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A36830 A true relation of the grievous handling of William Sommers of Nottingham being possessed with a devill shewing how he was first taken and how lamentable from time to time he was tormented and afflicted / published by John Darrel ... Darrel, John, b. ca. 1562. 1641 (1641) Wing D253; ESTC R18421 6,821 8

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it did for a certaine space the same member was inflexible and exceedingly heavy as it had beene so much iron Thus it went with him though not in all yet in many of his fits wherein over and besides these things he was strangely handled for suddenly if he were standing when the fit came he would be cast headlong upon the ground or fall downe drawing then his lips awry gnashing with his teeth wallowing and foaming In sundry of his fits he did utter so strange and fearfull schrieking as cannot bee uttered by mans power and was of such strength as sometimes 4. or 5 men though they had much advantage against him by binding of him to a chaire yet could they not rule him and in shewing that strength he was not perceived to pant or blow no more then if he had not strained nor strugled at all Sometimes he cryed extreamly so as teares came from him in great abundance presently after he would laugh aloud and shrill his mouth being shut close And being demanded concerning those accidents he protested he knew of no such matter neither felt he any paine Moreover he was oftentimes cast into the fire some bare part of his body also lying in the fire and yet was not burned and sometimes cast violently against the ground and against the wall or posts of the house without any hurt of his body and did many wayes seeke to destroy himselfe by reason whereof they were driven to take away his knife girdle garters c. yea with the sheet of his bed hee had like to have strangled himselfe Whereupon as also through the increasing of his fits they were constrained to watch him continually even day and night His behaviour generally towards all that came was very pleasant most impudent also and shamelesse with much uncleannesse His speeches were usually vaine delivered in very sc●ffing manner and many times filthy and uncleane very unfit once to be named or blasphemous swearing most fearfully using one bloody oath after another sometimes saying I am God and sometimes There is no GOD Being moved to say the Lords Prayer when he came to these words Lead us not into temptation hee would say Lead us into temptation Divers fond speeches did he use to interrupt them that prayed for him Many strange speeches also were uttered by him not in his owne name but as spoken by an evill spirit possessing him upon occasion of some question or speech used by some in their simplicity and ignorance as That his D●m● had sent him that his name was L●●ye that he was King that he was Prince of darknesse You thinke I have no power of him yet I can use his tongue his teeth lippes hands legges his body and all parts of him And as the spirit named each part hee used it And this speech with the action was very common Was I said he to one John Wiggin never in heaven Yea quoth he but God for thy pride threw thee downe into hell there to remaine One John Sherwood charging him to tell who sent him thither he answered a woman He charged him againe to tell where she dwelt he answered in Worcestershire Whether is she living or dead Dead said hee Wherefore did she send thee For a hat and hatband Then the boy when the fit was done was questioned with concerning these things where unto he returned for answer that which is set downe in the beginning of this story which he had concealed untill that time Hereunto I might adde certaine direct answers he made in Latine to those speeches which in Latine were used unto him a little Greek he also spake being ignorant in those languages altogether in the one and understanding little or nothing in the other In going thus with the boy I was importuned in his behalfe first by two letters after by another from the Maior and thereupon I went unto him At when about the time I condescended to goe being 14. miles off him hee spake thereof to them which were about him So when I was come to Nottingham hee instantly told the same and foretold my comming unto him when I drew neere the house as he had also foretold M. Aldridge the Preacher of the Towne his comming at sundry times Towards that evening I came he seemed to be si●ke and his sicknesse greatly to increase upon him so as they feared he would have dyed or had been dead for he lay an houre with his face and hands blacke cold as ice no breath being perceived to come from him Whereupon I was no sooner light but tidings hereof was brought to me by one of the neighbour women Ioane Pye by name who came purposely from him to signifie the same unto me To whom I answered that was the meere act or operation of the Divell and that the boy was nothing lesse then either dead or in danger thereof Forthwith with her I went to him whom we found very lively and in one of his accustomed Fits many being present with him My speech I carried for a season doubtfully but after a while perceiving how it was with him I did assure him that he was possessed and had in that body of his a Divell and withall did so frame the words of my mouth as might best serve to prepare and stir him up to a spirituall fight against Satan or resistance of him in faith This evening he acted many sins by signes and gestures most lively representing and shadowing them out unto us as namely brawling quarrelling fighting swearing robbing by the high wayes picking and cutting of purses burglary whoredome pride both in men and women hypocrisie sluggishnesse in hearing the Word drunkennesse gluttony also dancing with the toyes thereto belonging the manner of anticke dances the games of dicing and carding the abuse of the viole with other instruments At the end of sundry of these he laughed exceedingly divers times clapping his hands on his thighes for joy And at the end of some of them as killing and stealing he shewed how he brought them to the gallowes making a signe thereof During this time which continued about an houre as hee was altogether silent so was hee most active though his eyes were closed and in many things he did there was great and necessary use of sight In a word these things were in such lively and orient colours painted out as I may say unto us that were present being to the number of some sixty that I for my owne part and I am perswaded the rest of the beholders are of my minde doe verily thinke that it is not in the skill and power of man to doe the like Whilst we were recommending him and his grievous estate to the Lord and intreating his Majesty in his behalfe hee uttered these words I must be gone The next day being the Lords day I came not at him untill about 3 a clocke in the afternoon finding company with him at which time I used some speech wherein I endevoured to prepare both him and his masters family as also his parents whom that judgement principally concerneth unto the holy exercise
the day after to be performed Towards evening much people resorted to the house then some words of exhortation were used by my selfe for the sanctifying of so many of us whose spirits God should stirre up to joyn in that solemne service and worship of God to be performed on the day following As the night and day before he had little or no rest from Satan afflicting him so this evening and all the night long he handled him more extreamly then before At this time among other things the spirit retorted his tongue into his throat and this he did often whereupon many looked with a candle into his mouth where they could see no tongue nor part of it onely in his throat they beheld the root thereof hee uttered often these words For corne for corne with a few more thereunto appertaining noting the unsatiable desire of gaine or raising the price of corne in corne men This night was spent by some well disposed people in reading and praying This evening I requested the Minister of that Congregation M. Aldridge M. Aldred and M. Halam Pastors of two severall townes neere acjoyning unto Nottingham to joyne with me on the morrow in the ministration of the Word and Prayer whereunto they condescended And this I did the rather that thereby I might proclaime and make knowne unto all men that as I have no speciall or greater gift herein then the rest of my brethren so neither doe I arrogate or challenge any such thing to my selfe In the morning many of us were assembled together in the next convenient and seemly roome to the place of his abode The boy was brought with strange and fearfull scrikings by six or seaven strong men who had all of them enough adoe to bring him and laid him on a couch in the midst of us M. Aldridge began and after prayer proceeded to the interpretation of the 4. of Hosea the two first verses When he had finished my selfe intreated of that story set downe in the 9 of Mark from verse 14. untill the 30. where the father bringing his possessed childe to Christ to be cured had him healed accordingly All this day he was continually vexed and tormented by Satan having little no rest at all so as the same for vexation by the spirit farre exceeded any of the dayes before His torments in his fits were most grievous and fearfull to behold wherein his body being swelled was tossed up and downe In these fits his strength was very great so as being held downe with five strong men hee did notwithstanding all their strength against their wills rise and stand upright on his feet Hee was also continually torne in very fearfull manner and disfigured in his face wherein sometimes his lips were drawne awry now to the one side now to the other Sometimes his face and necke distorted to the right and to the left hand yea sometimes writhen to his backe Sometimes he thrust out his tongue very farre and bigge and sometimes turned backwards into his throat gaping so wide that we might afarre off perceive it Now he gnashed with his teeth now he fomed like to the Horse or Boare roaping downe to his breast notwithstanding there was one purposely standing by with a cloath ever and anon to wipe it away Not to say any thing of his fearfull staring with his eyes and incredible gaping This day notwithstanding he was so held as is aforesaid hee went about to have choked and so destroyed himselfe speeches he used none save once in a great voyce Corne And when I applied that speech of our Saviour All things are possible to him that beleeveth hee used these words Thou liest Divers times he scriked or cried aloud in a strange and supernaturall manner sometimes he roared fearfully like a Beare and cried like a swine Towards the evening as I was treating of these words Then the spirit cryed and rent him sore and came out and he was as one dead insomuch that many said he is dead The boy was rent sore indeed cryed and that aloud Then the people which were present as men astonished and with the grievous sight 〈◊〉 unspeakeable affected in the bowels of compassion towards him breaking then hitherto continued silence cried out all at once as it were with one voyce unto the Lord to have mercy upon him and within a quarter of an houre they and he still crying alowd he held down on a bed by 5 men and offering as though he would have vomited was on the sudden violently cast and his body there with turned so as his face lay downwards to the ground and at the beds feet and his backe upward with his feet on the beds head and thus bee lay as if he had been dead for a season Thus we have heard not only how it went with Sommers 〈◊〉 the time of his possession and at and little before his dispossession but also how and by what meanes I came unto him and being there carried my selfe in thi● present action FINIS