The sixth book of Practical physick Of occult or hidden diseases; in nine parts Part I. Of diseases from occult qualities in general. Part. II. Of occult, malignant, and venemous diseases arising from the internal fault of the humors. Part III. Of occult diseases from water, air, and infections, and of infectious diseases. Part IV. Of the venereal pox. Part V. Of outward poysons in general Part VI. Of poysons from minerals and metals. Part. VII. Of poysons from plants. Part VIII. Of poysons that come from living creatures. Part IX. Of diseases by witchcraft, incantation, and charmes. By Daniel Sennertus, N Culpeper, and Abdiah Cole, Doctors of Physick

Two EPISTLES of that Excellent and Famous Man Balthasar Han Doctor of Physick, and chief Elector of Saxony.

The First Epistle.

MOst Renowned, Excellent and most experienced Sir, my Godfather and much honoured Friend. I pre∣fent thee with a miserable but ad∣mirable Physical History (which I lastly told you in short) as I had it chiefly from mine own observation written with mine own hand.

A certain honest godly woman twenty two years old, of a laudable temper, somwhat incli∣ning to melancholy, in the year 1634. the 8th of November being Saturday, was troubled at evening with an unusual stopping and heaviness at the breast, she went to bed at her accustomed hour with desire to sleep, and though she obtain∣ed her desire presently, yet was grievously trou∣bled, by which means after twelve of the clock, she was heard often to groan sadly, but they sup∣posed

she dreamed, and called her; but she a∣waked not til she had often groned: being a∣waked she often lifted up her eyes, but kept them not long open, but presently composed her self for sleep again, and spake not above three words. In the morning being Sunday, and the the 9th of November, she arose at six of the clock thinking upon the Church, and how she might according to her promise bring a yong maid to be married to a Minister of the Church. But on a sudden she beheld two blew spots in both hands, which crept up from the wrists to the bending of the Arm, not in one continued line, and above both the bendings of the arms, there were divers letters, among which were these two N B. joyned together, and many crosses of this form ✝ she being undaunted continued her holy resolution, and by Gods assistance she went to Church at 8. in the morning, and was very merry at the wedding-dinner, til four in the afternoon, and perceived no disturbance that day nor that night, but munday morning following being Novem. 10. she observed the number of crosses increased about her neck, breast and belly to the bottom of it. And all that day she felt great straitness and troubles, one fit followed another, and she had so great a desire to sleep, which was the forerunner of a fit, and more works and crosses that she could not be kept awake, at which time (to the terror and admiration of the beholders) the characters mentioned most like crosses were in most parts of her body, so that in seven daies time she was all over before and behind, from head to foot, marked as if sh•• had been whipt with rods or thorns; at first her face was not marked, but afterwards it was with

the same, but smaller, and more superficially in the scarf-skin, at night she went to bed and slept an hour after which she was troubled, & groaned, and folded her hands close. The standers by ob∣serving that awaked her, and parted her hands, and they sound a Needle stuck in the palm of her hand, and they drew it out; they bent it & put it in the fire unknown to her▪ and keep it stil. The 11^th of November being Tuesday she was better but not without some fits, but gentle: this night she dreamt that she should find a needle under her bed, which she should put into the fire pre∣sently and so be cured. The 12^th of November being Wednesday at noon she remembred her dream, and commanded her Maid to search di∣ligently for a needle under the bed, the Maid re∣turning brought a long Taylors needle, she cast it into the fire, often, this done she went to bed at her usual hour, and espied a Ghost like a wo∣man going into a Study, and hiding her self in a corner, at which she was much frighted, and trembled, and began to be sleepy as formerly, which by reason of her pain she resisted, And lo an illfavoured old woman very terrible with her wrinkled face stood by her bed side, having a thick cudgel with which she smote her violently upon the legs, and being very angry she repeat∣ed these words, Give me my Needle, Give me my Needle. At which she cried out aloud, and the old woman vanished, and from that night, till Saturday after, which was the 15^th of November ••he did not suffer any thing, but then about night walking about she pulled out another Needle from the soal of her foot with great pain, lamen∣tation, and loss of blood, and shewed it to the standers by, she slept wel that night, and the fol∣lowing

day being Sunday the 16^th of Novem∣ber, she put on her b••st cloaths and went to Church chearfully, from which day she was not troubled, only she was somtimes found under the Table at night taken out of her bed, to which she went every night at her usual hour, after prayer and signing her self with the sign of the Cross, without any hurt, and at certain times the third, fourth, sixth and tēth day, she had new marks of crosses with other marks as of hearts and Astronomical characters of the Planets and cōfigurations, as ♂. ✶ ☍ and of Planets ♄. ♃. ♂ ☉ ♀. ☿. ☽. and some of chymical medicines, as {nitre}. {salt}. ☉. (for she was not ignorant of Astronomy and Chimistry with which she refreshed her self by reading and calculating beyond ordinary wo∣men) were as it were cut in the skin, she con∣tinued ind••fferent well in this state to the twen∣ty seventh of Ianuary 1635. and her fi••s were very little, and in a manner quite gone, at which time she went to see her neighbour to pa••s her time with her in reading or sewing, or discourse: in the midst of their discourse she had on her right hand the shape of a Rose, and on her left, of Three-leaved grass, with the year of our Lord 16••••, gently painted and so artificially that A∣p••lles the best of Painters could not mend it. Under these figures without pain were painted to the admiration of the Beholders a wounded heart, the picture of a fool, and the German word Narr. and nescio with divers crosses. The 27^th of February just at noon her trouble returned with more greater fits: And from that day to this, by Gods Grace she never had any, whom I desire by prayer to defend her from these delusi∣ons of Sathan, and to give her health, and be with

us all to whom be Praise, Honor, and Glory for Evermore. This is that miserable History which I promised you, read it with your divine inge∣nuity, and consider it; and leave your opi••ion of such passions to posterity. For you•• Books of Practical Physick, written from long and infalli∣ble Experience, with great pains and ingenuity, which all Learned men admire, may well con∣tain it. In the mean while farewel, and be cer∣tain that I am most ready to serve you.

Dated from the Electors Camp, the 5. of November. 1635.

THE SECOND EPISTLE.

IN my last Letter, Renowned Sir, my most Experienced Godfather, and very good Friend, I sent you a lamentable History of a Physical case: now I send you the opinion of the Famous and Excellent Physitian Dr. Ioachimus Colbius concerning it. But by your leave I shall a little digress, and a little mention what was done, and what medicines were given without many flourishing words. That this trick or delusion was from Satan, there is no doubt in me. Some suppose that she gave him this op∣portunity by givin•• a smock to an old woman which was manifest to be the Witch. For this is a Maxime, not only among the Devils Slaves the Witches▪ but also among Common people; that if a Witch get any silk or linnen that hath been worn next the skin of any▪ then she can hurt any part of them that wore it, by pricking, striking, tying, twisting more or less when, and where she pleaseth. The crosses of which I spake, were not alwaies of the same form, but some lon∣ger, some shorter, somtimes very long; some were deeper, and caused pain and itching; some came to matter▪ and left marks behind them above a month, in some did not. But why crosses, roses and three leaved grass so artificially painted, and Characters which she knew, and things she de∣lighted in? The cause of these, was the Devils hatred to mankind for she signed herself with the sign of the cross, morning and evening against Satans force, and loved Needle-work, and A∣stronomy,

and Chymistry, which by her friend leave she learned of a famous Doctor that live•• in the house; the Devil therefore labored to tak•• off her faith, and the force of her prayers, an•• mock them with the sign of the cross, and mak•• her melancholy by scoffing at her recreations and so to destroy body and soul together. Thi•• may be probably and Religiously supposed t•• be true, in regard we cannot pierce more into the inward causes. The medicines applied we•••• few and gentle, which purged the belly of me∣lancholy, and did alter the humor, with some temperate Cordials, and things experimentally good for the womb, she had sent her from Hala an Amulet of herbs, and seeds rightly gathered at certain times, which had much. Camphire in it; but she refused it, least she should purchase the displeasure of Almighty God, by vainly la∣bouring against the hatred of the Devil, wh•• is a Spirit, and cannot be touched by corporeal medicines. She used nothing to drive the De∣vil, but prayer and Divine worship, and Sa∣craments very cheerfully and couragiously. Let this be sufficient to be spokē of this matter in the time of war, & while the guns roar and thunder, where the Muses in vain seek for their friend si∣lence. Accept of it kindly, and suspend not your judgment, but give your opinion concerning these things▪ and declare them speedily to the Learned. Farewel worthy Sir, and continue to be my Friend, who am much your Servant.

Given from the Electoral Army, November the 30^th 1635.

FINIS.