a precious babe of grace snatched from destruction. They are to be found
in 'A Booke declaring the fearfull vexation of one Alexander Nyndge,
Beynge moste Horriblye tormented wyth an euyll spirit, the xx. daie of
Januarie. In the yere of our Lorde 1573, at Lyeringswell in Suffolke;' and
this book sets forth the details of the various fits which Alexander
Nyndge indulged in, for the purpose, as it seems, of enabling his brother
Edward to prove his power of exorcism. His first fit began one evening at
seven--his father, mother, brothers, and the residue of the household
being present; his chest and body swelled, his eyes stared wildly as if
starting from their sockets, his back bent inward: the household was
disturbed and sore affrighted, but brother Edward had courage enough to
say that it was an evil spirit, and undertook to exorcise it. So he
charged the foul fiend to come out of him, and the countenance of his
brother became more sad and fearful than it was before. Edward was not
dismayed but returned to the conflict full of confidence, not giving in
even when Alexander and the devil had a wrestle together; or rather when
the devil within him seemed as if he would have torn him to pieces, so
great was his rage and malice. After some time of this kind of work,
Edward got the devil to confess to one or two little matters. In the first
place his name was Aubon, and he came last from Ireland; he had come for
Alexander's soul, which his brother was not disposed to give up; and by a
strange slip of the tongue he called Christ _his_ Redeemer: but Edward
rebuked him, as became a learned M.A., reminding him that He was
Alexander's Redeemer in truth, but not his, the foul fiend's. Even this
palpable blunder did not enlighten the Nyndge household as to whose was
really the "hollow ghostly" voice proceeding out of Alexander's chest. At
last, when Edward had tired him very much, and powerfully shaken him, he
said, gruffly, "Bawe wawe, bawe wawe!" and Alexander was transformed,
"much like a picture in a play," while a terrible roaring voice sounded
"Hellsownd." Then they opened the windows to allow the foul spirit to
escape; and in two minutes Alexander leaped up joyfully, crying, "He is
gone! he is gone!" After this he had a second, and then a third, attack;
but his brother, praying in his right ear, comforted him and finally cured
him, for he was never after tormented. Luckily he had not fixed upon any
unhappy old woman as the cause of his disorder, so it passed for a case of
simple "possession," which prayer and supplication had overcome.