are very quick in credit that beleeve such fables which indeed is the ground-worke on witchcraft and conjuration But these histories are so grosse and palâ—pable that I might be thought as wise in going about to confute them as to answer the stories of Fryer Rush Adam Bell or the golden Legend CHAP. VI. The opinion of Plato concerning spirits divels and angels what sacrifices they like best what they feare and of Socrates his familiar divell PLato and his followers hold that good spirits appear in their own likenesse but that evill spirits appeare and shew themselves in the form of other bodies and that one divell reigneth over the rest as a prince doth in every perfect common-wealth over men Item they obtain their