Book XII, chapters 10–14: Holy water, balms and amulets; charms against diseases

CHAP. X. How to make Holy Water, and the Vertues thereof; St. Ruffins Charm of the wearing and hearing of the Name of Jesus; that the Sacrament of Confession, and the Eucharist is of as much efficacy at other charms, and magnified by L. Varius.

IF I did well, I should shew you the confession of all their stuffe, and how they prepare it; but it would be too long. And therefore you shall only have in this place a few notes for the composition of certain receipts, which instead of an Apothecary, if you deliver to any morrow-mass Priest, he will make them as well as the Pope himself. Mary now they wax every Parliament deerer and deerer, although therewithal, they utter many stale drugs of their own.

If you look in the Popish, Pontifical, you shall see how they make their holy Water; to wit, in this sort: I conjure thee thou creature of Water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy-Ghost, that thou drive the Devil out of every corner aend hole of this Church, and Altar; so as he remain not within our Precincts that are just and righteous. And water thus used (as Durandus saith) hath power of its own nature to drive away Devils. If you will learn to make any more of this Popish stuffe, you may go to the very Mass-Book, and find many good receipts: marry if you search Durandus, &c. you shall find abundance.

I know that all these Charms, and all these paltrey Confections (though they were far more impious and foolish) will be maintained and defended by Massemongers, even as the residue will be by Witch-mongers: and therefore I will in this place insert a Charm, the authority whereof is equal with the rest, desiring to have their opinions herein. I find in a Book called Pomaerium sermonum quadragesimalium, that S. Francis seeing Rufinus provoked of the Devil to think himself damned, charged Rufinus to say this Charm, when he next met with this Devil; Aperi os; & ibi imponam stercus, which is as much to say in English as, Open thy mouth, and I will put in a plum: a very ruffinly Charm.

Leonard Varius writeth, De veris, piis, ac sanctis amuletis fascinum atque omnia veneficia destruentibus; wherein he specially commendeth the name of Jesus to be worn. But the Sacrament of Confession he extolleth above all things, saying, that whereas Christ with his power did but throw Devils out of mens bodies, the Priest driveth the Devil out of mans soul by confession. For (saith he) these words of the Priest, when he saith, Ego te absolvo, are as effectual to drive away the Princes of darkness, through the mighty power of that saying, as was the voyce of God to drive away the darkness of the world, when at the beginning he said Fiat lux. He commendeth also as wholesome things to drive away Devils, the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and solitariness, and silence. Finally he saith, that if there be added hereunto an Agnus Dei, and the same be worn about ones neck by one void of sin, nothing is wanting that is good and wholesome for this purpose. But he concludeth, that you must wear and make dints in your fore-head, with crossing your self when you put on your shoes, and at every other action, &c. and that is also a present remedy to drive away Devils, for they cannot abide it.

CHAP. XI. Of the Noble Balm used by Moses, apishly counterfeited in the Church of Rome.

THe noble Balm that Moses made, having indeed many excellent vertues, besides the pleasant and comfortable favour thereof wherewithal Moses in his Politick Laws enjoyned Kings, Queens, and Princes to be anointed in their true and lawful elections and Coronations, until the everlasting King had put on man upon him, is apishly counterfeited in the Romish Church, with divers terrible Conjurations, three breathings, Cross-wise (able to make a quezie stomach spue) nine mumblings and three curtsies, saying thereunto, Ave sanctum oleum, ter Ave sanctum Balsamum. And so the Devil is thrust out, and the Holy-Ghost let into his place. But as for Moses his Balm, it is not now to be found either in Rome, or elsewhere that I can learn. And according to this Papistical Order, Witches and other superstitious people follow on with Charms and Conjurations made in form; which many bad Physitians also practice when their learning faileth, as may appear by example in the sequel.

CHAP. XII. The opinion of Ferrarius touchings Charms, Periapts, Appenssions, Amulets, &c. Of Homerical Medicines, of constant Opinion, and the Effects thereof.

ARgerius Ferrarius, a Physician in these days of great account, doth say, that for so much as by no dyet nor Physick any disease can be so taken away or extinguished, but that certain dregs and reliques will remain: therefore Physicians use Physical Alligations, Appensions, Periapes, Amulets, Charms, Characters, &c. which he supposeth may do good; but harm he is sure they can do none: urging that it is necessary and expedient for a Physitian to leave nothing undone that may be devised for his Patients recovery; and that by such means many great cures are done. He citeth a great number of experiments out of Alexander Trallianus, Aetius, Octavianus, Marcellus, Philodotus, Archigenes, Philostratus, Pliny, and Dioscorides; and would make men believe that Galen (who in truth despised and derided all those vanities) recanted in his latter dayes his former opinion, and all his invectives tending against these magical cures. writing also a book intituled De Homerica Medicatione, which no man could ever see, but one Alexander Trallianus, who saith he saw it: and further affirmeth, that it is an honest mans part to cure the sick, by hook or by crook, or by any means whatsoever. Yea, he saith that Galen (who indeed wrote and taught that Incantamenta sunt muliercularum figmenta, and be the only cloaks of bad Physitians) affirmeth, that there is vertue and great force in Incantations. As for example, (saith Trallian) Galen being now reconciled to this opinion, holdeth and writeth, that the bones which stick in ones throat, are avoided and cast out with the violence of Charms and Inchanting words; yea and that thereby the Stone, the Collick, the Falling-sickness, and all Feavers, Gowts, Fluxes, Fistula's, issues of blood, and finally whatsoever care (even beyond the skill of himself, or any other foolish Physitian) is cured and perfectly healed by words of Inchantment. Marry M. Ferrarius (although he allowed and practised this kind of Physick) yet he protesteth that he thinketh it none otherwise effectual, than by the way of constant opinion: so as he affirmeth, that neither the Character, nor the Charm, nor the Witch, nor the Devil accomplish the cure; as (saith he) the experiment of the Tooch-ach will manifestly declare, wherein the cure is wrought by the confidence or diffidence as well of the Patient, as of the Agent, according to the Poets saying:

Nos habitat non Tartara, sed nec sidera caeli,
Spiritus in nobis qui viget illa facit.

Englished by Abraham Fleming:

Not hellish furies dwell in us,
Nor Stars with influence heavenlys
The spirit that lives and rules in us,
Doth every thing ingeniously.

This (saith he) cometh to the unlearned, through the opinion which they conceive of the Characters and holy words: but the learned that know the force of the mind and imagination, work miracles by means thereof; so as the unlearned must have external helps, to do that which the learned can do with a word only. He saith that this is called Homerica medicatio, because Homer discovered the blood suppressed by words, and the infections healed by or in mysteries.

CHAP. XIII. Of the Effects of Amulets, the drift of Argerius Ferrarius in the commendation of Charms, amp;c. four sorts of Homerical Medicines, and the choyce thereof; of Imagination.

AS touching mine opinion of these Amulets, Characters, and such other bables, I have sufficiently uttered it elsewhere: and I will bewray the vanity of the superstitious trifles more largely hereafter. And therefore at this time I only say, that those Amulets which are to be hanged or carried about one, if they consist of Herbs, Roots, Stones, or some other metal, they may have divers medicinable operations; and by the vertue given to them by God in their creation, may work strange effects and cures: and to impute this vertue to any other matter is Witchcraft. And whereas A. Ferrarius commendeth certain Amulets that have no shew of Physical operation, as a nail taken from a Cross, Holy-water, and the very sign of the Cross, with such like Popish stuffe: I think he laboureth thereby rather to draw men to Popery, than to teach or perswade them in the truth of Physick or Philosophy. And I think thus the rather, for that he himself seeth the fraud hereof; confessing that where these Magical Physitians apply three seeds of three-leaved grass to a Tertian Ague, and four to a Quartain, that the number is not material.

But of these Homerical medicines, he saith, there are four sorts, whereof Amulets, Characters, and Charms, are three: howbeit he commendeth and preferreth the fourth above the rest; and that he saith consisteth in illusions, which he more properly calleth stratagems. Of which sort of illusions he alledgeth for example, how Philodotus did put a Cap of Lead upon ones head who imagined he was headless, whereby the party was delivered from his disease or conceit. Item, Another cured a woman that imagined, that a Serpent or Snake did continually gnaw and tear her entrails; and that was done only by giving her a Vomit, and by foisting into the matter vomited a little Serpent or Snake, like unto that which she imagined was in her belly.

Item, Another imagined that he alwayes burned in the fire, under whose bed a fire was privily conveyed, which being taken out before his face, his fansie was satisfied, and his heat allayed. Hereunto pertaineth, that the Hickot is cured with sudden fear or strange news: yea by that means Agues and many other strange and extream diseases have been healed. And some that have lien so sick and sore of the Gowt, that they could not remove a joynt, through sudden fear of fire, or ruin of houses, have forgotten their infirmities and griefs and have run away. But in my tract upon melancholy, and the effects of imagination, and in the discourse of Natural Magick, you shall see these matters largely touched.

CHAP. XIV.

Choice of Charms against the Falling-Evil, the biting of a mad Dog, the stinging of a Scorpion, the Tooth-ach, for a Woman in Travel, for the Kings-Evil, to get a Thorn out of any member, or a Bone out of ones Throat; Charms to be said Fasting, or at the gathering of Herbs, for sore Eyes, to open Locks, against Spirits, for the Bots in a Horse, and specially for the Duke of Alba's Horse, for sower, Wines, &c.

THere be innumerable Charms of Conjurers, bad Physitians, lewd Chirurgians, Melancholick Witches, and Coseners, for all diseases and griefs; specially for such as bad Physitians and Chirurgians know not how to cure, and in truth are good stuffe to shadow their ignorance; whereof I will repeat some.

For the Falling-Evill.

TAke the sick man by the hand, and whisper these words softly in his Ear, I conjure thee by the Sun and Moon, and by the Gospel of this day delivered by God to Hubert, Giles, Cornelius, and John, that thou rise and fall no more. Otherwise, Drink in the night at a Spring water out of a skull of one that hath been slain: Otherwise, Eat a Pig killed with a knife that slew a man. Otherwise as followeth.

Ananizapta ferit mortem, dum laedere quaerit,
Est mala mors capta, dum dicitur Ananizapta:
Ananizapta Dei nunc miserere mei.

Englished by Abraham Fleming:

Ananizapta smiteth death,
Whiles harm intendeth he,
This word Ananizapta say,
And death shall captive be,
Ananizapta O of God.
Have mercy now on me.

Against the biting of a Mad-Dog.

PUt a silver Ring on the finger, within the which these words are graven ✚ Habay ✚ habar ✚ hebar ✚ and say to the person bitten with a mad Dog, I am thy Saviour, lose not thy life: and then prick him in the nose thrice, that at each time he bleed. Otherwise, take Pills made of the skull of one that is hanged. Otherwise: write upon a piece of bread, Irioni, khïriora, esser, khuder, feres; and let it be eaten by the party bitten. Otherwise, O Rex gloriae Jesu Christe, veni cum pace: In nomine Patris max. in nomine Filii max. in nomine Spiritus sancti prax. Gasper, Melchior, Balthasar ✚ prax ✚ max ✚ Deus I max ✚.

But in troth this is very dangerous; insomuch as if it be not speedily and cunningly prevented, either death or phrensie insueth, through infection of the humor left in the wound bitten by a mad Dog: which because bad Chirurgians cannot cure, they have therefore used foolish cosening Charms. But Dodonaeus in his Herbal saith, that the herb Alysson cureth it: which experiment, I doubt not, will prove more true then all the Charms in the world. Bat where he saith, That the same hanged at a mans Gate or Entry, preserveth him and his Cattel from Inchantment, or bewitching, he is overtaken with folly.

Against the biting of a Scorpion.

SAy to an Ass secretly, and as it were whispering in his Ear, I am bitten with a Scorpion.

Against the Tooth-ach.

SCarifie the gums in the grief, with the Tooth of one that hath been slain. Otherwise, Galbes galbat, galdes galdat. Otherwise, A ab hur hus, &c. Otherwise, At saccaring of Mass hold your teeth together, and say Os non comminuetis ex eo. Otherwise, Strigiles falcesque dentatae, dentium dolorem persanate; O Horse-combs and sickles that have so many teeth, come heal of my toothach.

A Charm to release a Woman in Travel.

THrow over the top of the house, where a woman in travel lieth, a stone, or any other thing that hath killed three living creatures, namely, a man, a wild bore, and a She-bear.

To heal the Kings or Queens Evil, or any other soreness in the Throat.

REmedies to cure the Kings or Queens-Evil, is first to touch the place with the hand of one that died an untimely death: Otherwise, Let a Virgin fasting lay her hand on the sore, and say, Apollo denyeth that the heat of the Plague can increase where a naked Virgin quencheth it: and spet three times upon it.

A Charm in the Romish Church, upon Saint Blazes day, that will fetch a Thorn out of any place of ones body, a bone out of the Throat, &c. Lect. 3.

FOr the fetching of a Thorn out of any place of one body, or a bone out of the throat, you shall read a charm in the Romish Church upon St. Blazes day; to wit, Call upon God, and remember St. Blaze. This St. Blaze could also heal all wilde Beasts that were sick or lame, with laying on of his hands: as appeareth in the lesson read on his day, where you shall see the matter at large.

A charm for the Head-ach.

Tie a halter about your head, wherewith one hath been hanged.

A Charm to be said each morning by a Witch fasting, or at least before she go abroad.

THe fire bites, the fire bites, the fire bites; Hogs-turd over it, Hogs-turd over it, Hogs-turd over it; The Father with thee, the Son with me, the Holy-ghost between us both to be: ter. Then spit over one shoulder, and then over the other, and then three times right forward.

Another Charm that Witches use at the gathering of their Medicinable Herbs.

Hail be thou holy herb
Growing on the ground,
All in the Mount Calvarie
First wert thou found;
Thou art good for many a sore,
And healest many a wound,
In the Name of sweet Jesus
I take thee from the ground.

An old Womans Charm, wherewith she did much good in the Countrey, and grew famous thereby.

AN old woman that healed all diseases of Cattel (for the which she never took any reward but a peny and a loaf) being seriously examined by what words she brought these things to pass, confessed that after she had touched the sick creature, she alwayes departed immediately, saying,

My Loaf in my lap,
My Penny in my purse;
Thou art never the better,
And I am never the worse.

Another like Charm.

A Gentlewoman having sore eyes, made her moan to one that promised her help, if she would follow his advice: which was only to wear about her neck a scroll sealed up, whereinto she might not look; and she conceiving hope of cure thereby, received it under the condition, and left her weeping and tears, wherewith she was wont to bewail the miserable darkness which she doubted to endure: whereby in short time her eyes were well amended: But alas! she lost soon after, that pretious Jewel, and thereby returned to her wonted weeping, and by consequence too her sore eyes. Howbeit, her Jewel or scroll being found again, was looked into by her deer friends, and this only Posie was contained therein.

The Devil pull out both thine eyes,
And etish in the holes likewise.

Whereby partly you may see what constant opinion can do, according to the saying of Plato; If a mans fansie or mind give him assurance that a hurtful thing shall do him good, it may do so, &c.

A Charm to open Locks.

AS the herbs called Aethiopides will open all locks (if all be true that Inchanters say) with the help of certain words: so be there Charms also and Periapts, which without any hearbs can do as much: as for example. Take a piece of Wax crossed in baptism, and do but print certain flowers therein, and tie them in the hinder skirt of your shirt; and when you would undo the lock, blow thrice therein, saying; Arato hoc partiko hoc maratarykin. I open this door in thy name that I am forced to break as thou brakest Hell-gates, In Nomine Patris, & Filii, & spiritus sancti, Amen.

A Charm to drive away Spirits that haunt any House.

Hang in every of the four corners of your house, this sentence written upon Virgin Parchment, Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum: Mosen habent & Prophetas: Exurgat Deus, & dissipentur inimiciejus.

A pretty Charm or Conclusion for one Possessed.

THe possessed body must go upon his or her knees to the Church, how far so ever it be off from their lodging; and so must creep without going out of the way, being the common highway, in that sort, how foul and dirty soever the same be; or whatsoever lie in the way, not shunning any thing whatsoever, until he come to the Church, Where he must hear Mass devoutly, and then followeth recovery.

Another for the same purpose.

THere must be commended to some poor beggar the saying of five Pater-nosters, and five Aves; the first to be said in the name of the party possessed, or bewitched: for that Christ was led into the garden; Secondly, for that Christ did sweat both water and blood; Thirdly, for that Christ was condemned; for that he was crucified guiltless; and fifthly, for that he suffered to take away our sins. Then must the sick body hear Mass eight days together, standing in the place where the Gospel is said, and must mingle holy Water with his meat and his drink, and holy Salt also must be a portion of the mixture.

Another to the same effect.

THe sick man must fast three dayes, and then he with his Parents must come to Church, upon an embering Friday, and must hear the Mass for that day appointed; and so likewise Saturday and Sunday following. And the Priest must read upon the sick mans head that Gospel, which is read in September, and in Grape-harvest, after the Feast of Holy-Cross. In diebus quatuor temporum, in Ember-dayes: then let him write and carry it about his neck, and he shall be cured.

Another Charm or Witchcraft for the same.

THis Office or Conjuration following was first authorized and printed at Rome, and afterwards at Avenion, Anno 1515. And lest that the Devil should lie hid in some secret part of the body, every part thereof is named; Obsecro te Jesu Christe, &c. that is, I beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ, that thou pull out of every member of this man all infirmities, from his head, from his hair, from his brain, from his forehad, from his eyes, from his nose, from his ears, from his mouth, from his tongue, from his teeth, from his jaws, from his throat, from his neck, from his back, from his brest, from his paps, from his heart, from his stomach, from his sides, from his flesh, from his blood, from his bones, from his legs from his feet, from his fingers, from the soles of his feet, from his marrow, from his sinews, from his skin, and from every joynt of his members, &c.

Doubtless Jesus Christ could have no starting hole, but was hereby every way prevented and pursued; so as he was forced to do the cure: for it appeareth hereby, that it had been insufficient for him to have said; Depart our of this man thou unclean spirit, and that when he so said, he did not perform it. I do not think that there will be found among all the Heathens superstitious Fables, or among the Witches, Conjurers, Poets, Knaves, Coseners, Fools, &c. that ever wrote, so impudent and impious a lie, or Charm, as is read in Barnardine de bustis; where to cure a sick man, Christs body, to wit, a Wafer-cake, was outwardly applyed to his side, and entred into his heart, in the sight of all standers by. Now, if grave Authors report such lies, what credit in these cases shall we attribute unto the old wives tales, that Sprenger, Institor, Bodin, and others write? Even as much as to Ovids Metamorphosis, Aesops Fables, Moor's Utopia, and divers other fansies; which have as much truth in them, as a blindman hath sight in his eye.

A Charm for the Bots in a Horse.

YOu must both say and do thus upon the diseased Horse three dayes together, before the Sun-rising: In Nomine Pa ✚ tris & fi ✚ lii & spiritus ✚ sancti; Exorcizo te vermem per Deum Pa ✚ trem, & fi ✚ lium & spiritum ✚ sanctum: that is, In the Name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I conjure thee O Worm, by God the Father, the Son, and the Holy-Ghost; that thou neither eat nor drink the flesh, blood or bones of this Horse; and that thou hereby mayst be made as patient as Job, and as good as Saint John Baprist, when he baptized Christ in Jordan. In Nomine Pa ✚ tris & Filii & Spirituus ✚ Sancti. And then say three Pater-nosters, and three Aves, in the right ear of the Horse, to the glory of the Holy Trinity. Do ✚ minus Fili ✚ us Spiri ✚ tus Mari ✚ a.

There are also divers Books imprinted, as it should appear, with the authority of the Church of Rome, wherein are contained many medicinal Prayers, not only against all diseases of Horses, but also for every impediment and fault in a Horse: insomuch as if a shoe fall off in the midst of his journey, there is a Prayer to warrant your Horses hoof, so as it shall not break, how far soever he be from the Smiths forge.

Item, The Duke Alba his Horse was consecrated, or canonized in the Low-Countries, at the solemn Mass; wherein the Popes-Bull, and also his Charm was published (which I will hereafter recite) he in the mean time sitting as Vice-roy with his consecrated standart in his hand, till Mass was done.

A Charm against Vinegar.

THat Wine Wax not Eager write on the vessel, Gustate & videte, quoniam suavis est Dominus.