part James took in the examination of Doctor Fian and the other
witches. From this source he most probably collected those materials
which he has wrought up into a _Daemonologie_, a work which no doubt
contributed to obtain for him from the English bishops, the
appelation of '_the British Solomon_.' In this work he appears to be
more intimately acquainted with the internal polity of the _Devil's_
kingdom, than he was with his own. The kingdom of _Sathan_ was then
in its zenith of power; but, like other states and kingdoms, it has
sunk into great weakness and debility. The '_horn'd diel_,' who could
then make the greatest personages shake in their shoes, cannot now
frighten a child; and the '_roaring lion_,' who used to be going
about seeking whom he might devour, must surely be a better
housekeeper than formerly, as he is never seen abroad, even by an old
woman.
From the _Daemonologie_ we have made copious extracts, that our
readers may have an idea of the days of '_langsyne_,' when there was
plenty of _diels_, _witches_, _fairies_, _and water kelpies_, all
over the country. Those, therefore, who are anxious to know how
affairs are managed in the '_kingdom of darkness_,' and can rely on
the word of a king for the truth of it, will be here amply gratified.
So, courteous reader, I bid thee farewell,
The EDITOR.
EXTRACTS
FROM
KING JAMES'S DAEMONOLOGIE,
CONCERNING
_SORCERY AND WITCHCRAFT_.
_The First Entresse and Prentiship of them that give themselves to
Witchcraft._
The persons that give themselves to witchcraft, are of two sorts,
rich and of better accompt, poore and of baser degree. These two
degrees answere to the passions in them, which the divell uses as
meanes to entice them to his service; for such of them as are in
great miserie and povertie, he allures to follow him, by promising
unto them great riches and worldly commoditie. Such as though rich,
yet burne in a desperate desire of revenge, he allures them by
promises to get their turne satisfied to their hearts contentment. It
is to be noted now, that that olde and craftie enemie of ours
assailes none, though touched with any of these two extremities,
except he first finde an entresse ready for him, either by the great
ignorance of the person he deales with, joyned with an evill life, or
else by their carelessnesse and contempt of God. And finding them in
an utter despaire, he prepares the way by feeding them craftely in
their humour, and filling them further and further with despaire,
while hee finde the time proper to discover himself unto them. At
which time, either upon their walking solitarie in the fieldes, or
else lying pausing in their bed, but alwaies without the company of
any other, hee, either by a voyce, or in likenesse of a man, inquires
of them what troubles them, and promiseth them a suddaine and
certaine way of remedie, upon condition, on the other part, that they
follow his advise, and doe such things as he will require of them.
Their mindes being prepared beforehand, they easily agree unto that
demand of his, and syne sets another tryist where they may meete
againe. At which time, before hee proceede any further with them, hee
first perswades them to addict themselves to his service, which being
easily obtained, he then discovers what he is unto them, makes them
to renounce their God and baptisme directly, and gives them his marke
upon some secret place of their bodie, which remaines soare unhealed
while his next meeting with them, and thereafter ever insensible,
howsoever it be nipped or pricked by any, as is daily prooved, to
give them a proofe thereby, that as in that doing he could hurt and
heale them, so all their ill and well doing thereafter must depend
upon him; and, besides that, the intolerable dolour that they feele
in that place where he hath marked them, serves to waken them, and
not to let them rest, while their next meeting againe; fearing lest
otherwaies they might either forget him, being as new prentises, and
not well enough founded yet in that fiendly follie; or else
remembering of that horrible promise they made him at their last
meeting, they might skunner at the same, and presse to call it backe.
At their third meetinge, hee makes a shew to be carefull to performe
his promises, either by teaching them waies how to get themselves
revenged, if they be of that sort, or else by teaching them lessons
how by most vile and unlawfull meanes they may obtaine gaine and
worldly commoditie, if they be of the other sort.
* * * * *
_The Witches actions divided into two parts--The actions proper to
their own persons--The forme of their Conventions and adoring of
their Master._
Their actions may be divided into two parts; the actions of their
owne persons, and the actions proceeding from them towards any other;
and this division being well understood, will easily resolve what is
possible to them to doe. For although all that they confesse is no
lie upon their part, yet doubtlesly, in my opinion, a part of it is
not indeede according as they take it to be, for the divell illudes
the senses of these schollers of his in many things.
To the effect that they may performe such services of their false
master as he employs them in, the devill, as God's ape, counterfeits
in his servants this service and forme of adoration that God
prescribed and made his servants to practise; for as the servants of
God publikely use to conveene for serving of him, so makes he them in
great numbers to conveene (though publikely they dare not), for his
service. As none conveenes to the adoration and worshipping of God,
except they be marked with his seale, the sacrament of baptisme; so
none serves Satan, and conveenes to the adoring of him, that are not
marked with that marke whereof I alreadie spake. As the minister sent
by God teacheth plainely at the time of their publike conventions,
how to serve him in spirit and trewth, so that unclean spirit, in his
owne person, teacheth his disciples at the time of their conveening,
how to worke all kind of mischiefe, and craves coumpt of all their
horrible and detestable proceedings passed for advancement of his
service: Yea, that hee may the more vilely counterfeit and scorne
God, he oft times makes his slaves to conveene in these very places
which are destinate and ordained for the conveening of the servants
of God, (I meane by churches.) But this farre which I have yet said,
I not onely take it to be trew in their opinions, but even so to be
indeed; for the forme that he used in counterfeiting God amongst the
Gentiles, makes me so to think; as God spake by his oracles, spake he
not so by his? As God had as well bloodie sacrifices, as others
without blood, had not he the like? As God had churches sanctified to
his service, with altars, priests, sacrifices, ceremonies, and
prayers, had he not the like polluted to his service? As God gave
responses by _Urim_ and _Thummim_, gave he not his responses by the
intralles of beasts, by the singing of fowles, and by their actions
in the aire? As God by visions, dreames, and extasies, revealed what
was to come, and what was his will unto his servants, used hee not
the like meanes to forewarne his slaves of things to come? Yea, even
as God loved cleanenesse, hated vice and impuritie, and appointed
punishments therefore, used he not the like, (though falsly I grant,
and but in eschewing the lesse inconvenience, to draw them upon a
greater), yet dissimulated he not, I say, so farre as to appoint his
priests to keepe their bodies cleane and undefiled, before their
asking responses of him? And fained he not God, to be a protectour of
every vertue, and a just revenger of the contrarie? This reason then
mooves me, that as he is that same divell, and as crafty now as he
was then, so will he not spare as pertly in these actions that I have
spoken of concerning the witches' persons; but further, witches oft
times confesse, not only his conveening in the church with them, but
his occupying of the pulpit: Yea, their forme of adoration to be the
kissing of his hinder parts, which, though it seeme ridiculous, yet
may it likewise be trew, seeing we reade that in Calicute he appeared
in forme of a goat-bucke, hath publikely that unhonest homage done
unto him by every one of the people. So ambitious is he, and greedy
of honour, (which procured his fall) that he will even imitate God in
that part where it is said, that Moyses could see but the _hinder
parts of God for the brightnesse of his glory_.
* * * * *
_What are the wayes possible whereby the Witches may transport
themselves to places farre distant?--And what are impossible and
meere illusions of Satan?_
PHI.--But by what way say they, or thinke yee it possible, they can
come to these unlawfull conventions?[7]
[7] The Daemonologie is written by way of dialogue, in which
Philomathes and Epistemon reason the matter.
EPI.--There is the thing which I esteeme their senses to be deluded
in, and though they lie not in confessing of it, because they thinke
it to be trew, yet not to be so in substance or effect; for they say,
that by divers meanes they may conveene, either to the adoring of
their master, or to the putting in practise any service of his
committed unto their charge; one way is naturall, which is naturall
riding, going, or sailing, at what houre their master comes and
advertises them; and this way may be easily beleeved; another way is
somewhat more strange, and yet it is possible to bee trew, which is,
by being caried by the force of the spirit, which is their conducter,
either above the earth, or above the sea, swiftly to the place where
they are to meet; which I am perswaded to bee likewise possible, in
respect, that as Habakkuk was carried by the angel in that forme to
the den where Daniel lay, so I thinke the divell will be readie to
imitate God as well in that as in other things; which is much more
possible to him to doe, being a spirit, then to a mighty wind, being
but a naturall meteore to transport from one place to another a
solide body, as is commonly and daily seene in practise; but in this
violent forme they cannot be caried but a short bounds, agreeing with
the space that they may retain their breath, for if it were longer,
their breath could not remain unextinguished, their body being caried
in such a violent and forcible manner; as by example, if one fall off
a small height, his life is but in perill, according to the hard or
soft lighting; but if one fall from an high and stay rocke, his
breath will be forcibly banished from the body before he can win to
the earth, as is oft seene by experience; and in this transporting
they say themselves, that they are invisible to any other, except
amongst themselves, which may also be possible in my opinion; for if
the devill may forme what kinde of impressions he pleases in the
aire, why may he not farre easilier thicken and obscure so the aire
that is next about them, by contracting it straite together, that the
beames of any other man's eyes cannot pierce throw the same to see
them? But the third way of their comming to their conventions is that
wherein I thinke them deluded; for some of them say, that being
transformed in the likenesse of a little beast or foule, they will
come and pierce through whatsoever house or church, though all
ordinarie passages be closed, by whatsoever open the aire may enter
in at; and some say, that their bodies lying still, as in an extasie,
their spirits will be ravished out of their bodies, and caried to
such places; and for verifying thereof, will give evident tokens, as
well by witnesses that have seene their body lying senseless in the
mean time, as by naming persons with whom they met, and giving tokens
what purpose was amongst them, whom otherwise they could not have
known; for this forme of journeying they affirme to use most, when
they are transported from one countrey to another.
PHI.--But the reasons that moove me to thinke that these are meere
illusions, are these--first, for them that are transformed in
likenesse of beasts or foules, can enter through so narrow passages,
although I may easily beleeve that the divell could by his
workmanship upon the aire, make them appeare to be in such formes,
either to themselves, or to others; yet how can he contract a solide
body within so little room? I think it is directly contrary to
itselfe; for to be made so little, and yet not diminished; to be so
straitly drawn together, and yet feele no paine, I thinke it is so
contrary to the qualitie of a naturall bodie, and so like to the
little transubstantiate god in the Papists masse, that I can never
beleeve it. So to have a quantitie, is so proper to a solide body,
that as all philosophers conclude, it cannot be any more without one,
then a spirit can have one; for when Peter came out of the prison,
and the doores all locked, it was not by any contracting of his body
in so little roome, but by the giving place of the doore, though
unespied by the gaylors; and yet is there no comparison, when this is
done, betwixt the power of God and of the divel. As to their forme of
extasie and spirituall transporting, it is certaine the soules going
out of the body, is the onely definition of naturall death; and who
are once dead, God forbid we should thinke that it should lie in the
power of all the divels in hell to restore them to their life again,
although he can put his owne spirit in a dead body, for that is the
office properly belonging to God; and, besides that, the soule once
parting from the body, cannot wander any longer in the world, but to
the owne resting place must it goe immediately, abiding the
conjunction of the body again at the latter day. And what Christ or
the prophets did miraculously in this case, it can in no Christian
man's opinion be made common with the divel. As for any tokens that
they give for proving of this, it is very possible to the divel's
craft to perswade them to these meanes; for he being a spirit, may he
not so ravish their thoughts, and dull their senses, that their body
lying as dead, he may object to their spirits, as it were in a
dreame, and represent such formes of persons, of places, and other
circumstances, as he pleases to illude them with? Yea, that he may
deceive them with the greater efficacie, may he not, at the same
instant, by fellow angels of his, illude such other persons so in
that same fashion, with whom hee makes them to beleeve that they
mette, that all their reports and tokens, though severally examined,
may every one agree with another? And that whatsoever actions, either
in hurting men or beasts, or whatsoever other thing that they falsly
imagine at that time to have done, may by himselfe or his marrowes at
that same time be done indeed; so as if they would give for a token
of their being ravished at the death of such a person within so short
a space thereafter, whom they beleeve to have poisoned or witched at
that instant, might he not at that same houre have smitten that same
person, by the permission of God, to the farther deceiving of them,
and to moove others to beleeve them? And this is surely the likelyest
way, and most according to reason, which my judgement can finde out
in this and whatsoever other unnatural points of their confession.
* * * * *
_Witches actions towards others--Why there are more Women of that
Craft then Men--What things are possible to them to effectuate by the
power of their Master--What is the surest remedy of the harmes done
by them._
PHI.--FORSOOTH your opinion in this seems to cary most reason with
it; and since ye have ended then the actions belonging properly to
their owne persons, say forward now to their actions used towards
others.
EPI.--In their actions used towards others, three things ought to be
considered; first, the manner of their consulting thereupon; next,
their part as instruments; and, last, their master's part, who puts
the same in execution. As to their consultations thereupon, they use
them oftest in the churches, where they conveene for adoring; at
which time their master enquiring at them what they would be at,
every one of them propones unto him what wicked turne they would have
done, either for obtaining of riches, or for revenging them upon any
whom they have malice at; who granting their demaund, as no doubt
willingly he will, since it is to doe evill, hee teacheth them the
meanes whereby they may doe the same. As for little trifling turnes
that women have adoe with, he causeth them to joynt dead corpses, and
to make powders thereof, mixing such other things thereamongst as he
gives unto them.
PHI.--But before ye goe further, permit me, I pray you, to interrupt
you one word, which ye have put me in memorie of by speaking of
women; What can be the cause that there are twentie women given to
that craft where there is one man?
EPI.--The reason is easie, for as that sexe is frailer than man is,
so is it easier to be intrapped in these grosse snares of the divell,
as was over-well prooved to be trew, by the serpent's deceiving of
Eve at the beginning, which makes him the homelier with that sexe
sensine.
PHI.--Returne now where ye left.
EPI.--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 sicknesse. To some he gives such stones or pouders as will
helpe to cure or cast on diseases; and to some hee teacheth kindes of
uncouth poysons, which mediciners understand not; not that any of
these meanes which he teacheth them (except the poysons, which are
composed of things naturall), can of themselves helpe any thing to
these turnes that they are employed in, but onely being God's ape, as
well in that, as in all other things. Even as God by his sacraments,
which are earthly of themselves, workes a heavenly effect, though no
waves by any cooperation in them; and as Christ by clay and spettle
wrought together, _opened the eyes of the blinde man_, suppose there
was no vertue in that which he outwardly applied, so the divel will
have his outward meanes to be shewes as it were of his doing, which
hath no part or cooperation in his turnes with him, how farre that
ever the ignorants be abused in the contrarie. And as to the effects
of these two former parts, TO WIT, the consultations and the outward
meanes, they are so wonderfull, as I dare not alledge any of them
without joyning a sufficient reason of the possibilitie thereof; for
leaving all the small trifles among wives, and to speake of the
principall points of their craft, for the common trifles thereof,
they can doe without converting well enough by themselves, these
principall points, I say, are these--they can make men or women to
love or hate other, which may be very possible to the divel to
effectuate, seeing he being a subtile spirit, knowes well enough how
to perswade the corrupted affection of them whom God will permit him
to deal with,--they can lay the sicknesse of one upon another, which
likewise is very possible unto him; for since by God's permission he
laide sicknesse upon Job, why may he not farre easilier lay it upon
any other? For as an old practitian, hee knowes well enough what
humour domines most in any of us, and as a spirit he can subtillie
waken up the same, making it peccant, or to abound, as hee thinkes
meet, for troubling of us, when God will so permit him. And for the
taking off of it, no doubt he will be glad to relieve such of present
paine as he may thinke by these meanes to perswade to be catched in
his everlasting snares and fetters. They can bewitch and take the
life of men or women, by roasting of the pictures, as I spake of
before, which likewise is verie possible to their master to performe;
for although that instrument of waxe have no vertue in that turne
doing, yet may he not very well, even by the same measure that his
conjured slaves melts that waxe at the fire, may he not, I say, at
these same times, subtily as a spirit, so weaken and scatter the
spirits of life of the patient, as may make him on the one part, for
faintnesse, to sweat out the humour of his bodie, and on the other
part, for the not concurrence of these spirits, which causes his
digestion, so debilitate his stomacke, that this humour radicall
continually, sweating out on the one part, and no new good sucke
being put in the place thereof, for lacke of digestion on the other,
he at last shall vanish away, even as his picture will doe at the
fire? And that knavish 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. They
can raise stormes and tempests in the aire, either upon sea or land,
though not universally, but in such a particular place and prescribed
bounds, as God will permit them so to trouble. Which likewise is very
easy to be discerned from any other naturall tempests that are
meteores, in respect of the sudden and violent raising thereof,
together with the short induring of the same. And this is likewise
very possible to their master to doe, hee having such affinitie with
the aire, as being a spirit, and having such power of the forming and
mooving thereof; for in the Scripture, that stile of the _prince of
the aire_, is given unto him. They can make folkes to become
phrenticque or maniacque, which likewise is very possible to their
master to doe, since they are but naturall sicknesses, and so he may
lay on these kindes as well as any others. They can make spirits
either to follow and trouble persons, or haunt certaine houses, and
affray oftentimes the inhabitants, as hath been knowne to be done by
our witches at this time. And likewise, they can make some to bee
possessed with spirits, and so to become very demoniacques; and this
last sort is very possible likewise to the divel their master to doe,
since he may easily send his owne angels to trouble in what forme he
pleases any whom God will permit him so to use.
PHI.--But will God permit these wicked instruments, by the power of
the devill their master, to trouble by any of these meanes any that
beleeve in him?
EPI.--No doubt, for there are three kindes of folkes whom God will
permit so to be tempted or troubled; the wicked for their horrible
sinnes, to punish them in the like measure; the godly that are
sleeping in any great sinnes or infirmities, and weaknesse in faith,
to waken them up the faster by such an uncouth forme; and even some
of the best, that their patience may be tried before the world, as
Job's was. For why may not God use any kinde of extraordinarie
punishment, when it pleases him, as well as the ordinarie rods of
sicknesse or other adversities?
PHI.--Who then may be free from these devilish practises?
EPI.--No man ought to presume so farre as to promise any impunitie to
himselfe; for God hath before all beginnings, preordinated as well
the particular sorts of plagues, as of benefites, for every man,
which in the owne time he ordaines them to be visited with; and yet
ought we not to be the more afraide for that, of any thing that the
divell and his wicked instruments can doe against us, for we daily
fight against the divell in a hundreth other wayes; and therefore, as
a valiant captaine affraies no more being at the combate, nor stayes
from his purpose for the rummishing shot of a canon, nor the small
clacke of a pistolet, suppose he be not certaine what may light upon
him; even so ought we boldly to goe forward in fighting against the
divell, without any great terrour for these his rarest weapons, nor
for the ordinary, whereof we have daily the proofe.
PHI.--Is it not lawfull then, by the helpe of some other witch, to
cure the disease that is casten on by that craft?
EPI.--No wayes lawfull, for it is an axiome of theologie, that we are
not to doe evil, that good maie come of it.
PHI.--How then may these diseases be lawfully cured?
EPI.--Only by earnest prayer unto God, by amendment of their lives,
and by sharpe pursuing every one, according to his calling of these
instruments of Satan, whose punishment to the death will be a
salutarie sacrifice for the patient. And this is not onely the
lawfull way, but likewise the most sure; for by the devil's meanes
_can never the devill be casten out_, as Christ sayth; and when such
a cure is used, it may well serve for a short time, but at the last
it will doubtlesly tend to the utter perdition of the patient, both
in body and soule.