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. V.

Why Apollo was called Pytho, whereof those Witches were called Pythonists: Gregory his Letter to the Devil.

BUt to return to our Oracle of Apollo at Delphos, who was called Pytho, for that Apollo slue a Serpent so called, whereof the Pythonists take their name: I pray you consider well of this tale, which I will truly re∣hearse out of the Ecclesiastical history,* 1.1 written by Eusebius, wherein you shall see the absurdity of the opinion, the cosenages of these Oracles, and the deceived mind or vain opinion of so great a Doctor bewrayed and deciphered altogether as followeth.

Gregory Neocaesariensis in his journey and way to pass over the Alpes, came to the Temple of Apollo; where Apollo's Priest living richly upon the revenues and benefit proceeding from that Idol, did give great entertainment unto Gregory, and made him good chear: But after Gregory was gone, Apollo waxed dumb, so as the Priests gains decayed; for the Idol growing into contempt, the Pilgri∣mage ceased. The Spirit taking compassion on the Priests case, and upon his grief of mind in this behalf, appeared unto him, and told him flatly, that his late guest Gregory was the cause of all his misery: For (saith the Devil) he hath banished me, so that I cannot return without a special license or pasport from him. It was no need to bid the Priest make haste, for immediately he took post-horse, and galloped after Gregory, till at length he overtook him, and then expostulated with him for his discourtesie proffered in recompence

of his good chear; and said, that if he would not be so good unto him, as to write his Letter to the Devil in his behalf, he should be utterly undone: To be short, his importunity was such, that he obtained of Gregory his Letter to the Devil, who wrote unto him in manner and form following, word for word, Per∣mitto tibi redire in locum tuum, & agere qua consuevisti: which is in English, I am content thou return into thy place, and do as thou wast wont. Immediately upon the receipt of this Letter, the Idol spake as before. And here is to be noted,* 1.2 that as well in this, as in the execution of all their other Oracles and Cosenages, the an∣swers were never given Ex tempore, or in that day wherein the question was de∣manded; because, forsooth, they expected a Vision (as they said) to be given the night following, whereby the cosenage might the more easily be wrought.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 25.
• * 1.2

  Note the cose∣nage of Ora∣cles.