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.

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Title
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.
Author
Scot, Reginald, 1538?-1599.
Publication
London :: Printed for Andrew Clark ...,
1665.
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Subject terms
Witchcraft.
Magic.
Demonology.
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62397.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 30, 2024.

Pages

CHAP. XXII.

An Experiment of Bealphares.

THis is proved the noblest carrier that ever did serve any man upon the earth, and here beginneth the inclosing of the said Spirit, and how to have a true answer of him, without any craft or harm; and he will ap∣pear unto thee in the likeness of a fair man or fair woman, the which Spirit will come to thee at all times. And if thou wilt command him to tell thee of hid∣den treasures that be in any place, he will tell it thee: or if thou wilt command him to bring to thee gold or silver, he will bring it thee: or if thou wilt go from one Countrey to another, he will bear thee without any harm of body or soul. Therefore he that will do this work, shall abstain from lecherousness and drunkenness, and from false swearing, and do all the abstinence that he may

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do, and namely three days before he go to work, and in the third day when the night is come, and when the Starrs do shine, and the element fair and clear, he shall bath himself and his fellows (if he have any) all together in a quick well-spring; Then he must be cloathed in clean white cloathes; and he must have another privy place, and bear him ink and pen, wherewith he shall write this holy Name of God Almighty in his right hand ✚ Agla ✚ and in his left hand this name ✚ 〈☐☐☐☐〉〈☐☐☐☐〉 ✚ and he must have a dry thong of a Lions or of a Harts skin, and make thereof a girdle, and write the holy names of God all about, and in the end ✚ Α & Ω. ✚ And upon his brest he must have this present figure or mark written in Virgin Parchment, as it is

[illustration]
✚ ✚ ✚ Homo sacarus, museo lomeas, cherubozca. ✚
here shewed. And it must be sowed upon a piece of new linnen, and so made fast upon thy brest. And if thou wilt have a fellow to work with thee, he must be appointed in the same manner. You must have also a bright knife that was never occupied, and he must write on the one side of the blade of the knife ✚ Agla ✚ and on the otherside of the knifes blade ✚ 〈☐☐☐☐〉〈☐☐☐☐〉 ✚ And with the same knife he must make a circle, as hereafter followeth: the which is called Solomons circle. When that is made, go into the circle, and close again the place, there where thou wentest in, with the same knife, and say; Per crucis hoc signum ✚ fugiat procul omne malignum; Et per idem signum ✚ salbetur quodque benigum; By the sign of the Cross ✚ may all evil fly farre away, and by the same sign ✚ may all that is good be preserved; and make suffumigations to thy self, and to thy fellow or fellows, with Frankincense, Mastick, Lignum Aloes: then put it in Wine, and say with good devotion, in the worship of the high God Almighty, all together, that he may defend you from all evils. And when he that is Master will close the Spirit, he shall say to∣wards the East with meek and devout devotion, these Psalms and Prayers as fol∣loweth here in order.

The two and twentieth Psalm.

O My God my God, look upon me, why hast thou forsaken me, and art so farr from my health, and from the words of my complaint? And so forth to the end of the same Psalm, as it is to be found in the Book.

This Psalm also following, being the fifty one Psalm, must be said three times over, &c.

HAve mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness, according to the multi∣tude of thy mercies, do away mine offences. And so forth to the end of the same Psalm, concluding it with, Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen. Then say this verse: O Lord leave not my soul with the wick∣ed; nor my life with the blood-thirsty. Then say a Pater noster, an Ave Maria, and a Credo & Ne nos inducas. O Lord shew us thy mercy, and we shall be saved. Lord hear our prayer, and let our cry come unto thee. Let us pray.

O Lord God Almighty, as thou warnedst by thine Angel, the three Kings of Cul∣len, Jasper, Melchior, and Balthasar, when they came with worshipful presents toward Bethelem; Jasper brought myrrh; Melchior, incense; Balthasar, gold; worship∣ping the high King of all the world, Jesus Gods Son of Heaven, the second Person in Trinity, being born of the holy and clean Virgin S. Mary Queen of Heaven, Empress of Hell, and Lady of all the world: at that time the holy Angel Gabriel warned and bad the foresaid three Kings, that they should take another way, for dread of peril, that Herod the King by his Ordinance would have destroyed these three Noble Kings,

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that meekly sought out our Lord and Saviour. As wittily and truly as these three Kings turned for dread, and took another way; so wisely and so truly, O Lord God, of thy mightiful mercy, bless us now at this time, for thy blessed passion save us, and keep us all together from all evil; and thy holy Angel defend us. Let us pray.

O Lord, King of all Kings, which containest the Throne of Heavens, and beholdest all deeps, weighest the hills, and shuttest up with thy hand the earth, hear us most meek God, and grant unto us (being unworthy) according to thy great mercy, to have the verity and vertue of knowledge of hidden treasure by this Spirit invocated, through thy help O Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be all honour and glory, from worlds to worlds everlastingly, Amen. Then say these names, ✚ Helie ✚ Helion ✚ essejere ✚ Deus eternus ✚ Eloy ✚ clemens ✚ Heloye ✚ Deus sanctus ✚ Sabaoth ✚ Deus exercituum Adonay ✚ Deus mirabilis ✚ jao ✚ berax ✚ anepheneton ✚ Deun ineffabilis ✚ Sodoy ✚ Dominatoz Dominus ✚ on fortissimus ✚ Deus ✚ qui, the which wouldest be prayed unto of sinners, receive (we besiech thee) these sacri∣fices of praise, and our meek Prayers, which we unworthy do offer unto thy Divine Majesty. Deliver us, and have mercy upon us, and prevent with thy Holy Spirit this work, and with thy blessed help to follow after, that this our work begun of thee, maybe ended by thy mighty power; Amen. Then say this anon after ✚ Homo ✚ sacarus ✚ Musceo∣lameus ✚ cherubozca ✚ being the figure upon thy brest aforesaid, the Girdle about thee, the circle made, bless the Circle with holy Water, and sit down in the midst, and read this Conjuration as followeth, sitting back to back at the first time.

I exercise and conjure Baalphares, the practiser and preceptor of this Art, by the maker of Heavens and of Earth, and by his vertue and by his unspeakable Name Te∣tragrammaton, and by all the holy Sacraments, and by the holy Majesty and Deity of the living God. I conjure and exorcise thee Bealphares, by the vertue of all Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Principates, Potestates, Virtutes, Cherubim and Se∣raphim; and by their vertues, and by the most truest and speciallest Name of your Ma∣ster, that you do come unto us, in fair form of man or woman-kinde, here visibly before this circle; and not terrible by any manner of wayes, This circle being our tuition and pro∣tection, by the merciful goodness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and that you do make answer truly, without craft or deceit, unto all my demands and questions, by the vertue and power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Notes

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