A detection of that sinnful, shamful, lying, and ridiculous discours, of Samuel Harshnet. entituled: A discouerie of the fravvdulent practises of Iohn Darrell wherein is manifestly and apparantly shewed in the eyes of the world. not only the vnlikelihoode, but the flate impossibilitie of the pretended counterfayting of William Somers, Thomas Darling, Kath. Wright, and Mary Couper, togeather with the other 7. in Lancashire, and the supposed teaching of them by the saide Iohn Darrell.

OF CHAP. 6.

How Somers casting himselfe into the fire, was voluntary, and no extra∣ordinary matter, as M. Darrell hath pretended.

Discouerer

Because the words of casting into the fire (quoth So.) doth seme to import much:* 1.1 First I say, that the fires in my Mistris house, and then afterward, in my father in laws, were but very smale, made of slat coales, and so compass∣ed at the ends and foreparte with barrs of iron, that except I should haue thrust my selfe betwixt the sayd barres, and the wall, or had thrust my fingers betwixt the barrs, I could not in any wise haue cast my selfe into the fire. But I confesse that M. Dar. hauing told me out of S. Marke, and like wise hauing straightlie warned such as keept me in my supposed fitts, that they should be very carfull to looke vnto me: I did cast my selfe now & then into the Chimney, or vpon the yrons or grates.

Darrell.

Concerning this poynt Ioane Pie hath deposed thus On Allhalow even at noone,* 1.2 or their abouts I with sundry others, being with VVilliam Somers, he was sitting in a chaire about two yards from the fire side, and sud¦d••nly was cast towards the fire, his head lighting vpon the iron that keept vp the ••ire, and one of his hands in the fire: and they being 3 or 4 taking him vp to saue him from burning, they could not set him in the chaire again: for his leggs were so bowed as they all could not streight them, and be so heavie, as they could scarce lift him, and that neither his head, haire, nor a¦ny part of his body was hurt or burned by the fire.

And M. Iohn Strelley after this manner:* 1.3 He was on a sudden cast in to the fire in the presence of all: and suddenly taken out without any hurt to him by the fire, being of waight as a foresaide.

And Rich. Mee thus: And the said Som. would be violently cast into the the fire,* 1.4 standing from the fire a yarde and halfe off, and none of his clothes burnt or heare singed.

Let now the reader chuse, whether he will beleiue this beast of Eng∣land, or these 3. vpon their oathes, and many other affirming, and rea¦die to depose the same, and more then this. And where he saith, that I straightly warned such as keept him that they should be carfull to looke vn¦to him: how can this posible be true, seeinge he was cast into the fire, beforea 1.5 I came to Nottingham as appeareth by the deposition of Ioane Pye which also High Wilson made knowne vnto me at Ashbye, when he came to me their for my repiare to So. at Nott. as he and som¦of my owne familie can witnes. And where he confesseth, that he cast himselfe vpon the yrons or grats: it should seeme that as the fires were ve¦ry small (for sooth) and made of slate coales, so the yrons or grates by me¦anes therof were not hoat neither, els the would sure haue burnt him.

Discouerer

Ouer and besides So. depostion the Disc. produceth two others wherof one deposeth that on a time he clapt his buttockes vpon the fire,* 1.6 the other, that he fell downe with his shoulders on the fyre.

But he was oft cast into the fire. so that his being cast at two seuerall times as is saide,* 1.7 if that were so, letteth not but that at other times he might be so cast, as that some bare part of his body laye in the fire: yea it is directly deposed by Ioane Pye of one time, and before the Bishop of London (as I take it) by Edm. Garland of another time and place, that his bare hand laye in the fire, and for some little space as appear∣eth by the circumstances, and yet was not burned. And ther are sun∣drie ready to depose, that at another time and place in the presence of many, he was throwne on his face into the middest of a hoat & great fyre, his face bareinge downe the hoat coales that lyinge thus with a l••n••ne cap on his head Mary Couper his sister snatched at him, plucke

away the cap, and left face and barehead in the fyre: And yet behould no face burned, nor heaire singed thereby.

Notes

• * 1.1

  pag 142.
• * 1.2

  narration••d.
• * 1.3

  de P. 1••
• * 1.4

  dep 13
• a 1.5

  then blush for shame you that plead for Somers.
• * 1.6

  M. Barnard
• * 1.7

  Iames Alwood