Book XII, chapters 20–23: Who are privileged from witches; lawful charms; charms confuted

CHAP. XX. Who are Priviledged from Witches; what bodies are aptest to be bewitched, or to be Witches; why women are rather Witches than men, and what they are.

NOw if you will know who and what persons are priviledged from Witches, you must understand, that they be even such as cannot be bewitched. In the number of whom first be the Inquisitors, and such as exercise publick justice upon them. Howbeit, a Justice in Essex, whom for divers respects I have left unnamed, not long since thought he was bewitched, in the very instant whiles he examined the Witch, so as his leg was broken thereby, &c. which either was false, or else this rule untrue, or both rather injurious unto Gods Providence. Secondly, such as observe duly the Rites and Ceremonies of the holy Church, and worship them with reverence, through the sprinkling of holy Water, and receiving consecrated Salt, by the lawful use of Candles hallowed on Candlemas-day, and green leaves consecrated on Palm-sunday (which things they say the Church useth for the qualifying of the Devils power) are preserved from Witchcraft. Thirdly, some are preserved by their good Angels, which attend and wait upon them.

But I may not omit here the reasons which they bring to prove what bodies. are the more apt and effectual to execute the art of fascination. And that is first they say, the force of celestial bodies, which indifferently communicated their vertues unto Men, Beasts, Trees, Stones, &c. But this gift and natural influence of fascination may be increased in man, according to his affections and perturbations, as through anger, fear, love, hate, &c. For by hate (saith Varius) entereth a fiery inflammation into the eye of man, which being violently sent out by beams and streams, &c. infect and bewitch those bodies against whom they are opposed. And therefore he saith (in the favour of women) that is the cause that women are oftner found to be Witches than men. For (saith he) they have an unbridled force of fury and concupiscence naturally, that by no means it is possible for them to temper or moderate the same. So as upon every trifling occasion, they (like brute beast) fix their furious eyes upon the party whom they bewitch. Hereby it cometh to pass, that whereas women having a marvellous sickle nature, what grief soever happeneth unto them, immediately all peaceableness of mind departeth; and they are so troubled with evill humours, that outgo their venemous exhalation, ingendered through their ill-favoured dyet; and increased by means of their pernicious excrements which they expel. Women are also (saith he) monethly filled full of superfluous humors, and with them the melancholike blood boileth; whereof spring vapours, and are carried up, and conveyed through the nostrils and mouth, &c. to the bewitching of whatsoever it meeteth: For they belch up a certain breath, wherewith they bewitch whomsoever they list. And of all other women, lean, hollow-eyed, old, beetle-browed women (saith he) are the most infectious. Marry he saith, that hot, subtil, and thin bodies are most subject to be bewitched, if they be moist, and all they generally, whose veins, pipes, and passages of their bodies are open. And finally he saith, that all beautiful things whatsoever, are soon subject to be bewitched; as namely goodly young men, fair women, such as are naturally born to be rich, goodly Beasts, fair Horses, rank Corn, beautiful Trees, &c. Yea a friend of his told him, that he saw one with his eye break a precious stone in pieces. And all this he telleth as soberly, as though it were true. And if it were true, honest women may be Witches, in despight of all Inquisitors: neither can any avoid being a Witch, except she lock herself up in a chamber.

CHAP. XXI. What Miracles Witchmongers report to have been done by Witches words, &c. Contradictions of Witchmongers among themselves; how Beasts are cured hereby; of bewitched Butter; a Charm against Witches, and a counter-Charm, the effect of Charms and words proved by L. Varius to be wonderful.

IF I should go about to recite all Charms, I should take an infinite work in hand: For the Witching Writers hold opinion, that any thing almost may be thereby brought to pass; and that whether the words of the Charm be understandable or not, it skilleth not: so the Charmer have a steddy intention to bring his desire about. And then what is it that cannot be done by words? For L. Varius saith, that old women have infeebled and killed Children with words, and have made women with child miscarry; they have made men pine away to death; they have killed Horses, deprived Sheep of their Milk; transformed Men into Beasts, flown in the air, tamed and stayed wild Beasts, driven all noisome Cattel and Vermine from Corn, Vines and Herbs, stayed Serpents, &c. and all with words. Insomuch as he saith, that with certain words spoken in a Bulls ear by a Witch, the Bull hath fallen down to the ground as dead. Yea some by vertue of words have gone upon a sharp sword, and walked upon hot glowing coals, without hurt; with words (saith he) very heavy weights and burthens have been lifted up; and with words wild Horses and wild Bulls have been tamed, and also mad Dogs; with words they have killed Worms and other Vermin, and stayed all manner of Bleeding and Fluxes: with words all the diseases in mans body are healed, and wounds cured; Arrows are with wonderful strangeness and cunning plucked out of mens bones. Yea (saith he) there be many that can heal all bitings of Dogs, or stingings of Serpents, or any other poyson: and all with nothing but words spoken. And that which is most strange, he saith, that they can remedy any stranger, and him that is absent, with that very Sword wherewith they are wounded. Yea and that which is beyond all admiration, if they stroke the Sword upwards with their fingers, the party shall feel no pain: whereas if they draw their finger downwards thereupon, the party wounded shall feel intolerable pain, with a number of other cures, done altogether by the vertue and force of words uttered and spoken.

Where, by the way, I may not omit this special note given by M. Mal. to wit, that holy Water may not be sprinkled upon bewitched Beasts, but must be poured into their mouths. And yet he and also Nider say, that it is lawful to bless and sanctifie beasts as well as men; both by Charms written, and also by holy words spoken: For (saith Nider) if your Cow be bewitched, three Crosses, three Pater-nosters, and three Aves will certainly cure her; and likewise all other Ceremonies Ecclesiastical. And this is a sure Maxime, that they which are delivered from Witchcraft by shrift, are ever after in the night much molested (I believe by their ghostly Fathers.) Also they lose their Money out of their Purses and Caskets, as M. Mal. saith he knoweth by experience. Also one general Rule is given by M. Mal. to all Butter-wives, and dairy Maids, that they neither give nor lend any Butter, Milk, or Cheese, to any Witches, which always use to beg thereof, when they mean to work mischief to their Kine or whitemeats. Whereas indeed there are in Milk three substances commixed; to wit, Butter, Cheese and Whey; if the same be kept too long, or in an evil place, or be sluttishly used, so as it be stale and sower, which happeneth sometimes in the Winter, but oftner in the Summer; when it is over the fire, the Cheese and Butter runneth together, and congealeth, so as it will rope like Birdlime, that you may wind it about a stick, and in short space it will be so dry, as you may beat it to powder. Which alteration being strange, is wondered at and imputed to Witches. And herehence sometimes proceedeth the cause why Butter cometh not, which when the countrey people see that it cometh not, then get they out of the suspected Witches house a little Butter, whereof must be made three Balls, in the Name of the holy Trinity; and so if they be put into the Chern, the Butter will presently come, and the Witchcraft will cease; Sic ars deluditur arte. But if you put a little Sugar or Sope into the Chern, among the Cream, the Butter will never come, which is plain Witchcraft, if it be closely, cleanly, and privily handled. There be twenty several ways to make your Butter come, which for brevity I omit; as to bind your Chern with a Rope, to thrust thereinto a red hot Spit, &c. but your best remedy and surest way is, to look well to your Dairy-maid or Wife, that she neither eat up the Cream, nor sell away your Butter.

A Charm to find her that bewitched your Kine.

PUt a pair of Breeches upon the Cows head, and beat her out of the pasture with a good Cudgel upon a fryday, and she will run right to the Witches door, and strike thereat with her horns.

Another, for all that have bewitched any kind of Cattel.

WHen any of your Cattel are killed with Witchcraft, haste you to the place where the carcase lieth, and trail the bowels of the beast unto your house, and draw them not in at the door, but under the threshold of the house into the Kitchin; and there make a fire, and set over the same a grediron, and thereupon lay the inwards or the bowels, and as they wax hot, so shall the Witches entrails be molested with extreme heat and pain. But then must you make fast your doors, left the Witch come and fetch away a cole of your fire: for then ceaseth her torments. And we have known saith M. Mal. when the Witch could not come in, that the whole house hath been so darkned, and the air round about the lame so troubled, with such horrible noise and Earth-quakes, that except the door had been opened, we had thought the house would have fallen on our heads. Thomas Aquinas, a principal treater herein, alloweth Conjurations against the changlings, and in divers other cases: whereof I will say more in the word Jidoni.

A special Charm to preserve all Cattel from Witchcraft.

AT Easter you must take certain drops that lie uppermost of the holy Paschal Candle, and make a little Wax-candle thereof: and upon some Sunday morning rathe, light it, and hold it, so as it may drop upon and between the horns and ears of the Beast, saying, In Nomine Patris, & Filii, & duplex ss. and burn the Beast a little between the horns on the ears with the same Wax, and that which is left thereof, stick it in cross-wise about the stable or stall, or upon the threshold, or over the door, where the Cattel use to go in and out, and for all that year your Cattel shall never be bewitched. Otherwise, Jacobus de Chusa Carthusiannus sheweth how bread, water and salt is conjured, and saith, that if either man or beast receive holy bread, and holy water nine days together, with three Pater-nosters, and three Aves, in the honour of the Trinity, and of S. Hubert, it preserveth that man or beast from all diseases, and defendeth them against all assaults of Witchcraft, of Satan, or of a mad Dog, &c.

Lo this is their stuffe, maintained to be at the least effectual, if not wholesom, by all Papists and Witchmongers, and specially of the last and proudest writers. But to prove these things to be effectual, God knoweth their seasons are base and absurd. For they write so, as they take the matter in question as granted, and by that means go away therewith. For L. Vairus saith in the beginning of his Book, that there is no doubt of this supernatural matter, because a number of Writers agree herein, and a number of stories confirm it, and many Poets handle the same argument, and in the twelve Tables there is a law against it, and because the consent of the common people is fully with it, and because immoderate praise is to be approved a kind of Witchcraft, and because old women have such Charms and superstitious means as preserve themselves from it, and because they are mocked that take away the credit of such miracles, and because Solomon saith, Fascinatio malignitatis obscurat bona, and because the Apostle saith, O insensati Galatae, quis vos fascinavit? And because it is written, Qui timent te, videbunt me. And finally he saith, lest you should seem to distrust and detract any thing from the credit of so many grave men, from Histories, and common opinion of all men, he meaneth in no wise to prove that there is miraculous working by Witchcraft and fascination; and proceedeth so, according to his promise.

CHAP. XXII. Lawful Charms, or rather medicinable Cures for diseased Cattel. The charm of Charms, and the power thereof.

BUt if you desire to learn true and lawful Charms, to cure diseased Cattel, even such as seeme to have extraordinary sickness, or to be bewitched, or (as they say) strangely taken; look in B. Googe his third Book treating of Cattel, and happily you shall find some good medicine or cure for them: or if you list to see more antient stuffe, read Vegetius his four Books thereupon: or, if you be unlearned, seek some cunning Bullock-leech. If all this will not serve, then set Jobs Patience before your eyes. And never think that a poor old woman can alter supernaturally the notable course which God hath appointed among his creatures. If it had heen Gods pleasure to have permitted such a course, he would no doubt have both given notice in his word, that he had given such power unto them, and also would have taught remedies to have prevented them.

Furthermore, if you will know assured means, and infallible Charms, yielding indeed undoubted remedies, and preventing all manner of Witchcrafts, and also the assaults of wicked Spirits; then despise first all cosening knavery of Priests, Witches, and coseners; and with true faith read the sixt chapter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, and follow his counsel, which is ministred unto you in the words following, deserving worthily to be called, by the name ensuing.

The Charm of Charms.

FInally my Brethren, be strong the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may stand against the assaults of the Devil: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers, and against worldly Governours the Princes of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickednesses, which are in the high places. For this cause take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day; and having finished all things, stand fast. Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with verity, and having on the brestplate of righteousness, &c. as followeth in that Chapter, verses 15, 16, 17, 18. 1 Thess. 5. 1 Pet. 5. Vers. 8. Ephes. 1. and else-where in the holy Scripture.

Otherwise.

IF you be unlearned, and want the comfort of friends, repair to some learned, godly, and discreet Preacher. If otherwise need require, go to a learned Physitian, who by learning and experience knoweth and can discern the difference, signs, and causes of such diseases, as faithless men and unskilful Physitians impute to Witchcraft.

CHAP. XXIII. A Confutation of the force and vertue falsely ascribed to Charms and Amulets, by the Authorities of ancient Writers, both Divines and Physitians.

MY meaning is not, that these words, in the bare letter, can do any thing towards your ease or comfort in this behalf; or that it were wholesome for your body or soul to wear them about your neck: for then would I wish you to wear the whole Bible, which must needs be more effectual than any one parcel thereof. But I find not that the Apostles or any of them in the Primitive Church, either carryed St. John's Gospel, or any Agnus Die about them, to the end they might be preserved from bugs; neither that they looked into the four corners of the house, or else on the roof, or under the threshold, to find matter of Witchcraft, and so to burn it, to be freed from the same, according to the Popish rules. Neither did they by such and such Verses or Prayers made unto Saints, at such or such hours, seek to obtain grace: neither spake they of any old Women that used such Trades. Neither did Christ at any time use or command holy Water, or Crosses, &c. to be used as terrours against the Devil, who was not affraid to assault himself, when he was on Earth. And therefore a very vain thing it is to think that he feareth these trifles, or any external matter. Let us then cast away these prophane and old Wives Fables. For (as Origen saith) Incatationes sunt Demonum irrisiones, idololatriae fex, animarum infatuatio, &c. Incantations are the Devils sport, the dregs of Idolatry, the besotting of souls, &c.

Chrysostome saith, there be some that carry about their necks a piece of a Gospel. But is it not daily read (saith he) and heard of all men? But if they be never the better for it, being put into their ears, hour shall they be saved, by carrying it about their necks? And further he saith; Where is the vertue of the Gospel? In the figure of the letter, or in the understanding of the sense? If in the figure, thou dost well to wear it about thy neck; but if in the understanding, then thou shouldst lay it up in thine heart. Augustine saith, Let the faithful Ministers admonish and tell their people, that these Magical, Arts and Incantations do bring no remedy to the Infirmities either of Men or Cattel, &c.

The Heathen Philosophers shall at the last day confound the infidelity and barbarous foolishness of our Christian or rather Antichristian or prophane Witchmongers. For as Aristrtle saith, that Incantamenta sunt muliercularum figmenta: Inchantments are womens figments. So doth Socrates (who was said to be cunning herein) affirm, that Incantationes sunt verba animas decipientia humanas, Incantations are words deceiving humane souls. Others say, Inscitia pallium sunt carmina, maleficium, & Incantatio. The cloak of Ignorance are Charms, Witchery, and Incantation. Galen also saith, that such as impute the Falling-evil, and such like diseases to divine matter, and not rather to natural causes, are Witches, Conjurers, &c. Hippocrates calleth them arrogant; and in another place affirming, that in his time there were many deceivers and coseners, that would undertake to cure the Falling-evil, &c. by the power and help of Devils, by burying some Lots or Inchantments in the ground, or casting them into the Sea, concludeth thus in their credit, that they are all Knaves and Coseners, for God is our only defender and deliverer. O notable sentence of a Heathen Philosopher!