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. III.

What Effect and Offence Witches Charms bring; how unapt Witches are, and how unlike∣ly to work those things which they are thought to do; what would follow if those things were true which are laid to their charge.

THe words and other the Illusions of Witches, Charmers, and Conjurers, though they be not such in operation and effect, as they are common∣ly taken to be: yet they are offensive to the Majesty and Name of God, obscuring the truth of Divinity, and also of Philosophy: For if God on∣ly give life and being to all creatures, who can put any such vertue or lively feel∣ing into a body of Gold, Silver, Bread, or Wax, as is imagined? If either Priests, Devils, or Witches could so do, the Divine Power should be cheked and out∣faced by Magical cunning, and Gods creatures made fervile to a Witches plea∣sure.* 1.1 What is not to be brought to pass by these Incantations, if that be true which is attributed to Witches? and yet they are women that never went to school in their lives, nor had any teachers: and therefore without art or learn∣ing; poor, and therefore not able to make any provision of metals or stones, &c. whereby to bring to pass strange matters, by natural Magick; old and stiffe, and therefore not nimble-handed to deceive your eye with legierdemain; heavy, and commonly lame, and therefore unapt to flie in the Air, or to dance with the Fairies; sad, melancholike, sullen and miserable, and there∣fore it should be unto them (Invita Minerva) to banquet or dance with Minerva; or yet with Herodias, as the common opinion of all Writers herein is. On the other side, we see they are so malicious and spiteful, that if they by them∣selves, or by their Devils, could trouble the Element, we should never have fair weather. If they could kill men, children, or cattel, they would spare none;

but would destroy and kill whole Countries and Housholds. If they could trans∣fer Corn (as is affirmed) from their neighbours field into their own, none of them would be poor, none other should be rich. If they could transform themselves and others (as it is most constantly affirmed) oh what a number of Apes and Owls should there be of us! If Incubus could beget Merlins among us, we should have a jolly many of cold Prophets.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An Ample de∣scription of women com∣monly called Witches.