Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	book_n	young_a	youth_n	28	3	7.6989	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55138	A pleasant treatise of witches their imps, and meetings, persons bewitched, magicians, necromancers, incubus, and succubus's, familiar spirits, goblings, pharys, specters, phantasms, places haunted, and devillish impostures : with the difference between good and bad angels, and a true relation of a good genius / by a pen neer the covent of Eluthery.	Pen neer the Covent of Eluthery.	1673 (1673)	Wing P2564; ESTC R9332	44,947	136

they unlockt the door and entered the Chamber with a great company of lights and saw by their Daughter a most horrid Monster more terrible in shape then what can be described believed The beholders of this strange Spectacle all run away save an holy Priest that staid began to read St. Johns Gospel and when he came to this passage The Word was made Flesh the evil Spirit with a horrid noise flew away with the window of the chamber And the woman at the fright was delivered of a horrid Monster which the Midwives least it might be a reproach to the Family burnt upon a pile of wood immediately In the year 1480. as the same Author affirms a Merchants Ship was going to Flanders to Traffique when on a sudden there arose so vehement a Storm that the Mast was broke and great damage done to the rest of the Tackling insomuch that nothing could be expected but present destruction The Master wondring at this unclemency of the Air for it was then about the Summer Solstice when he could attribute it to no natural cause concluded it was rather by some evil spirit Which as he related to the Passengers comforting them forasmuch as he trusted God would not suffer them to perish by those means of the Devil a pittiful voyce was heard from the bottom of the Ship of one of the passengers a woman accusing her self that for many years she had had familiarity with a Devil in mans shape and that he was then with her and that she deserved to be thrown into the Sea to save the rest from the imminent danger The Minister therefore was sent down to this distressed creature who pray'd by her and after her confession earnestly entreated her to repent and ask of God forgiveness for what she had done This the poor distressed woman no so●…ner began to do but a black and thick mist seemed to rise up out of the pump of the Ship and with a great noise flame smoak and stink threw it self into the Sea after which the Tempest ceased and the Ship got safe to harbour Vincentius writes that a certain strong young man well skilled in Swimming was bathing himself by Moon-shine in the Sea and that a woman swimming after him took him by the hair as if it were one of his companions that would have ducked him to whom he spoke but no answer was made nevertheless she followed him to shoar and the youth taken by the great excellence of her beauty covered her with some of his garments and brought her to his home and not long after marryed her But being jeered often by his companions that he had marryed a Phantasm forasmuch as she would never speak he drew his Sword one day and threatned he would kill the Child she bore if she would not speak and tell her Original Alas poor man said she that loosest a good wife by forcing me to speak I had remained long with thee and done thee much good had I not broken the silence enjoyned me and therefore henceforth thou shalt see me no more and then she vanished But the child grew and began to use himself much to swim till at last as he swimmed one day in the Sea many people admiring him he was taken way out of their sight by his Mother Hieronymus reports the like of a Monk invited to uncleaness by a Succubus in the shape of a very fair and beautiful woman but when went to embrace her she sent forth a great cry as she was nothing in reality but a meer shade and Phantasm vanished out of his arms deceiving and deriding the foolish Monk that had by his Lust rendred himself like the horse and bruit beasts without understanding CHAP. VI. Of Familiar Spirits Goblings and Pharies GIlbert writes in the eight Book of his Narrations that a young Gentleman of Lo●…rain of a good Family but corrupted by ill company frequenting often Ordinaries and such like houses of Debauchery was one day walking in the fields melancholy by himself for want of money To whom a Spirit appearing in mans shape asked the reason of his solitariness profering to do him service in whatever troubled him providing he would stedfastly believe all that was in a little Book he would give him and swear never to open or shew it to any body This when the young man had promised the other produced a little Book in his left hand and shaked 60. Crowns out of it into his right bidding the young man do the like who produced the same effect But at last when he wanted for nothing being overcome with curiosity he resolved to see what was contained in it and opening it he saw in the midst a round Circle divided with certain lines in form of a Cross on which was painted a horrible face of a Devil At this sight the young man was so frighted that his Eyes became black and his Brains turned that he thought to have some heavy load on his shoulders He was forced therefore to confess the matter to his friends who perswaded him to through the Book into the fire which although there was nothing in it but Paper yet remained an hour in the fire before it consumed A certain Souldier travelling through Marchia a country of Almaigne and finding himself weary in his journey abode in an Inn till he might recover his strength and committed to his Hostesses custody certain money which he had about him Not long after when he was to depart he required his money but the woman having consulted with her Husband denyed the Receit and return thereof accusing him also of wrong in demanding that which she never received the Souldier on the other side fretting amain accused her of cousenage which stir when the man of the house heard though privy to all before yet dissemblingly took his Wives part and thrust the souldier out of doors who being throughly chafed with that indignity drew his Sword and ran at the door with the point of it whereat the Host cried Theeves Theeves saying that he would have entered his House by force so that the poor Souldier was taken and put in Prison and by process of Law to be condemned to death but the very day wherein this hard Sentence was to be pronounc●…d and executed the Devil entred into the prison and told the Souldier he was condemned to dye nevertheless if he would give himself body and soul to him he would promise to deliver him out of their hands the prisoner answering said that he had rather dye being innocent then be delivered on such conditions Again the Devil propounded to him the great danger his life was in and also used all cunning means possible to perswade him But the other resolutely withstood his temptation that at last he promised to revenge him of his enemies for nothing advising him moreover to plead not guilty to declare his innocency and their wrong and to entreat the Judge to grant him one that stood by in a

manner of life they followed adding that he was not ignorant how their Order was hated by many because of their Dr. St. Thomas whom they followed in that Opinion that the Virgin Mary was conceived in Original Sin Nevertheless many of their Enemies were grievously tormented by the vengeance of God and the Town of Berne would perish if it did not expell the Franciscan Friars who were of opinion that the Virgin was conceived without And that particularly Dr. Alexander Dr. Ales and Iohn Scotus the subtil Doctor both Franciscan Fryers were grievously tormented in Purgatory for inducing the people to hold that opinion At last the said spirit did counterfeit the Virgin Mary herself assuring him she was conceived with sin and certified him also in many other things he desired to know from her She made also in his right hand a mark of her Son Jesus Christ by peircing his hand with a very sharpe Naile then to appease the pain she put Lint into it made of the clouts she wrapped her Child with in Aegypt But not contented alone with this the said Friers gave him to drink a certain Magick Liquor by which he lost his sence and understanding and then with Aquafoŕtis made four more wounds upon him Afterwards when by means of a second Liquor he came to himself he was much astonished at his wounds but they perswaded him they came from God and put him afterwards into a little Cell all hung with the Pictures of the passions of Christ they gave him also a drink that made him froath at the mouth and perswaded him that he was then fighting against death as Christ had done To conclude they play'd so many pranks with this poor Monk that at last he began to perceive the delusion and escaping out of their hands discovered all their devillish practises Whereupon the actors of this wickedness Iohn Vetter Prior Steven Boltzhorst Preacher Francis Ulchi under-Prior and Henry Steniecker receiver of the Rents were condemned to be burnt alive in a field before the company of the Franciscans There is a pleasant relation amongst the Narrations Mundi Fortuitas which I shall not omit in this place how in a Village of France inhabited by rude country Boors a Man fitter for the Cart than a Pulpit yet as being the best Scholler in the Town was made Vicar and according to custome nothing was done nothing thought upon but the Vicar was ever present among the good women Insomuch that by such frequent familiarily he grew to be well acquainted with one Lisetta a Parishioners wife Her Husband was not so blind but he could perceive his horn a growing and from that time permitted not the Vicar to come any more to his house Thus was all the fat in the fire and their hopes cancelled had not love found out another way for according to the Vicars instruction Lisetta counterfeited her self possessed with the Devil turning her eyes arms and legs in strange postures froathing at the mouth and ratling in her throat The simple neighbourhood astonished at these actions cry'd she was possessed and her poor Husband not a little troubled at it forgot what was past and goes for the Vicar to exorcise the Spirit Alas my friend saith the other thy Jealousy and suspition I fear of our holy Order hath been the cause of this misfortune for asmuch as the Chastest Matrons have ran mad and have been possessed upon this account Then taking his Robes Book and what was fitting on this account he goes along with him to his wife and the usual ceremony in such cases being performed he askes the spirit who it was Lisetta as she was before instructed answered in a small voice I am the father of this young woman who am to do Penance for ten years space in one body or other Her Husband thinking it to be her Fathers spirit my Father said he I desire thee for Gods Sake to come out of her Then the spirit reply'd I will indeed come out of her but I shall enter into thee to compleat the rest of my time alloted for my Penance The poor man was so terrified at this that falling at the Parsons feet my friend said he do you not know some way to avert this heavy Judgement either by Prayers Fastings Alms or other Charitable deeds then Lisetta perceiving all things to succeed according to her desire thou art too poor said she to hinder thy fate by Alms or charitable Deeds and instead of these thou must go visit forty Religious places and pray in every one and entreat God to forgive thee thy sins otherwise never look to escape what Heaven hath ordained Moreover the spirit went on concerning his false Jealousy and suspition of Holy Men insomuch that he fell at the Vicars feet asking forgiveness and shortly after began his Pilgrimage In the mean time the Vicar was always with his wife under pretence to lay the spirit but 't is questionable whether he raised not a worse In the year 1534. The Praetors wife Aurelia had taken care before she dyed that she might be buried privately without Pompe and Ceremonies for then it was a custome in Erance that when any Noble person dyed the Heralds should call the people together by Cymbals and such like instruments and then rehearse the Nobility and worth of the person deceased desiring the people to pray for them many mendicant Fryars also attended the Corps with an infinite company of lights So that by a kind of emulation the more the Pompe was and the greater the concourse of people the nobler the Family was esteemed But her Husband obeying her last desire gave no more to the Franciscans that buryed her than six Crowns whereas much more was expected and afterward when he cut down wood and denyed them some they were so incensed that they resolved in revenge to make the people believe his wife was damned in Hell To which purpose they placed a youth upon the roof of the Church who at night in Prayer-time made a great noise there and notwithstanding their exorcisms and conjurations would answer nothing then being commanded to give some sign that he were a dumb spirit for a sign he made a great noise the next day the Franciscans related to the people what hapned but desired them not in any wise to absent themselves for that So the next night when Prayers began the spirit also made a noise in the former manner but being asked what he was made a sign that he was not to speak he was commanded therefore to answer by signs for there was a hole made where the youth could hear what the exorcists said and he had a Tablet in his hand by striking upon which he gave signs that could be heard beneath first therefore being asked if he were any of those that had been buryed there he made a sign he was then many names being recited of all the persons buryed there when they came to the Praetors wife he knoc'd for a sign

Lucifer takes his place in his Throne as King do make their accustomed homage Adoring and Proclaiming him their Lord and rendring him all Honour This Solemnity being finished they fit to Table where no delicate meats are wanting to gratifie their Appetites all dainties being thither brought in the twinckling of an Eye by those spirits that attend the Assembly This done at the sound of many pleasant Instruments for we must expect no Grace in the company of Devils the table is taken away and the pleasant consort invites them to a Ball but the dance is strange and wonderful as well as diabolical for turning themselves back to back they take one another by the arms and raise each other from the ground then shake their heads to and fro like Anticks turn themselves as if they were mad Then at last after this Banquet Musick and Ball the lights are put out and their sleeping Venus awaks The Incubus's in the shaps of proper men satisfy the desires of the Witches and the Succubus's serve for whores to the Wizards At last before Aurora brings back the day each one mounts on his spirit and so returns to his respective dwelling place with that lightness and quickness that in little space they find themselves to be carryed many hundred miles but are charged by their spirit in the way not to call in any wise on the name of God or to bless themselves with the sign of the Cross upon pain of falling with peril of their lives and being greivously punisht by their Demon. Sometimes at their solemn assemblies the Devil commands that each tell what wickedness he hath committed and according to the hainousness and detestableness of it he is honoured and respected with a general applause Those on the contrary that have done no evil are beaten and punished at last when the assembly is ready to break up and the Devil to dispatch them he publisheth this law with a loud voice Revenge your selves or else you shall dye then each one kissing the Posteriors of the Devil a sweet bit no doubt returns upon their aiery Vehicles to their habitations These meetings are made commonly towards midnight when the earth is covered with darkness yet Cardan writes that a friend of his a Bookseller returning from Alemagne where he had newly been saw several assemblies met near a mountain both Wizards and Witches dancing some on Horseback some on Goats others on Dragons some on other Phantasms but drawing n●…er within a stones throw they all vanished and were no longer seen The places of these Meetings are in some desart either in a fair plain or under some large tree of which Pomp. Mela writes that on the side of the Mountain Atlas in Mauritania are seen by night certain lights and noises are heard of Cimbals and almost all sorts of Musical Instruments which in the day time cease and the Phantasms vanish and disappear Solin and Olaus affirm the same that the Shepherds living neer this place are often frighted by the Troops of Spirits that go dancing and brawling toward this Mountain esteem'd by the common people to be Aegyptians Valderama speaks farther concerning these meeting places which ought in no wise to be omitted that by t●…e new Castle belonging to the Earle of Francesquin he saw under a high Chesnut-Tree hard by a little wood a circle of the breadth of twenty foot being made so round that it seemed to be made by a Geometrical compass where he imagined these Witches and Spirits to have been and what most astonished him was that upon this round circle grew no flower nor grass although in the middle and round about abundantly Suspecting therefore that the earth was consumed by the quality of some ill humour which hindred the Herbs to grow he caused it to be dug up and diligently lookt upon but found the earth of the very same quality and goodness with the rest ad joyning Paul Grillaud a most famous Doctor of the Law reports that a certain Pesant had a wife accustomed to go to such meetings with her other companions which her Husband suspecting often taxed her with it which still she denyed as obstinately till at last resolving to know the truth he feigned himself one night drunk and in a sound sleep which hapned to be the time she was advised by her Spirit to go to the Assembly So that looking round about her that all things were sure her doors fast and her husband to appearance dead drunk she retired into a private corner of the room strip't her self naked and ano●…ted her body then in an instant as if she had wings she flew up the Chimney This her husband perceiving rose and hid the box of Oyntment till the next morning when examining her where she had been that night he could neither by fair nor foul means bring her to confess that she had been out of the house till ●…hewing her the box of Oyntment see here said he the witness that will so convince thee that thou shalt be no longer able to deny thy wickedness and unless thou resolve to tell me immediately whither and by what means thou wen●…'st expect not to go out of my hands alive Then did he W●… ●…mbling at her husbands threats an●… convicted of what she had done confess the truth and all the things committed in their impure Society above all she se●… forth the pleasures of it with such cunning fla●…tery that the lusty young Pesant had a mind presently to be partaker of those delights and promised her pardon for what she ●…ad done if she would conduct and bring ●…im also to the place This she promised willingly and the time being come after she had asked leave of her spirit to bring her husband with her she caused him to strip himself naked as she was and both being anointed they mounted the spirit attending on them in the form of a Sheep which flying softly through the Air carryed them to the designed meeting place The poor man seeing so many men and women so richly cloathed as to him they appeared such preparations for a Feast such strange Musick and so many lighted Torches around him stood long time amazed But at last after they were all set at the table by the commandment of the Devil the Country man not loosing time but finding the meat unsavoury and without ●…ast for according to the Proverb the Devils were the Cooks he began to ask for Salt and at last a spirit waiting there in form of a youth brought him some which receiveing he said God be praised for this good Salt At which words in a moment the Table Meat Servants Guests Men and Women Musick Lights Spirits and all vanisht away from ●…im who found himself next morning naked in the Countrey of Bene●…ent under a great Walnut-Tree almost a hundred miles from his own home whither with must distress at last became accused his wife and many o●… of the company who after confession on the

strength that he kild two of them and then being wounded in divers places he leapt out of the window into the Garden But fell by misfortune upon a pole that prop't up a Vine and there stuck fast by the Breeches which the Conspirators perceiving ran down and made an end of him there The Negromancer according to the Kings promise had his pardon and being asked by the King how many Witches he thought were in his Dominions answered above a hundred thousand which he knew and of whom he was Master Mr. Baudovain de Ronssey in his Epistles gives us this Relation that in Ostbrook neer Utrect a place in Holland dwelt a certain Negromancer whose servant observing that his Master went constantly on certain nights into the Stable and laid hold on the Rack resolved to do the same unknown to his Master and see what would be the event Thus following his Master who was gone half an hour before into the stable and returned no more he laid hold on that part of the Rack and was posted immediately he knew not how through the aire till at last he found himself in a large Cave amongst an Assembly of Witches His Master astonished and angry at his coming fearing also least by this means their nocturnal meetings might be discovered asked the counsel of the rest concerning him 't was agreed upon at last to receive him and make him swear secrecy This the poor fellow out of fear did and promised whatsoever else they desired at last when the time of departure came they resolved he-should be carryed back because he had sworn to be of the Society and to that end his Master took him upon his back but in their way through the air as they came over a Lake his Master fearing to be discovered by him and finding this opportunity let him fall hoping therein to have drowned him and stifled him in the mudd yet Providence permitted not the youth to be drowned or his fall to be deadly for the abundance of Rushes and Sedge saved its violence and there he lay with no great harm done to his body The next day as he cry'd for help he was heard by some Travellers and by his voice found and holpen out the occasion of his coming thither being examined he was conducted to the Burgomaster of Utrect named Iohn of Cullenburg who making farther inquiry into this extraordinary accident with intention to prosecute the Negromancer sent for him to the place of his habitation but whether advised by his Spirit or warned by the Report he was fled and could no where be heard of Iohn Theuteme Canon D' Albestan being oftimes reproached to be a Bastard and that he merited not to be a Canon which belonged only to those of better Extract invited his revilers one day to Dinner and after the Table was taken away asked them if they would see their Fathers to which they answered they all were willing then caused he his Familiar Spirits to appear in their likenesses one like a Cook another like a Groom a third like a Pesant but his own Father came in the form of a Canon cloathed in a long gown at which sight the company was much amazed and never after reproached him of his Extract since their own was no more honourable CHAP. V. Of Incubus and Succubus's FLegon Trallian made free from slavery by the Emperor Adrian writes in his Book of admirable things that Philinion Daughter to a Vintener fell in Love with Machates a young Forrester but crost by her friends took it so to heart that she dyed suddenly after and was buryed publickly Not long after this sad Funeral Machates passing by came and lay at the house to whom Philinion appeared being alone in his chamber asserting she was not dead but had raised that report to deceive her friends insomuch that they both lay that night together and he gave her towards morning at her departure his Ring in token of his love and in recompence she gave him another while these things thus passed a servant that lay in the next Chamber hearing Philinions voice supposed really that her Masters daughter was alive which she constantly affirmed for truth her Master desirous to know the certainty of it found means to get the young man to stay longer at his House and caused persons to watch every night in the next chamber at last hearing her voice they went into the chamber and ran towards the bed where she lay to embrace their daughter but the Spirit said O cruel Father and Mother since you hindred me to enjoy this youth in life you can expect no kindess from me and lo now I leave you At which words the spirit went out of her and her carcass fell down in the bed Her tomb was immediately after opened but nothing found there save the ring the Forrester gave her which the spirit had left Her body was seen as likewise the tomb by thousands of people that came to see the truth of this admirable accident And at last by the councel of the Divine Hillo the dead body was carryed out of Town and buryed But Machates by this accident was so frightned that he fell shortly after into despair and killed himself Another no less admirable History we find of an Incubus who in the shape of Policrates was created Prince of the Aetolians and was marryed to a young Lady of Locres with whom after he had lain three nights he vanished and was no more seen by the people The Lady brought forth for her Child a monstrous Hermophrodite at which her Parents being astonished assembled the people the Priests and Diviners to consult what should be done with the Child or rather Divelish off-spring and at last it was concluded it should be burnt But then Policrates the Father appeared again in a mourning garment and with threats demanded his Son which being denyed he rushed upon him and toar him to pieces and then devoured all his members excepting the head and vanisht The people resolved to send to the Oracle at Delphos to enquire concerning this matter but the head that was left on the ground began to speak and with a loud voice and eloquent Oration informed the multitude of all the evil that 's threatned them which came to pass the Year after in the War they had with the people of Acarnania Boethius the Historian writes lib. hist. Scot. That a young maid very beautiful and one that had refused the marriage of many Noble Persons fell into strange familiarity with a Devil Till at last her big swelling belly declared what she had done and forced her to disclose the matter to her Parents how a handsome young man came constantly by night and lay with her but from whence or whither he went she knew not Her friends though they gave little credence to these words yet resolved to search into the matter more narrowly and about three days after being informed by her maid that the man was with her