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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

another of fishes 〈◊〉 other of birds And therefore it is absolutely against the ordinance 〈◊〉 God who hath made me a man that I should fly like a bird or 〈◊〉 like a fish or creep like a worme or become an asse in shape 〈◊〉 much as if God would give me leave I cannot do it for it were con●ry to his own order and decree and to the constitution of any body which he hath made Yea the spirits themselves have their lawes and limits prescribed beyond the which they cannot passe one haires breadth otherwise God should be contrary to himselfe which is farre from him N●●●ther is Gods omnipotency hereby qualified but the devils impotency manifested who hath none other power but that which God from 〈◊〉 beginning hath appointed unto him consonant to his nature and substance He may well be restrained from his power and will but beyond the●● he cannot passe as being Gods minister no further but in that which hath from the beginning enabled him to do which is that he being spirit may with Gods leave and ordinance viciate and corrupt the 〈◊〉 and will of man wherein he is very diligent What a beastly assertion is it that a man whom GOD hath made according to his own similitude and likenesse should be by a witch turn into a beast What an impiety is it to affirme that an asses body is 〈◊〉 temple of the Holy Ghost Or an asse to be the child of God and 〈◊〉 to be his father as it is said of man Which Paul to the Corinthia● divinely confuteth who saith that our bodies are the members of Christ. In the which we are to glorifie God for the body is for the Lord. 〈◊〉 the Lord is for the body Surely he meaneth not for an asses body by this time I hope appeareth in such wise as Bodin may go hide him 〈◊〉 shame especially when he shall understand that even into these our bodies which God hath framed after his own likenesse he hath also breathed that spirit which Bodin saith is now remaining within an asses body which God hath so subjected in such servility under the foot of man of whom God is so mindfull that he hath made him little lower than angels yea than himselfe and crowned him with glory and worship and made him to have dominion over the works of his hands as having put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen yea wolves asses and all other beasts of the field the foules of the air the fishes of the sea c. Bodins Poet Ovid whose Metamorphosis makes so much for him saith to the overthrow of this phantasticall imagination Os homini sublime dedit coelumque videre Iussit erectos ad sydera tollere vultus The effect of which verses in this The Lord did set mans face so hie That he the heavens might behold And look up to the starry skie To see his wonders manifold Now if a witch or a devill can so alter the shape of a man as contrarily to make him look down to hell like a beast Gods works should not only be defaced and disgraced but his ordinance should be wonderfully ●tered and thereby confounded CHAP. VI. The witchmongers objections concerning Nabuchadnezzar answered and their error concerning Lycanthropia confuted MAlleus Maleficarum Bodin and many other of them that maintain witchcraft triumph upon the story of Nabuchadnezzar as though Circes had transformed him with her sorceries into an oxe as she did others into swine c. I answer that he was neither in body nor shape transformed at all according to their grosse imagination as appeareth both by the plaine words of the text and also by the opinions of the best interpreters thereof but that he was for his beastly government and conditions throwne out of his kingdome and banished for a time and driven to hide himselfe in the wildernesse therein exile to lead his life in a●beastly sort among beasts of the field and foules of the air for by the way I tell you it appeareth by the text that he was rather turned into the shape of a fowle than of a beast untill he rejecting his beastly conditions was upon his repentance and amendment called home and restored unto his kingdome Howbeit this by their confession was neither devils nor witches doing but a miracle wrought by God whom alone I acknowledge to be able to bring to passe such workes at his pleasure Wherein I would know what our witch-mongers have gained I am not ignorant that some write that after the death of Nabuchadnezzar his son Evilmorodath gave his body to the ravens to be devoured least afterwards his father should arise from death who of a beast became a man againe But this tale is meeter to have place in the Cabalisticall art to wit among unwritten verities than here To conclude I say that the transformations which these witchmongers do so rave and rage upon is as all the learned sort of Physitians affirme a disease proceeding partly from melancholy whereby many suppose themselves to be wolves or such ravening beasts For Lycanthropia is of the ancient Physitians called Lupina melancholia or Lupina insania I. Wierus declareth very learnedly the cause the circumstance and the cure of this disease I have written the more herein because hereby great princes and potentates as well as poor women and innocents have been de●amed and accounted among the number of witches CHAP. VII A speciall objection answered concerning transportations with the consent of diverse writers thereupon FhOr the maintenance of witches transportations they object the words of the Gospell where the devill is said to take up Christ and to set him on a pinnacle of the temple and on a mountain c. Which if he had done in manner and forme as they suppose it followeth not therefore that witches could do the like nor yet that the devil would do it for them at their pleasure for they know not their thoughts neither can otherwise communicate with them But I answer that if it were so grossely to be understood as they imagine it yet should it make nothing to their purpose For I hope they will not say that Christ had made any ointemnts or entred into any league with the devil by vertue thereof was transported from out of the wildernesse unto the top of the temple of Jerusalem or that the devill could have masteries over his body vvhose soul he could never lay hold upon especially when he might with a beck of his finger have called unto him and have had the assistance of many legions of angels Neither as I thinke will they presume to make Christ partaker of the devils purpose and sinne in that behalfe If they say This was an action wrought by the speciall providence of God and by his appointment that the scripture might be fulfilled then what gain our witchmongers by this place First for that they may not produce 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

in christendome even of ●ate daies to be one of those kind of witches so as he could when ●e ●ist turne himselfe to a wolfe affirming that he was espyed c oftentimes seen to performe that villany because he would be counted the king of all witches He saith that this transubstantiation is most common in Greece and through out all Asia as marchant strangers have reporteed to him For Anno Domini 1542 when Sultan Solimon reigned there was such force and multitude of these kind of wolves in Constantinople that the Emperour drave together in one stock 150. of them which departed out of the city in the presence of all the people To perswade us the more throughly herein he saith that in Livon●a yearly about the end of December a certaine knave or devill warneth all the witches in the countrey to come to a certain place if they faile the devill commeth and whippeth them with an iron rod so as the print of his lashes remain● upon their bodies for ever The captain witch leadeth the way through a great poole of water many millions of witches swim after They are no sooner passed through that water but they are all transformed into wolves and fly upon and devoure both men women cattell c. After twelve daies they returne through the same water and so receive humane shape again Item that there was one Bajanu● a Iew being the sonne of Simeo● which could when he list turne himselfe into a wolfe and by that meanes could escape the force and danger of a whole army of men Which thing saith Bodin is wonderfull but yet saith he it is much more marvelous that men will not beleeve it For many Poets affirme it yea and if you look well into the matter saith he you shall find it easie to do Item he saith that as naturall wolves persecute beasts so do these magicall wolves devoure men women and children And yet God sa●●● to the people I trowe and not to the cattle of Israel If you observe no● my commandements I will send among you the beasts of the f●eld which shall devoure both you and your cattle Item I will send the teeth 〈◊〉 beasts upon you Where is Bodins distinction now become He ne●●● saith I will send witches in the likenesse of wolves c. to devoure you or your cattle Neverthelesse Bodin saith it is a clear case for the m●●●ter was disputed upon before Pope Leo the seventh and by him all the matters were judged possible and at that time saith he were the transformations of Lucian and Apuleius made canonicall Furthermore he saith that through this art they are so cunning that 〈◊〉 man can apprehend them but when they are a sleep Item he named another witch that a● M. Mal. saith could not be caught because he would transforme himselfe into a mouse and runne into every little holes till at length he was killed coming out of the hole of a ●amme in a windo● which indeed is as possible as a camell to go through a needles eye Ite● he saith that divers witches at V●rnon turned themselves into cats an● both committed and received much hurt But at Argentine there was ● wonderfull matter done by three witches of great wealth who transform●ing themselves into three cats assaulted a faggot-maker who having 〈◊〉 them all with a faggot-sticke was like to have bin put to death But he was miraculously delivered and they worthily punished as the story saith from whence Bodin had it After a great many other such beastly fables he inveyeth against such Physitians as say that Lycanthropia is a disease and not a transformation Item he maintaineth as sacred and true all Homers fables of Circes an● Vlysses his companions inveying against Chrysostome who rightly interpreteth Homers meaning to be that Vlysses his people were by the harlot Circes made in their brutish manners to resemble swine But least some Poets fables might be thought lies whereby the witch-mongers arguments should quaile he maintaineth for true the most part of Ovids Metamorphosis and the greatest absurdities and impossibilities in all that book marry he thinketh some one tale therein may be fained Finally he confirmeth all these toies by the story of Nabuchadnezzar And because saith he Nabuchadnezzar continued seven years in the shape of a beast therefore may witches remain so long in the forme of a beast having in all the mean time the shape haire voice strength agility swiftnesse food and excrements of beasts and yet reserve the minds and soules of women or men Howbeit S. Augustine whether to confute or confirme that opinion judge you saith Non est credendum humanum corpus daemonum arte vel potestate in bestialia lineamenta converti posse We may not beleeve that a mans body may be altered into the lineaments of a beast by the devils art or power Item Bodin ●aith that the reason why witches are most commonly turned into wolves is because they usually eate children as wolves eate cattle Item that the cause why other are truly turned into asses is for that such have been desirous to understand the secrets of witches Why witches are turned into cats he alledgeth no reason and therefore to help him forth with that paraphrase I say that witches are curst queanes and many times scratch one another or their neighbours by the faces and therefore perchance are turned into cats But I have put twenty of these witch-mongers to silence with this one question to wit Whether a witch that can turn a woman into a cat c. can also turn a cat into a woman CHAP. II. Absurd reasons brought by Bodin and such others for confirmation of transformations THese Examples and reasons might put us in doubt that every Asse wolfe or cat that we see were a man a woman or a child I marvel that no man useth this distinction in the definition of a man But to what end should one dispute against these creations and recreations when Bodin washeth away all our arguments with one word confessing that none can create any thing but God acknowledging also the force of the canons and imbracing the opinions of such Divines as write against him in this behalfe Yea he doth now contrary to himself elsewhere affirme that the devil cannot alter his form And lo this is his distinction Non essentialis forma id est ratio sed figura solum permutatur The essentiall form to wit reason is not changed but the shape or figure And thereby he proveth it easie enough to create men or beasts with life so as they remain without reason Howbeit I think it is an easier matter to turn Bodins reason into the reason of an asse then his body into the shape of a sheep which he saith is an easie matter because Lots wife was turned into a stone by the Devil Whereby he sheweth his grosse ignorance As though God that commanded Lot upon pain of death not

to look back who also destroyed the city of Sodome at that instant had not also turned her into a salt stone And as though all this while God had been the devils drudge to go about this businesse all the night before and when a miracle should be wrought the devil must be fain to do it himself Item he affirmeth that these kind of transfigurations are more common with them in the west parts of the world then with us here in the east Howbeit this note is given withall that that is meant of the second persons and not of the first to wit of the bewitched and not of the witches For they can transforme themselves in every part of the world whether it be east west north or south Marry he saith that spirits and devils vex men most in the north-countries as Norway Finland c. and in the westerne islands as in the west India but among the heathen specially and wheresoever Christ is not preached And that is true though not in so foolish grosse and corporall a sense as Bodin taketh it One notable instance of a witches cunning in this behalfe touched by Bodin in the chapter aforesaid I thought good in this place to repeat he taketh it out of M. Mal. which tale was delivered to Sprenger by a knight of the Rhodes being of the order of S. Iones at Jerusalem and it followeth thus CHAP. III. Of a man turned into an asse and returned again into a man by one of Bodins witches S. Augustines opinion thereof IT happened in the City of Salamin in the kingdome of Cyprus wherein is a good haven that a ship loaden with merchandize stayed there for a short space In the meane time many of the Souldiers and Ma●riners went to shoar to provide fresh victuals Among which number a certain English man being a sturdy young fellow went to a womans house a little way out of the city and not farre from the sea side to see whether she had any egs to sell. Who perceiving him to be a lustie young fellow a stranger and far from his countrey so as upon the losse of him there would be the lesse misse or inquiry she considered with her self how to destroy him and willed him to stay there a while whilest she went to fetch a few egs for him But she tarryed long so as the young man called unto her desiring her to make haste for he told her that the tide would be spent and by that meanes his ship would be gone and leave him behind Howbeit after some detracting of time she brought him a few egs willing him to return to her if his ship were gone when he came The young fellow returned towards his ship but before he went abroad he would needs eate an egge or twain to satisfie his hunger and within short space he became dumb and out of his wits as he afterwards said When he would have entered into the ship the marriners be● him back with a cudgell saying What a murren lacks the asse Wh●●ther the devill will this asse The asse or young man I cannot tell by which name I should tea●m him being many times repelled and understanding their words that called him asse considering that he could speak never a word and yet could understand every body he thought that he was bewitched by the woman at whose house he was And therefore when by no meanes he could get into the boate but was driven to tarry and see her departure being also beaten from place to place as an asse he remembred the witches words and the words of his own fellowes that called him asse and returned to the witches house in whose service he remained by the space of three yeares doing nothing vvith his hands all that vvhile but carried such burthens as she layed on his back having onely this comfort that although he vvere reputed an asse among strangers and beasts yet that both this vvitch and all other vvitches knevv him to be a man After three yeares vvere passed over in a morning betimes he went to tovvne before his dame vvho upon some occasion of like to make vvater stayed a little behind In the meane time being neer to a church he heard a little saccaring bell ring to the elevation of a morrow masse and not daring to go into the church least he should have been beaten and driven out with cudgels in great devotion he fell down in the church-yard upon the knees of his hinder-legs and did lift his forefeet over his head as the priest doth hold the sacrament at the elevation Which prodigious sight when certaine merchants of Genua espyed and with wonder beheld anon commeth the witch with a cudgell in her hand beating forth the asse And because as it hath been said such kinds of witchcrafts are very usuall in those parts the merchants aforesaid made such meanes as both the asse and the witch vvere attached by the judge And she being examined and set upon the rack confessed the vvhole matter and promised that if she might have liberty to go home she vvould restore him to his old shape and being dismissed she did accordingly So as notvvithstanding they apprehended her againe and burned her and the young man returned into his countrey vvith a joyfull and merry heart Upon the advantage of this story M. Mal. Bodin and the residue of the vvitchmongers triumph and specially because S. Augustine subscribeth thereunto or at the least to the very like Which I must confesse I find too common in his books insomuch as I judge them rather to be foisted in by some fond papist or witchmonger than so learned a mans doings The best is that he himselfe is no eye-witnesse to any of those his tales but speaketh onely by report wherein he uttereth these words to wit that it were a point of great incivility c. to discredit so many and so certaine reports And in that respect he justifieth the corporall transfigurations of Vlysses his mates through the witch-craft of Circes and that foolish fable of Praestantius his father who he saith did eat provender and hay among other horses being himselfe turned into an horse Yea he veryfieth the starkest ly that ever was invented of the two alewives that used to transforme all their guests into horses and to sell them away at markets and faires And therefore I say with Cardanus that how much Augustine saith he hath seen with his eyes so much I am content to beleeve Howbeit S. Agustine concludeth against Bodin For he affirmeth these tra●ssustrutiations to be but fantastical and that they are not according to the verity but according to the appearance And yet I cannot allow of such appearances made by witches or yet by devils for I find no such power given by God to any creature And I would wit of S. Augustine where they became whom Bodins transformed wolve● devoured But ô quam Credula mens hominis erectae fabulis