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.

Another Charm or Witchcraft for the same.

THis Office or Conjuration following was first authorized and printed at Rome, and afterwards at Avenion, Anno 1515. And lest that the Devil should lie hid in some secret part of the body, every part thereof is named; Obsecro te Jesu Christe, &c. that is, I beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ, that thou pull out of every member of this man all infirmities, from his head, from his hair, from his brain, from his forehad, from his eyes, from his nose, from his ears, from his mouth, from his tongue, from his teeth, from his jaws, from his throat, from

his neck, from his back, from his brest, from his paps, from his heart, from his stomach, from his sides, from his flesh, from his blood, from his bones, from his legs from his feet, from his fingers, from the soles of his feet, from his marrow, from his sinews, from his skin, and from every joynt of his mem∣bers, &c.

Doubtless Jesus Christ could have no starting hole, but was hereby every way prevented and pursued; so as he was forced to do the cure: for it ap∣peareth hereby, that it had been insufficient for him to have said; Depart our of this man thou unclean spirit, and that when he so said, he did not perform it. I do not think that there will be found among all the Heathens superstitious Fables, or among the Witches, Conjurers, Poets, Knaves, Coseners, Fools, &c. that ever wrote,* 1.1 so impudent and impious a lie, or Charm, as is read in Barnar∣dine de bustis; where to cure a sick man, Christs body, to wit, a Wafer-cake, was outwardly applyed to his side, and entred into his heart, in the sight of all standers by. Now, if grave Authors report such lies, what credit in these cases shall we attribute unto the old wives tales, that Sprenger, Institor, Bodin, and o∣thers write? Even as much as to Ovids Metamorphosis, Aesops Fables, Moor's Utopia, and divers other fansies; which have as much truth in them, as a blind∣man hath sight in his eye.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Barnard. de bu∣stis in Rosar. serm. 15.