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. XIII.

Of the Effects of Amulets, the drift of Argerius Ferrarius in the commendation of Charms, amp;c. four sorts of Homerical Medicines, and the choyce thereof; of Ima∣gination.

AS touching mine opinion of these Amulets, Characters, and such other bables, I have sufficiently uttered it elsewhere: and I will bewray the vanity of the superstitious trifles more largely hereafter. And there∣fore at this time I only say, that those Amulets which are to be hanged or carried about one, if they consist of Herbs, Roots, Stones, or some other metal, they may have divers medicinable operations; and by the vertue given to them by God in their creation, may work strange effects and cures: and to impute this vertue to any other matter is Witchcraft. And whereas A. Ferrarius com∣mendeth certain Amulets that have no shew of Physical operation, as a nail taken from a Cross, Holy-water, and the very sign of the Cross, with such like Popish stuffe: I think he laboureth thereby rather to draw men to Popery, than to teach or perswade them in the truth of Physick or Philosophy. And I think thus the rather, for that he himself seeth the fraud hereof; confessing that where these Magical Physitians apply three seeds of three-leaved

grass to a Tertian Ague, and four to a Quartain, that the number is not material.

* 1.1But of these Homerical medicines, he saith, there are four sorts, whereof A∣mulets, Characters, and Charms, are three: howbeit he commendeth and pre∣ferreth the fourth above the rest; and that he saith consisteth in illusions, which he more properly calleth stratagems. Of which sort of illusions he alledgeth for example, how Philodotus did put a Cap of Lead upon ones head who imagined he was headless, whereby the party was delivered from his disease or conceit. Item,* 1.2 Another cured a woman that imagined, that a Serpent or Snake did conti∣nually gnaw and tear her entrails; and that was done only by giving her a Vomit, and by foisting into the matter vomited a little Serpent or Snake, like unto that which she imagined was in her belly.

Item, Another imagined that he alwayes burned in the fire, under whose bed a fire was privily conveyed, which being taken out before his face, his fansie was satisfied, and his heat allayed. Hereunto pertaineth, that the Hickot is cured with sudden fear or strange news: yea by that means Agues and many other strange and extream diseases have been healed. And some that have lien so sick and sore of the Gowt, that they could not remove a joynt, through sudden fear of fire, or ruin of houses, have forgotten their infirmities and griefs and have run away. But in my tract upon melancholy, and the effects of imagination, and in the discourse of Natural Magick, you shall see these matters largely touched.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Four sorts of Homerical medicins, and which is the principal.
• * 1.2

  The force of fixed fansie opinion, or conceipt.