CHAP. III. Bodins stuffe concerning the Pythonist
of Endor, with a true story of a counterfeit Dutch-man.
* 1.1UPon the like tales both Bodin built his doctrin, calling them Atheists that will not believe him, adding to this kind of Witchcraft, the mira∣culous works of divers maidens, that would spue pins, clowts, &c. as one Agnes Brigs, and Rachel Pinder of London did, till the miracles were de∣tected, and they set to open penance. Others he citeth of that sort, the which were bound by Devils with garters, or some such like stuffe to posts, &c. with knots that could not be undone, which is an Aegyptians jugling or cosening feat. And of such foolish lyes joyned with bawdy tales, his whole book con∣sisteth; wherein I warrant you there are no fewer then two hundred fables, and as many impossibilities. And as these two Wenches, with the Maiden of Westwell, were detected of cosenage; so likewise a Dutch-man at Maidstone, long after he had accomplished such knaveries, to the astonishment of a great number of good men, was revealed to be a cosening knave; although his miracles were imprinted and published at London, Anno 1572. with this title before the book, as followeth.
A very wonderful and strange Miracle of God shewed upon a Dutch-man of the age of 23 years, which was possessed of ten Devils, and was by Gods mighty providence dispossessed of them again, the 27 of January last past, 1572.
Unto this the Maior of Maidstone, with divers of his Brethren subscribed, chiefly by the perswasion of Nicasius Vander-Sceure, the Minister of the Dutch-Church there, John Stikelbow, whom (as it is there said) God made the instru∣ment to cast out the Devils, and four other credible persons of the Dutch-Church. The history is so strange, and so cunningly performed, that had not his knavery afterwards brought him into suspicion, he should have gone away unsuspected of this fraud. A great many other such miracles have been lately Printed, whereof divers have been bewrayed; all the residue doubtless, if