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.
THings that bee strange, doe cause men to wonder. If a man go to Rome, and be de∣sirous of nouelties, hee shall find sundry Priests that will feed his humor.* They will shew him Christes napkin, S. Inkes head, S. Andrewes arme, S. Blases wezand, a peece of Page 220 S. Christophers arme, Saint Peters fingers, the pincers where∣with diuers Martirs were pinched, a peece of the earth where Christ appeared to Marie Magdalen, Saint Annes thumbe, Saint Dominckes stoale, a peece of Saint Paules staffe, that hee walked with, Saint Peters tooth, the Table whereat Christ last supped, some of the fragments of the fiue Barly loues mentioned in the Gospell, a peece of the chaine that Saint Iohn was bounde with: Moyses rodde: Aarons rodde, some of the shewe-breade, the towell wherewith Christ wi∣ped his Apostles feete: parte of the reede that Christ was strucke with at Pilates house, the ashes of Saint Iohn Baptist, the vessell into the which bloode and water flowed out of Christes side: many cloutes died with the bloud of Mar∣tirs: a stone of Christes Sepulcher: a stone or peece of earth of Mount Caluarie: a stone or peece of earth from the place where Christ ascended into heauen: the spunge wherein they gaue Christ Vinegar and gall: the cribbe that Christ was borne in: the thornes of the Crowne that Christ was crow∣ned with: our Ladies hayre: the Chinne of Saint Iohn Bap∣tistes father: some of Mary Magdalens hayre: a peece of the fatte of Saint Laurence: a peece of the arme, and some of the braynes of Saint Thomas of Canterburie, with many such trinkettes.
And they will vow and protest with great deuotion, that these are no fictions, nor feigned reliques: but the very things themselues whose names they beare, where∣by many credulous and superstitious people are drawne to admire them. It is the manner of the Mountebankes in Italie, resembled by some of our Pedlers, when they open their packes, to set out their ware with many great wordes. Vnto which kinde of people, and seducing Mi∣rabilistes, Maister Darrell in his practises with Somers, may well bee resembled. When the boy spake, hee tolde the Page 221 people it was the deuill that vsed his voice: when hee did any thing in his fittes, hee sayde that it was the De∣uill that did it. If hee stirred his handes or any parte of his body as hee lay in bedde, hee affirmed the Deuill to be in bedde with him. The mouing of the boyes fingers vnder a Couerlette, hee made to bee Deuilles, in formes of Whelpes or Kitlinges: when hee strug∣led, hee pretended, that for strength hee was almost an other Goliath. If hee spake any thing, whereof those that were present vnderstoode not the reason how hee knew it: hee was straight become a kinde of Prophete, and to haue supernaturall knowledge. Two or three wordes of Latine, which hee had learned at the schoole, was sufficient to giue it out, that in his fittes, he spake Greeke, Hebrew, and Latine. Briefly, all that the boy did in his pretended fittes, M. Darrell would needes haue to passe, and exceede the naturall power of any man: and so must bee done of necessitie by the De∣uill. Whilest hee was thus ietting vppe and downe the place where Somers was playing his prankes, and setting out the boyes actions, as his chiefe Wares, with such strange wordes and qualities, a man may well remember the saide Romish Priestes in extolling their feyned Reliques, and the saide Mountebankes, and Pedlers, in lying and cogging, to make the best of their packes.
The particulers before mentioned, haue beene part∣ly proued already, and it will appeare to bee true more plainely hereafter: and touching some others, there are these depositions following.* M. Darrell tolde those that were present, Somers being in a fitte, that the Boyes tounge was drawne into his throate, quite out of his mouth, and taking the Candle in his handes, would needes haue the compa∣ny Page 222 to looke into his mouth, (the boy lying with his mouth open) and then saide: see you not that it is so? what reason can be gi∣uen of this? It passeth nature to doe any such thing: with Cooper herein,* concurreth Edmond Garland.
Vpon the Sonday at night, sayeth M. Hallam, M. Darrell saide (the boy lying in his fitte,) beholde his face is it iust behinde him, which is most strange: but I saw not the same strangenes.
*M. Darrell tolde the people present at Porters house, on the Saturday at night, when he came to Nottingham, that those thinges that the boy did, passed the power and skill of any man to doe. With this deposition M. Parre doth fully a∣gree in effect,* word for worde.
Concerning the ridiculous gestures mentioned before, that were pretended to signifie the sinnes of Nottingham: M. Darrell himselfe hath tolde vs in his history, that So∣mers did them in that liuely manner, that hee thinketh, that the like dumbe description of sinnes, cannot be made, by any hu∣maine skill or power. It hath also before beene obserued, how hee willed the boy to vtter some darke speeches, whereby the people might wonder at him: especially, when they heard his the saide Darrels profound exposi∣tion of them.
Somers in one of his pretended fittes, did take vpon him, to expound the Articles of the Creede, which (he sayeth) he was in some sorte enabled to doe, by reason that almost euery Minister, that came vnto him, had in their speeches with him, in∣terpreted them diuers times vnto him. Towardes the end of the which his discourse, M. Darrell came in: who being enformed thereof, and also of some errors, which had es∣caped therein, he made the matter very wonderfull: first obserue what is deposed, and then what M. Darrell sayeth.
*Comming one euening to Coopers house, Somers fell in∣to Page 223 a fit, (as they called it) of squeaking, and scritching: and in his fiitte he beganne to repeate the Articles of the Creede, and to tel the meaning of euery Article orderly. The which his exposi∣tion, I then thought, and doe now thinke, to haue beene made by Somers himselfe, by the assistance of God, and not by the operati∣on of the Deuill.
Somers did expound the Creede at my house,* by the space al∣most of an houre, Whereupon, M. Darrel then saide to those that were present: that heretofore the boy had noted vnto them, the sinnes that raigned in Nottingham, and that now they should heare him deliuer vnto him, the groundes of their faith, euerie Christian dutie, and other godly rules, whereby they might learne to guide their wayes: and therefore willed them to hearken vnto his sayinges, and to practise the same.* But now M. Dar∣rell would be heard. Somers (sayeth hee) hauing made a euery glorious interpretation of the Creede, I came in, euen as hee made an end: and being informed thereof, and that some of the simple people were so rauished by the saide interpretation, as they supposed it to be done by the Ministery of a good Angell: not∣withstanding, some others tolde mee of some errors that had esca∣ped him: I answered them, that vndoubtedly, the said glorious interpretation, had beene made by an euill spirite, transforming himselfe into an Angell of light: adding, that thereof they might be assured, by his mingling of some errors amongst many truthes. And againe, in his Apologie, speaking of Somers supernaturall knowledge forsooth, he writeth thus:* From hence it was, that diuine-like he continued his speach, in expoun∣ding the Creede for an houre together.
M. Darrell was not (as you haue heard) at this exposi∣tion, and the commendation it had, did proceede from the simple people: and yet here he sayeth, it was made di∣uine-like, and tearmeth it a very glorious interpretation. But his reason why hee ascribeth the same vnto an euill Page 224 spirit is very strange, and peraduenture may touch himself as nearely as Somers. For if amongst many truthes by him preached, the falling vpon some errors, be an argument, that it was the Deuill that preached in him, the most of his sermons at Nottingham, touching the possession, dis∣possession, and repossession of Somers, will haply bee cen∣sured in Nottingham, to haue proceeded from the De∣uill.
But amongst all the rest of Somers actions, which M. Darrell ascribed to the deuill, there is one other that may not be pretermitted: which argueth, that he thought him∣selfe to haue wonne such credite, as hee might say any thing, were it neuer so absurde, without suspition of false∣hoode or iugling. At some such times, as Somers being in his fittes, called for drinke, M. Darrell would suffer him to haue none, affirming that it was not Somers, but the deuil that called for it. This M. Darrell denyeth, but it is depo∣sed in sorte,* as followeth.
William Somers asking for drinke, (sayeth Edmond Garland) M. Darrell caused it to be denyed him: saying it was not hee, but the Deuill that asked for it.
*Robert Cooper thus: I heard Thomas Porter say, that the boy being drye and hungry in the morning, before his dispossession, they durst giue him neyther meate, nor drinke, till M. Darrell had beene first acquainted with it. Againe, So∣mers being at Porters house in a fitte, he said he was drye, but yet durst not drinke,* because M. Darrell had tolde him, that the de∣uill would make him drye and hungry, and did forbid him there∣fore, to take any drinke or meate.
Few men but M. Darrell (it is supposed) would haue suspected, when the boy was drie, that the Deuill called for drinke. But it was his glory to shew his skill and ac∣quaintance with Sathans practises, and still to pretend Page 225 that the boyes actions were wonderfull. Many that were present, when they saw Somers doe his trickes, supposing that it had beene the Deuill that did them, were greately afraide. But M. Darrell was so strong in faith (forsooth) as, seeming greately to disdaine both Sathan and all his doinges, he checked him, commaunded him, and reuy∣led him at his pleasure: whereby the simpler sorte of peo∣ple, ascribed great vertue and holines vnto him. If the re∣semblances before made of M. Darrels practises in this point, to Pedlers, Mountebanks, and the Reliquemongers of Rome be not so fitte: then as you remember, Somers and Darrell dissembling and colluding together, thinke vpon the pretie feates, betwixt Bankes and his horse. Indeed it was one of the greatest wonders that hapned in those actions at Nottingham, that so many were seduced by such palpable fooleries.
