How Meroe the Witch turned divers persons into miserable beasts.
In faith Aristomenus to tell you the truth, this woman had a certaine
Lover, whom by the utterance of one only word she turned into a Bever,
because he loved another woman beside her: and the reason why she
transformed him into such a beast is, for that it is his nature, when
hee perceiveth the hunters and hounds to draw after him, to bite off
his members, and lay them in the way, that the hounds may be at a stop
when they find them, and to the intent it might so happen unto him (for
that he fancied another woman) she turned him into that kind of shape.
Semblably she changed one of her neighbours, being an old man and one
that sold wine, into a Frog, in that he was one of her occupation, and
therefore she bare him a grudge, and now the poore miser swimming in
one of his pipes of wine, and well nigh drowned in the dregs, doth cry
and call with an hoarse voice, for his old guests and acquaintance that
pass by. Like wise she turned one of the Advocates of the Court
(because he pleaded and spake against her in a rightful cause) into a
horned Ram, and now the poore Ram is become an Advocate. Moreover she
caused, that the wife of a certain lover that she had should never be
delivered of her childe, but according to the computation of all men,
it is eight yeares past since the poore woman first began to swell, and
now shee is encreased so big, that shee seemeth as though she would
bring forth some great Elephant: which when it was knowne abroad, and
published throughout all the towne, they tooke indignation against her,
and ordayned that the next day shee should most cruelly be stoned to
death. Which purpose of theirs she prevented by the vertue of her
inchantments, and as Medea (who obtained of King Creon but one days
respit before her departure) did burn all his house, him, and his
daughter: so she, by her conjurations and invocations of spirits,
(which she useth in a certaine hole in her house, as shee her selfe
declared unto me the next day following) closed all the persons in the
towne so sure in their houses, and with such violence of power, that
for the space of two dayes they could not get forth, nor open their
gates nor doore, nor break downe their walls, whereby they were
inforced by mutuall consent to cry unto her, and to bind themselves
strictly by oaths, that they would never afterwards molest or hurt her:
and moreover, if any did offer her any injury they would be ready to
defend her. Whereupon shee, mooved by their promises, and stirred by
pitty, released all the towne. But shee conveyed the principal Author
of this ordinance about midnight, with all his house, the walls, the
ground, and the foundation, into another towne, distant from thence an
hundred miles, scituate and beeing on the top of an high hill, and by
reason thereof destitute of water, and because the edifices and houses
were so nigh built together, that it was not possible for the house to
stand there, she threw it downe before the gate of the towne. Then I
spake and said O my friend Socrates you have declared unto me many
marvellous things and strange chances, and moreover stricken me with no
small trouble of minde, yea rather with great feare, lest the same old
woman using the like practice, should fortune to heare all our
communication. Wherefore let us now sleepe, and after that we have
taken our rest, let us rise betimes in the morning, and ride away hence
before day, as far as we can possible.