The discovery of witchcraft proving that the compacts and contracts of witches with devils and all infernal spirits or familiars are but erroneous novelties and imaginary conceptions : also discovering, how far their power extendeth in killing, tormenting, consuming, or curing the bodies of men, women, children, or animals by charms, philtres, periapts, pentacles, curses, and conjurations : wherein likewise the unchristian practices and inhumane dealings of searchers and witch-tryers upon aged, melancholly, and superstitious people, in extorting confessions by terrors and tortures, and in devising false marks and symptoms, are notably detected ... : in sixteen books / by Reginald Scot ... ; whereunto is added an excellent Discourse of the nature and substance of devils and spirits, in two books : the first by the aforesaid author, the second now added in this third edition ... conducing to the compleating of the whole work, with nine chapters at the beginning of the fifteenth [sic] book of The discovery.

CHAP. IX.

A strange cure done to one that was molested with Incubus.

NOw being wearied with the rehearsal of so many Lecheries, most hor∣rible, and very filthy and fabulous actions and passions of Witches, together with the spirit Incubus: I will end with a true story taken out of Jason Pratensis,* 1.1 which, though it be rude, yet it is not altogether so unclean as the rest.

There came (saith he) of late a Mass-Priest unto me, making pitteous moan, and saying, that if I holpe him not, he should be undone, and utterly over∣thrown; so great was his infirmity; for (saith he) I was wont to be fair and fat, and of an excellent complexion; and lo how I look, being now a very ghost con∣sisting of skin and bone, &c. What is the matter (quoth Jason?) I will shew you Sir, said the Priest: There cometh unto me, almost every night, a certain woman, unknown unto me, and lyeth so heavy upon my breast, that I cannot fetch my breath, neither have any power to cry, neither do my hands serve me to shove her away, nor my feet to go from her. I smild (quoth Jason) and told him that he was vexed with a disease called Incubus, or the mare, and the residue was phantasie and vain imagination.* 1.2 Nay (said the Priest) it cannot be so; for by our blessed Lady, I tell you nothing but that which waking I saw with mine eyes, and felt with mine hands; I see her when she cometh upon me, and strive to repel her; but I am so infeebled that I cannot; and for remedy I have run about from place to place, but no help I could get: At length I went to an old Fryer that was counted an odd fellow, and thought to have had help at his hands; but the Devil a whit had I of him, saving, that for remedy, he willed me to pray to God; whom, I am sure, I wearied with my tedious prayers long before. Then went I unto an old woman, quoth the Priest, who was said to be a cunning Witch; and she willed me, that the next morning, about the dawning of the day, I should piss, and immediately should cover the piss-pot, or stop it with my right nether-stock, and before night the Witch should come to visit me. And although, quoth he, the respect of mine orders somewhat ter∣rified me from the execution of her advise; yet my necessities divers wayes, and specially my pains, moved me to make tryal of her words: and, by the mass, quoth the Priest, her words fell out as sure as a club; For a Witch came to my

house, and complained of a grief in her bladder, and that she could not piss.* 1.3 But I could neither by fair nor foul means obtain at her hands, that she would leave molesting me by night; but she keepeth her old custome, determining by these filthy means to dispatch me. I could hardly, said Jason, reclaim him from this mad humor; but by that time he had been with me three or four times, he began to comfort himself, and at last perceiving it, he acknowledged his disease, and re∣covered the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Jason Pratensis de cerebri mor∣bo, cap. 16.
• * 1.2

  The Priest is opinionative in the error of his fantasie.
• * 1.3

  The Priest re∣covered.