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. XXVI.

An Experiment of the Dead.

FIrst go and get of some person that shall be put to death, a promise, and swear an oath unto him, that if he will come to thee, after his death, his Spirit to be with thee, and to remain with thee all the days of thy life, and will do thee true service, as it is contained in the oath and promise following. Then lay thy hand on thy Book, and swear this oath unto him. I N. do swear and promise to thee N. to give for thee an alms every month, and also to pray for thee once in every week, to say the Lords Prayer for thee, and so to continue all the days of my life, as God me help and holy doom, and by the contents of this Book, Amen.

Then let him make his oath to thee as followeth, and let him say after thee, laying his hand upon the Book. ✚ I N. do swear this oath to thee N. by God the Father Omnipotent, by God the Son Jesus Christ, and by his pretious blood which hath redeemed all the world, by the which blood I do trust to be saved at the general day of judgment, and by the vertues thereof, I N. do swear this oath to thee N. that my spirit that is within my body now, shall not ascend, nor descend, nor go to any place of rest, but shall come to thee N. and be very well pleased to remain with thee N. all the days of thy life, and so to be bound to thee N. and to appear to thee N. in any Crystal-stone, Glass, or other mirror, and so to take it for my resting-place. And that, so soon as my spirit is departed out of my body, straight-way to be at your commandements, and that in and at all days, nights, hours, and minutes, to be obedient unto thee N. being called of thee by the vertue of our Lord Jesu Christ, and out of hand to have common talk with thee at all times, and in all hours and minutes, to open and declare to thee N. the truth of all things present, past, and to come, and how to work the Magick Art, and all other noble Sciences, under the Throne of God. If I do not perform this oath and promise to thee N. but do fly from any part thereof, then to be condemned for ever and ever. Amen.

Also I N. do swear to thee by God the Holy Ghost, and by the great wisdom that is in the divine Godhead, and by their vertues, and by all the holy Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Principates, Potestates, Virtutes, Cherubim and Seraphim, and by all their virtues do I N. swear, and promise thee to be obedient as is rehearsed.

And here, for a witness, do I N. give thee N. my right hand, and do plight thee my faith and troth, as God me help and holydome. And by the holy contents in this Book do I N. swear, that my spirit shall be thy true servant, all the days of thy life, as is before rehearsed, and here for a witness, that my Spirit shall be obedient unto thee N. and to those bonds of words that be written in this N. before the bonds of words shall be re∣hearsed thrice; else to be damned for ever; and thereto say all faithful souls and spi∣rits, Amen, Amen.

Then let him swear this Oath three times, and at every time kiss the Book, and at every time make marks to the bond. Then perceiving the time that he will depart, get away the people from you, and get or take your stone or glass, or other thing in your hand, and say the Pater noster, Ave, and Credo, and this Prayer as followeth. And in all the time of his departing, rehearse the bonds of words; and in the end of every bond, say oftentimes; Remember thine Oath and promise. And bind him strongly to thee, and to thy stone, and suffer him not to depart, reading thy bond 24 times. And every day when you do call him by your other bond, bind him strongly by the first bond: by the space of 24. days apply it, and thou shalt be made a man for ever.

Now the Pater noster, Ave, and Credo must be said, and then the Prayer immedi∣ately following.

O God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of Tobias; the which didst deliver the three children from the hot burning oven, Sidrac, Misac, and Abed∣nago, and Susanna from the false crime, and Daniel from the Lions power: even so O Lord Omnipotent, I beseech thee, for thy great mercy sake, to help me in these my works, and to deliver me this Spirit of N. that he may be a true subject unto me N all the days of my life, and to remain with me, and with this N. all the dayes of my life. O glorious God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I beseech thee to help me at this time, and to give me power by thy holy Name, Merits and vertues, whereby I may conjure and constrain this Spirit of N. that he may be obedient unto me, and may fulfill his Oath and promise, at all times, by the power of all thine holiness. This grant O Lord God of Hosts, as thou art righteous and holy, and as thou art the Word, and the Word God, the beginning and the end, sitting in the Thrones of thine everlasting King∣doms, and in the divinity of thine everlasting Godhead, to whom be all honour and glory, now and for ever und ever, Amen, Amen.

Notes

• Promises and oaths inter∣changeably made between the Conjuror and the Spirit.
• Note the pe∣nalty of break∣ing promise with the Spirit.
• Three times, in reverence (peradven∣ture of the Trinity, P.F.SS.)