The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft, chapter 17: Of the sorce and efficacy of Words or Charms (part 1 of 4)

CHAP. XVII. Of the sorce and efficacy of Words or Charms, whether they effect any thing at all or not, and if they do, whether it be by Natural or Diabolical virtue and force.

THere is nothing almost so common not only in the Poets (who have been the chief disseminators of many such things) but in most of other Authors, as the mention of the force of Charms and Incantations: And yet if we narrowly search into the bottom of the matter, there is nothing more difficult than to find out any truth of the effects of them, in matters of fact; and therefore that we may more clearly manifest what we have proposed in this Chapter, we shall first premise these few things.

1. Those that take the effects of them to be great, as many Divines, Philosophers, and Physicians do, suppose no efficacy in them solely, holding that quantitates rerum nullius sunt efficaciae, but that they are only signs from the Devil to delude the minds of those that use them, and in the mean time that the Devil doth produce the effects. But it had been well, if those that are of this opinion, had shewed us the ways and means how the Devil doth operate such things, seeing he can do nothing in corporeal matter but by natural means: So that either we must confess that there is no force at all in Charms, or that the effects produced are by natural means.

2. Neither can we assent fully to those that hold, that the force of imagination can work strange things upon other bodies, distinct and separate from the body imaginant, upon which it is not denied to have power to operate very wonderful things; and that for the reason given by the most learned Lord Verulam, which is this: Experimenta quae vim imaginationis in corpora aliena solidè probent, pauca aut nulla prorsus sunt; cum fascini exempla huc non faciant, quod Daemonum interventu fortasse non careant.

3. I said not assent fully, because there are some reasons that incline me to believe the possibility of it, though there be hardly found any experiments that solidly prove it. For as the said Lord Verulam saith again: Movendi sunt homines, ne fidem detrahant operationibus ex transmissione spirituum, & vi imaginationis, quia eventus quando q; fallit. And there are so many learned Authors (though Dr. Casaubon according to his scurrilous manner stiles them Enthusiastical Arabs) of all sorts, that do stifly maintain the power of the imagination upon extraneous bodies, with such strength of argument, that I much stagger concerning the point; and therefore dare not say my assent is fully to either. For learned Dr. Willis having (as we conceive) unanswerably proved that there is a twofold Soul in Man, and that the one which is the sensitive, is corporeal, though much approaching to the nature of spirit, how far the force of imagination, which is its instrument, may reach, or what it may work at distance, is not easy to determine. And if the Soul, as Helmont laboureth to prove, by the Prerogative of its creation can when suscitated by strong desire and exalted phantasie operate per nutum, then it must needs follow, that it may work upon other bodies than its own, and so using Words, Charms, Characters and Images may bring to pass strange things. But if these three conclusions be certain and true, written by the pen of a most learned, though less vulgarly known Author, to wit:

1. The Soul is not only in its proper visible body, but also without it; neither is it circumscribed in an organical body. 2. The Soul worketh without, or beyond its proper body commonly so called. 3. From every body flow corporeal beams, by which the Soul worketh by its presence, and giveth them energie and power of working: And these beams are not only corporeal, but of divers parts also:

If these (I say) be certain, then doth the imagination work at distance by means of those beams, and consequently Words and Charms, and such like may be the means and instruments, by which the imagination (being the principal power of the sensitive Soul) may operate strange things at distance, and so that not be vain which learned Agrippa tells us.

Nos habitat, non Tartara, sed nec sydera Coeli:
Spiritus in nobis qui viget, illa facit.

And we have before sufficiently proved, that the species of bodies are corporeal, and it is plain, that these operate upon our eyes at a vast distance, and do intersect one another in the air without confusion. And we must in all reason acknowledge that the sensitive Soul, must needs be of as much purity, and energie as those that we call the sensible, or visible species of things, and then it must necessarily follow, that it by the means of the imagination may operate at a great distance, and so words and charms may from thence have power and operation. For learned Agrippa that great Philosopher, and master of lawful and natural Magick, and not of that which is accounted diabolical (as the wretched pen of Paulus Jovius hath painted him) holds this: Quod unicui q; homini impressus est Character Divinus, cujus vigore potest pertingere ad operandum mirabilia. Which if so, then many words, charms and the like, have a natural efficacy to work wonderful things, and that at a great distance also.

4. I cannot likewise but take notice of another caution, very pertinent to our present purpose, given us also by the said Lord Verulam, and in English is this: Again men are to be holden back from the peril of credulity, lest here they too much rashly incline with an easy faith, because they often see the event to answer to the operations. For the cause of the success is to be referred often to the forces of the affections and imaginations in the body that is the agent, which by a certain secondary reason may act in a diverse body. As for example: If any one carry about the figure of a Planet or a Ring or a part of some beast, being certainly perswaded, that it will prove helpful unto him in promoting his love; or that he may be preserved from danger or wound in battel, or in strife that he may overcome &c. it may render his wit more stirring, or may add spurs to his industry, or may cherish confidence and hold up constancie, from which perchancie he might have slided. Now who is ignorant what industry and a mind tenacious of its purpose, may design and bring to pass in civil affairs? Therefore (he concludeth) he should err and deceive and be deceived, who should ascribe these things to the force of imagination upon the body of another, which his own imagination worketh in his own body. And therefore this may caution all that would judge aright of the force and effects of words and charms, that they may perhaps neither flow from the nature or efficacy of the words, nor from the force of the imagination of him or her that pronounceth, writeth, giveth or applieth the charm, but from the imagination and belief of the person to whom they are applied, and for whom they are intended. For it is manifest by common experience (and we our selves have known it to be certain) that these charms either pronounced, or written and hung about the patients neck, have produced the greatest effects, upon such as are of the weakest judgment and reason, as Women, Children, and ignorant and superstitious persons, who have great confidence in such vain and inefficacious trifles; and that they seldom or never produce any effects at all, upon such as are obstinate Infidels in the belief of their operations, and I fear we shall not (or very hardly) find any instance to make this good, that they effectively work upon such as are utterly diffident of their force or power.

5. It hath sometimes been a question, Whether a rational Physician in the curing of melancholy persons, or others in some odd diseases, ought to grant the use of Characters or Charms, and such ridiculous administrations? Which is decided in the affirmative, that it is lawful and necessary to use them, by that able and learned Physician Gregorius Horstius, by eight strong and convincing arguments. And we our selves having practised the art of medicine in all its parts in the North of England, where Ignorance, Popery, and superstition doth much abound, and where for the most part the common people, if they chance to have any sort of the Epilepsie, Palsie, Convulsions or the like, do presently perswade themselves that they are bewitched, fore-spoken, blasted, fairy-taken, or haunted with some evil spirit, and the like; and if you should by plain reasons shew them, that they are deceived, and that there is no such matter, but that it is a natural disease, say what you can they shall not believe you, but account you a Physician of small or no value, and whatsoever you do to them, it shall hardly do them any good at all, because of the fixedness of their depraved and prepossessed imagination. But if you indulge their fancy, and seem to concur in opinion with them, and hang any insignificant thing about their necks, assuring them that it is a most efficacious and powerful charm, you may then easily settle their imaginations, and then give them that which is proper to eradicate the cause of their disease, and so you may cure them, as we have done great numbers. Here it is most manifest that the charm or appension hath no efficacy at all, and yet accidentally, it conduces to settle their fancies and confidences, which conduceth much to their cures. And from hence it comes to pass that by reason of the fixed belief of the party to whom the charm is applied, there are many helped, when the causality and efficiency is solely in the person imaginant and confident of receiving help by the means of the charm, and no efficacy at all in the charm it self, nor no diabolical concurrence, besides what obliquity may be in the minds of the actors, nor no agency in the imagination of the charmer, to produce the effect: yet because often people are cured thereby, the common people (and sometimes the learned also) do attribute the whole effect unto the charm, when indeed it effecteth nothing at all. And to this purpose Varius doth quote a passage from Galen, which is this: Sunt quidam natura laeti, qui quando agrotant, si eos sanos futuros medicus confirmet, convaleseunt; quorum spes sanitatis est causa: & medicus si animi desiderium incantatione, aut alicujus rei ad collum appensione adjuverit, citius ad valetudinem perducet.

But we now come to examine if we can find any convincing examples, from Authors of credit, that in words, characters and charms there is any force or efficacy; and this we shall endeavour from the best and most punctual Authors, that have come within the compass of our knowledge, or reading, and that in this order, to which we shall add some observations.

1. I think there are few that have been, or are Students or Practitioners in the Art of Medicine, that have not either heard, or read the writing of that most able and learned person Johannes Fernelius who was Physician to the most Christian King of France Henry the second, who in that most profound piece that he writ, De abditis rerum causis, gives us as an ocular witness this relation. I have (he saith) seen a certain Man, who by the virtue or force of words did brings various Specters, or Apparitions into a looking-glass, which did there so clearly express forthwith either in writing or in true images, whatsoever he commanded, that all things were readily and easily known to those that were by.

1. From hence we may observe, that Fernelius seeing this (as he saith) with his eyes, cannot (being so great a Scholar, and a circumspect person) be imagined to have been deceived, or imposed upon; though as much as he relates might have been brought to pass by the artificial placing of the glass, and having several images and things written moved by a confederate placed in some secret corner, where the images might fitly be reflected from the glass to the sight of the by-standers, or by some other means performed by the optical science and confederacy. And it is no sure ground to introduce a Demon to act the business, when artificial means may rationally solve the matter, neither was it impossible but he might mistake in the conjecture of the cause of those Phenomena.

2. And though he seems by his preceeding discourse, to believe it to have been caused but by a league and compact betwixt the person that shewed it, and some Cacodaemon: yet he bringeth no better proof for it, than the rotten authority of Porphyrius and Proclus, and no convincing argument that Demons can perform any such strange matters. And however if they were the meer apparitions of evil spirits, it is much to be wondered that Fernelius would be present at any such sinful and dangerous sights, or have such familiar conversation with any of that damned crew, seeing he there saith: Quae omnes prorsus vanae & captiosae sunt artes.

3. If these Apparitions were caused by Cacodaemons, then there was no efficacy in the words at all, they were nothing but the sign of the league betwixt the evil spirit, and the person that represented them; and then he need not have said, that they were derived into the glass vi verborum, and so this will not prove that it was effected by force of the words. But if all this that he relates, did proceed but from lawful and natural causes, as Paracelsus strongly holds (the glass being but made as that which he saw in Spain, of the Electrum that he mentions) then the words might be efficacious; and so it is a punctual instance to prove that words are operative; which is the thing de facto, that we here seek after.

2. The next History to this purpose we shall take from Antonius Benevenius, as we find him quoted by that learned person Marcellus Donatus, and likewise Dr. Casaubon (for I have not the book by me) who renders it thus. A Souldier had an arrow shot through the left part of his breast, so that the iron of it stuck to the very bone of the right shoulder. Great endeavours were used to get it out, but to no purpose. Benevenius doth shew, that it was not feasible without present death. The Man seeing himself forsaken by Physicians and Chirurgeons, sends for a noted Ariolus or Conjurer: who setting his two fingers upon the wound, with some Charms he used, commanded the iron to come out, which presently without any pain of the patient, came forth, and the Man was presently healed: And this the Doctor, who I presume had the book, saith, that Benevenius saith vidimus we have seen it, which Marcellus Donatus saith, the Author ascribed to the virtue of the words, and others to the force of imagination.

1. Here we may observe, that this may either be brought to pass by the efficacy of the words or charms that he muttered, and then we must needs confess that charms are of great and stupendious force: or that it might be effected by the imagination of the Charmer, and then we must suppose (which the most do deny) that the imagination of the person imaginant, hath power to operate upon ex traneous bodies, if it had power to cause the iron to come without harm forth of the wounded Souldiers body, or it may be caused (and that in most probability) by the imagination of the party wounded being excited and roused up by the uttering of the charm, in which the patient (in all likelihood) had no small confidence. And so however the charm was an accidental cause, or (as they use to say) causa sine qua non, of the bringing forth of the iron.

3. Another History we must borrow from the aforesaid two Authors Donatus and Dr. Casaubon, which they have transcribed forth of Johannes Baptista Montanus, because I have not the Author by me, and is this: My self with mine eyes, you may (he saith) believe me, have seen it: A certain man who when he had made a circle and drawn some characters about it, and uttered some words, he did call together above a hundred Serpents. And further saith, that though he did murmur certain words, yet he holdeth, that the bringing of the Serpents together was not performed by the force of the words, but by the power of a strong imagination, and that some by the strength of imagination, not ofwords, are said to draw forth darts, and to cure wounds.

1. And here we may take notice that this is a punctual and positive History, plainly declaring the matter of fact, in calling together above an hundred Serpents, and this must be done either by the force of the words, or by the strength of the persons imagination, or both, unless we must admit the Devil to perform it, which may vainly be supposed, but cannot be proved, by what natural means he should bring it to pass. But however the relation is very credible, Montanus being a famous Physician and Professor at Padua, and affirms it as seen with his own eyes.

4. To these we may add one of sufficient credit from the learned Masius, as it is cited by Wierus, and Dr. Casaubon (which may be we have related before, but not to this purpose) and is this: I also (he saith) have seen them who with words (or charms) could stop wild beasts, and force them to await the stroak of the dart: who also could force that Domestick beastly creature, which we call a Rat, as soon as seen, amazed and astonished to stand still, as it were immoveable, until not by any deceit or ambushes, but only stretching their hands, they had taken them and strangled them. This is from his own sight, and he a Man of undoubted veracity.

5. Another take from the credit of Dr. Casaubon who fathers it upon Remigius, but confesseth that at the time of his writing the story he could not find it in Remigius his Book, and is this. I have seen a Man (saith he) who from all the neighbourhood (or confines) would draw Serpents into the fire, which was inclosed within a magical circle; and when one of them, bigger than the rest, would not be brought in, upon repetition of the charms before used, he was forced, and so into the fire he did yield himself with the rest, and with it was compassed.

6. To these we shall adjoin another story written from Wierus by Dr. Moore thus: And (he saith) Wierus tells us this story of a Charmer at Saltzburg, that when in the sight of the people he had charmed all the Serpents into a ditch and killed them, at last there came one huge one far bigger than the rest, that leap[…] upon him and winded about his waste like a girdle, and pulled him into the ditch, and so killed the Charmer himself in the conclusion. And this great Serpent the Doctor taketh (in his Appendix) to be a Devil, or a Serpent actuated and guided by him, but upon what grounds of reason I can no way understand.