Witchcrafts, strange and wonderfull: discovering the damnable practices of seven witches, against the lives of certaine noble personages, and others of this kingdome, as shall appeare in this lamentable history. ; With an approved triall how to finde out either witch or any apprentice to witch-craft..

The Story followes.

AFter the Right Honourable Sir Francis Manners suc∣ceeded his brother in the Earledome of Rutland: and so not onely tooke possession of Beaver Castle, but of all other his Demeanes, Lordships, Townes, Man∣nors, Lands, and Revenues appropriate to the same Earledome: he proceeded so honourably in the course of his life, as neither displacing Tenants, discharging Servants, nor denying the ac∣cesse of the poore; but welcomming of strangers, and perfor∣ming

all the duties of a noble Lord, that he fastened as it were unto himselfe the love and good opinion of the Countrey; wherein hee walked the more cheerfully and remarkably, be∣cause his Honourable Countesse marched arme in arme with him in the same race: So that Beaver Castle was a continuall Palace of entertainement, and a dayly receptacle for all sorts both rich and poore, especially such ancient people as neighbou∣red the same: amongst whom, one Ioan Flower with her daugh∣ters, Margaret and Phillip, were not onely releeved at the first from thence, but quickly entertained as Chair-women, and Margaret admitted as a continuall dweller in the Castle, look∣ing both to the Poultrey abroad, and the Wash-house within doores: In which life they continued with equall correspon∣dency, till something was discovered to he noble Lady, which concerned the misdemeanour of these women. And although such Honourable persons shall not want of all sorts of people, either to bring them newes, tales, reports, or to serve their turne in all Offices whatsoever; so that it may well be said of them, as it is of great Kings and Princes, that they have large hands, wide eares, and piercing sights, to discover the unswept cor∣ners of their remotest confines, to reach even to their farthest borders, and to understand the secrets of their meanest Sub∣jects: yet in this matter, neither were they busie-bodies, flatte∣rers, malicious politicians, underminers, nor supplanters one of anothers good fortune: but went simply to worke, as regar∣ding the honour of the Earle and his Lady, and so by degrees gave light to their understanding to apprehend their com∣plaints. First, that Ioane Flower the mother, was a monstrous malicious woman, full of oathes, curses, and imprecations irre∣ligious and for any thing they saw by her, a plaine Atheist: be∣sides, of late dayes, her very countenance was estranged, her eyes were fiery and hollow, her speech fell and envious, her de∣meanour strange and exoticke, and her conversation sequestred; so that the whole course of her life gave great suspition that she was a notorious Witch: yea, some of her neighbours dared to affirme, that she dealt with familiar spirits, and terrified them all with curses and threatning of revenge, if there were never

so little cause of displeasure and unkindnesse. Concerning Mar∣garet, that shee often resorted from the Castle to her mother, bringing such provision as they thought was unbefitting for a servant to purloine, and comming at such unseasonable houres, that they could not but conjecture some mischiefe be∣tweene them, and that their extraordinary riot and expences tended both to rob the Lady, and to maintaine certaine de∣bausht and base company, which frequented this Ioane Flowers house the mother, and specially her youngest daughter. Concer∣ning Phillip, that she was lewdly transported with the love of one Thomas Sympson, who presumed to say, that she had bewit∣ched him; for he had no power to leave her, and was (as hee supposed) maruellously altered both in minde and bodie, since her acquainted company. These complaints began many yeares before either their conviction, or publike apprehension: Not∣withstanding, such was the honour of this Earle and his Lady; such was the cunning of this monstrous woman in observation towards them; such was the subtlety of the Devill to bring his purposes to passe: such was the effect of a damnable womans wit and malicious envy, that all things were carried away in the smooth channel of liking and good entertainment on every side, untill the Earle by degrees conceived some mislike against her; and so, peradventure estranged himselfe from that familia∣rity and accustomed conferences hee was wont to have with her: untill one Peake offered her some wrong; against whom she complained, but found that my Lord did not affect her cla∣morous and malicious information: untill one Mr. Vavasor a∣bandoned her company, as either suspicious of her lewd life, or distasted with his owne misliking of such base and poore Crea∣tures, whom no body loved but the Earles houshold; untill the Countesse misconceiving of her daughter Margaret, and dis∣coverig some undecencies both in her life and neglect of her businesse, discharged her from lying any more in the Castle, yet gave her forty shillings, a bolster, and a mattresse of wooll; commanding her to goe home; untill the slacknesse of her re∣payring to the Castle, as she was wont, did turne her love and

liking toward this Honourable Earle and his Family, into hate and rancour: whereupon despighted to be so neglected, and ex∣probrated by her neighbours for her daughters casting out of doores, and other conceived displeasures, shee grew past all shame and womanhood, and many times cursed them all that were the cause of this discontentment, and made her so loath∣some, to her former familiar friends & beneficiall acquaintance.

When the Devill perceived the in ficious disposition of this wretch, and that she and her daughters might easily be made instruments to inlarge his kingdome, and be as it were the ex∣ecutioners of his vengeance; not caring whether it lighted up∣on innocents or no, hee came more neerer unto them, and in plaine termes, to come quickly to the purpose, offered them his service, and that in such a manner as they might easily com∣mand what they pleased: For hee would attend you in such pretty formes of Dog, Cat, or Rat, that they should neither be terrified, nor any body else suspitious of the matter. Vpon this they agree; and (as it should see me) give away their soules for the service of such Spirits, as he had promised them; which filthy conditions were ratified with abominable kisses, and an odious sacrifice of blood, not leaving out certaine charmes and conjurations, with which the Deuill deceived them, as though nothing could be done without ceremony, and a solemnity of orderly ratification. By this time doth Satan triumph, and go∣eth away satisfied to have caught such fish in the net of his il∣lusions: By this time are those women Devills incarnate, and grow proud againe in their cunning and artificiall power to doe what mischiefe they listed: By this time they learne the man∣ner of Incantations, Spells, and Charmes: By this time they kill what Cattell they list, and under the covert of flattery and familiar entertainement, keepe hidden the stinging Serpent of malice, and a venomous inclination to mischiefe: By this time is the Earle and his family threatned, and must feele the burthen of a terrible tempest, which from these womens devilish de∣vises fell upon him, he neither suspecting nor understanding the same: By this time both himselfe and his honourable Coun∣tesse are many times subject to sicknesse and extraordinary

convulsions, which they taking as gentle corrections from the hand of God, submit with quietnesse to his mercy, and study nothing more, then a glorifie their Creator in heaven, and beare his crosses on earth.

At last, as malice increased in these damnable women; so his family felt the smart of their revenge and inficious disposi∣tion. For his eldest Sonne Henry Lord Rosse sickened very strangely, and after a while died: and his next, named Francis Lord Rosse, accordingly, was severely tormented by them and most barbarously and inhumanely tortured by a strange sicke∣nesse: not long after the Lady Katherine was set upon by their dangerous and divellish practises, and many times in great danger of life; through extreame maladies and unusuall fits. Nay (as it should seeme, and they afterward confessed) both the Earle and his Countesse were brought into their snares as they imagined, and indeed determined to keepe them from ha∣ving any more children. Oh unheard of wickenesse and mis∣chievous damnation! Notwithstanding all this did the noble Earle attend his Majesty, both at New-Market before Christ∣mas, and at Christmas at Whitehall; bearing the losse of his children most nobly, and little suspecting that they had miscar∣ried by Witch-craft, or such like inventions of the Devill, un∣till it pleased God to discover the villanous practises of these bad women, and to command the Devill from executing any further vengeance on innocents, but leave them to their shames, and the hands of Justice, that they might not onely be confoun∣ded for their villanous practises, but remaine as a notorious ex∣ample to all ages of his judgement and fury. Thus were they apprehended about Christmas; and carried to Lincolne Jayle, after due examination before sufficient Justices of the Peace, and discreet Magistrates, who wondered at their audacious wickednesse; but Ioan Flower the mother, before conviction (as they say) called for bread and butter, and wished it might never goe through her if shee were guilty of that whereupon she was examined; so mumbling it in her month, never spake more words after, but fell downe and died as she was carried to Lincolne Jayle, with an horrible excrutiation of soule and

body, and was buried at Ancaster.

When the Earle heard of their apprehensions, hee hasted downe with his brother Sir George, and sometimes examining them himselfe, and sometimes sending them to others; at last left them to the triall of the Law, before the Judges of Assize at Lincolne; and so they were convicted of murther, and executed accordingly, about the 11. of March, to the terror of all the be∣holders, and example of such dissolute and abhominable crea∣tures: and because yee shall have both cause to glorifie God for this discovery, and occasion to apprehend the strangenesse of their lives, and truth of their proceedings: I thought it both meet and convenient to lay open their owne Examinations and Evidences against one another, with the manner of their pro∣ceeding and revenges, with other particulars belonging to the true and plaine discovery of their villany and Witch-craft.