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. XXIII.

To bind the Spirit Bealphares, and to loose him again.

NOw when he is appeared, bind him with these words which follow. * I conjure thee Bealphares, by God the Father, by God the Son, and by God the Holy Ghost, and by all the holy company in Heaven; and by their ver∣tues and powers I charge thee Bealphares, that thou shalt not depart out of my sight, nor yet to alter thy bodily shape, that thou art appeared in, nor any power shalt thou have of our bodies or souls, earthly or ghostly, but be obedient unto me, and to the words of my Conjuration, that be written in this Book. I conjure thee Bealphares, by all Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Principates, Potestates, Virtutes, Cherubim and Se∣raphim, and by their vertues and powers. I conjure and charge, bind and constrain thee Bealphares, by all the royal words aforesaid, and by their vertues that thou be obedi∣ent unto me, and to come and appear visibly unto me, and that in all days, hours,* 1.1 and minutes, wheresoever I be, being called by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ, the which words are written in this Book. Look ready thou be to appear unto me, and to give me good counsel, how to come by treasures hidden in the earth, or in the water, and how to come to dignity and knowledge of all things, that is to say, of the Magick Art, and of Grammar, Dialectike, Rhetorike, Arithmetick, Musick, Geometry, and of Astronomy, and in all other things my will quickly to be fulfilled; I charge upon pain of everlasting condemnation. Fiat, fiat, fiat. Amen.

* 1.2When he is thus bound, ask him what thing thou wilt, and he will tell thee, and give thee all things that thou wilt request of him, without any Sa∣crifice doing to him, and without forsaking thy God, that is, thy Maker. And when the Spirit hath fulfilled thy will and intent, give him license to depart as followeth:

A License for the Spirit to depart.

GO unto the place predestinated and appointed for thee; where thy Lord God hath appointed thee, until I shall call thee again. Be thou ready unto me and to my call, as often as I shall call thee, upon pain of everlasting damnation. And if thou wilt, thou mayst recite two or three times the last Conjuration, until thou do come to this term, In throno, if he will not depart, and then say, In throno, That thou depart from this place, without hurt or damage of any body, or of any deed to be done; that all creatures may know, that our Lord is of all power, most mightiest, and that there is none other God but he, which is three, and one, living for ever and ever. And the malediction of God the Father Omnipotent, the Son and the Holy Ghost, descend upon thee, and dwell alwayes with thee, except thou do depart without damage of us, or of any creature, or any other evil deed to be done; and thou to go to the predestinated. And by our Lord Jesus Christ I do else send thee to the great pit of Hell, except (I say) that thou depart to the place, whereas thy Lord God hath appointed thee. And see thou be ready to me and to my call, at all times and places, at mine own will and pleasure, day or night, without damage or hurt of me, or of any creature; upon pain of everlasting damnation; Fiat, fiat, fiat. Amen. Amenl The peace of Jesus Christ be between us and you, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. Per crucis hoc ✚ signum, &c. Say In principio erat Verbum, & Verbum erat apud Deum; In thee beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word: and so forward, as followeth in the first Chapter of Saint John's Gospel, staying at these words, Full of grace and truth: to whom be all honour and glory world without end. Amen.

[illustration]

The fashion or form of the Conjuring knife, with the Names there∣on to be gra∣ven or written.

AGLA And on the other side this name 〈☐☐☐☐〉〈☐☐☐☐〉

[illustration]

A Type or Figure of the Circle for the Master and his Fellows to sit in, shewing how, and after what fashion it should be made.

Agla

eL

ya

panthon

dextera dm̄i fecit virtutem ✚ dextera dm̄i exaltauit me ✚ dextera dm̄i fecit virtutem ✚ dextera dm̄i exaltauit me ✚

mellyas

emanuel

alpha et. ω

Tetragrammaton

Iesus nazarenus

Adonay

Elfelbey

Magister

THis is the Circle for the Master to sit in, and his fellow or fellows at the first calling, sit back to back, when he calleth the Spirit; and for the Fairies make this circle with chalk on the ground, as is said before. This Spirit Bealphares being once called and found, shall never have power to hurt thee. Call him in the hour of ♃ or ♀ the ☽ increasing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  On Sundays, Festival days, and Holy days, none excepted.
• * 1.2

  He dares do no other being so conjured I trow.