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. 7.

Discouerer

Of So pretended strength and weight in his fitts, that contrary to M. Dar. and his frends reports, ther was nothing extraordinarie in them.

Darrell

So. say I had such extraordinarie and supernaturall strength, that 3 somtimes 4. 5. 6. or moe, were scarce able to rule him, though they had him at great advantag: as lying flatt vpon the ground, or vpon a bed, (yea a lowe trundle bed) or tyed fast to a chaire 3. men for an houre or their abouts striuing with him, though they swet and were in a manner breathles, and theirby forced to giue place to others: yet did he not so much as chang his colour, or pant, nay he was scarcely per¦ceiued to draw his winde, as is deposed ergo, So. is noc counterfeite. For no man can adde to his strength by counterfeiting.

Discouerer

The Disc. now telleth vs that his strength was not extraordinary, And he proueth it first by So. ridiculous deposition, then by the depo¦sitions of 7. others.

Somtimes saith Ed. Garland a man that hath had great triall of Som. supernaturall strength) Somers strength was but ordinarie And againe, I found him often of easie strength.

Darrell

VVhy this leteth not but that at some other times in some of his fitts, he was of extraordinarie streugth: And this I doubt not but that Garland did at the same time depose, though we here nothing of it. Yea his very words insinuat no lesse. The other sixe depose that they aparte prouing his strength, found it to be but ordinarie. I doe not say nei¦ther euer did, that So. in all his fitts was of extraordinarie strength, for then indeede Garland and the other sixe had deposed materially: but of such strength in some of them he was without all question and cō¦tradiction. He foamed we saye, he wallowed we say, he was cast into the syre we say, etc. Yea wee say not that he foamed, or wallowed, he was cast into the fire in all and euery of his fittes but that in some of them and at sundrie times he was evidently seene to be thus strangly and extraordinarily visited. And presuppose that vpon the apprehen∣tion of alewde person for some fellonious acte, 3 or 4. honest substan¦tia men should bring in euidence, that such a day and time they saw the p••rtie breakinge vp his neighbours house and takinge away his goods were not this euidence sufficient in law and reason to convince the fell••••, because that at some other time or times, other his good

frendes did see him sitting in his chaire and reading of a booke? For this is truly the Disc. manner of reasoninge in this case, to bleare the eyes of the world with, and to proue this counterfeiting if 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••lde, S••••nes (forsooth) Somers strength was but ordinarie: and Somtimes or often (saith another) I found him but of easie strength: ergo S••m strength was not extraordinarie, as Darrell affirmeth. In like manner he argueth before: one a time saith on, Som. clapt his buttocks on the fire another, he sell downe with his shoulders on the fire, ergo So. was neuer cast into the fire, his face, or bare hands being in the fire, and he not burned.

Notes

• pag 244
• c

  answere this ••••g••men•• or els yeald to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• pag 245