Waxen Figures--Witches change into Animals--Witch Marks--Testimony
against Witches--Tests for, and Examination of, Witches.
Among other things done at the Sabbat, the Devil instructed witches in the
art of making waxen images, the use of which is to torment those against
whom they have a spite. King James I. (‘Demonologie,’ lib. ii., cap. v.)
says:
[Illustration]
‘To some others, at these times, he teacheth how to make pictures of waxe
or clay: That by the roasting thereof, the persons that they beare the
name of, may be continually melted or dried away by continuall
sickenesse.... They can bewitch and take the life of men or women, by
roasting of the pictures, which, likewise, is verie possible to their
Maister to performe, for, although that instrument of waxe haue no vertue
in that turne doing, yet may hee not very well, euen by the same measure
that his coniured slaves melts that waxe at the fire, may hee not, I say,
at these same times, subtily, as a spirite, so weaken and scatter the
spirites of life of the patient, as may make him, on the one part, for
faintnesse, to sweate out the humour of his bodie. And on the other part,
for the not concurrence of these spirites which cause his digestion, so
debilitate his stomache, that this humour radicall, continually sweating
out on the one part, and no good sucke being put in the place thereof, for
lacke of digestion, on the other, he, at last, shall vanish away, euen as
his picture will doe at the fire? And that knauish and cunning workeman,
by troubling him, onely at sometimes, makes a proportion, so neere betwixt
the working of the one and the other, that both shall end, as it were, at
one time.’
In ‘The Witch’ we find the following:
‘HECCAT. Is the hart of Wax
Stuck full of magique needles?
STADLIN. ’Tis done, Heccat.
HEC. And is the Farmer’s picture, and his wives,
Lay’d downe to th’ fire yet?
STAD. They are a roasting both too.
HEC. Good:
Then their marrowes are a melting subtelly,
And three monethes sicknes sucks up life in ’em.
They denide me often floure, barme and milke,
Goose-greaze and tar, when I nere hurt their churnings,
Their brew-locks, nor their batches, nor fore spoake
Any of their breedings. Now I’ll be meete with ’em.
Seaven of their yong piggs I have bewitch’d already,
Of the last litter; nine ducklyngs, thirteene goselings, and a hog,
Fell lame last Sonday after evensong too.
And mark how their sheepe prosper; or what soupe
Each milch-kine gives to th’ paile: I’le send these snakes
Shall milke ’em all before hand; the dew’d skirted dayrie wenches
Shall stroak dry duggs for this, and goe home cursing:
I’ll mar their sillabubs, and swathie feastings
Under cowes bellies with the parish-youthes.’
Some witches had the power of transforming themselves into divers animals,
and Boguet gives a long list of witches who confessed to so doing, having
become, for the nonce, wolves, pigs, asses, cats, horses, frogs or toads,
and hares. Indeed, in France and Germany, the belief in _loup-garou_ and
_währwolf_ has hardly yet died out. But not only could they change
themselves into beasts, but others also, quite after the fashion of the
enchantments in the ‘Arabian Nights.’ Reginald Scot tells a story (lib.
v., cap. iii.) too good to be omitted:
‘It happened in the citie of _Salamin_ in the kingdome of _Cyprus_
(wherein is a good hauen) that a ship loaden with merchandize staied there
for a short space. In the meane time many of the souldiers and mariners
went to shoare, to prouide fresh victuals. Among which number, a certaine
English man, being a sturdie young fellowe, went to a woman’s house, a
little waie out of the citie, and not farre from the sea side, to see
whether she had anie eggs to sell. Who, perceiuing him to be a lustie
yoong fellowe, a stranger, and farre from his countrie, so as upon the
losse of him there would be the lesse misse or inquirie, she considered
with hirselfe how to destroie him; and willed him to staie there awhile,
whilest she went to fetch a few eggs for him. But she tarried long, so as
the yoong man called unto hir, desiring hir to make hast: for he told hir
that the tide would be spent, and by that meanes his ship would be gone
and leaue him behind. Howbeit, after some detracting of time, she brought
him a few eggs, willing him to returne to hir, if his ship were gone when
he came.
‘The yoong fellowe returned towards his ship; but before he, went aboord,
hee would needs eat an egg or twaine to satisfie his hunger, and, within
short space, he became dumb and out of his wits, (as he afterwards said.)
When he would haue entred into the ship, the marriners beat him backe with
a cudgell, saieing: What a murren lacks the asse? Whither the Diuell will
this asse? The asse, or yoong man, (I cannot tell by which name I should
terme him,) being many times repelled, and understanding their words that
called him asse, considering that he could speake neuer a word, and yet
could understand euerie bodie; he thought that he was bewitched by the
woman, at whose house he was. And, therefore, when by no means he could
get into the boate, but was driuen to tarrie and see hir departure; being
also beaten from place to place, as an asse; he remembered the witches
words, and the words of his owne fellowes that called him asse, and
returned to the witches house, in whose seruice he remained by the space
of three yeares, dooing nothing with his hands all that while, but carried
such burthens as she laied on his backe; haueing onely this comfort, that,
although he were reputed an asse among strangers and beasts, yet that
both this witch, and all other witches knew him to be a man.
‘After three yeares were passed ouer, in a morning betimes he went to
towne before his dame; who, upon some occasion, staied a little behind. In
the meane time, being neere to a church, he heard a little saccaring bell
ring to the eleuation of a morrowe masse, and, not daring to go into the
churche, least he should have beene beaten and driuen out with cudgells,
in great deuotion he fell downe in the churchyard, upon the knees of his
hinder legs, and did lift his forefeet ouer his head, as the preest doth
hold the sacrament at the eleuation. Which prodigious sight, when certeine
merchants of _Genua_ espied, and with woonder beheld; anon commeth the
witch with a cudgell in hir hand, beating foorth the asse. And bicause (as
it hath beene said) such kinds of witchcrafts are verie usuall in those
parts; the merchants aforesaid made such meanes, as both the asse and the
witch were attached by the iudge. And she, being examined and set upon the
racke, confessed the whole matter, and promised that, if she might have
libertie to go home, she would restore him to his old shape: and, being
dismissed, she did, accordinglie. So, as notwithstanding, they apprehended
hir againe, and burned hir: and the yoong man returned into his countrie
with a ioifull and merrie hart.’
Credulous as James I. was, yet he could not swallow lycanthropy:
‘But to tell you simply my opinion in this, if any such thing hath beene,
I take it to haue proceeded but of a naturall super-aboundance of
Melancholie, which, as we reade, that it hath made some thinke themselues
Pitchers, and some, horses, and some, one kinde of beast or other. So
suppose I, that it hath so viciat the imagination and memory of some, as
_per lucida interualla_, it hath so highly occupied them, that they haue
thought themselues very Woolfes indeed, at these times: and so haue
counterfeited their actiones in going on their hands and feete, preassing
to deuoure women and barnes,[34] fighting and snatching with all the towne
dogges, and in using such like other bruitish actiones, and so to become
beastes by a strong apprehension as _Nabucad-netzar_ was seuen yeares.’
But popular opinion still inclined to the belief in the ability of witches
to change their form: and we will take only one instance, which occurs in
the play of ‘The Late Lancashire Witches,’ by Heywood and Broome (London,
1634):
‘MEG. Then list yee well, the hunters are
This day, by vow, to kill a hare,
Or else the sport they will forsweare;
And hang their dogs up.
MAWD. Stay, but where
Must the long threatened hare be found?
GIL. They’l search in yonder meadow ground.
MEG. There will I be, and like a wily wat,
Untill they put me up, ile squat.’
And this belief has descended to quite modern times, for Mr. E. J. Wood,
writing in _Notes and Queries_, October 25, 1862, says:
‘In a certain hollow, or “bottom,” not many miles from Sevenoaks, lived an
old woman (now deceased) who had the local reputation of being a witch,
and who could, according to the vulgar belief, convert herself into a hare
at will. Her cottage had a drain-hole, or aperture, through which hole the
so-called witch used to pass when she had metamorphosed herself into a
“puss.”’
To the outside world, a witch, be she young or old, looked like another
woman, but to the _cognoscenti_ there were certain marks about her which
proclaimed her as a servant to the devil. All authorities agree that a
witch had certain marks upon her which no one could mistake, and Scot sums
it up very tersely:
‘Item, if she haue anie priuie mark under hir arme pokes, under hir haire,
under hir lip, or in hir buttocke, &c., it is a presumption for the iudge
to proceed and giue sentence of death upon hir.’
But perhaps we find the fullest details of these marks in the abominable
book ‘The Discovery of Witches,’ by the wretch Matthew Hopkins, the
professional ‘witch-finder.’
‘_Query 5._ Many poore People are condemned for having a Pap or Teat about
them, whereas many People, (especially antient People) are, and have been,
a long time, troubled with naturall wretts[35] on severall parts of their
bodies, and other natural excresscencies, and these shall be judged only
by one man alone, and a woman, and so accused or acquitted?
‘_Answer._ The parties so judging can justifie their skill to any, and
shew good reasons why such markes are not meerly naturall, neither that
they can happen by any such naturall cause as is before expressed, and for
further answer for their private judgements alone, it is most false and
untrue, for never was any man tryed by search of his body, but commonly a
dozen of the ablest men in the parish or else where were present, and most
commonly as many ancient skilfull matrons and midwives present when the
women are tryed, which marks, not only he and his company attest to be
very suspitious, but all beholders, the skilfulest of them, doe not
approve of them, but likewise assent that such tokens cannot, in their
judgements proceed from any of the above-mentioned Causes.
‘_Query 6._ It is a thing impossible for any man or woman to judge rightly
on such marks, they are so neare to naturall excressencies, and they that
finde them, durst not presently give Oath they were drawne by evill
spirits, till they have used unlawfull courses of torture to make them say
anything for ease and quiet, as who would not do? but I would know the
reasons he speakes of, and whereby to discover the one from the other, and
so be satisfied in that.
‘_Answer._ The reasons, in breefe, are three, which, for the present, he
judgeth to differ from naturall marks; which are
‘1. He judgeth by the unusualnes of the place where he findeth the teats
in or on their bodies, being farre distant from any usuall place, from
whence such naturall markes proceed; as, if a witch plead the markes found
are Emerods, if I finde them on the back bone, shall I assent with him?
Knowing they are not neere that veine, and so, others, by child-bearing,
when it may be, they are in the contrary part?
‘2. They are most commonly insensible, and feele neither pin, needle,
aule, &c, thrust through them.
‘3. The often variations and mutations of these marks into severall
formes, confirmes this matter; as, if a Witch hear a month or two before
that the _Witch-finder_, (as they call him) is comming, they will, and
have, put out their Imps to others to suckle them, even to their owne
young and tender children; these upon search are found to have dry skinnes
and filmes only, and be close to the flesh. Keepe her 24 houres with a
diligent eye, that none of her Spirits come in any visible shape to suck
her; the women have seen, the next day after, her Teats extended to their
former filling strength, full of corruption, ready to burst; and, leaving
her alone then one quarter of an houre, and let the women go up againe,
and shee will have them drawn, by her Imps, close againe: _Probatum est_.’
This seems hard enough upon the poor friendless witch, but it is nothing
to what Scot writes on the subject, giving his authorities, which, at the
time he wrote, on behalf of the witch, was good law. As it is a very
curious bit of history, and one, as far as I know, that has never been
reproduced, I make a long extract bearing thereon:
‘Excommunicat persons, partakers of the salt, infants, wicked servants,
and runawaies are to be admitted to beare witness against their dames in
the mater of witchcraft, bicause, (saith _Bodin_, the champion of witch
mongers) none that be honest are able to detect them. Heretikes, also, and
witches shall be received to accuse, but not to excuse a witch. And,
finallie, the testimonie of all infamous persons in this case is good and
allowed. Yea, one lewd person, (saith _Bodin_) may be received to accuse
and condemne a thousand suspected witches. And although by lawe, a
capitall enimie may be challenged; yet _James Sprenger_ and _Henry
Justitor_ (from whom _Bodin_, and all the writers that euer I haue read,
doo receiue their light, authorities and arguments) saie, (upon this point
of lawe) that The poore frendlesse old woman must proue that hir capitall
enemie would haue killed hir, and that hee hath both assalted and wounded
hir; otherwise she pleadeth all in vaine. If the iudge aske hir, whether
she haue anie capitall enemies; and she rehearse other, and forget her
accuser, or else answer that he was hir capitall enemie, but now she
hopeth that he is not so; such a one is neuertheles admitted for a witnes.
And though by law, single witnesses are not admittable; yet, if one depose
she hath witched hir cow, another hir sow; and the third hir butter; these
saith, are no single Witnesses bicause they agree that she is a witch.
‘Women suspected to be witches, after their apprehension may not be
suffered to go home, or to other places, to seek suerties; for feare least
at their returne home, they worke reuenge upon them. In which respect
_Bodin_ commendeth much the _Scottish_ custome and order in this behalfe;
where, (he saith) a hollowe piece of wood, or a chest is placed in the
church, into the which anie bodie may freelie cast a little scroll of
paper, wherein may be conteined the name of the witch, the time, place and
fact &c. And the same chest being locked by three inquisitors or officers
appointed for that purpose; which keepe three seuerall kaies. And then the
accuser need not be knowne, nor shamed with the reproch of slander or
malice to his poore neighbour.
‘Item. there must be great persuasions used to all men, women and
children, to accuse old women of witchcraft.
‘Item. there may alwaies be promised impunitie and fauour to witches that
confesse and detect others; and for the contrairie, there may be
threatnings and violence practised and used.
‘Item. the little children of witches, which will not confesse, must be
attached; who (if they be craftilie handled saith _Bodin_) will confesse
against their owne mothers.
‘Item. witches must be examined as suddenlie, and as unawares as is
possible; the which will so amaze them, that they will confesse anything,
supposing the diuell hath forsaken them; whereas, if they should first be
committed to prison, the diuell would tamper with them, and informe them
what to doo.
‘Item. the inquisitor, iudge, or examiner, must begin with small matters
first.
‘Item. they must be examined whether their parents were witches or no; for
witches (as these Doctors suppose) came by propagation. And _Bodin_
setteth downe this principle in witchcraft, to wit, _Si saga sit mater,
sic etiam est filia_: howbeit the lawe forbiddeth it _Ob sanguinis
reuerentiam_.
‘Item. the examiner must looke stedfastlie upon their eies: for they
cannot looke directlie upon a man’s face, (as _Bodin_ affirmeth in one
place, although in another he saith, that they kill and destroie both men
and beasts by their lookes).
‘Item. she must be examined of all accusations, presumptions and faults,
at one instant: least sathan should afterwards dissuade hir from
confession.
‘Item. a witch may not be put in prison alone, least the diuell dissuade
her from confession, through promises of her indemnitie. For (saith
_Bodin_) some that haue been in the gaole haue proued to flie awaie, as
they were woont to doo when they met with _Diana_ and _Minerua_ &c, and so
brake their owne necks against the stone walles.
‘Item. if anie denie hir owne confession made without torture, she is
neuerthelesse by that confession to be condemned, as in anie other crime.
‘Item, the iudges must seeme to put on a pittifull countenance and to moue
them; saieing that It was not they, but the diuell that committed the
murther, and that he compelled them to doo it; and must make them beleeue
that they think them to be innocents.
‘Item. if they will not confesse nothing upon the racke or torture; their
apparell must be changed, and euerie haire in their bodie must be shauen
off with a sharpe razor.
‘Item, if they have charmes for taciturnitie, so as they feele not the
common tortures, and therefore confesse nothing; then some sharpe
instrument must be thrust betwixt euerie naile of their fingers and toes;
which (as _Bodin_ saith) was King _Childebert’s_ devise, and is, to this
daie, of all others the most effectuall. For by meanes of that extreme
paine, they will (saith he) confesse anie thing.
‘Item. _Paulus Grillandus_, being an old doer in these matters, wisheth
that when witches sleepe, and feele no paine upon the torture, _Domine
labia mea aperies_ should be said, and so, (saith he) both the tormentt
will be felt, and the truth will be uttered.
‘Item. _Bodin_ saith, that at the time of examination there should be a
semblance of a great a doo, to the terrifieing of the witch; and that a
number of instruments, gieues,[36] manacles, ropes, halters, fetters &c be
prepared, brought foorth, and laid before the examinate; and, also, that
some be procured to make a most horrible and lamentable crie, in the place
of torture, as though he or she were upon the racke, or in the tormentor’s
hands: so as the examinate may heare it whiles she is examined, before she
hir selfe be brought into the prison; and perhaps (saith he) she will by
this meanes, confesse the matter.
‘Item. there must be subborned some craftie spie, that may seeme to be a
prisoner with hir in the like case; who, perhaps, may, in Conference,
undermine hir, and so bewraie and discouer hir.
‘Item. if she will not yet confesse, she must be told that she is
detected, and accused by other of hir companions; although in truth there
be no such matter; and so, perhaps, she will confesse, the rather to be
reuenged upon hir aduersaries and accusers.
‘If an old woman threaten or touch one, being in health, who dieth shortly
after; or else is infected with the leprosie, apoplexie, or anie strange
disease; it is (saith _Bodin_) a permanent fact, and such an euidence, as
condemnation or death must insue, without further proofe; if anie bodie
haue mistrusted hir, or said before that she was a witch.
‘Item. if anie come in, or depart out, of the chamber or house, the doores
being shut; it is an apparent and sufficient euidence to a Witches
Condemnation, without further triall:
‘Item, if a woman bewitch anie bodies eies, she is to be executed without
further proofe.
‘Item. if anie inchant or bewitch men’s beasts, or come, or flie in the
aire, or make a dog speake, or cut off anie man’s members, and unite them
againe to men or children’s bodies; it is sufficient proofe to
condemnation.
‘Item. presumptions and coniectures are sufficient proofes against
witches.
‘Item. if three witnesses doo but saie, Such a woman is a witch: then it
is a cleere case that she is to be executed with death. Which matter
_Bodin_ saith is not onelie certeine by the canon and civill lawes, but by
the opinion of pope _Innocent_, the wisest pope, (as he saith) that ever
was.
‘Item. the complaint of anie one man of credit is sufficient to bring a
poore woman to the racke or pullie.
‘Item. a condemned or infamous person’s testimonie is good and allowable
in matters of witchcraft.
‘Item a witch is not to be deliuered, though she endure all the tortures,
and confesse nothing; as all other are in anie criminall cases.
‘Item, though the depositions of manie women at one instant are disabled,
as insufficient in lawe; bicause of the imbecillitie and frailtie of their
nature or sex: yet, in this matter, one woman, though she be a partie,
either accuser or accused, and be also infamous and impudent (for such are
Bodin’s words) yea, and alreadie condemned; she may, neverthelesse serue
to accuse and condemne a witch.
‘Item, a witness uncited, and offering himselfe in this case, is to be
heard, and in none other.
‘Item, a Capitall enimie (if the enimitie be pretended to grow by meanes
of witchcraft) may obiect against a witch; and none exception is to be had
or made against him.
‘Item, although the proofe of periurie may put back a witnesse in other
causes; yet in this, a periured person is a good and a lawfull witnesse.
‘Item, the proctors and advocates in this case are compelled to be
witnesses against their clients, as in none other case they are to be
constrained thereunto.
‘Item, none can giue euidence against witches, touching their assemblies,
but witches onelie; bicause, (as _Bodin_ saith) none other can do it.’
Thus we see that the poor witch had everything against her, which will
account in a great way for those marvellous confessions we read of, when
the poor, weary, baited and tortured woman would confess to anything to
get a few hours’ respite from pain, well knowing that execution would
follow, whether she confessed or no. In fact, no other hypothesis is
possible, when we read of the extraordinary matters to which these poor
women confessed.