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.

CHAP. 7.

Of M Darrelles procedinges with Katherin Wright for her pretended dispossession.

But there was another engine vsed, as Ka. Wrighte. hath deposed in these wordes. One fashion of M. Darrell in my pretended dispossession at Man••feilde,* 1.1 was to ••ye vpon my bellye, saying that he woulde by so lyinge pr••sse the Diuell out of me. When this strange fashion was obiected to M. Darre••••. A•• quoth he, I looked for this, and then frāmed his answere vnto it in this, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I hauinge read in the scriptures, how Elias and Saint Paul 〈◊〉〈◊〉 themselues alonge on some that weare dead, in their recouery to life, and beinge a younge stvdent in diuiniti, not past foure or 25. yeares of age, I did in a blinde zeale (as I thinke) lie vpon the saied Ka. Wright as it is obiected. Afterwardes this his saied answere beinge repeated as the me••••er is, he did thus amend it viz. I did lie vpon the saied Ka. Wrighte, but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon her 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as I beleue. This quallification beinge alowed of, he desire•• about three dayes after a seconde reuiew: and then for the discharge of his conscience as he saied in deliuering the truth, he set down his minde in this sorte: Wheras being examined vpon the sudden of a fact done twelue yeares past, I haue saied that I did the same as there it is expressed in a blīd Zeale, meaning a foolish and indiscrete imitation of the Prophet and A∣postle I doe now protest that hauinge called my selfe better to minde by con¦se••inge with my wife was then present, and by better deliberration vpon the same, that I verily beleiue I did not the said facte, to the ende there spetified: for that I neuer dreamed at that time of working any miracle, neither did looke for her deliuerance from Sathan, but she being at that time verie vn••ulic I did it to kepe her downe, there being also at that time ano∣ther vpon some part of her, and vpon me that we might the rather keepe her dow••e. And thus at the length, you haue his perfecte answere wherein it is to be feared that he hathmade boulde with his oath. For where as at the thirde time he saith he was taken vpon the sudden, when he made his first answere, that semeth not to be true, for that his saide lying vpon her was no sooner mentioned vnto him, but he affirmed that he looked for i••, and had two examples readie for his excuse therein.

I desire thee (good reader) with patience to heare & with wisdome to consider of that which is here thus cunning••e & malitiously publish¦ed against me. I am charged thou ••eest with counterfeiting, and haue bene thus long imprisoned, tossed and turmoile••, examined and reex a••ned for teaching to counterfeit: but the proofe of this fayling, and S. Harsnet and his Master both comming short of this their purpose & intent, to their greife and not being able for their liues wi••h all there wreasting, packing, and miserable shifts, to convince me of this sinne, then they flye to another shifte (a sluttish one) thinkinge theirby vt∣terly to shame me, and disgrace me foreuer vz. To make the world be¦leiue that I am a vitious and vncleane person, their withall closly im∣plying and perswadinge men yf they could: that Darrell who makes no conscience of so foule a sinne as that of vncleannes, will neuer make bones at so smale a matter as for glorie to teach men to counterfeit: & heerein ••yeth the strength and force of all this foule batterie against me, in that one sinne is apte enough to drawe on another. But if I were such a one indeede as they would so faine haue me seeme to be, vz. either a drunckard or alehouse haunter with Somers, as before is in sinuated: or an vncleane person of vnchast behauior with K. Wright as here is insinuated, and more playnly by that marginall note, pag. 37. Darrels lust: I doubt not, but they would haue bene able after all their searching and inquirie into my former life, to haue made some better proofe theireof then they haue.

Now before I enter into the answere of such particulars as are here thus vniustlye charged vpon my head, to wype away all ielousie and suspition which may happely enter into the conceipte of too many a¦gainst me: I doe here vnfeinedly protest in the presence of God and his Angels, that in all this my dealinge with Kat. Wright, I had not (I thanke God) so much as an vncleane thought: neither did I lye on her in such manner as Elias & Paul somtimes did in the restoringe of two to life, nor yet in imitation of them: all which I directly deposed be∣fore the Bishop. And that theire was no vncleannes in acte, euery one may be assured hereby, in that this said ly••ing were their present, and eye witnesses theirof, my owne wyfe with other weomen, and for that another man also, Edward Loades by name lay together with me vp∣on her: all or most of which witnesses be yet liveynge, and readie to beare witnes herevnto, if they might be admitted: with one of which at the least, the wife of Henry Crosse of Mansfeild, S. Harsnet had spe∣ach at Mansfeild, as he with his fellow commissioners returned from examininge K. Wright, but what shee witnessed we heare not, onely my selfe heard that he receiued such answeare from her, and found her so backwarde from affirminge that he would haue had her, as he

threatned to haue her before the B. of London, and with imprisonmet their. This being so, and my conscience being cleere even coram t••••bu∣nali, I may the bolder good reader craue thy patience to heare my further answeare to the particulars as followeth.

Being by the Bishop of London examined concerning this Lyinge I sayd that I did not wel•• remember wherefore I did it, and no mar∣uell, being so long since it was done, about 14 yeares, and a thing not worthy the remembring? notwithstanding the Bishop pressing me to an immediat answere, would needes haue me say something VVhere vpon to satisfie his importunacy, I tould him that for the present I did thinke or imagin that I did it in some childish, foolish, and vn••is∣crete imitaion of the Prophet and Apostle: For quoth I vnto him I was then young and had studied diuinitie bvt a while, and therefore it may be did fall into such an error and childish parte. But after my departure entring into a more serious consideraton of the matter & hauing my memorie also holpen and releiued by other meanes I re∣turned with al the conuenient speed I could not 3. dayes after as the Disc. saith, but sooner, and craued that my sayd answere might be corrected, for that I had much mistaken the matter. VVhere vpon being deposed againe, I affirmed as the truth was, that I did not lye on her in imitation of the prophet & Apostle, wherof I rendred 3 re¦sons. Two of them are mentioned by the Disc. himselfe, but the third & principal he hath after his vsual manner craftely omitted, least the reader should happely lyght on that might ten•• to my clearing. The reason was this If I had done so as Elias and the Apostle did, Then no doubt I should haue laied my mouth vpon her mouth my eyes vpon her eyes & my handes vpon her hands. &c. wheras there was no such thing don neither can be imagined to be: for the I wold haue layen on herin one of her trances,) seeing shee had many) and not in a fytt & such a fitt wherein aboue all other she was worst to be ruled na•• it can not in any reason be conceiued that I intended any such thinge considering Edwarde Loades (a man yet lyuing) ioyned with me in that Lying. This I did say vpou my oath, and can preue parte of it by witnesses. notwithstanding all this my first answere was not cor∣rected, wherein (as I am informed) I am dealt with contrary to Lawe equitie and Iustice, but yet not contrary to the vsuall dealing of the Bishop and his Chapline. Albe it then I freely confesse that in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 done so longe since I was very vndiscreete, and in my answeare vpon my examination no lesse rash and vnaduise••: yet the case be••nge no otherwise then we heare, their was smale cause why either it shoulde be obiected against me before the iudgment seate or that ••octor Bar∣low should haue it vp as it were vpon a stage, in Cambrige at the com∣mencement, or the Disc. in this triumphant sort to publish and pro∣claime

it to the world, therby to make Darrell an odious & infamous person: as if he should lye vpon a woman in beastly manner, or els foolish••y & presumptuously doe it in imitatiō of Elias or Paul: which as I haue prote••ted is most false. But suppose this latter weare true: yet seeing it was done so many yeares since, when I was little better then a child in vnderstandinge, and that now beinge of riper yeares I am as farr from approuing theirof, or practisinge the like as any man whatsoeuer, it must needes be I take it, and cannot be excused to be in the highest degree of ina••fice, and the hardest measure of reuenge, in this u••••pigh•••• & opprobrious manner to obiect it against me. And yet when they haue all done & strained a••d racked this folly or vn∣d••crete parte of ruine to the vttermost, it will be found to weake to proue or convince me of that which they would so fayne (yea rather then their liues) find me guiltie off. vz. This teaching the art of notorious counterfeiting. what doth my supposed lyinge on K. Wright (if it were true, as it is false) helpe and further them in this their plea and accusa¦tion against me? surely not one iote at all, but onely to ease their sto∣mokes, and wreake their mallice. And this makes me remember a re∣port of the old Earle of Surrie, who being araigned and ca••led before the Comm••sioners for Hihg Treason, it was among other thinges al∣leadged against him by some then in authoritie, that he had very dis¦orderly broken the glasse windowes in Cheapside. whervnto the Earle made answeare: what? doe you call me hither for High treason and doe you alleadge vnto me the follies of my youth? Even thus (good reader) ••areth it with me at this instant. I haue bene called hither by the High Com∣mission, and haue endured thus long trouble and imprisonment, not for any trif••e or triflinge matter if it should be true, but for such avile and shamfull practise, as deserueth rather the seuere scourge or rigour of iustice, and my selfe to be made•• fearefull example and spectacle to posteritie, then to haue any booke or any such baulinge discourse as the Disc. hath written and published against me. And yet we see when they come to proue this hainous matter against me, then they fall to tell me (••s these men did by the Earle) of my breakinge of glase w••ndowes I meane of my lying on K. Wright: which fact as I my selfe do not approue of but cōdemne as very vndiscretly done, so they for their partes may make much of it, but it will little ava••le them to prone me guiltie of teaching K. Wright to counterfeit a possession and dis¦poss••ssion of the deuill.

That which pleaseth the Discouerer to tearme my qualification, is nothing lesse but onely an answeare to certayne words of the article which at the first readinge of the B. (if he read them) I marked not well, containing in it a playne and dire••t answeare to that which was not answered before. wherein yet the Disc. after his wonte•• manner

hath left out parte and the best parte on Darrels behalfe, vz. these wor¦des: I did lye vpon her side, she lying on her side, and this (as my answere to this article will witnes) I deposed at the same time when I sayd my ly∣ing was in imitation of the prophet,* 1.2 as I dul (vz. for the present) thinke: wher¦of as I was not then very sure, so had I aduisedly considered thereof, and better remembered my selfe, I had presently and in the same mo∣ment corrected that false immagination of mine, wherein I so much wronged my selfe. Now as the Disc. hath omitted part of my depo∣sition, so (the better to peice vp his patcherie,) hath he added some∣thinge of his owne, vz. as I beleiue: and againe, I verily beleiue, which wor••s because the argue a doubting, the Disc. hath inserted, as though I had stoode in doubt of those thinges, wherof I am and was very sure and out of all d••vbt. Neither would I haue protested so considentlye as is here confessed, and then come in after wards with I beleiue. I verily beleiue.

VVhen I sayd Ah I looked for this. I did not meane such a fylthy and ridicuius deposition as is ••ere mentioned, or such an article as then was read vnto me much worse then the deposition: but being ex¦amined concerninge Ka. Wright, I looked to heare of mysaid lying and to be examined thereof, and that the world should be borne in hande that it was in an vncleane desire, and thervnto inded inclined the arti∣cle, The reason whereof was because I knew Sathan would bringe to light and spread abroade, this rash and vndiscret acte of mine, if god did permit him, and that the same through the greate folly of man and prones to beleue any thing reported thovgh neuer so false, espe∣tiaily against a preacher and minister of the word, would tend to my reproach, and not rest there, but thorough the false perswation there∣of, keepe many from beleuing the workes of God wherein the Lord had vsed me as an instrument among others This greiuing me inwar¦dly in my soule, and in that my greife these wordes burstinge forth, the Disc. wold faine here vpon inferr, that I made bolde with my oath, because I sayd that I was examined vpon the sodaine. To this I answere and it is true, that I was on the sodaine examined of this facte, and yet lo∣ked for the same, after that the Bishop began to examin me as touching Ka Wright: for before he came to this article, there were diuers other articles proposed vnto me concerning this said Katherin, about the which the Bishop was a good space in examining me. In which interim I looked to heare of that which now the world you see (through the charitie of this chaplaine and his good Maister) thus infamously hea∣reth. As touching this deposition of Ka. VVrights, he is verie simple that knoweth not who taught or perswaded her so to depose and that it came not of her selfe, if so be shee haue so deposed.

Discouerer

VVe see that Ka VVright wa•• dispossessed, but not by the ordinarie mea¦nes (of prayer and,* 1.3 fasting) that Christ appoynted: and so Darrell must be dri¦ven to confesse that he wrought a miracle.

Darrell

I haue shewed els where that Deuils are or may be cast out by prayer, or by prayer a••d fasting, according to the kind of spirit wher¦with the partie is possessed: and that this is the ordinance of Christ. K VVright then being by prayer dispossessed, was healed by the ordinary meanes, as wel as those which be deliuered from Sathan by fast inge and praier: and therefore not by miracle.

Discouerer

It being obiected to M. Darell by her maiesties Commissioners, that he knowing the saied Katherin VVright to dissemble in her pr••tended fitet at Mansfield,* 1.4 had priuat conference with her, and taught her how to order her selfe in the manner of her counterfeiting, wherby he encouraged her in that her lewd course, he doth deny it, but hereof Ka VVright deposeth thus:* 1.5 M. Darrell after his coming to me at * Mansfeild, did tell and teach me alone,* 1.6 how to use and order my selfe in my fites.

Darrell

Ka VVright saied this for feare least her feete should haue bene burned. 2. K. VVright came to Mansfeild bvt two dayes before her dispossession, before which time she had bene for many weekes hand∣led after a strange and greiuous manner, euen after the same manner as shee was at Mansfeild and after at VVhittington vpon her repossessi∣on, as it euident by pag.* 1.7 305. where-vpon shee was first had to one Ar¦thur a coniuere, to be holpen yf it might be, and after by the appoynt¦ment of the now Ladie Bowes, then Mistres Fovliam to Chesterfeild a market towne thereby, whether by her meanes also repared sundrye neighbour ministers, which seing her in diuers fits, suspected her to be possessed, wherevpon the same was bruted in those quarters, and this was before she came to Mansfeilde as the aforesaid Ladie with ma¦ny others can witnes. It can not be then (were K. VVright a counterfit that I did teach her at Mansfield seing whether she coūterfeited, or was possessed, it was so with her long before she was sēt by M. Beresforde to Mansfeild, before which time God he knoweth, I neuer saw her, neith¦er doth Ka VVright nor yet the Disc. say any thing to the contrarie. 3. I was saith Ka. VVright when I parted from M Darrell in the very same case that I came to Mansfeild. And for the strēgthening * here of are pro¦duced the depositons of three, wherevpon the Disc. (pag 305) conclu¦deth thus: By which conference of the time it appeareth directly that Ka∣Wright was not at all in any sorte releiued by M Darrell. And in another

place thus. And this course sher confesseth, she hath held from the time she. began it, vntill the time almost of this her examination, vZ. about 13. or 14 yeares. This consydered I desire to know of the Discouerer, wherefore I did teach Ka. Wright to counterfeit, If to glorye in the dispossession of her, as is to be intended, for the gayne of one peny is not sayed to my charge how cometh it to passe, that Ka Wright fayned not her selfe to be dispossessed, & so continued well euer after that I with others vsed prayer in her behalfe, but not withstanding the prayers vse to the end to make shew that she was therby dispossessed, and a secret a grece∣ment theirof betwene vs, if the Disc. say truly, yet conti•• the very same, counterfeiting a possession after in like manner as before? This tended to the shame of me her master, and not to my prayse: all the glorie had bene in the fained dispossession, whervnto the dissemblinge of a possession onely serued, (if their had bene any such iniquitie) and theirefore would in no case haue bene omitted who can be so grosse as once to imagine that I did teach K Wright to counterfeit a possession, and giue her not instruction concerning the dissembling of a dispossessions speciallie seeinge I did affirme and beare the world in hand that shee was dispossessed vpon the prayers vsed by my selfe & others? what in common sence would K. Wrights sayninge to be possessed ad∣vantag me? Had K. VVright dissembled to haue had the deuill cast out of her by me, and then must she haue remained well, after I pretended to dispossesse her, in carnall reason ther was somthing to haue induced me theirvnto, but their was nothing in reason to leade me to perswad and teach her to couterfeite only to bepossessed with the deuill. and the sam for many yeares to dissemble. As this could not procure me in particular the prayse of men, and to be reputed to haue some rare and odd gifte in casting out deuils, but rather the contrary, all things well con¦sidered: so neither in generall could it further the setting vp of the Pre¦sbyteriall conceites:* 1.8 seeing heere was no deuill cast cut by a Presbiter••all man, to commend him, & his conceits to the world. And this is the 14. time the Discouerer is convinced and shamed by his owne Discouery.

4. It is to be remembred,* 1.9 that K. wright setting downe the cause of her dissimulation forsooth, doth not mention any profite or benifite shee should receiue from me, or that I did beare her so in hand, but mentioneth the hard vsage of her father in lawe Iohn Mekin, in beating & brusing her very sor•• to deliuer her selfe from which she fell of counter∣ing: wherevnto the Disc. addeth,* 1.10 a desire to liue at some case, and to he much made of by her parentes. If these were the reasons or causes of K Wrights dissimulation, as K. VVright and the Disc. tell vs: then she did not dissemble for Darrels sake, not for any profite or benefite she was to receiue from him. And this is the 15. time that the Discouerer is con∣vinced

by his Discouery: except you will say these were not the onely causes o••ner counterieiting, which we can not in any reason thinke, see¦inge neither K. VVright nor Disco. (who betwene them I trust haue omitted none) haue named any other cause.

Hauing answeared that which is said to proue K. VVright a coun¦terfeite, and my selfe to haue taught her, the rest in this chapter beinge of le••••e moment 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as not worthy the answearinge, and so will pro∣ceed to Ma••y Cooper the fourth counterfeite.

Notes

• * 1.1

  pag 300.
• * 1.2

  This p••rad 〈◊〉〈◊〉 would ha•• cleared Darrell too much, and theirfore no rea¦son for M. Hers∣ne•• to se•• it dowue.
• * 1.3

  pag 303.
• * 1.4

  pag. 303.
• * 1.5

  Ans. ••.
• * 1.6

  2 the towne wher I then dwelt to one Edward Loa¦des, to be helped by his father in law: M. Becking∣••ans.
• * 1.7

  3 pag. 305. then sure theire was either coun¦terfeiting, or els ••possession be∣fore. which indede is false, neither is the same depos∣ed by the 3 wit∣nesses, but one∣ly this, that short¦ly as•••• her return from Mans••••lde, she was as cuill as before, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 af¦ter her wonte 〈◊〉〈◊〉 manner 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to her former fites which needes must be so, be∣cause she was repo••essed. pag 298.
• * 1.8

  pag. 15.
• * 1.9

  ans. 4.
• * 1.10

  pag ••97 1298 & 313.