The displaying of supposed witchcraft wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of deceivers and impostors and divers persons under a passive delusion of melancholy and fancy, but that there is a corporeal league made betwixt the Devil and the witch ... is utterly denied and disproved : wherein also is handled, the existence of angels and spirits, the truth of apparitions, the nature of astral and sydereal spirits, the force of charms, and philters, with other abstruse matters / by John Webster ...

CHAP. XIV.

Of diverse Impostures framed and invented to prove false and lying miracles by, and to accuse persons of Witch∣craft, from late and undeniable authorities.

IN the treatise preceeding we have often made mention of delu∣sions and Impostures, which we shall largely handle in this place: and though Mr. Glanvil, and others do object, that though many pretended possessions or Witchcrafts have been proved to be meer couzenings and impostures, yet therefore it will not follow that all are so. To which we shall render these answers.

1. If it do not necessarily conclude, that they are all impostures, yet it gives a most shrewd cause of dubitation that they may be so. And the objection depends not upon a necessary connexion betwixt the subject and predicate, for some being direct and palpable Im∣postures, it is not of necessity, but by contingency or accident that the others are not so, and ought first to have been proved, which never yet was performed.

2. But we affirm that a general conclusion drawn from an indu∣ctive argument is good and sound, where no instance can be clear∣ly made out to the contrary. But as yet no true instance, really and faithfully attested, hath ever been brought to prove that any

of these things that we deny, were ever effected by diabolical pow∣er. For who were ever by and present, that were persons of sin∣cerity and sound judgment, that could truly testifie and averr that the Devil in a visible and corporeal shape made a contract with the Witch, or that he suckt upon his, or her body, or that he had carnal copulation with them, or that saw when the Witch was re∣ally changed into a Dog or a Cat, or that they flew or were carried in the air? Seeing no instance can be given to prove any of these to be undoubted truths, it must needs follow that they are meer fig∣ments, or at the best all but absolute Impostures. And again it is but precarious, and petitio principii, to imagine that any persons have vomited up or voided strange things that saw or knew that they were injected by Devils, for they were either naturally bred there; or else were meer Impostures and delusive Juglings.

And therefore we shall propose some Histories of strange and prodigious cheats and Impostures from late and unquestionable au∣thorities, whereby all the rest may be judged and discerned; of which take this for one.

1. Elizabeth Barton of Kent (by those that laboured to cry up her horrible cheats for miracles, otherwise called the holy Maid of Kent) and others were in the twenty fifth year of King Henry the Eighth attainted of High Treason, for that under co∣lour of hypocrisie, Revelations and false Miracles practised by the said Elizabeth, they conspired to impugne and slander the divorce between the King and Queen Katherine his first Wife, and the last Marriage between him and Queen Anne his second Wife, to destroy the King, and to deprive him of his Crown.

Her false and feigned miracles, and the subtile and cunning con∣trivances that were brought to pass by the help of her confede∣rate accomplices, and her and the others open confession of them may be found at large in Hollingshead, Stow, and the writings of Mr. Lambert, whither for brevities sake I remit my reader, and shall only give it here in the words of Speed, which are these:

The Romanists (he saith) much fearing that Babel would down, if Queen Anne might be heard against wicked Haman, sought to underprop the foundations thereof with certain devices of their own: and that the same might pass without note of suspicion, they laid their forgery even upon Heaven it self; whose pre∣tended oracle Elizabeth Barton (commonly called the holy Maid of Kent) was made to be; and the pillars of this godless Fabrick were Edward Bocking a Monk by profession, and Doctor of Di∣vinity, Richard Masters Parson of Aldington, the Town where∣in she dwelt; Richard Deering a Monk, Hugh Rich a Friar, John Adestone and Thomas Abell Priests, put to their helping hands; and Henry Gould Batchelor of Divinity, with John Fisher the re∣verend Father of Rochester imployed their pains to dawb these downfalling walls with their untempered morter. The Scribes that set their pens for her miracles, were Edward Thwaites Gen∣tleman,

and Thomas Lawrence Register, besides Haukherst a Monk, who writ a letter that was forged to be sent her from Heaven; And Richard Risby and Thomas Gould were the men that disper∣sed her miracles abroad to the world. This holy Maid Eliza∣beth made a Votaress in Canterbury, was taught by Bocking her Ghostly Father, and suspected Paramour, to counterfeit many feigned trances, and in the same to utter many virtuous words for the rebuke of sin, under which more freely she was heard a∣gainst Luthers doctrine, and the Scriptures translation, then de∣sired of many: neither so only, but that she gave forth from God and his Saints by sundry suggestive Revelations, that if the King proceeded in his Divorce, and second Marriage, he should not raign in his Realm one month after, nor rest in Gods favour the space of an hour. But the truth discovered by Gods true Ministers, this oracle gave place as all other such did, when Christ by his death stopped their lying mouths: For her self and seven of her disciples were executed for Treason at Tiburn, and the o∣ther six put to their fines and imprisonment.

To which he sub∣joineth this story of the like nature.

With the like counterfeit Revelations and feigned predictions this generation of hypocrites had brought Edward Lord Stafford Duke of Buckingham, un∣to his unhappy end, by the working of John de la Court his own Confessor, together with Nicholas Hopkins a Monk of the Carthusian Order in the Priory of Henton in Somer set shire, who by his visions from Heaven forsooth, heartned him for the Crown; But before his own Coronet could aspire to that top, he worthily lost both head and all upon Tower-hill for his Trea∣son, Anno Domini 1521. Unto such sins the world was then subject, and into such conceits their reputed holiness had brought them, not only among the simple and unlettered, but even with them that seemed to be learned indeed: For by certain predi∣ctions foreshewing a great deluge, Prior Bolton of S. Bartholo∣mews in London, was so fearful that he built himself a house up∣on the height of Harrowhill, storing it with provisions necessary to keep himself from drowning in Anno Dom. 1524.

2. And that we may be certified how frequent and common these counterfeited Impostures have been, and yet are practised, take this other from undoubted authority.

The 15 of August being Sunday in the 16 of the raign of Queen Elizabeth, Agnes Bridges a Maid about the age of 20 years, and Rachel Pinder a Wench a∣bout the age of 11 or 12 years, who both of them had counter∣feited to be possessed by the Devil (whereby they had not only marvellously deluded many people both Men and Women, but al∣so diverse such persons, as otherwise seemed of good wit and understanding) stood before the Preacher at Pauls-cross; where they acknowledged their hypocritical counterfeiting with peni∣tent behaviours, requiring forgiveness of God and the world, and the people to pray for them. Also their several examinations

and Confessions were there openly read by the Preacher, and after∣wards published in print, for posterity hereafter to beware of the like deceivers.

From whence we may take these two Observa∣tions.

1. We may from hence note, how subject the nature of man is both to deceive and to be deceived, and that not only the common people, but also the wiser and more learned heads may most easily be imposed upon. And, that therefore in things of this nature and the like, we cannot use too much circumspection, nor use too much diligence to discover them.

2. We may note, that when such strange Impostures or false Mira∣cles are pretended, there is commonly some sinister and corrupt end aimed at, under the colour of Religion, and that those that are most ready to publish such things as true Miracles and Divine Reve∣lations, are generally those that did complot and devise them. And therefore the greater number they be that cry them up, and the more esteem the persons are of that blow abroad such things, the greater suspicion we ought to have of the falsity and forgery of them. Always remembring that the greater the fame and number of the persons are that conspire and confederate together, the greater things they may bring to pass, and be more able to deceive, as was manifest by the Priests attending the Oracles; who, though they laboured to father their predictions upon some Deity, yet it was manifest that it was no∣thing else, but their own Confederacy, Impostures and Juglings.

3. But these Diabolical Counterfeitings of possessions, and the maintaining of the power of dispossession and casting forth of De∣vils, was not only upheld and maintained by the Papists to ad∣vance their superstitious courses; but also in the said time of Queen Elizabeth, there were divers Non-Conformists, to gain credit and repute to their way, that did by publick writing labour to prove the continuation of real possessions by Devils, and that they had power by fasting and Prayer to cast them out. Of which number were one M^r Darrell and his Accomplices, who not only writ di∣vers Pamphlets in the positive defence of that opinion, but also published certain Narrations of several persons, that they pretended were really possessed with Devils, which were cast forth by their means in using Fasting and Prayer. Which writings were answered by M^r Harsnet and others, and their Theory not only overthrown, but their practice discovered to be counterfeiting and Imposture. Whereupon there were divers persons suborned to feign and counter∣feit possessions, as William Sommers of Nottingham, who by the Exor∣cists was reported to have strange fits, passions and actions; which are at large described and set forth in that learned Treatise, Dialo∣gical Discourses of Spirits and Devils, written about the same time by John Deacon and John Waller, Ministers, and of divers other persons who likewise pretended the same counterfeit possessions. And though the said forged and feigned possessions were strongly maintained by their Abettors, and the matters of fact audaciously

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

asserted to be true; yet after the said Darrell and his Accomplices were examined by the Queens Commissioners, all was made appa∣rent to be notorious counterfeiting, cheating and imposture, both by the confession of Sommers himself, and by the Oaths of several Deponents. Neither was that discourse containing the certain pos∣session of seven persons in one Family in Lancashire, at Cheworth in the Parish of Leigh, in the Year 1594. (though believed by ma∣ny for a truth, because of the streight tale told by the said Dar∣rell in that Narrative) of any better grain, but full of untruths, impossibilities, absurdities and contradictions.

4. Our next instance shall be a most strange Imposture acted in the time of King James, and in a manner known unto the whole Nation; that is of the Boy of Bilson in Staffordshire, in the year 1620. by name William Perry, whose condition as he had been taught, and so left by the Popish Priests, take as followeth.

This Boy being about thirteen years old (but for wit and subtilty far exceeding his age) was thought by divers to be possessed of the Devil, and bewitched, by reason of many strange fits and much distemper, wherewith he seemed to have been extreamly affected. In those fits he appeared both deaf and blind, writhing his mouth aside, continually groaning and panting, and (although often pinched with mens fingers, pricked with Needles, tickled on his sides, and once whipped with a Rod, besides other the like ex∣tremities) yet could he not be discerned by either shrieking or shrinking to bewray the least passion or feeling. Out of his fits he took (as might be thought) no sustenance which he could di∣gest, but together with it, did void and cast out of his mouth, rags, thred, straw, crooked pins, &c. Both in and out of his fits his belly (by wilful and continual abstinence defrauding his own ••uts) was almost as flat as his back, besides, his throat was swoln and hard, his tongue stiff and rolled up towards the roof of his mouth, insomuch that he seemed always dumb, save that he would speak once in a Fortnight or three Weeks, and that but in very few words.

Two things there were which gave most just cause of presump∣tion that he was possessed and bewitched; one was that he could still discern when that Woman (which was supposed to have be∣witched him) to wit Jone Cocke was brought in to any room where he was, although she were secretly conveyed thither, as was one time tryed before the Grand Jury at Stafford: The se∣cond, that though he would abide other passages of Scripture, yet he could not indure the repeating of that Text, viz. In the beginning was the word, &c. Jo. 1. ver. 1. but instantly rolling his eyes and shaking his head, as one distracted, he would fall nto his usual fits of groaning, panting, distraction, &c. In which plight he continued many months, to the great wonder and asto∣nishment of thousands, who from divers parts came to see him.

Thus much of his cunning.

Yet notwithstanding, this most devillish and cunningly contrived counterfeiting and dissimulation was discovered and fully detected by the sagacity of that pious and learned person, D^r Thomas Mar∣ton then Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield: To whose memory I cannot but owe and make manifest all due respect, because he was well known unto me, and by the imposition of whose hands I was ordained Presbyter when he was Bishop of Durham, and also knew his then Secretary, M^r Richard Baddeley, who was the Notary, and writ the examination of this crafty Boy. The manner how such a doubtful and intricate piece of Imposture was found out and dis∣covered, you may read at large in the Treatise called a Discourse concerning Popish Exorcising. And his publick Confession we shall give in the Authors own words:

He was finally brought again to the Summer Assizes held at Stafford, the 26. of July, Anno 1621. where before Sir Peter Warburton and Sir Humfrey Winch Knights, his Majesties Justices of Assize, and the face of the Coun∣ty and Country there assembled, the Boy craved pardon first of Almighty God, then desired the Woman there also present to for∣give him; and lastly, requested the whole Country whom he had so notoriously and wickedly scandalized, to admit of that his so hearty Confession for their satisfaction.

And thus it pleased God (he saith) to open the eyes of this Boy (that I may so say) luto with the Clay of the Romish Priests lewd Impostures, and sputo with the spittle of his own infamy, to see his errors and to glorifie the God of truth.

And though ma∣ny such Impostures as this have in several ages been hudled up in darkness and recorded for true stories, by those that were Partizans to them and Confederates with them, yet doubtless were but of the same stamp with this, and might all as well have been disco∣vered, if the like care, skill and industry had been used.

5. No less villanous, bloody and Diabolical, was the design of Thompson alias Southworth, Priest or Jesuit, against Jennet Bierley, Jane Southworth, and Ellen Bierly of Samesbury in the County of Lancaster, in the year 1612. the sum of which is this.

The said Jennet Bierley, Ellen Bierley, and Jane Southworth, were Indicted at the Assizes holden at Lancaster upon Wednesday the nineteenth of August, in the year abovesaid, for that they and every of them had practised, exercised, and used divers devillish and wicked Arts, called Witchcrafts, Inchantments, Charms and Sorceries, in and upon one Grace Sowerbutts. And the chief witness to prove this was Grace Sowerbutts her self, who said that they did draw her by the hair of the head, and take her sense and memory from her, did throw her upon the Hen-roost and Hay-mow; did appear to her sometimes in their own likeness, sometimes like a black Dog with two feet, that they carried her where they met black things like men that danced with them, and did abuse their bodies; and that they brought her to one Thomas Walsham's House in the night, and there they killed his Child by putting a nail into the

Navil, and after took it forth of the Grave, and did boil it, and eat some of it, and made Oyl of the bones, and such like horrid lies.

But there appearing sufficient grounds of suspicion that it was practised knavery, the said Graece Sowerbutts was by the wis∣dom, and care of Sir Edward Bromley Knight, one of his Majesties Justices of Assize at Lancaster, appointed to be examined by Willi∣am Leigh and Edward Chisnal Esquires, two of his Majesties Ju∣stices of peace in the same County, and so thereupon made this free confession. Being demanded

whether the accusation she laid upon her Grandmother, Jennet Bierley, Ellen Bierley and Jane South∣worth, of Witchcraft, viz. of the killing of the child of Thomas Walshman, with a nail in the Navil, the boyling, eating and oyl∣ing, thereby to transform themselves into divers shapes, was true? she doth utterly deny the same, or that ever she saw any such practises done by them. She further saith, that one Mr. Thomp∣son, which she taketh to be Mr. Christopher Southworth, to whom she was sent to say her prayers, did perswade, counsel and ad∣vise her, to deal as formerly hath been said against her said Grand∣mother, Aunt and Southworths Wife.

And further she confesseth, and saith, that she never did know, or saw any Devils, nor any other visions, as formerly hath been alledged and informed.

Also she confesseth, and saith, that she was not thrown, or cast upon the Hen-roust, and Hay-mow in the Barn, but that she went up upon the Mow by the wall side. Being further demand∣ed whether she ever was at the Church, she saith, she was not, but promised hereafter to go to Church, and that very willingly; of which the author of the relation gives this judgment.

How well (he saith) this project, to take away the lives of three innocent poor creatures by practice and villany, to induce a young Scholar to commit perjury, to accuse her own Grand∣mother, Aunt, &c. agrees either with the title of a Jesuit, or the duty of a religious Priest who should rather profess sincerity and innocency, than practise treachery! But this was lawful, for they are Hereticks accursed, to leave the company of Priests, to frequent Churches, hear the word of God preached, and profess religion sincerely.

6. But we shall shut up the relating of these prodigious and hellish stories, of these kind of couzening and cheating delusions and impostures, with one instance more that is no less notorious than these that we have rehearsed. About the year 1634 (for having lost our notes of the same, we cannot be so exact as we should) there was a great pretended meeting of many supposed Witches at a new house or barn, in Pendle Forest in Lancashire, then not inhabited, where (as the accusation pretended) some of them by pulling by a rope of Straw or Hay, did bring Milk, But∣ter, Cheese, and the like, and were carried away upon Dogs, Cats or Squirrels. The informer was one Edmund Robinson (yet

living at the writing hereof, and commonly known by the name of Ned of Roughs) whose Father was by trade a Waller, and but a poor Man, and they finding that they were believed and had in∣couragement by the adjoyning Magistrates, and the persons being committed to prison or bound over to the next Assizes, the boy, his Father and some others besides did make a practice to go from Church to Church that the Boy might reveal and discover Witch∣es, pretending that there was a great number at the pretended meeting whose faces he could know, and by that means they got a good living, that in a short space the Father bought a Cow or two, when he had none before. And it came to pass that this said Boy was brought into the Church of Kildwick a large parish Church, where I (being then Curate there) was preaching in the afternoon, and was set upon a stall (he being but about ten or eleven years old) to look about him, which moved some little disturbance in the Congregation for a while. And after prayers I inquiring what the matter was, the people told me that it was the Boy that disco∣vered Witches, upon which I went to the house where he was to stay all night, where I found him, and two very unlikely persons that did conduct him, and manage the business; I desired to have some discourse with the Boy in private, but that they utterly re∣fused; then in the presence of a great many people, I took the Boy near me, and said: Good Boy tell me truly, and in earnest, did thou see and hear such strange things of the meeting of Witches, as is reported by many that thou dost relate, or did not some per∣son teach thee to say such things of thy self? But the two men not giving the Boy leave to answer, did pluck him from me, and said he had been examined by two able Justices of the Peace, and they did never ask him such a question, to whom I replied, the persons accused had therefore the more wrong. But the Assizes following at Lancaster there were seventeen found guilty by the Jury, yet by the prudent discretion of the Judge, who was not satisfied with the evidence, they were reprieved, and his Majesty and his Council being informed by the Judge of the matter, the Bishop of Chester was appointed to examine them, and to certifie what he thought of them, which he did, and thereupon four of them, to wit Margaret Johnson, Francis Dicconson, Mary Spenser, and Har∣graves Wife, were sent for up to London, and were viewed and ex∣amined by his Majesties Physicians and Chirurgeons, and after by his Majesty and the Council, and no cause of guilt appearing but great presumptions of the boys being suborned to accuse them falsely. Therefore it was resolved to separate the Boy from his Fa∣ther, they having both followed the women up to London, they were both taken and put into several prisons asunder. Whereupon shortly after the Boy confessed that he was taught and suborned to devise, and feign those things against them, and had persevered in that wickedness by the counsel of his Father, and some others, whom envy, revenge and hope of gain had prompted on to that devillish

design and villany; and he also confessed, that upon that day when he said that they met at the aforesaid house or barn, he was that very day a mile off, getting Plums in his Neighbours Orchard. And that this is a most certain truth, there are many persons yet living, of sufficient reputation and integrity, that can avouch and testifie the same; and besides, what I write is the most of it true, up∣on my own knowledge, and the whole I have had from his own mouth more than once.

Thus having brought these unquestionable Histories to manifest the horrid cheats and impostures that are practised for base, wick∣ed and devillish ends, we must conclude in opposing that objection proposed in the beginning of this Chapter, which is this: That though some be discovered to be counterfeitings and impostures, yet all are not so, to which we surther answer.

1. That all those things that are now adayes supposed to be done by Demoniacks or those that pretend possessions, as also all those strange feats pretended to be brought to pass by Witches or Witch∣craft, are all either performed by meer natural causes (for it is granted upon all sides that Devils in corporeal matter can perform nothing but by applying fit actives to agreeable passives.) And miracles being long since ceased, it must needs follow, that Devils do nothing but only draw the minds of Men and Women unto sin and wickedness, and thereby they become deceivers, cheats and notorious impostours: so that we may rationally conclude that all other strange feats and delusions, must of necessity be no better, or of any other kind, than these we have recited, except they can shew that they are brought to pass by natural means. Must not all persons that are of sound understanding judge and believe that all those strange tricks related by Mr. Glanvil of his Drummer at Mr. Mompessons house, whom he calls the Demon of Tedworth, were abominable cheats and impostures (as I am informed from per∣sons of good quality they were discovered to be) for I am sure Mr. Glanvil can shew no agents in nature, that the Demon apply∣ing them to fit patients, could produce any such effects by, and there∣fore we must conclude all such to be impostures.

2. It is no sound way of reasoning, from the principles of knowing, either thereby to prove the existence of things, or the modes of such existence, because the principle of being is the cause of the principle of knowing, and not on the contrary, and therefore our not discovering of all Impostures that are or have been acted, doth not at all conclude the rest that pass undiscover∣ed, are diabolical or wrought by a supernatural power; for it ought first to be demonstrated that there are now in these days some things wrought by the power of Devils, that are supernatural, in elementary and corporeal matter, which never was nor can be, as from the testimonies of all the learned we have shewed before. And therefore a man might as well argue that there are no more thieves in a Nation, but those that are known, and brought to con∣dign

punishment, when there may be, and doubtless are many more; so likewise there are many hundreds of Impostures, that pass and are never discovered, but that will not at all rationally conclude that those must be diabolical that are not made known.

Notes

• Hist. 1.
• Vid. Stat. Pul∣ton, 25. year Henr. 8. c. 12.
• Vid Chron. Hollingshead. Stow An. Hen. 8. 25. p. 1013.
• The Pope.
• Hist. 2.
• Stow's Chron. p. 678.
• Observ. 1.
• Observ. 2.
• Hist. 3.
• Vid. A Book called, A dis∣covery of frau∣dulent practises concerning pre∣tended possessi∣ons.
• Vid. ibid. Dia∣log. 11. p. 352.
• Hist. 4.
• Vid. The cun∣ning of the Boy of Bilson, p. 55.
• Hist. 5.
• Vid. The arraignment and tryal of Witches at Lancaster, 1612.
• Hist. 6.
• Reas. 1.
• Reas. 2.