one willing mée to cease trauaile and enioye the presence of my tender parentes and louing companions no lesse carefull of my health then my selfe the other encouraging mée to auoyde the dayly assaultes of my aduersaries by chaunging the soyle to submitte my selfe into the handes of Lady Fortune Thus trauersing in doubtfull doubt nowe musing on the one then thinking on the other and troubled beyond all measure what were best to be doone I pawsed me a while At the last ouercome with desier to proceade on my iourney I determined to put my self to the mercy of Aeolus puffing blasts and to the merciles waues of Neptunes swelling Seaes The next day bidding my Fréends and Cuntrie farwel I trauiled toward London and from thence I shipped my selfe into Holland whether béeing safely arriued good hay so fel out on my side that before I had spent a day or two in séeking best for my aduantage I found vnlooked for of Maister William Morgan Gentleman such gentle intertainment that I imployed all my enduour to augment my credit with him vnder whome I spent some time on the land some times on the seas as occasion serued as the Souldiers life desireth not rest in one place halfe a yéeres seruice Hovv his Captaine leauing the Cuntrie the Author vvas pricked vvith a loouely motion to his natiue Cuntrie to make returne to his Father vvho vpon his submission receiued him againe THe vprores a little before rife in Holand and in all the Cuntries there about by valiant prowesse of martiall Knights suppressed my Captain leauing the Cuntrie gaue me occasion to think of my Fréendes in England in the midst of all mine Enemies not forgotten which for to sée an earnest desire kindled my brest and vanquished with looue and dutie had towards them I made my return again to Windesor more to recōsile my self to my déer father to whōe before my departure I gaue some occasiō of displeasure then for any affection I bare to the towne before whose Fatherly aspect when I was approched my outwarde teares declaring my inward gréefs I fel prostrate on my knées and recognising my former follies I craued meditation of forgiuenes vpon my speedy amendmēt At the which submission pardoning that which was past vpon performāce of my promise moste like a loouing Father receiued me again greatly ioying my safe return Neuerthelesse desirous not to remain with him abooue thrée or foure dayes I departed and made my repaire to London and in Tower stréet became Couenant with Maister Stephen Heath a Vintner til such time as my Father oppressed with infinit paines by meanes of this damnable sect did call me home cruelties and iniuries doon and wrought against the braunch could not once stanch their cruell myndes thirsting after innocent bloud without the life of my deare father whose bitter paines diminishing his wonted strēgth by litle and litle caused him to yéeld vnto the mercie of death to the euerlasting grief of all that loued him but especially to mée and other his poore children left as shéepe without a guide to the mercie of the Woulf Alasse what should I say to render vnto him his due prayse I want sufficiencie and to make long discourse of his milde and méeke pacience wherein hée continued vnto the last houre of his gasping breath I can not for teares and grief wherefore against my wil I am cut of from my purpose But thus much you shall vnderstande that no perswasions could preuayle with him that hée was bewitched such was his strong belief in God and yet diuerse time sighingly complaining would saye O Lord shall a man dye and bée not sicke my harte is whole and yet my inward paines consume me and so méekely like a Lambe to the glorie of God taking and suffering his troubles passed the straightes of this mortall life to lodge with Lazarus in Abrahams bosome Hhvve the Author after his fathers death abiding vvith his mother for her better comfort framing him selfe to liue in the vvorld vvas preuented by the sayd vvitches to his vtter vndooing to this daye MY deare father by these helhoundes and Impes of the deuell thus bereft mée and intiered in the ground after whom we must all hie I determined to the comfort of my mother sorrowing the want of her wedded make to abyde with her framing my selfe like a subiect to liue and as it became an honest man to do so long as the time of his pilgrimage geueth him leaue to abide I went with that litle which God and my father had left mée for my better maintenance to buye shéepe and other cattell whereby by due foresight and diligent taking héede I might make retourne of my principall with some aduantage but according to the prouerbe hée that reckoneth before his host must reckon twise and so it fell to my lot For after I had stored my self with the said Cattaill more woorth at the time of their sale then the mony I paid for them they began now one then an other and in fine almoste all to dye and the rest liuing in such a case lest that I was constrained to take half the money they cost mée gaining by them as Dickins did by his Dishes who bying fiue for twopence solde six for a peny my cattail thus béeing consumed and many other attempts enterprised by mée turned topsie turuie mine olde accustomed and raging fits began to set foot within my minde I to imagin that Sathans whelps were now setting a broch the vessel of their despite to séeke my vtter spoyle and confusion Wherfore I addressed my self to the woorshipfull Sir Henry Neuel Knight who sufficently before perswaded of my troubles and greatly with my good Lady his bedfellowe with whome I had often conference pitying myne estate I besought euen in the bowels of our Lord Iesus Christe that either my Aduersaries who hourely tormented mée might be cut of or I my self to receiue the like punishment if good and sufficient proof were not on my side against them ⧠Hovv vpon complaints made by the Author to Sir Henry Neuel they vvere cōmaunded to be brought before him and not beeing able to ansvvere him in the Articles of the Christian faith they vvere publikly set vnder the Pulpit VPon which complaint after Sir Henry Neuel had aduised him self mooued with the pittefull aspect of my wildishe countenance promise was made me that at a prefixed day he only for that purpose would come to Windesore and vpon due examination had seek redresse of my troubles At which day appointed I posted mée to the lodging of the said Sir Henry Neuel béeing in the Castel there to renue the remembraunce of his promise who knowing mine errand vpon my first entrance into his Chamber commaundid me foorthwith to bring them before him at which commaundement you may thinke I made no delay but hasted mée about my busines brought before him as many as I suspected which were Audrey the Mistresse Elizabeth Stile Mother Dutton and Mother Nelson
saying Sir I haue executed your commaundement and brought them into your presence which if by good and sufficient tryall I can not prooue to be Witches let me receiue the punishment due vnto them at which woordes quoth Sir Henry vnto them what say you to this Then his Woorship further examined them in the presence of Maister Doctor Wickham Maister Wullard a Prebend of the Castel Maister Morris and Maister Stafferton Gentlemen how and after what sorte they liued whome they serued and how they had imployed their time they aunswered as euery one would in his own case the best saying that where they had been suspected to be Witches woorkers of mischief against their neighbours it was contrary and that the occasion put vp against them was rather vpon malice then otherwise Then said I vnder your Woorships correction if they be such good liuers as they make them selues to be I beséech you to examine them in the Articles of the Christian faith and vpon their aunswere iudge of the rest Then quoth Maister Wickham can you say the Lordes prayer which hée hath taught you No forsooth quoth one no forsooth quoth an other and likewise the rest vpon which replycation Maister Wickham began with a moste godly protestatiō to perswade them not only to forsake their damnable wayes afore at that time vsed and diligently to learne the Lordes prayer the beleef and the ten Commaundements but also dayly for their better instructions to haue recourse vnto the Temple of God to heare his deuine seruice and for th'xecution there of because none durst wade so farre against them as I I was appointed ouerseer beeing charged that on the next Sunday following they should be brought to the Church and publikly in the presence of all men to be set vnder the Pulpit during the time of Seruice ⧠Hovv the said VVitches vvere brought to the place appointed and hovv Audrey the Mistresse and Mother Nelson vvith in short time after died vpon vvhose death the Author felt moste greeuous torments COnceiuīg some good hope of future redresse vpon thexamination had before the said Gentlemen of woorship if otherwise they were not conuerted from their follie I hied me home to my Chamber where locking the doore to mee I fel flat on the ground rendring thanks vnto all mightie God for that it had pleased him of his infinit mercy to open the blinde eyes of the Magistrates at the last to looke vpon such Offenders which before thorow their necligence nusted vp in all kinde of wickednes ceased not day nor night to oppresse the Inocent my prayer ended I went about my busines vntil the day was come wherin I should doo my dutie at which day I armed my self in the Lord against the said Witches whome gently intreating more to win their harts vnto the Lord then for any feare I had of them I cōducted them to the Church and in the place appointed I set them downe my self not standing far of thē where after by the Preacher they had receiued their lesson and schooled for their lewd behauiour and idle life spent to no profit but to inuent wickednes and mischief they departed home Afterwards whether it were for gréef of the correctiō executed or the inward gnawing of conscience feeling themselues by the Preacher touched at the quick I cannot tel but with in short space after Audrey the Mistresse and Mother Nelson dyed after whose death the sisters left behinde giuen ouer to their owne lusts and suffered to wallowe in their owne wickednes made their assembly in the pits in Maister Dodges backside a place where all their mischief was pretended and there in generally agréed either to bring me vnto my end or liuing stil to féele a life a hundred times more sharpe then a present death if otherwise the sooner I sought not meanes to dislodge my self and desirous not to vse any delay in furthering their intents about their accustomed houres of méeting in the night my bed ordained for my quiet rest became the augmentor of my gréefs and in stead of sléep I was fed with continuall watchings caused through the extreame torturs and gréeuous paines sustained in the night Thus hauing ouer passed many nights in paines diuerse and sundry times the aforesaid Cat or the deuil him self in a Cats likenes vsed to frequent and haunt my Chamber hurring and buzing about my bed vexing and troubling mée beyond all measure in such straunge and lamentable wise that I was enforced with my weapon lying drawen vopon my bed to kéep my self waking in prayers least béeing ouercome with sléepe I should be strangled in my bed The Author being almost spent vvith grief complaineth him the third time to Sir Henry Neuell before vvhome hee brought the said Elizabeth Stile bound vvith a cart rope on the market daye COnsumed with these infinite paines both in body and purse eche night assayled with a newe grief lothing anie longer to liue séeing that in foure yéeres past no reformation might bée had for all my complaintes Leauing my careful bedde the witnes of my griefe and of my inwarde sorrowe I made me ready and girding my Skeane about my middle with a good cudgill in my hande I gate me to Farneham to the house of father Roseman whom furiously pulling out of his house by head and shoulders I charged not vsing any daliaunce with me to tell me my griefes Who béeing agast at my dealinges and fearing least that béeing not able to gouerne mée in my fury I would strike of his head Said O maister you are bewitched you are bewitched wherefore looke to your selfe if not in fine you wil be distroyed for you haue many wicked women in Windsore and such as doe much harme and who practized the like on mée once because I did displease them Then I bad him tell mée what they were who aunswered that their names were Elizabeth Stile Mother Dutton and Mother Deuell at which wordes leauing him not altogether recouered of the feare hee conceiued by mée I went to the sayde Elizabeth Stiles house charging her to goe with mée vnto Sir Henry Neuelles which squatting downe vppon her buttockes shée denyed to doo Then finding a Carte rope harde by I bounde it about her myddle and layde the rope on my shoulder wherewith forceably I pulled her out of her house drawing her a long the streate béeing on the market daye not one daring once to helpe mee but a litle boye which helde the rope by the ende vntill I came vnto the lodging of Sir Henry Neuell vnto whome in the presence of a companie of Gentlemen at that time talking with him I offered vp my present saying behold here rigth worshipfull I haue brought you héer a monster which because of her féebled lymmes is not able to goe I haue taken paynes to drawe Then shée began to curse banne and sweare foming at the mouth like a bore to the great astonishement of all the beholders which amased with that horrible
of his meere mercie and goodnes to strenghthen me in this my afflictions vtterly from the bottome of my hart detesting and hauing in defiaunce all the crue of deuilish Enchaunters wherof England at this day dooth abounde Perswading my self that God béeing my helper buckler and defence neither any Witch nor all the Deuils in hel were they in number as many as the sands in the Sea could haue once power to hurt mée all this while not forgetting Iob whose faith no plague no greef paine nor vexation that euer Sathan by Gods sufferaunce might ouer charge him with could not any wise remooue thus as I haue said spending contriuing weary and painful night in prayer Aurora began to shewe her self whose cristall cléernes as it appéered so began my paines to surcease I to be exonerated of the burthen therof which when I felt I caused forwith the Bible to be brought mée and incontinently I trurned to the before remembred history of that iust man Job of whose stedfast faith and milde patience when I had read and read againe such strength in the Lorde did so abound in mée that after that time all the plagues mischiefs and torments practised by the said hellish Hagges against mée could not afray mée Hovv the Author occasioned to vvalke to Cluevvorth met vvith Mother Dutton vvhome he least thinking on brought to VVindsore before the Magistrates vvhich vvithout any examination set her at libertie REcouered of my gréefs and by Gods deuine prouidence restored by little and little to my former health bearing yet in minde some parte of the said Mother Duttons dealing vsed vpon my said Brother Iames and after that vpon my self I determined hap what hap might when conuenient leysure might serue to bring the said Mother Dutton to Windesore before the Magistrates there to the intent if otherwise shée could not purge herself the better of that wherwith she should be charged shée might receiue such condign punishment as for such Offēders by the lawes of the Realme was due and prouided Which determination as it was then remembred so in processe of time was it forgotten til it fortuned that walking one day after dinner to walk to Cluewoorth about certain my affaires which I had there to doo shée met mée ful in the face whose suddain méeting remoouing my former intent then set in obliuiō caused mée furiously to lay holde vpon her arme by the which without many woords giuen I brought her to the hall a prison in Windesor desiring the keeper therof surely to kéep her in his custody vntil commaundement were giuen him by the Magistrates to the contrary which hée denyed to doo without some speciall warrant from the Maior or the Iustice for his discharge whervpon I led her before Maister Richard Readforth at the time Maior of Windesor desiring him as he was true Officer to God and to his Prince to giue his warrant to the Iaylor for the better saue keeping of this Witch héer brought by mee before him who for her deuilish Sorceries and enchauntments cruelly practised vpon diuers honest men deseruēth not to liue affirming that if I could not prooue her by sufficient tryall to be a weed woorthye of plucking vp I would receiue such punishment as might be to all attempting the like either against man or woman a good ensample but he being belike as a great number be now a dayes the more pittie and I would to God it may be amended mistrusting her deuilish practises and fearing least some mischief might succéed his correctiō either to him or his altogither forgetting his oth and dutie towards God and his Prince for the due punishmēt of Offendors in that case had prouided commaūded me that without further delay I should let her go which foorthwith I did no lesse bewailing her libertie then lamenting the lack of better Magistrates to wéed out such Malefactors Hovv the said Mother Dutton after her deliuery from the Authors hands by the Mayor practised vvith her Associates his ouerthroovve AFter this pestilent Witch was set at libertie shée with her Confederates perceiuing the little regard the Magistrates appointed to minister Iustice for the punishment of vice had of the complaintes made and put vp against thē and greatly encouraged therby ceased not now to practise all kinde of meanes to vexe trouble and molest mée which because of my stedfast faith in God they could not by thē selues nor by their wicked spirits execute the same vpon mée they stirred vp others to be their cruel ministers in the same ¶ First procuring my Fréends whome Nature lincked in the league of looue and Freendship vtterly to detest mée shamefully to vse mée and that which gréeued mée moste maliciously to enuie mee in such sorte and so long that I often times wished exchaunge of my lyfe for a moste hasty and spéedy death thus liuing there in exile where reason would I should haue béen moste of all succoured hated of all without cause and looued of few it chaunced that a Fréend of mine Maister Robert Handley before rehersed who at that time for recreation sake making his aboade at a house of his in the cuntrie was likewise bewitched in his limmes so that he was not able to go who suspecting his gréefes to come by witchcraft caused mée to be sent for partely for Fréendships sake which alwayes hath béen equall betwixt vs and partely to vse that by my meanes which hée him self by reason of his gréefs could not put in practise to whome when I was come after a little talke had he tolde me that hée douted very much least he was bewitched wherfore quoth hée good R. Galis if any spark of Fréendship hath euer béen kindled betwixt vs I pray thée to fetch mée a Witch at whose sight hope perswadeth mée I shall finde ease At which woordes béeing indéed greatly mooued inwardly as one who looued his intire Fréend bewailing my Fréends troubles more then my owne I wēt forth with out any woord speaking and amongst the crue of these helhounds I gat mée and within one half houre after God being my help I brought foure before him whose names ensue videllicet Audrey the Mistresse Elizabeth Stile allias Mother Rockingham Mother Dutton and Mother Deuil all which foure I caused to knéele downe before the said Maister Handley and one Maister Henry Bust Studient in Phisick charging them holding a good cudgel ouer their backs as euer they would passe thence a liue not only to tel what the said Maister Handley ayled but also to ease him of his gréef to whome they replied vsing many excuses that they neither could tel him his desease much lesse to help him therof Then going about to knowe how they had spent their time in the seruice of God I examined them in the Lordes prayer the beléef and the ten Commaundements wherin I founde them to my great gréef as blinde as a béetle and as wise as a Calfe then demaunding the cause of their necligence therin
of February last past for the same as by the brief and summe of their cōfession here ensuing thou maist more at large perceiue The cōfession of Elizabeth Stile alias Rockinham a vvitch dvvelling in VVindsore in the Countie of Barke declared in the gaile of Reading in the said County in the xxi yere ef the raigne of our most dread soueraigne Lady Elizabeth Queene of England Fraunce and Ireland c. ELizabeth Stile alias Rockingham apprehēded for her witchcraft vsed in Windsore and for the same brought before Sir Henry Neuel Knight was by him examined who for that he by manifest proofes of her vniust vnhonest behauiour founde her an offendour vnto the Quéenes Maiesties liedge people committed her to the common gaile at Reading where shée béeing examined had the feare of God pricking her thereunto as it seamed some remorse of conscience and confessed before Thomas Rowe the Iaylour Iohn Knight the Cunstable Iohn Griffith an Inholder one William Pryntall of diuers as well men as women that vsed to doo much harme by Sorcery witchecrafte enchantemēts whose names hereafter ensue 1 First that one father Rosiman alias Osborne dwelling in Farneham in the Countie of Buckingham and his daughter are witches that the said Rosiman can alter chaunge him selfe into any kinde of beast that him listeth 2 Item one mother Dutton dwelling within Hodgkins in the parishe of Cleworth nere Windsore can tell euery mans errand assoone as shée seeth him worketh by a spirit in likenesse of a tode which shee nominateth Mawde and she giueth him a drop of bloud in her flancke and kéepeth him alwayes in a gardein in a border of grene herbes 3 Item one mother Deuell dwelling in Windsore by the pounde keepeth a black Cat which shée nameth Iyll vseth to carrie it in her lappe and feedeth it with blood and milke and Rosimans daughter hath a white Cat. 4 Item one mother Margaret a lame woman gooing with crutches féedeth a kitling with crummes of bread and with some of her blood and calleth it Iynne 5 Item the said Elizabeth Stile sayth that shée her self kept a Ratte which shée named Philip the which shée fedde with crummes of bread and blood of her right arme about the hand wrest the place thereof not hidden and saith that further shée with the rest hath geuen her right side to the Deuill 6 Item this examinat further saieth that father Rosimond and his daughter mother Margarete mother Duttō and her selfe were accustomed to make their méeting on the backside of Maister Dodges where they vsed to conferre of such their enterprises as before they had determined of and practized 7 Item shée also confesseth that mother Deuell was a poore woman and vsed to go about begging of the almes of her honest neighbours which if they did once deny her request mischief alwayes ensued to them or to their cattel 8 Itē she further saieth that as concerning their craft wicked practises they haue vsed it vpon diuers sundry persons of whō one Langford a Farmer inhabitīg in Windsore by the theāes side was one who died therby whose maid shortly after drunk of that same cup wherof the maister before had tasted 9 Item one maister Richard Galis Gent father of the author who in times past that thrise at the least aswel for his wisdome as for his pollitique good gouernment had béen Maior of windsore was by their practise brought likewise to his end 10 Itē one Switcher a Butcher was serued of the same sauce 11 Item shée also saith that shée her self was the death of one Saddock by a clap shée gaue him on the shoulder because hée brake his promise in not giuing her an olde cloke which hée promised to doo 12. Item that Mother Denel did ouer speake one William Foster a Fisher and one Hil his wife a Baker 13. Item she also confesseth that they altogither with one consent ouer spake on Humfrey Hesey and his wife Richard Mils and Iohn Mattingley so that they lay euery one long time sick before they could recouer again their helth also and one Mastline a 〈◊〉 14 Item shée saith that on a time a Childe béeing a mans Sonne in Windesore hurled a stone on her house wherwith béeing mooued to anger shée tooke his pot from him threatned to be euen with him wherwithall the Child went home wardes and in the way méeting his Father he tolde him what had happened To whome his Father said the hast doon some vnhappinesse to her come with mee and I will speak with her and as they went togithers towards her house the Childe sudainly began to cry out Oh my hand my hand and his Father meruailing what hée ailed looking vpon his hand and beholding it turned clean out of course and that otherwise then Nature had framed it tooke it in his hand and assayed to haue turned it right again but hée an other man a neighbour of his béeing with him at that present could not doo it the which was holpen afterwardes by Mother Dutton 15. Item she saith that as woorking the death of th'afore named Lanckforde Maister Galis Lankfoords Maide and Suitcher the said Mother Dutton did make a picture of wax and did stick a hauthorn prick as it were against the hart of it that they died shortly after and the said pictures they conueied in a hole made for the nonce in the Chimney coruer before the which they set two bricks as the wax melted so the man consumed vnto death by which meanes shée saith they could kil any of what degrée soeuer 16. Item shée also saith that the said Mother Dutton did giue a picture but whether it were of man or womā she dooth not remember the man that had it of her shée thinkeh to be dead and also that one Gorge Whiting seruāt to Mathew Pain of Caton had a picture of her self for one Foster for that that the same Gorge and Foster fel at woords and the picture was made in Mother Duttons house and Mother Deuil said to her bun spare not to plague him thrusting a hauthorn prick against the hart of it so that he lay at the point of death a long time but in the end Mother Dutton recouered him again vsing their extremitie by kiling of a Cowe of his 17 Item the said Elizabeth saith that the said Mother Dutton and Mother Deuil were the first Inticers of her to all those afore said dooings and that she and euery of them did oftē times meet togither at Maister Dodges pits and sōetime at the pound about eleuen a clock at night that Mother Dutton and Mother Deuil did alure her to doo and exercise that craft which they them selues then and before vsed and with them to sorsake God and all his woorks and to giue her selfe to the Deuil 18 Item shée saith that on a time shée went to olde Rosimans house and found him sitting at the root of an oke like an Ape and