A discouery of the fraudulent practises of Iohn Darrel Bacheler of Artes in his proceedings concerning the pretended possession and dispossession of William Somers at Nottingham: of Thomas Darling, the boy of Burton at Caldwall: and of Katherine Wright at Mansfield, & Whittington: and of his dealings with one Mary Couper at Nottingham, detecting in some sort the deceitfull trade in these latter dayes of casting out deuils.

Title

A discouery of the fraudulent practises of Iohn Darrel Bacheler of Artes in his proceedings concerning the pretended possession and dispossession of William Somers at Nottingham: of Thomas Darling, the boy of Burton at Caldwall: and of Katherine Wright at Mansfield, & Whittington: and of his dealings with one Mary Couper at Nottingham, detecting in some sort the deceitfull trade in these latter dayes of casting out deuils.

Author

Harsnett, Samuel, 1561-1631.

Publication

London :: Imprinted by [John Windet for] Iohn Wolfe,

1599.

Rights/Permissions

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Subject terms

Darrel, John, b. ca. 1562 -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800.

Demoniac possession -- England -- Early works to 1800.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A02753.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"A discouery of the fraudulent practises of Iohn Darrel Bacheler of Artes in his proceedings concerning the pretended possession and dispossession of William Somers at Nottingham: of Thomas Darling, the boy of Burton at Caldwall: and of Katherine Wright at Mansfield, & Whittington: and of his dealings with one Mary Couper at Nottingham, detecting in some sort the deceitfull trade in these latter dayes of casting out deuils." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A02753.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• The Epistle to the Reader.
• The First Booke.
  • CHAP. I. The number of such persons as are said to haue beene dis∣possessed by M. Darrels meanes.
  • CHAP. II. The occasion why M. Darrels dealing with Somers was called into question at Lambeth.
  • CHAP. III. How M. Darrels friends haue set out the pretended dispossessing of William Somers.
  • CHAP. IIII. How M. Darrell is made a fitter instrument to cast out Diuels, then many other.
  • CHAP. V. How M. Darrell knew William Somers, and the rest to bee pos∣sessed.
  • CHAP. VI. Of M. Darrels knowledge, who sent the Deuill into Somers, and the rest.
  • CHAP. VII. Of the Causes pretended, why men are possessed.
  • CHAP. VIII. Of the meanes alledged by M. Darrell, and others, whereby men are dispossessed.
  • CHAP. 9. Of the signes whereby M. Darrell and others do discerne (as they say) when Sathan is expelled.
  • CHAP. X. Of M. Darrell, and M. Mores conceite: that Sathan being cast out of one, doth presentlie after seeke to repossesse him.
  • CHAP. XI. How those that tooke vpon them to cast out Deuils, doe get them∣selues worke, and of their deuises to couer their lewdenes.
• The Second Booke.
  • CHAP. I. Of M. Darrels intercourse with Somers by startes at Ashbie, from about the yeare 1592. vntill 1597. for his instruction, how to dissemble himselfe to be possessed.
  • CHAP. II. Of M. Darrels priuate directions to Somers whilest hee was at Nottingham with him, how he should from time to time be∣haue himselfe in his counterfeiting.
  • CHAP. III. Of M Darrels instructing of Somers by speaking to others in his hearing, those thinges which he meant that he should practise from the fift of Nouember, when he came vnto him, vntil the seauenth of the same, being the day of his pretended dispossession
  • CHAP. IIII. Of M. Darrels cunning instructing of Somers, by speaking to o∣thers in his hearing of Sathans seeking to repossesse him, & of the acting of certaine trickes vnder a couerlet, from the se∣uenth of Nouember, vntill about the xxi. of the same.
  • CHAP. V. Of M. Darrels cunning instructing of Somers, by speaking to o∣thers in his hearing such thinges, as he meant he should prac∣tise in the detecting of witches: from about the xxi. of Nouem∣ber, vntill about the vii. of December.
  • CHAP. VI. Of M. Darrels course, from about the seuenth of December, vn∣till the 14. of Ianuarie, whilest Somers refused to dissemble any longer.
  • CHAP. VII. How Somers about the xiiij. of Ianuarie fel againe to the acting of certaine fits, wherein he continued at times, till about the xxiiij. of Februarie, and how M. Darrell pretended that he was repossessed.
• The Thirde Booke.
  • CHAP. I. How Somers confessed his dissimulation at S. Iohns in Nottin∣gham, as soone as he was out of M. Darrels disposition.
  • CHAP. II. How M. Darrel dealt with Somers, for the reuocation of his said confession, that he had dissembled.
  • CHAP. III. How M. Darrell deuised two or three shifts, to haue auoided So∣mers confession, that he had dissembled.
  • CHAP. IIII. How M. Darrell and his friends to discredite Somers confession, did falsly reporte, that he was induced thereunto by promises, threatnings, and inchantments.
  • CHAP. V. Of M. Darrels ridiculous pretence, that Somers was induced by the Deuill in forme of a blacke dogge, and an Asse, to say hee had dissembled.
  • CHAP. VI. How M. Darrell hath falsly affirmed, that William Somers was induced to say he had dissembled, for feare of hanging: where∣as he falling into his fittes before the Commissioners at Not∣tingham, (vpon a former compact) the feare of hanging was one of the chiefest causes, that he then affirmed, that hee had not dissembled.
  • CHAP. VII. How Somers was perswaded by threatnings, & promises, to haue continued his dissimulation, after hee had beene before the Commissioners at Nottingham, vntill M. Darrell might a∣gaine dispossesse him.
  • CHAP. VIII. Of the depositions taken in M. Darrells behalfe at Nottingham, and how vpon the reexamination of his own witnesses, it fal∣leth out: that the bodilie actions of Somers in his fitts, were not extraordinary, as they haue beene misreported.
• The Fourth Booke.
  • CHAP. I. How Maister Darrell laboured from time to time, to make those thinges that Somers did, (and were but very toyes) to bee thought both strange and extraordinarie.
  • CHAP. II. How M. Darrell would not suffer (as neare as hee could) any to deale with Somers in his fittes, to trie whether he were sense∣les or dissembled.
  • CHAP. III. How M. Darrell indeuoured to excuse Somers when hee was ta∣ken short, and did such toyes, as did argue him sufficiently to be but a counterfeit.
  • CHAP. IIII. How contrarie to M. Darrels assertion, Somers had his sences & vnderstanding in his fittes.
  • CHAP. V. Of the motions and knockinges which were heard and seene about Somers in his fittes, that they were done and made by him∣selfe, and were not as M. Darrel hath reported, extraordinary or supernaturall.
  • CHAP. VI. How Somers casting himselfe into the fire, was voluntarie, and no extraordinarie matter, as M. Darrell hath pre∣tended.
  • CHAP. VII. Of Somers pretended strength and weight in his fittes, that con∣trary to M. Darrelles and his friendes reportes, there was nothing extraordinary in them.
  • CHAP. VIII. Somers knowledge in his fits was not extraordinary, as M. Dar∣rell and his friends haue falsly pretended: neither could hee speake Greeke, Hebrew, or Latine, otherwise then hee had learned.
  • CHAP. IX. There was no impossibility in Somers fittes, as M. Darrell and his friendes haue falsly pretended.
  • CHAP. X. How contrarie to M. Darrels and his friends assertions, Willi∣am Somers was accounted by many in Nottingham, for a dissembler, from the time that he beganne his practises there, vntill he confessed the same himselfe.
• The Fift Booke.
  • CHAP. I. How M. Darrels credit, touching his dealing with the boy of Burton, doth relie vpon a false & foolish booke, that was pub∣lished of the said boyes pretended possession and dispossession.
  • CHAP. II. Of M. Darrels rashnes in affirming Thomas Darling to be pos∣sessed, and of his cunning instructing him, how to behaue him∣selfe vpon the day of his pretended dispossession.
  • CHAP. V. Of Maister Darrells shiftes and absurdities, concerning the pre∣tended dispossessing of Thomas Darling.
  • CHAP. IIII. Of M. Darrels further practises with Darling to pretend, that Sathan sought to reenter into him, and of some other his vn∣true assertions, concerning the boyes fittes, and of his cun∣ning dealing likewise with him, that he should neuer confesse his dissimulation.
  • CHAP. V. How Darling confesseth his owne dissimulation.
  • CHAP. VI. A breefe of Katherine Wrights confession, touching the be∣ginning of her dissimulation, and of the reasons that mooued her so to do.
  • CHAP. VII. Of Maister Darrels proceedings with Katherine VVright, for her pretended dispossession.
  • CHAP. VIII. of M. Darrels proceedinges with Mary Cooper the sister of Wil∣liam Somers.
• table of contents
  • The Contentes of the First Booke.
  • The Contentes of the Second Booke.
  • The Contentes of the Third Booke.
  • The Contentes of the Fourth Booke.
  • The Contentes of the Fift Booke.