The discoverie of witchcraft ... Being a reprint of the first edition published in 1584 / by Reginald Scot ; Edited with explanatory notes, glossary and introduction by Brinsley Nicholson.

  • Scot Reginald, 1538?-1599.
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The discoverie of witchcraft ... Being a reprint of the first edition published in 1584 / by Reginald Scot ; Edited with explanatory notes, glossary and introduction by Brinsley Nicholson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    made new creatures in the Lord, from whome none can be separated by another mans deed. The inquisitor being hereat offended, threatened the advocate to proceed against him, as a supporter of heretikes or witches ; yet neverthelesse he ceased not to defend the seehe woman, and througli the power of the lawe he dehvered hir / J7. from tlie clawes of the bloodie moonlce, who with hir accusers, were condemned in a great summe of monie to the charter of the church of Afentz, and remained infamous after that time almost to all men. But by the waie you must understand, that this was but a petie in- quisitor, and bad not so large a commission as Ctemamcs, Sprenger, and such other had ; nor yet as the Spanish inquisitors at this dale have. For these will admit no advocats now unto the poore soules, except the tormentor or hangman may be called an advocate. You may read the summe of this inquisition in few words set out by M. John Fox in the Acts and monuments. For witches and heretikes Joim Fox in .... r iM • • 1 1 the acts and are among the mquisitors of like reputation ; saving that the ex- monuments, tremitie is greater against witches, bicause through their simplicitie, they may the more boldlie tyrannize upon them, and triumph over them. The twelfe Chapter. What the feare of death and feeling of torments may force one to doo, and that it is no marvell though witches condenme themselves by their owne confessions so tyrannicallie extorted. E that readeth the ecclesiasticall histories, or remembreth the persecutions in Queene Maries time, shall find, that manie good men have fallen for feare of persecution, and returned unto the Lord againe. What marvell then, though a poore woman, such a one as is described else-where, & tormented as is declared in these latter leaves, be made to confesse such absurd and false impossibilities; when flesh and bloud is unable to endure such triall ? Or how can she in the middest of such horrible tortures/ and torments, promise unto hir selfe constancie ; or 34. forbeare to confesse anie thing.'' Or what availeth it hir, to persevere in the deniall of such matters, as are laid to her charge unjustlie ; when on the one side there is never anie end of hir torments ; on the other side, / if she continue in hir assertion, they sale she hath 38. charmes for taciturnitie or silence ? Peter the apostle renounced, curssed, and forsware his maister and Peters apostacie our Saviour Jesus Christ, for feare of a wenches manaces ; or rather of Chnst.^ at a question demanded by hir, wherein he was not so circumvented, as these poore witches are, which be not examined by girles, but by