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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62397	The discovery of witchcraft proving that the compacts and contracts of witches with devils and all infernal spirits or familiars are but erroneous novelties and imaginary conceptions : also discovering, how far their power extendeth in killing, tormenting, consuming, or curing the bodies of men, women, children, or animals by charms, philtres, periapts, pentacles, curses, and conjurations : wherein likewise the unchristian practices and inhumane dealings of searchers and witch-tryers upon aged, melancholly, and superstitious people, in extorting confessions by terrors and tortures, and in devising false marks and symptoms, are notably detected ... : in sixteen books / by Reginald Scot ... ; whereunto is added an excellent Discourse of the nature and substance of devils and spirits, in two books : the first by the aforesaid author, the second now added in this third edition ... conducing to the compleating of the whole work, with nine chapters at the beginning of the fifteenth [sic] book of The discovery.; Discoverie of witchcraft	Scot, Reginald, 1538?-1599.; Scot, Reginald, 1538?-1599. Discourse concerning the nature and substance of devils and spirits.	1665 (1665)	Wing S945A; ESTC R20054	529,066	395

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 lyer may lye whey he list and so should we possess 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 to 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 and he is afflicted in manner and 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 kingdom divided in it self shall be desolate And although some say that the Devil is the Witches instrument to bring her purposes and practices to pass 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 withal 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 mischiefs and have a will to perform that which the Devil committeth and that therefore they are worthy to die By which reason every one should be executed that wisheth evil to his neighbour 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 slaughterhouse or butchery For whosoever loatheth correction shall die And who should escape execution if this lothsomness I say should extend to death by the Civil Laws 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 try it to be true as well here at home in your native countrey as also abroade in your several circuits that besides them that be Veneficae which are plain Poysoners 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 abusers the other by acceptation as being willing so to be accounted and these be meer Coseners Calvin treating of these Magicians calleth them Coseners saying That they use their Jugling 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 confess that these Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are most commonly put for illusion false-packing cosenage fraud knavery and deceit and 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 cosenage and old wives fables and yet defendeth he their flying in the air their transferring of Corn or Grass 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 and impossibilites And these my Lord that fall into so manifest contradictions and into such absurd asseverations are not of the inferiour 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 behalf I am sorry and partly for reverence suppress their fondest errors and foulest absurdities dealing specially with them that most contend in cruelty whose feet are swift to shed blood Striving as Jesus the son of Sirach saith and hasting as Solomon the son of David saith to pour out the blood of the Innocent whose heat against these poor wretches cannot be allayed with any other liquor then blood and therefore 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 blood-thirsty men And because I know your Lordship will take no counsel against innocent blood but rather suppress them that seek to imbrew their hands therein I have made choice to open their case to you and to lay their miserable calamity before your feet following herein the advice of that learned man Brentius who saith Si quis admonuerit Magistratum ne in miseras illas mulierculas saeviat eum ego arbitror divinitus excitatum that is If any admonish the Magistrate not to deal 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 attribute to Witches the power which appertaineth to God only That I have made choice of your Lordship to be a Patron to this my Book because I think you favour 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 dishonour 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 and are not to be carryed away with the vain perswasion or superstition either of Man Custom Time or Multltude but moved with the authority of Truth only I crave your countenance herein even so far forth and no further then the law of God the law of Nature the law of this Land and the rule of Reason shall require Neither do I treat for these poor people any otherwise but so as with one hand you may sustain the good and with the other suppress the evil wherein you shall be thought a Father to Orphans an Advocate to Widows a Guide to the Blind a Stay to the Lame a Comfort and Countenance to the honest a

Hilarius Hippocrates Homerus Horatius Hostiensis Hovinus Hypertus Jacobus de Chusa Carthusianus Jamblichus Jaso Pratensis Innocentius 8. Papa Johannes Anglicus Johannes Baptista Neapolitanus Johannes Cassianus Johannes Montiregrus Johannes Rivius Josephus ben Gorion Josias Rimlerus Isidorus Isigonus Juba Julius Maternus Justinus Martyr Lactantius Lavaterus Laurentius Ananias Laurentius à Villavicentio Leo II. Pontifex Lex Salicarum Lex 12. Tabularum Legenda Aurea Legenda longa Coloniae Leonardus Vairus Livius Lucanus Lucretius Ludovicus Coelius Lutherus Macrobius Magna Charta Malleus Maleficarum Manlius Marbacchius Marbodeus Gallus Marsilius Ficinus Martinus de Arles Mattheolus Melancthonus Memphradorus Michael Andraeas Musculus Nauclerus Nicephorus Nicolaus 5. Papa Nider Olaus Gothus Origenes Ovidius Panormitanus Paulus Aegineta Paulus Marsus Persius Petrus de Appona Petrus Lombardus Petrur Martyr Peucer Philarohus Philastrius Brixiensis Philodorus Philo Judaeus Pirkmairus Platina Plato Plinius Plotinus Plutarchus Polydorus Virgilius Pomoerium sermonum Quadragesimalium Pompanatius Pontificale Ponzivibius Popphyrius Prochus Propertius Psellus Ptolomeus Pythagoras Quintilianus Rabbi Abraham Rabbi Ben Ezra Rabbi David Kimhi Rabbi Josuah Ben Levi. Rabbi Isaac Natar Rabbi Levi. Rabbi Moses Rabbi Sedajas Hajas Robertus Carocullus Rupertus Sabinus Sadoletus Savanorola Scotus Seneca Septuaginta interpretes Serapio Socrates Solinus Speculum exemplorum Strabo Sulpitius Severus Synesius Tatianus Tertullianus Thomas Aquinas Themistius Theodoretus Theodorus Bizantius Theophrastus Thucydides Tibullus Tremelius Valerius Maximus Varro Vegetius Vincentius Virgillius Vitellius Wierus Xantus Historiographus English Authors BArnaby Googe Beehive of the Romish Church Edward Deering Geoffrey Chaucer Giles Alley Gnimelf Maharba Henry Haward John Bale John Fox John Malborn John Record Primer after York use Richard Gallis Roger Bacon Testament Printed at Rhemes T. E. a nameless Authour 467. Thomas Hills Thomas Lupton Thomas Moore Knight Thomas Phaer T. R. a nameless Authour 393. William Lambard W. W. a nameless Authour 542. THE DISCOVERY OF Witchcraft BOOK I. CHHP. I. An impeachment of Witches power in Meteors and Elementary Bodies tending to the rebuke of such an attribute too much unto them THe Fables of Witchcraft 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 grief sickness loss of children corn cattel or liberty happen unto them by and by they exclaim upon Witches As though there were no God in Israel that ordereth all things according to his will punishing both just and unjust with griefs plagues and afflictions in manner and form 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 termed 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 behalf who bids us resort to him in all our necessities Such faithless people I say are also perswaded that neither hail 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 wind is no sooner heard but either they run to ring bells or cry out to burn Witches or else burn consecrated things hoping by the smoak thereof to drive the Devil out of the air as though spirits could be fraid away with such external 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 whirl-winds and I find that it is the Lord that altogether dealeth with them and that they blow 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 believe in them Hath any Witch or Conjurer or any creature entred into the treasures of the snow or seen the secret places of the hail which God hath prepared against the day of trouble battel and war I for my part also think with Jesus Sirach that at Gods only commandement the snow falleth and that the wind bloweth according to his will who only makeh all storms 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 storms as the Prophet Nahum reporteth but rather that Witches and Conjurers are then about their business The Marcionists acknowledged one God the Author of good things and another the ordainer of evil but these make the Devil a whole God to create things of nothing to know mens cogitations and to do that which God never did as to transubstantiate 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 were burned or hanged I warrant you we should not fail to have rain hail and tempests as now we have according to the appointment and will of God and according to the constitution of the Elements and the course of the Planets wherein God hath set a perfect and perpetual 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 less for them For the Lord hath bound the waters in the clouds and hath set bounds about the waters until 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 snow 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 fountains saith Oseas Let us also learn and confess 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 Imperial law saith Brentius condemneth them to death that trouble and infect the air but I affirm saith he that it is neither in the power of Witch nor Devil so to do but in God only Though besides Bodin and all the Popish Writers in general it please Danaeus Hyperius Hemingius Erastus

S. Augustine saith well that he is too much a fool and a blockhead that supposeth those things to be done indeed and corporally which are by such persons phantastically imagined which phantastical illusions do as well agree and accord as Algerus saith with Magical deceipts as the verity accompanieth divine holiness CHAP. XVIII That the confession of Witches is sufficient in civil and common law to take away life What the sounder divines and decrees of councel determine in this case ALas what creature being found in state of mind would without compulsion make such manner of confessions as they do or would for a trifle or nothing make a perfect bargain with the Devil for her soul to be yielded up unto his tortures and everlasting flames and that within a very short time specially being through age most commonly unlike to live one whole year The terrour of hell-fire must needs be to them diversly manifested and much more terrible because of their weakness nature and kind than to any other as it would appear if a Witch were but asked Whether she would be contented to be hanged one year hence upon condition her displeasure might be wreaked upon her enemy presently As for theeves and such other they think not to go to hell-fire but are either perswaded there is no hell or that their crime deserveth it not or else that they have time enough to repent so as no doubt if they were perfectly resolved hereof they would never make such adventures Neither do I think that for any sum of money they would make so direct a bargain to go to hell-fire Now then I conclude That confession in this behalf is insufficient to take away the life of any body or to attain such credit as to be believed without further proof For as Augustine and Isidore with the rest of the sounder divines say that these perstigious things which are wrought by Witches are fantastical so do the sounder decrees of Councels and Canons agree that in that case there is no place for criminal action And the law saith That the confession of such persons as are illuded must needs be erroneous and therefore is not to be admitted for Confessio debet tenere verum possibile But these things are opposite both to law and nature and therefore it followeth not Because these Witches confess so Ergo it is so for the confession differeth from the act or from the possibility of the act And whatsoever is contrary to nature faileth in his principles and therefore is naturally impossible The Law also saith In criminalibus regulariter non statur soli confessioni rei In criminal cases or touching life we must not absolutely stand to the confession of the accused party but in these matters proofs must be brought more clear than the light it self And in this crime no body must be condemned upon presumptions And where it is objected and urged that since God only knoweth the thoughts there is none other way of proof but by confession It is answered thus in the law to wit Their confession in this case containeth an outward act and the same impossible both in the law and nature and also unlikely to be true and therefore Quod verisimile non est attendi non debet So as though their confessions may be worthy of punishment as whereby they shew a will to commit such mischief yet not worthy of credit as that they have such power For Si factum absit solaque opinione laborent è stultorum genere sunt If they confess a fact performed but in opinion they are to be reputed among the number of fools Neither may any man by law be condemned for criminal causes upon presumptions nor yet by single witnesses neither at the accusation of a capital enemy who indeed is not to be admitted to give evidence in this case though it please M. Mal. and Bodin to affirm the contrary But beyond all equity these Inquisitors have shifts and devises enough to plague and kill these poor souls for they say their fault is greatest of all others because of their carnal copulation with the Devil and therefore they are to be punished as Hereticks four manner of wayes to wit with Excommunication deprivation loss of goods and also with death And indeed they find law and provide means thereby to maintain this their bloudy humor For it is written in their Popish Canons That as for these kind of Hereticks how much soever they repent and return to the faith they may not be retained alive or kept in perpetual prison but be put to extream death Yea M. Mal. writeth that a Witches sin is the sin against the holy Ghost to wit irremissible yea further that it is greater than the sin of the Angels that fell In which respect I wonder that Moses delivered not three tables to the children of Israel or at the least-wise that he exhibited not commandements for it It is not credible that the greatest should be included in the less c. But when these Witchmongers are convinced in the objection concerning their confessions so as thereby their tyrannical arguments cannot prevail to imbrue the Magistrates hands in so much bloud as their appetite requireth they fall to accusing them of other crimes that the world might think they had some colour to maintain their malicious fury against them CHAP. XIX Of Four capital Crimes objected against Witches all fully answered and confuted us frivolous FIrst therefore they lay to their charge Idolatry but alas without all reason for such are properly known to us to be Idolaters as do external worship to Idols or strange gods The furthest point that Idolatry can be stretched unto is that they which are culpable therein are such as hope for and seek salvation at the hands of Idols or of any other than God or fix their whole mind and love upon any creature so as the power of God is neglected and contemned thereby But Witches neither seek nor believe to have salvation at the hands of Devils but by them they are only deceived the instruments of their fantasie being corrupted and so infatuated that they suppose confess and say they can do that which is as far beyond their power and nature to do as to kill a man at York before noon when they have been seen at London in that morning c. But if these latter Idolaters whose Idolatry is spiritual and committed only in mind should be punished by death then should every covetous man or other that setteth his affection any way too much upon an earthly creature be executed and yet perchance the Witch might escape scot-free Secondly Apostasie is laid to their charge whereby it is inferred that they are worthy to die But Apostasie is where any of sound judgement forsake the Gospel learned and well known unto them and do not only imbrace impiety and infidelity but oppugne and resist the truth erst-while by them professed But

expoundeth the other words wherewithal we are now in hand Somnia terrores Magicos miracula sagas Nocturnos lemures portentaque Thessala rides These dreames and terrors Magical 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 cunning marry herein he comprehendeth not their poysoning art which hereby he only seemed to think hurtful Pythagoras and Democritus give us the names of a great many Magical herbes and stones whereof now both the vertue and the things themselves also are unknown as Marmaritin whereby Spirits might be raised Archimedon which would make one bewray in his sleep all the secrets in his heart Adincantida Calicia Mevais Chirocineta c. which had all their several vertues or rather poysons But all these now are worn out of knowledge marry in their stead we have hogs-turd and chervil as the only thing whereby our Witches work miracles Truly this poysoning art called Veneficium of all others is most abominable 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 be preserved from the hands of the wicked Children may hereby kill their Parents the Servant the Master the Wife her Husband so privily so unevitably and so incurably that of all other it hath been thought the most odious kind of murther according to the saying of Ovid Non hospes abhospite 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 Englished by Abraham Fleming 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 kindness void of strife The husband seeks the goodwifes death And his again the wife Ungentle stepdames grizly poyson temper and do give The Son too soon doth aske how long His Father is to live The Monk that poysoned King John was a right Veneficus to wit both a Witch and a Murtherer for he killed the King with poyson and perswaded the people with lyes that he had done a good and a meritorious act and doubtless many were so bewitched as they thought he did very well therein Antonius Sabellicus writeth of a horrible poysoning murther committed by Women at Rome where were executed after due conviction 170 Women at one time besides 20 Women of that consort who were poysoned with that poyson which they had prepared for others CHAP. IV. Of divers poysoning practices otherwise called Veneficia committed in Italy Genua Millen Wittenberge also how they were discovered and executed ANother practice not unlike to that mentioned in the former Chapter was done in Cassalis at Salassia in Italy 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 powder the posts and doors of mens houses so as thereby whole families were poysoned and of that stuffe they had prepared above 40 crocks for that purpose Herewithal they conveyed inheritances as it pleased them till at length they killed the brother and only son 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 pactised 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 poysoning of Cattel as Men and that which is done by poysons unto Cattel towards their destruction is as commonly attributed to Witches charmes as the other And I doubt not but some that would be thought cunning in Incantations and to do miracles have experience in this behalf 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 Wolf 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 Dukedom of Wittenberge not far from Tubing a Butcher Anno 1564. that bargained with a Town for all their hides which were of sterven cattel called in these parts Morts He with poyson privily killed in great numbers their bullocks sheep swine c. and by his bargain of the hides and tallow 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 one rich Butcher CHAP. V. A great Objection answered concerning this kind of Witchcraft called Veneficium IT is objected That if Veneficium were comprehended under the title of manslaughter it had been a vain repetition and a disordered course undertaken by Moses to set forth a law against Veneficas severally But it might suffice to answer any reasonable Christian that such was the pleasure of the holy Ghost to institute a particular Article hereof as of a thing more odious wicked and dangerous then any other kind of Muther But he that shall read the law of Moses or the Testament of Christ himself shall find this kind of repetition and reiteration of the law most common For as it is written Exod. 22.21 Thou shalt not grieve nor afflict a stranger for thou was a stranger in the land of Aegypt so are the same words found repeated in Levit. 19.33 Polling and shaving of heads and beards is forbidden in Deut. 27. which was before prohibited in 22. It is written in Exod. 20. Thou shalt not steal and it is repeated in Levit. 19. and and in Deut. 5. Murther is generally forbidden in Exod. 20. and likewise in 22. and repeated in Numb 35. But the aptest example is that Magick is forbidden in three several places to wit once in Levit. 19. and twice in Levit. 20. For the which a man might as well cavil with the holy Ghost as for the other CHAP. VI. In what kind of confections that Witchcraft which is called Veneficium consisteth of Love-cups and the same confuted by Poets AS touching this kind of Witchcraft the principal part thereof consisteth in certain confections prepared by lewd people to procure love which indeed are meer poysons bereaving some of

miserable and therefore it should be unto them Invita Minerva to banquet 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 spiteful that if they by themselves or by their Devils could trouble the Element 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 transfer Corn as is affirmed from their neighbours field into their own none of them would be poor none other should be rich If they could transform 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 practice of Witchcraft the absurdity of the Law of the twelve Tables whereupon their estimation in miraculous actions is grounded of their wondrous 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 confess the Customs and Laws almost of all Nations do declare that all these miraculous works before by me cited and many other things more wonderful were attributed to the power of Witches The which Laws with the executions and judicials thereupon and the Witches confessions have beguiled almost the whole world What absurdities concerning Witchcraft are written in The Laew 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 wisdom of such Law-givers could not be abused Whereof me thinks might be made a more strong argument on our side to wit if the chief and principal Laws of the world be in this case ridiculous vain 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 Laws against Protestants and the Heathenish Princes Laws against Christians to be good and in force 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 pain of death should pull the Moon out of Heaven And yet very many or the most learned Witchmongers make their arguments upon weaker grounds as namely in this form 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 aelienam segetem pellexeris excantando neque incaentando Ne agrum defruganto the sense whereof in English is this Let him be executed that bewitcheth Corn Transferr not other mens Corn into thy ground by Inchantment Take heed 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 where 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 grow hastily rich yet at Rome you shall understand that as Pliny reporteth upon these Articles one C. Furius Crassus was convented before Spurius Albinus for that he being but a little while free and delivered from bondage occupying only tillage grew rich on the sudden as having good crops so as it was suspected that he transferred his neighbours Corn into his Fields No intercession no delay no 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 voyce and verdict of three men as we here are tryed by twelve made his appearance at the day assigned and brought with him his Ploughs and Harrows 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 Apparel and said to the whole Bench in this wise Lo here my Lords here I make my appearance according to promise and your pleasures presenting unto you my Charms and Witchcrafts which have so inriched me As for the labour sweat watching care and diligence which I have used in this behalf I cannot shew them at this time And by this means he was dismissed by the consent of the Court 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 alwayes to hide himself in a Monshoal and had a Disciple called Hoppo who made Stadlin a Master Witch and could all when they list invisibly transfer the third part of their neighbours Dung Hay Corn c. into their own ground make Hail Tempests and Floods with Thunder and Lightning and kill Children Cattel c. reveal 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 Roman and Heathen Judges Howbeit Stafus 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. Laws provided for the punishment of such Witches as work Miracles whereof some are mentioned and of certain Popish Laws published against them THere are other Laws of other Nations made to this incredible effect as Lex Salicarum provideth punishment for them that flie in the Air from place to place and meet at their nightly Assemblies and brave banquets carrying with them Plate and such stuffe c. even as we should make a law to hang him that should take a Church in his hand at Dover and throw it to Caellice And because in this case also Popish laws shall be seen be to as foolish and lewd as any other whatsoever and specially as tyrannous as that which is most cruel you shall hear what trim new laws the Church of Rome hath lately devised These are therefore the words of Pope Innocent the eight to the Inquisitors of Almaine and of Pope Julius the second sent to the Inquisitors of Bergomen It is come to our ears that many lewd persons of both kinds as well male as female using the company of the Devils Incubus and Succubus with Incantations Charms Conjurations c. do destroy c. the births of women with child the young of all Cattel the Corn of the Field the Grapes of the Vines the fruit of the Trees Ieem Men women