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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    thine to sell; sith it belongeth to Christ, who hath bought it, and deerelie paid for it, even with his bloud, which he shed upon the crosse ; so as the divell hath no interest in thee./ After this, with like submission, teares, and penitence, she said unto him ; Oh husband, I have yet committed another fault, and doone you more injurie : for I have bewitched you and your children. Be content (quoth he) by the grace of God, Jesus Christ shall unwitch us : for none evill can happen to them that feare God. And (as trulie as the Lord liveth) this was the tenor of his words unto me, which I knowe is true, as proceeding from unfeigned lips, and from one that feareth God. Now when the time approched that the divell should come, and take possession of the woman, according to his bargaine, he watched and praied earnestlie, and caused his wife to read psalmes and praiers for mercie at Gods hands: and suddenlie about midnight, there was a great rumbling beelowe under his chamber windowe, which amazed them exceedinglie. For they con- ceived, that the divell was beelowe, though he had no power to come up, bicause of their fervent praiers. He that noteth this womans first and second confession, freelie and voluntarilie made, how everie thing concurred that might serve to adde credit thereunto, and yeeld matter for hir condemnation, would not thinke, but that if Bodin were foreman of hir inquest, he would crie ; Guiltie : & would hasten execution upon hir ; who would have said as much before any judge in/ the world, if she had beene examined ; and have confessed no lesse, if she had beene arraigned therupon. But God knoweth, she was innocent of anie these crimes: howbeit she was brought lowe and pressed downe with the weight of this humor, so as both hir rest and sleepe were taken awaie from hir ; & hir fansies troubled and disquieted with despaire, and such other cogitations as grew by occasion thereof. And yet I beleeve, if any mishap had insued to hir husband, or his children \ few witchmongers would have judged otherwise, but that she had bewitched them. And she (for hir part) so constantlie persuaded hir selfe to be a witch, that she judged hir seife worthie of death ; insomuch as being reteined in hir chamber, she sawe not anie one carrieng a faggot to the fier, but she would sale it was to make a fier to burne hir for witcherie. But God knoweth she had bewitched none, neither insued there anie hurt unto anie, by hir imagination, but unto hir selfe. And as for the rumbling, it was by occasion of a sheepe, which was flawed, and hoong by the wals, so as a dog came and devoured it ; whereby grew the noise which I before mentioned : and she being now recovered, remaineth a right honest woman, far from such impietie, and ashamed of hir imaginations, which she perceiveth to have growne through melancholic.