The boy of Bilson: or, A true discouery of the late notorious impostures of certaine Romish priests in their pretended exorcisme, or expulsion of the Diuell out of a young boy, named William Perry, sonne of Thomas Perry of Bilson, in the county of Stafford, yeoman Vpon which occasion, hereunto is premitted a briefe theologicall discourse, by way of caution, for the more easie discerning of such Romish spirits; and iudging of their false pretences, both in this and the like practices.

THE FIRST EXAMI∣NATION, AND CONFESSI∣ON OF THE BOY OF BILSON, NA∣med William Perry, taken before the Reuerend Father in God, Thomas L. Bishop of Couentry and Lichfield, at Eccleshall Castle, 8. Octob. 1620. touching his counterfeit practi∣ces, &c.

BEing examined how long since, and of whom hee had learned such tricks and coozening deuices? The Boy re∣collecting himselfe, answered as fol∣loweth: In Lent last (said he) there met me, not farre from my fathers house, an old man, who called himselfe Thomas (but his surname I cannot remember) hauing a gray beard, russet apparell, and carrying a cradle of glasses or pots on his backe, who said vnto mee after this manner:

Now, pretty Boy, where dwellest thou? dost thou goe to schoole? If thou wilt doe as I shall teach thee, thou shalt not need to goe to schoole; for (said hee) I can teach thee such tricks and feats, that the people that see thee, shall beleeue that thou art bewitched, and so shall lament and pitty thee.

Whereupon I being

willing not to come at schoole, for feare of whip∣ping, was desirous to learne such tricks. By and by this old man began to teach me, first, how to grone and mourne; next, to roll and cast vp my eyes, so that nothing but the white of the eye should bee seene, after that, to wrest and turne my necke and head both wayes towards my backe, then to gape hideously with my mouth, & grate with my teeth, to cling and draw in my belly and guts, to stretch out my legs, and clutch my hands: after that, to put crooked pinnes, rags, and such like baggage, into my mouth, that I might seeme to vomit them vp. And although (said he) that some folke shall put thee to paine, by pricking, and pinching thee, yet thou must indure all patiently. After this sort hee taught and learned me some six seuerall times pri∣uately in a Close, where none could see vs.

And further, that old man made mee beleeue, that a body possessed could not indure to heare the first verse of the first Chapter of S. Iohns Gospell,* 1.1 (viz. In the beginning was the Word, &c.) and that therefore whensoeuer I heard it, then I should fall into my fits. Besides, hee willed mee that I should begin to doe these feats, when it should next hap∣pen that I should be ficke: and that then I should accuse some one body or other (whom I had heard to be accounted a Witch) to haue bewitched mee. And thereupon afterwards, of my selfe, I did accuse one Ione Coxe, and was once minded to haue made my picture in clay, and to haue conueyed it into her house, for the better proofe of her bewitching me.

Being examined how long after it was that hee began to put these things into practice, and vpon what occasion? Hee answered; Not long after, (which was about the Easter following) I began to be sicke, and my father sought helpe for mee in di∣uers places: and then some Papists did perswade him to seeke for helpe at the hands of some Catho∣licke Priests. But my mother did rather desire to haue some learned scholer or Diuine that was no Papist. Yet at length, by their perswasions, there was first brought vnto me a Priest,* 1.2 of an indiffe∣rent tall stature, with long blacke haire, in a gree∣nish suit, his doublet opened vnder the armepits with ribbons.

As soone as he came to me, hee drew a stone out of his pocket, and hanged it about my necke, say∣ing some Latine prayers ouer me, putting also his finger into my mouth: whereupon I seemed to come out of my fit. After that, hee made holy-wa∣ter, and witch-water, saying certaine prayers ouer them, and putting salt into the witch-water. Then he gaue me a bottlefull of the one of those waters, (but of which I doe not remember) and willed me now and then to cast some of it ouer my bed; and himselfe, with a little Isop, did besprinkle me there∣with also. Before he went away, he said certaine o∣ther Latine words or prayers ouer those waters, (which to my remembrance) did thus sound, Eggse eggse atque famulo Dei Gulihelmo ante damnando, and more there of I cannot remember.

The next morning (as I remember) this Priest came againe, at which time (because I lay in a

lower roome, where many people thronged in to see me) they remoued me into an vpper roome, more priuate and fitter for them to pray in, where they continued and vsed the like meanes towards me, as they had done before, betwixt a fortnight and three weekes space, during which time I con∣tinued my wonted fits. Then at last, this Priest said that he could not helpe me, because hee wanted a booke, which hee sent for vp to London: but after that the book was brought, he then said y^t he could not helpe me, without the aide of another Priest, whom after that he brought with him.* 1.3 Hee was a short big fat man, with blackish long curled haire, in a kind of russet coloured suite, with a sword by his side. As soone as he saw me, he said, that by the helpe of God and our Lady, and the holy Saints of heauen, he would either cast the Diuell out of mee that night, or else it should goe hard. And first, hee drew out a little booke of the bignesse of a Pueriles, in which he continued praying, til about 11. a clock. of the night, and casting holy-water on me.

Then both these Priests went away, but came a∣gaine vnto me in the morning, and then they made as much holy-water as a pale could hold. But in the end they confessed that they could doe mee no good, without the helpe of a third Priest, whom they did send for by a Weauer of our towne.

About a weeke after came the third Priest,* 1.4 being a reasonable tall old man, in a horsemans coat, with long head-haire: before hee came to our house, he did say to the man that fetcht him (as I did heare) that if the spirits came to me, then I was

obsest; but if they were within me, then I was pos∣sest. The big fat Priest came in with this last Priest, and first hee put his finger into my mouth, and said, that I was bewitched at the tongues end: wherfore he bade me drink three or foure draughts of holy-water, which I did: he taught mee also to pray to the Virgin Mary, and to my good Angel, and to all the Saints in heauen to helpe me. Then he washed my head, feet, and belly with the same water, saying now and then to mee, Thou art now somewhat better, Boy? and I would say, Yes, a little better.

About the same time, my father comming one day home before supper, he asked mee what I had seene in my fits? and I told him that a thing came to me in the likenesse of a Black-bird. And now the Priest that came last vnto me, went out of towne, these three Priests hauing bin with me about three weekes, but could doe me no good.

About a weeke after,* 1.5 came the big fat Priest a∣gaine, and held on his former course, saying, that by. Gods grace he would helpe me. About which time hee made a Sermon to certaine Catholickes which were with me, hauing a white Surplesse on him, with a stole (as I remember they called it) a∣bout his necke: his Text was, My flesh is bread in∣deed, and my blood is drinke indeed. After his Sermon, he prayed with me as he had vsed to doe: and then made another paleful of holy-water, wishing them to boyle certaine herbs in water, to wash mee with∣all; as Time, Isop, and such like.

Vpon the Sunday following, people came in so

thicke to see me, that the Priest durst not preach; and he intended to be gone the next day.

His fashion was, to blesse and crosse all the meat which both themselues and I did eate: so that when my mother once gaue mee some of a Sylla∣bub, which the Pr. had not crossed in the same manner, he told them that there was a Puritan spi∣rit entred into it.

These three Priests dealt with mee at sundry times, that I should confesse my sins vnto them: which I did sometimes, when I listed to speake, but that was but now and then. They wished mee also to turne to their religion, and that then I should haue helpe.

Vpon that Sunday night before that this fat Priest was to goe away, he said, that by the helpe of the blessed Virgin, and the Angels and Saints in hea∣uen, he would cast the Diuell out of me.

A little after, he began to aske certaine questions of the spirit within me; as first, what should be∣come of the Puritans when they dyed? and he told me, that if they went to hell, then the spirit should tug and shake the bed-clothes: which I did doe after the same manner he bade me. Next, he asked what should become of the Roman Catholickes, and if they should goe to heauen? that then, in signe thereof, I should lift vp my hands, which I did also.

Then the Priest said, Come out of thy fits, Will, in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the ho∣ly Ghost: whereupon I seemed to come out of a fit, and then hee prayed by mee, and said, that hee would cast three diuels out of me that night. And

so he hanged about my necke, and put vnder mine arme a fine stole, wrought with great siuer letters: and with the one end thereof, being very hard, hee did beate me about the head and face, vntill to my thinking hee made mee blacke and blue; chafing & rubbing my neck with that stole, which was so rough, that it made my necke very sore: and still he spake to the spirits within me, thus; Come out, you Rogues, you Villaines, I charge you by God and the bles∣sed Virgin, and by all the Angels and Saints in heauen, that you suffer the Boy to eate, and sleepe: and withall, he stamped with his feet, as he spake those words.

Then he told my father that he would throw out those three spirits one after another, so that they should plainly see them come forth. And if hee should doe so, hee asked my mother whether shee would become a Catholicke, or no? She answered him that she would consider of it. Then, said he, wil I also consider whether I will helpe your sonne, or no.

But yet the Priest continued as he had begun, and said vnto me, If there be three Diuels in thee, then giue three knocks, in signe thereof; and so I did: but at the biggest Diuell hee willed me to giue the greatest thumpe, which I did at the last. And still the Priest did beate me with his stoale, & so continued with me til about three of the clocke in the morning: during which time, certaine Papists were sent to pray with me, bringing hallowed candles with thē.

At the same time, the Priest tooke such* 1.6 things as I had seemed to vomit, and burning them with Frankincense, hee tooke an old rusty sword, and

said a Latine prayer, resembling it to the sword wherwith Peter did cut off Malchus his eare: he also did beate the same things with an hammer, beto∣kening that hammer which nailed Christ to the Crosse.

The morning being come, the Priest was to bee gone, and then my father said vnto him, Sir, I see you can doe my Child no good, and therfore I must seeke for some other helpe. Yes (said the Priest) you will goe seeke for helpe at witches to ease his body, but you care not for damning his soule. But yet before he went away, hee did hallow more water, and then he departed.

And here the Boy was suffered to pawse, and repose himselfe, by reason of his weake∣nesse; and was not then further ex∣amined till the next time.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohn 1.1.
• * 1.2

  I. Priest.
• * 1.3

  II. Priest.
• * 1.4

  III. Priest.
• * 1.5

  II. Priest.
• * 1.6

  Viz Crooked pins, rags, straw, &c. and such things as the Boy could sinde and steale, into his mouth; as he did once halse a knitting∣needle.