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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62395	Scot's Discovery of vvitchcraft proving the common opinions of witches contracting with divels, spirits, or familiars ... to be but imaginary, erronious conceptions and novelties : wherein also, the lewde unchristian all written and published in anno 1584, by Reginald Scot, Esquire.; Discoverie of witchcraft	Scot, Reginald, 1538?-1599.	1651 (1651)	Wing S943; ESTC R19425	465,580	448

trifling vanity as in most horrible executions as the revenger of a doting old womans imagined wrongs to the destruction of many innocent children and as a supporter of her passions to the undoing of many a poor soul. And I see not but a witch may as well inchant when she will as a lier may lie when he list and so should we possesse nothing but by a witches licence and permission And now forsooth it is brought to this point that all devils which were wont to be spiritual may at their pleasure become corporal and so shew themselves familiarly to witches and conjurors and to none other and by them only may be made tame and kept in a box c. So as a malicious old woman may command her devil to plague her neighbor he is afflicted in manner form as she desireth But then cometh another witch and she biddeth her devil help and he healeth the same party So as they make it a kingdome divided in it self and therefore I trust it will not long endure but will shortly be overthrown according to the words of our Saviour Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur Every kingdome divided in it self shall be desolate And although some say that the devil is the witches instrument to bring her purposes and practises to passe yet others say that she is his instrument to execute his pleasure in any thing and therefore to be executed But then methinks she should be injuriously dealt withall and put to death for anothers offence for actions are not judged by instrumental causes neither doth the end and purpose of that which is done depend upon the mean instrument Finally if the witch do it not why should the witch die for it But they say that witches are perswaded and think that they do indeed those mischifs have a will to perform that which the devil committeth and that therefore they are worthy to dy By which reason ev'ry one should be executed that wisheth evil to his neighbor c. But if the will should be punished by man according to the offence against God we should be driven by thousands at once to the slauterhouse or butchery For whosoever loatheth correction shall die And who should escape execution if this lothsomnesse I say should extend to death by the civil lawes Also the reward of sin is death Howbeit every one that sinneth is not to be put to death by the Magistrate But my Lord it shall be proved in my book and your Lordship shall trie it to be true as well here at home in your native country as also abrode in your several circuits that besides them that be Veneficae which are plaine poisoners there will be found among our witches only two sorts the one sort being such by imputation as so thought of by others and these are abused and not abusors the other by acceptation as being willing so to be accounted these be meer couseners Calvine treating of these magicians calleth them couseners saying that they use their juggling knacks only to amase or abuse the people or else for fame but he might rather have said for gain Erastus himself being a principal writer in the behalf of witches omnipotency is forced to confes that these Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are most commoly put for illusion false packing cousenage fraud knavery and deceipt is further driven to say that in ancient time the learned were not so blockish as not to see that the promises of magicians and inchanters were false and nothing else but knavery cousenage old wives fables yet defendeth he their flying in the aire their transferring of corn or gras from one field to another c. But as Erastus disagreeth herein with himself and his friends so is there no agreement among any of those writers but only in cruelties absurdities impossibilies And these my Lord that fall into so manifest contradictions and into such absurd asseverations are not of the inferior sort of writers neither are they all papists but men of such account as whose names give more credit to their cause then their writings In whose behalfe I am sorry and partly for reverence suppress their fondest errors foulest absurdities dealing specially with them that most contend in cruelty whose feet are swift to shed blood striving as Iesus the son of Sirach saith hasting as Solomon the son of David saith to pour out the blood of the Innocent whose heat against these poor wretches cannot be allaied with any other liquor then blood And therfore I fear that under their wings will be found the blood of the souls of the poor at that day when the Lord shall say Depart from me ye bloud-thirsty men And because I know your Lordship will take no councel against innocent bloud but rather suppres them that seek to imbrew their hands therein I have made choise to open their case to you to lay their miserable calamity before your feet following herein the advise of that learned man Brentius who saith Si quis admonuerit Magistratum ●e in miseras illas mulierculas saeviat eum ego arbitror divinitus excitatum that is If any admonish the Magistrate not to deale too hardly with these miserable wretches that are called witches I think him a good instrument raised up for this purpose by God himself But it will perchance be said by witchmongers to wit by such as attribut to witches the power which appertaineth to God only that I have made choise of your Lordship to be a Patrone to this my book because I think you favor mine opinions and by that means may the more freely publish any error or conceit of mine own which should rather be warranted by your Lordships authority then by the word of God or by sufficient argument But I protest the contrary and by these presents I renounce all protection and despise all friendship that might serve to help towards the suppressing or supplanting of truth knowing also that your Lordship is far from allowing any injury done unto man much more an enemy to them that go about to dishonor God or to embeazel the title of his immortal glory But because I know you to be perspicuous and able to see down into the depth and bottome of causes are not to be carried away with the vain perswasion or superstition either of man custome time or multitude but moved with the authority of truth only I crave your countenance herein even so far forth no further then the law of God the law of nature the lawe of this land the rule of reason shall require Neither do I treat for these poore people any otherwise but so as with one hand you may sustaine the good and with the other suppresse the evill wherein you shall be thought a father to orphanes an advocate to widowes a guide to the blind a stay to the lame a comfort countenance to

Parisiensis Hemingius Heraclides Hermes Trismegistus Hieronymus Hilarius Hippocrates Homerus Horatius Hostiensis Hovinus Hypertus Jacobus de Chusa Ca●thusianus Jamblichus Jaso Pratensis Innocentius 8 papa Johannes Anglicus Johannes Baptista Neapolitanus Johannes Cassianus Johannes Montiregrus Johannes Rivius Josephus ben Gorion Josias Simlerus Isidorus Isigonus Juba Julius Maternus Justinus Martyr Lactantius Lavaterus Laurentius Ananias Laurentius a villavicentio Leo II. Pontifex Lex Salicarum Lex 12. Tabulaum Legenda aurea Legenda longa Coloniae Leonardus Vairus Livius Lucanus Lucretius Ludovicus Caelius Lutherus Macrobius Magna Charta Malleus Maleficarum Manlius Marbacchius Marbodeus Gallus Marsilius Ficinus Martinus de Arles Mattheolus Melancthonus Memphradorus Michael Andraeas Musculus Nauclerus Nicephorus Nicholaus 5. Papa Nider Olaus Gothus Origenes Ovidius Panormitanus Paulus Aegineta Paulus Marsus Persius Petrus de Appona Petrus Lombardus Petrus Martyr Pe●ce● Philarchus Philastrius Brixicu●u Philodorus Philo Judaeus P●kma●rus Plariu● Plato Plinius Plotinus Plu●archus Polydorus Virgilius Pomoetium sermonum quadragesimalium Pompanatius Pontificale Ponzivibi●● Por● hyrius Proclus Propertius Psellus Ptolomeus Pythagoras Quintilianus Rabbi Abraham Rabbi ben Ezra Rabbi David K●●hi Rabbi Josuah ben Levi. Rabbi Isaac Natar Rabbi Levi. Rabbi Moles Rabbi Sedaias Haias Robertus Carocullus Rupertu● Sabinus Sadoletus Savano●ola Scotus Seneca Septuaginta interpreres Serapio Socrates Solinus Speculum exemplorum Strabo Sulpitius Severus Syneffus Tatianus Te●tullianus Thomas Aquinas Themiltius Theodore●u● Theodorus Bizantius Theophrastus Thucidydes Tibullus Tremelius Valerius Maximus Varro Vegetius Vincentius Virgilius Vi●ellius Wie●us Xanrus historiographus These English BArnaby Googe Beehive of the Romish church Edward Deering Geffrey Chaucer Giles Alley Guimelf Maharba Henry Haward J●hn Bale John Fox John Malborn John Record P●ime● after Yorke use Richard Gallis Roger Bacon Testament printed at Rhemes T. E. a nameles Author 467. Thomas Hilles Thomas Lupron Thomas Moore Knight Thomas Phaer T. R. a nameles Author 393. William Lambard W. W. a namelesse Author 542. The discovery of Witchcraft The first Book CHAP. I. An impeachment of Witches power in meteors and elementary bodies tending to the rebuke of such as attribute too much unto them THe Fables of Witch-craft have taken so fast hold and deep root in the heart of man that few or none can now adaies with patience indure the hand and correction of God For if any adversity greefe sicknesse losse of children corn cattell or liberty happen unto them by and by they exclaime upon witches As though there were no God in Israel that ordereth all things according to his will punishing both just unjust and with greefes plagues and afflictions in manner and forme as he thinketh good but that certain old women here on earth called witches must needs be the contrivers of all mens calamities and as though they themselves were innocents and had deserved no such punishments Insomuch as they stick not to ride and go to such as either are injuriously tearmed witches or else are willing so to be accounted seeking at their hands comfort and remedy in time of their tribulation contrary to Gods will and commandement in that behalfe who bids us resort to him in all our necessities Such faithlesse people I say are also perswaded that neither haile nor snow thunder nor lightning rain nor tempestuous winds come from the heavens at the commandement of God but are raised by the cunning and power of witches and conjurers insomuch as a clap of thunder or a gale of winde is no sooner heard but either they runne to ring bels or cry out to burne witches or else burne consecrated things hoping by the smoak thereof to drive the devill out of the aire as though spirits could be fraid away with such externall toies howbeit these are right inchantments as Brentius affirmeth But certainly it is neither a witch nor devil but a glorious God that maketh the thunder I have read in the Scriptures that God maketh the blustering tempests and whirle-winds and I find that it is the Lord that altogether dealeth with them and that they blowe according to his will But let me see any of them all rebuke and still the sea in time of tempest as Christ did or raise the stormy wind as God did with his word and I will beleeve in them Hath any witch or conjurer or any creature entred into the treasures of the snowe or seen the secret places of the haile which GOD hath prepared against the day of trouble battell and warre I for my part also thinke with Jesus Sirach that at Gods onely commandement the snow falleth and that the wind bloweth according to his wil who onely maketh all stormes to cease and who if we keep his ordinances will send us rain in due season and make the land to bring forth her increase and the trees of the field to give their fruit But little think our witch-mongers that the Lord commandeth the clouds above or openeth the doors of heaven as David affirmeth or that the Lord goeth forth in the tempests and stormes as the Prophet Nahum reporteth but rather that witches and conjurers are then about their businesse The Marcionists acknowledged one God the author of good things and another the ordainer of evill but these make the devill a whole God to create things of nothing to know mens cogitations and to do that which God never did as to transubstatiate men into beasts c. Which thing if devils could do yet followeth it not that witches have such power But if all the devils in hell were dead and all the witches in England burned or hanged I warrant you we should not fail to have rain haile and tempests as now we have according to the appointment will of God according to the constitution of the elements and the course of the planets wherein God hath set a perfect and perpetuall order I am also well assured that if all the old women in the world were witches and all the priests conjurers we should not have a drop of rain nor a blast of wind the more or the lesse for them For the Lord hath bound the waters in the clouds and hath set bounds about the waters untill the day and night come to an end yea it is God that raiseth the winds and stilleth them and he saith to the rain and snowe Be upon the earth and it falleth The wind of the Lord and not the wind of witches shall destroy the treasures of their pleasant vessels and dry up the fountaines saith Oseas Let us also learn and confesse with the Prophet David that we our selves are the causes of our afflictions and not exclaim upon witches when we should call upon God for mercy The Imperiall law saith Brentius condemneth them to death that trouble and infect the aire but I affirme saith he that it is neither in the power of witch nor devill so to do but in God only Though

in opinion when he saith Scienti●m foeminarum in veneficiis praevalere To be short Augustine Livie Va●erius Diodorus and many other agree that women were the first inventers and practisers of the art of poisoning As for the rest of their cunning in what estimation it was had may appear by these verses of Horace wherein he doth not onely declare the vanity of witch-craft but also expoundeth the other words wherewithall we are now in hand Somnie terrores mugicos miracula sagas Nocturnos lemures portentaque Thessala rider These dreames and terrors magicall These miracles and witches Night-walking sprites or Thessal bugs Esteem them not two rushes Here Horace you see contemneth as ridiculous all our witches turning marry herein he comprehendeth not their poisoning art which hereby he onely seemed to think hurtfull Pythagoras and Democri●●● give us the names of a great many magicall herbes and stones whereas now both the vertue and the things themselves also are unknown 〈◊〉 Marmaritin whereby spirits might be raised Archimedon which would make one bewray in his sleep all the secrets in his heart Adincan●i●● Calicia Mevais Chirocineta c. which had all their severall vertues or rather poisons But all these now are worne out of knowledge mary in their stead we have hogs-turd and chervil as the onely thing wherby our witches work miracles Truly this poisoning art called Veneficium of all others is most ab●●minable as whereby murthers may be committed where no suspition may be gathered nor any resistance can be made the strong cannot avoid the weak the wise cannot prevent the foolish the godly cannot 〈◊〉 preserved from the hands of the wicked children may hereby kill the parents the servant the master the wife her husband so privily 〈◊〉 unevitably and so incurably that of all other it hath been thought 〈◊〉 most odious kind of murther according to the saying of Ovid. non bospes ab hospite tutus Non socer à genero fratrum quoque gratia rara est Imminet exitio vir conjugis illa mariti Lurida terribiles miscent aconita novercae Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos The travelling guest opprest Doth stand in danger of his host The host eke of his guest The father of his son-in-son-in-law Yea rare is seen to rest 'Twixt brethren love and amity And kindnesse void of strife The husband seeks the goodwifes death And his again the wife Ungentle stepdames grizly poi son temper and do give The son too soon doth aske how long His father is to live The monk that poisoned king Iohn was a tight Veneficus to● both a witch and a murtherer for he killed the king with poison 〈◊〉 perswade the people with lies that he had done a good and a meritorious act and doubtlesse many were so bewitched as they thought he did very well therein Antonius Sabellicus writeth of a horrible poisoning murther commited by women at Rome where were executed after due conjunction 170. women at one time besides 20. women of that consort who were poison with that poisoned which they had prepared for others CHAP. IIII. Of divers poisoning practises otherwise called veneficia committed in Italy Genua Millen Wittenberge alse how they were discovered and executed ANother practise not unlike to that mentioned in the former chapter was done in Cassalis at Salassia in Italie Anno 1536. where 40. Veneficae or witches being of one confederacy renewed a plague which was then almost ceased besmeering with an ointment and a pouder the posts and doors of mens houses so as thereby whole families were poisoned and of that stuffe they had prepared above 40. crocks for that purpose Herewithall they conveied inheritances as it pleased them till at length they killed the brother and onely sonne of one Necus as lightly none died in the house but the masters and their children which was much noted and therewithal that one Androgina haunted the houses specially of them that died and she being suspected apprehended and examined confessed the fact conspiracy and circumstance as hath been shewed The like villany was afterwards practised at Genua and execution was done upon the offenders At Millen there was another like attempt that took none effect This art consisteth as well in poisoning of cattell as men and that which is done by poisons unto cattell towards their destruction is as commonly attributed to witches charmes as the other And I ●●ubt not but some that would be thought cunning in incantations and to do miracles have experience in this behalfe For it is written by divers authors that if wolves dung be hidden in the mangers racks or else in the hedges about the pastures where cattel go through the antipathy of the nature of the wolfe and other cattel all the beasts that savour the same do not only forbear to eat but run about as though they were mad or as they say bewitched But Wierus telleth a notable story of a Veneficus or destroyer of cattel which I thought meet here to repeat There was saith he in the dukedome of Wittneberge not farre from Tubing a butcher anno 1564. that bargained with a towne for all their hides which were of sterven cattell called in these parts Morts He with poison privily killed in great numbers their bullocks sheep swine c. and by his bargain of the hides and ●allow he grew infinitely rich And at last being suspected was examined confessed the matter and manner thereof and was put to death with hot tongs wherewith his flesh was pulled from his bones We for our parts would have killed five poor women before we would suspect 〈◊〉 rich butcher CHAP. V. A great objection answered concerning this kinde of witchcraft called Veneficium IT is objected that if Veneficium were comprehended under the title man-slaughter it had been a vain repetition and a disordered 〈◊〉 undertaken by Moses te set forth a law against Venefic●s severally But 〈◊〉 might suffice to answer any reasonable christian that such was the 〈◊〉 of the Holy Ghost to institute a particular article hereof as of a 〈◊〉 more odious wicked and dangerous then any other kinde of murther But he that shall read the law of Moses or the Testament of Christ himself shall finde this kind of repetition and reiteration of the law most com●●● For as it is written Exod. 22.21 Thou shalt not grieve nor affect stranger for thou wast a stranger in the land of Aegypt so are the 〈◊〉 words found repeated in Levit. 19.33 polling and shaving of heads 〈◊〉 beards is forbidden in Duet 27. which was before prohibited in 22. 〈◊〉 is written in Exodus the 20. Thou shalt not steal● and it is repeated 〈◊〉 Leviticus 19. and in Duet 5. Murther is generally forbidden in Exodus and likewise in 22. and repeated in Num. 35. But the aprest example that magick is forbidden in three severall places to wit once in 〈◊〉 19. and twice in Levit. 20. For the which a

magicke old and stiffe and therefore not nimble-handed to deceive your eye with legierdemaine heavy and commonly lame and therefore unapt to flie in the aire or to dance with the fairies sad melancholike sullen and miserable and therefore it should be unto them Invita Minerva to bancket or dance with Minerva or yet with Herodias as the common opinion of all writers herein is On the other side we see they are so malicious and spitefull that if they by themselves or by their devils could trouble the elements we should never have fair weather If they could kill men children or cattel they would spare none but would destroy and kill whole countries and housholds If they could transferre corne as is affirmed from their neighbours field into their owne none of them would be poore none other should be rich If they could transforme themselves and others as it is most constantly affirmed oh what a number of apes and owls should there be of us If Incubus could beget Merlins among us we should have a jolly many of cold prophets CHAP. IV. Why God forbad the practise of witchcraft the absurdity of the law of the twelve tables whereupon their estimation in miraculous actions is grounded of their wonderous works THough it be apparent that the Holy Ghost forbiddeth this art because of the abuse of the name of God and the cosenage comprehended therein yet I confesse the customes and laws almost of all nations do declare that all these miraculous works before by me cited and many other things more wonderfull were attributed to the power of witches The which lawes with the executions and judicials thereupon and the witches confessions have beguiled almost the whole world What absurdities cōcerning witchcraft are writtē in the law of the twelve tables which was the highest and most ancient law of the Romans Whereupon the strongest argument of witches omnipotent power is framed as that the wisdome of such lawgivers could not be abused Whereof me thinks might be made a more strong argument on our side to wit if the chief and principall lawes of the world be in this case ridiculous vaine false incredible yea and contrary to Gods law the residue of the laws and arguments to that effect are to be suspected If that argument should hold it might prove all the popish lawes against protestants and the heathenish princes lawes against christians to be good and in soree for it is like they would not have made them except they had been good Were it not think you a strange proclamation that no man upon paine of death should pull the moon out of heaven And yet very many of the most learned witchmongers make their arguments upon weaker grounds as namely in this forme and manner We find in poets that witches wrought such and such miracles Ergo they can accomplish and do this or that wonder The words of the law are these Qui fruges incantasset poenas dato Neve alienam segetem pellexeris excantando neque incantando Ne agrum defruganto the sense whereof in English is this Let him be executed that bewitcheth corne Transferre not other mens corn into thy ground by inchantment Take heede thou inchant not at all neither make thy neighbours field barren he that doth these things shall dye c. CHAP. V. An instance of one arraigned upon the law of the twelve Tables wher-the said law is proved ridiculous of two witches that could do wonders ALthough among us we think them bewitched that wax suddenly poor and not them that growe hastily rich yet at Rome you shall understand that as Plinie reporteth upon these articles one C. Furius Cressus was convented before Spurius Albinus for that he being but a little while free and delivered from bondage occupying onely tillage grew rich on the sudden as having good crops so as it was suspected that he transferred his neighbours corne into his fields None intercession no delay none excuse no denial would serve ' neither in jest nor derision nor yet through ●sober or honest means but he was assigned a peremptory day to answer for life And therefore fearing the sentence of condemnation which was to be given there by the voice and verdict of three men as we here are tried by twelve made his appearance at the day assigned and brought with him his ploughes and harrowes spades and shovels and other instruments of husbandry his oxen horses and working bullocks his servants and also his daughter which was a sturdy wench and a good houswife and also as Piso reporteth well trimmed up in apparell and said to the whole bench in this wise Lo here my Lords here I make my appearance according to my promise and your pleasures presenting unto you my charmes and witchcrafts which have so inriched me As for the labour sweat watching care and diligence which I have used in this behalfe I cannot shew you them at this time And by this meanes he was dismissed by the consent of the ●ourt who otherwise as it was thought should hardly have escaped the sentence of condemnation and punishment of death It is constantly affirmed in M. Mal. that Stafus used alwaies to hide himself in a monshoall and had a disciple called Hoppo who made Stadlin a master witch and could all when they list in●isibly transfer the third part of their neighbours dung hay corne c. into their own ground make haile tempests and flouds with thunder and lightening and kill children cattell c. reveale things hidden and many other tricks when and where they list But these two shifted not so well with the inquisitors as the other with the Romane and heathen judges Howbeit Sraf●● was too hard for them all for none of all the Lawyers nor inquisitors could bring him to appear before them if it be true that witchmongers write in these matters CHAP. VI. Lawes provided for the punishment of such witches as work miracles whereof some are mentioned and of certain popish lawes published against them THere are other lawes of other nations made to this incredible effects Lex Salicarum provideth punishment for them that flie in the aire from place to place and meet at their nightly assemblies and brave bankets carrying wi●h them plate and such stuffe c. even as we should make a 〈◊〉 to hang him that should take a church in his hand at Dover throw it to Callice And because in this case als● popish lawes shall be seen be to as foolish and lewd as any other whatsoever specially as tyrannous as that which is most cruel you shall heare what trim new lawes the church of Rome hath lately devised These are therefore the words of pope Innocent the eight to the inquisitors of Almanie and of pope Julius the second sent to the inquisitors of Bergomen It is come to our eares that many lewd persons of both kinds as well male as female using the company of the devils Incubus and