Darrell.

For our better vnderstanding of the iugling and deceipt heere vsed, we must know that euen as So. was facing it out to the Commi¦ssioners, that he had counterteyted, and yet refusing to counterfeit so againe, he was vyolently cast downe, the spirit then trifling exceding∣ly: so framing his countenance, & toying with his armes and leggs as a man in carnall reason would haue verily thought that he counterfey∣ted: nothing being done but that might easily be done by any. Our helpe was thus, that being pu•led by the eares and hayre of the heade as 〈◊〉 they shovld haue naue bene plucked of, and there withall his head beaten so to the floar, at a mercifull man would scarsly doe to a dogg yet he stirred nor not at all therat, nor at the pricking of him with pin¦nes, neyther did any bloud issue at the places pricked.

This fitt ended, he beinge asked by the Commissioners what hee had done also what others had done to him, hee coulde tell of nothinge, one of the commissioners askinge him, whether he were not pricked of one of his handes with a pynne, he answered yes hould inge forth the wronge hand: whereby those that were present per∣ceaued, that he would gladly haue vttered those things that had in that fitt be fallen him, if possibly he could, that so still hee might haue perswa•ed men that he had formerly dissembled. Lastly beinge de∣maunded whether he had counterleted, he answered with a braten face as before the said fit that he had counterfeyted Forthwith he was car∣ryed away by his keepers and presently after else-where in the towne fearefully tor mented by the diuell, whereof when tydings was brou∣ght to the Commissioners, viz. that now So. was very fearfully hand¦led, some commaunded that he should be brought back againe, which being done accordingly, he no sooner appeared beefore them, but he was in a fitt, and so proceeded from fitt to fitt, till he had had sundry, the spirit in these vexing him indeede, and shewing his rage & malice against man, and not in subtilty as he did at the first,

VVhere now the Disc. affirmeth, that So. liinge in the fitt, he had at the first, when he was pricked with pynnes, and out of which the Page  139 〈◊〉 should haue called him, did vpon good deliberation (for sooth) change his my••e, and accordinge thereto the fitt beinge ended, say to the Commissioners that he had not dissembled it is v•true, for then be affirmed the contrary, that he had dissembled, as the Commis∣sioners 〈◊〉 sundry others can testify: And if So. did say to the Com∣missioners, that he had not d•ssembled which I doe not remember, it was after he was sent for the second time, and vpon the fearefull vex∣at••n be then indured thick and threefoulde by Sathan which helpeth 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 at all 〈◊〉 notwithstanding that were so, yet this that So. and the Disc. doe tell vs, is false.

Secondly it is to be obserued how the Discouerer proueth that Somers thus changed his mynde lyinge in his fit• why Somers (o) saith so, neither can this be otherwise prooued. Also how he prooueth that Somers at the end of this said fit,* (o) affirmed that he had not dissem∣bled: Somers deposeth it: and there is not somuch as a false witnesse strengthening it, so that the truth hereof resteth only and barely vpō So. credit, which I thinke is long agoe shameruily crackt, and shiuered both with wise men and with fooles. 3. were So. credit better then, it is, yet the tale which is tould vs, is so vnsauery or rather so absurd, & sencelesse, that me thinketh it is more then strange that any man of wisdome and iudgment should euer harken vnto it, or embrace it as a truth.

For marke I pray you: heere is a paltry boy brought in dely∣berating and consulting, as if he were a graue man of greate delibera¦tion and aduisement. And when I pray you and at what instant must this graue deliberation of his be, forsooth euen then when he was do¦ing of his rare fayts, and others vsing their pleasure towards him: one violently beating his heade to the floar, and plucking him by the hair and eares full soundly, an other pricking him in the hand with a pyn, a third in the leg: & he in danger to be so further dealt with, & to haue the like hard measure offered him: he knew not by how many, mee thinketh that by meanes heereof his thoughts should haue bere dra∣wne an other way, partly to the tricks he had in hand, partly to his payne and partly taken vp about the present denger and likelihood he was in of induring yet more payne, and by reason hereof so perplexed and interupted, as that he could hardly haue fallen into so graue a con¦sultation with himself: and so orderlye also haue proceeded therein from one poynt to an other, from the first & weakest reason that mo∣ued him, to the second & stronger, and from thence to the third and most forcil•e of all.

Of all scasons this sure must needes be the most vnfit and vn∣seasonable season for Somers to debate deliberate and consult in: nei∣ther Page  140 dee I thinke that this •lot and deuice of Som. and the Discouer 〈◊〉 sappor witt in it at all, to make this consultation dete•• vna∣tion and re•omtion to be 〈◊〉 or du•ing the 〈…〉 pre¦tended fitts. there would be no •auor in this. Ye• had in 〈…〉 more probable if they had sayd, The fit being en•ed and past, o• w•i∣lest 〈◊〉 stco• beefore the commissioners, bethinking himselfe what an¦swer to make: but take the ta•e as it is deliuered vs, viz. whil• he was in his 〈◊〉, and I thinke he is scarsly well in his witts that will beleue it.

4. The third and mayn reason leading him there vnto was (for∣scoth) the scare of hanging, a•sing of t••s speach, that if he were found to be a dissembler he must be hanged. Be it that these we•des were spoken must So. therefore needes be in such a greate per plexity and feare of hanging, as if the very naming thereof were sufficient to make him qu¦a•e for feare?

Alas poore simple boye, belike he thought that euery worde was blowe. But wherefore doe I call him simple, who deliberatinge and discussinge of matters before he resolued what to doe sheweth so much witt? where now was all his ingenye and deepe consultation, that scared hanging because of his dissembling? doth not euerye childe know that for cousenage a man can not by our lawes be hanged,* but is otherwise to be punished?

And if herein he were ignorante, and that none of his frendes of themselues woulde haue toulde him so much, yet he might easily by enquiry haue learned so much: But how proueth the Discouerer that these very wordes of threatning were vsed? By the testimony of So∣mers, and Nich. Shepheard & Iohn Cooper his keepers, three most vyle and wicked men.

Secondlye, we may obserue how the testimonye of these two witnesses (for the third is an accuser and party) doe proue the same. If it be proued (quoth M. Markham) that thow art a counterfeyt, thow de¦seruest to be hanged: Thus deposeth Shepheard and Cooper•t• us M. Mar¦kham said to So. that if he were found to be a dissembler he must be hanged.* Againe Shepheard thus: One Iaques said to So. in the hearing of me, and of Iohn Cooper that if he were preued to be a counterfeyt he must be hanged And Coper deposeth after this manner, One Iaques tould the boy, that if he did counterfeyt he would be hanged: Concerning M. Markham his speach, the one deposeth th•w deseruest, the other thow must be hanged and the one sweareth Iaque said he must the other he would be hanged: Heereby it appeareth that these are false witnesses being so variable & dissonant one from an other: Finally, take Shepheards wordes concer∣ning M. Markham, and Coopers concerning Iaques and there was •n all Page  141 ca•se why So. should be afrayd of hanginge. and lesse why the Discou. 〈◊〉 ea•e 〈◊〉 into the•e wordes. This was threatning & terrify¦ing indeede,* able to hau• sha• th• c••ancye of a stronger man: wherein the Disc. hath relation to the other feare that So. had of hanging, whe¦reof he speaketh in the beginninge of this chapter, as though •orsooth this reare •ar surpa•sed that. But euery childe may see the contrary, & the Disc. vayne b•asting: for deedes •arr patle wordes: And I am ve ri¦sure, that had a stronger man then So. bene accused of felony, & for the same bene imprisoned, as So. was, as the Disc. himselfe confesseth, which caused the feare of hanging in So. mentioned before: though ne¦uer so innocent, yet somtimes he woulde haue feared the losse of his life and so would no man or vnderstanding in this case, though he were guilty of counterfeyting, as So. was not. And thus much for an∣swer to this calumniation.