Scot's Discovery of vvitchcraft proving the common opinions of witches contracting with divels, spirits, or familiars ... to be but imaginary, erronious conceptions and novelties : wherein also, the lewde unchristian all written and published in anno 1584, by Reginald Scot, Esquire.

CHAP. III.

The opinion of Psellus touching spirits, of their severall orders, and a confutation of his errors therein.

PSellus being of authority in the church of Rome, and not impugna∣ble by any catholike, being also instructed in these supernaturall or rather diabolicall matters by a monke called Marcus, who had been fa∣miliarly conversant a long time, as he said, with a certaine divell, re∣porteth upon the same divels owne word, which must needs understand best the state of this question, that the bodyes of angels and divels consist not now of all one element, though perhaps it were otherwise before the fall of Lucifer; and that the bodyes of spirits and divels can feele and be felt, do hurt and be hurt: in so much as they lamen•• when they are stricken; and being put to the fire are burnt, and yet that they themselves burne continnually, in such sort as they leave ashes behind them in places where they have bee••e▪ as manifest tryall thereof hath been (if he say truly) in the borders of Italy. He also saith upon like credit and assurance, that di∣vels and spirits do avoid and shed from out of their bodyes, such seed or nature, as whereby certaine vermine are ingendered; and that they are nourished with food, as we are, saving that they receive it not into their mouthes, but sucke it up into their bodies, in such sort as sponges soke up water. Also he saith they have names, shapes, and dwelling places, as indeed they have, though not in temporall and corpor•••• sort.

Furthermore, he saith, that there are six princiall kind of divels, which are not only corporall, but temporall and worldly. The first sort consist of fire, wandering in the region neere to the moone, but

have no power to go into the moone. The second sort consisting of aire, have their habitation more low and neere unto us: these (saith he) are proud and great boasters, very wise and deceitfull, and when they come downe are seene with streames of fire at their taile. He saith that these are commonly conjured up to make images laugh, and lamps burne of their owne accord; and that in Assyria they use much to prophesie in a bason of water. Which kinde of incantation is usuall among our con∣jurors: but it is here commonly performed in a pitcher or pot of water; or else in a viall of glasse filled with water, wherein they say at the first a little sound is heard without a voice, which is a token of the divels comming. Anon the water seemeth to be troubled, and then there are heard small voyces, wherewith they give their answers, speaking so softly as no man can well heare them: because (saith Cardane) they would not be argued or rebuked of lies. But this I have else-where more largely de∣scribed and confuted. The third sort of divels Psellus saith are earthly; the fourth watery, or of the sea; the fift under the earth; the sixt sort are Lucifugi, that is, such as delight in darkenes, and are scant indued with sense, and so dull, as they can scarse be moved with charmes or con∣jurations.

The same man saith, that some divels are worse than other, but yet that they all hate God, and are enemies to man. But the worser moity of divels are Aquei, Subterranei, and Lucifugi; that is, watery, under the earth, and shunners of light: because (saith he) these hurt not the soules of men, but destroy mens bodies like mad and ravening beasts, molesting both the inward and outward parts thereof. Aquei are they that raise tempests, and drowne seafaring men, and do all other mischiefes on the water. Subterranei and Lucifugi enter into the bowels of men, and tor∣ment them that they possesse with the phrensie, and the falling evill. They also assault them that are miners or pioners, which use to worke in deepe and darke holes under the earth. Such divels as are earthy and aiery, he saith enter by subtilty into the minds of men, to deceive them, provoking men to absurd and unlawfull affecti∣ons.

But herein his philosophy is very unprobable, for if the divell be ear∣thy, he must needs be palpable; if he be palpable, he must needs kill them into whose bodies he entereth. Item, if he be of 〈…〉〈…〉 then must he also be visible and untransformable in that 〈…〉〈…〉 Gods creation cannot be annihilated by the creature. So as, though it were granted, that they might adde to their substance matter and forme, &c. yet it is most certaine, that they cannot diminish or alter the substance whereof they consist, as not to be (when they li••t) spirituall, or to re∣linquish and leave earth, water, fire, aire, or this and that element where∣of they are created. But howsoever they imagine of water, aire, or fire, I am sure earth must always be visible and palpable, yea, and aire must alwayes be invisible, and fire must be hot, add water must be moist. And of these three latter bodies, specially of water and aire, no forme nor shape can be exhibited to mortall eye naturally, or by the power of any creature.

Notes

• Such are spirits walking in white sheetes, &c.
• Psellus, ibid. cap. 9.
• Idem. cap. 10.
• Idem ibid. cap. 11. Oh heathenish, nay oh papisti∣call folly!
• The opinions of all papists.
• A cousening knavery.
• H. Card. lib. de. var. rer. 10. cap. 93.
• Divels of di∣vers nature••, and their ope∣rations.
• The former opinion con∣futed.