The Sinful Shameful Lying and Ridiculous Discourse of Samuel Harshnet, Treatise · Book 1 · Chapter 7
OF. CHAP. 7.
OF THE CAVSES PRETENDED, WHY MEN ARE POSSESSED.
Alyce Goodrig of Staphenhill in Darbiſhire, hauinge a ſpirrit called Minnye in the likeneſſe of a dogge, partie colored, red and white, did ſend… the ſame to torment,pag, 37. Thomas Darling: the ſeauen in Lancaſhire were (as it ſemeth) poſſeſſed by the meanes of one Edmond Hartley.pag. 41. and a little after: But Thomas Darlinges veniall ſinne exceded the reſt: for he meeting Alice Goodrige in a coppice, did let an eſcape (as the book tearmeth it which ſhee taking to be done in her contempt, vſed theſe wordes, Gip with a miſchife and fart with a bel, I will goe to heauen & thou ſhalt goe to hel. And there-vponupon her Minme entred into him.
Howſoeuer the Diſc. derideth this reported in the booke of Darlinge, and no maruell, ſeeinge he is perſwaded that there are no witches: yet there is in reaſon (how ſtrange, and incredible ſo euer it ſeeme to carnall reaſon) to perſwade vsus to receiue it for a trueth, for firſt we hauehave Alice Goodrige the witch confeſſinge this of her ſelfe and that ſundrie times 2. the circumſtances mentioned in her confeſſion are true▪ vponupon ſuch a day ſayd ſhe, I met Darlinge, in ſuch a place or wood called the coppice and the boy leting an eſcape, as the booke termeth it, I miſtaking the boy for one Sherrats boy, who had before broken me a baſket of egges vſed theſe wordes: Gip with a miſcheife &c. and there with-all bad my Minnie goe and torment him: who after returninge vntounto me, ſaid he had done ſoe. Conſideringe now that it is very true and knowne ſo to be to others, that this Alice m…t Darlinge vponupon the daye and in the place named, that Darlinge then and their did, and Sherrats boy alſo before, as is here ſpecifyed, and that ſhe vſed theſe wordes aforeſaid, and laſtly that the very ſame night D… ling began to be ſicke and ſo continued worſe and worſe, vntill … as euident as the daylight at noone, that he was tormented by the diuell: who (I ſay) conſideriug theſe things, can in reaſon otherwiſe … thinke, but that ſhee ſaith truly concerning her ſending of her Minny to torment Darling. As then it is certaine, yea ſo certaine as without bluſhing it cannot be denyed, that Darlinge was tormented by the …, ſo it is hereby very playne that Alice Goodrige did there abouts confederate with her familiar ſpirit. Moreouer in that we reade the like of others we are thereby to be confirmed herein. Alice Samuell a witch of Warboyſe confeſſed (as is ſet downe in the printed booke) that ſhee ſent her ſpirit called Pluck, The … & execution of, the witches of, warboyſe.to M. Throgmortons children, and willed him to goe and torment them. And that they were tormented by the diuell, euen 5. of his daughters, it is notoriouſly knowne, and ſo generally receaued for truth, as the Diſ. himſelfe dareth not deny it, though fayne he would, as appeareth by his nibling at them. If this now were true, that Alice Samuell ſaith of herſelfe: why ſhoulde not the like confeſſed by Alice Goodrige of herſelf, be alſo true? And yf the one of theſe ſtrengthened eſpecially by ſundry circumſtances we can all of vsus beleiue: why ſhould we not credite the other alſo, confirmed by as many, yea more and as ſtrong circumſtances as the other… But what is it that offendeth the Diſ. ſomuch and maketh the confeſſion of Alice Goodrige ſo incredible, yea ridiculous vntounto him? doth this offend him, that ſhee ſent her familiar ſpirit to goe and torment him? or this, that ſhe was ſo malitious and cruell vponupon ſo ſmall occaſion? or this, that her ſpirit was in the forme of a dogge? or this, that her ſpirit had a name, (… M…y) agreed vponupon I meane betwixt them? or this, that the deuill did vſually (as it ſhould ſeeme) appear vntounto her like a little dogger or rather all theſe, and eſpecially that any man or woman ſhould hauehave ſuch familiarity & entercourſe of ſpeach and thus compact or confederate with the diuell? Leaſt theſe ſhould be as ſtombling blockes in our way, as it ſhoulde ſeeme they are in the Diſcouerers: let vsus add to that is aforeſaide, theſe twoe thynges. Firſt, that his laſt, which is the ſtrangeſt and indeede all in all, is according to the ſcriptures: and that ſome of theſe reſt hauehave likewiſe in the generall, though not in the particuler, confirmation from the holy ſcriptures, for by them it playnly appeareth, that among the ſonns and daughters of men, there are ſome which hauehave familiarity with diuels, hauehave ſpeech and compact with them about this and that action,chap. 28. 7. Heerevnto ſerueth that in the firſt of Samuell … that Saule repayred vntounto, is ſaid to hauehave a familiar ſpirit. And in that the diuell at her call, appeared vntounto Saule in the likenes of Samuell, and had ſpeach with him: what ſhould let vsus to thinke, that if not always yet ſomtimes, and when ſhe would, the diuell … vntounto her in this or that forme and had … are ſaid to worke with ſpirits, … and they confederate in the ſame workes, and therefore (no doubt,Levit, 19, 31. Lev, 20. 6. this phraſe or manner of ſpeach is vſed, …ſhall not (ſaith Moſes,) …gard them that worke with ſpint…. … worke with ſpirits. The ſecond thing to be obſerued is, that not onlye Alic Samuell but thouſands other hauehave confeſſed the like, as ſtrange, and incredible as theſe of Alice Goodrige, and the truth of the ſame hauehave bene confirmed by many circumſtances, wherevpon theſe kind of people, (witches I meane) hauehave receaued the puniſhment due to ſuch malefactors. Neither did this Alice Goodrige eſcape vnpuniſhed: but was for this very fact and no other committed to Darby gayle by a luſtice of peace, found guilty thereof by the iury, and by my Lord Anderſon adiudged to ympriſonment, where ſince ſhe dyed. Nor yet Edmond Hartley who after he was found guilty by the iury, was adiudged by the Iudge to death, and accordingly executed. Now if this concerning Alice Goodrige and Darlyng which was the very euidence giuen at Darby againſt her, be a meere ieſt & ridiculous matter as the Diſ. maketh it, and that indeed there was no ſuch thinge, (this Darling being as M. Harſnet would hauehave it a very counterfeyt boy, and in that reſpect alſo the caſe nothing ſo in truth) who ſeeth not, that to make the beſt we can, he doth thereby condemne, Iudge, Iuſtice, & Iury of ſimplicity: and he is the only man (forſooth) that hath had a true and thorough inſight into this matter. VVhether this man be in the Premunire that hath ſo directly and publiquely impeached the iudgment giuen by the Queenes Iuſtices againſt the ſalde Alice for bewitching of Darling, ſpecially ſentence beinge giuen heerein, I deſire the reuerend Iudges of the Common Lawes of England (who can beſt iudge heereof, and whome it cheifly concerneth deliberately to conſider. And if it fall out ſo that he be not in caſe of Premunire yet ſure it is ſuch, and ſo notorious an abuſe, as they I truſt in theire wiſdomes will ſee redreſſed.
VVhere in this chapter the Diſc, calleth Thirens my Maiſter & in this whole firſt booke of his ſemeth to match vsus together,Pag. …. as maiſter and ſcholler: and in many places doth pretende as though I had learned I knowe not what from him: ſurely he greatly forgets himſelf for wel he knoweth that in other doctrines, I diſſent a litle more from the Ieſuite and the reſt of that generation then he, for all his gloſe and faire ſhew in this his booke, and therfore it is very vnlikly that I ſhould ſo throughly agree with him in the doctrines of poſſeſſion and, diſpoſſeſſion, as vſually the maſter and ſcholler doe neither can he be ignorante here-of, who is ſo well ſtudied in Thireus, that Thireus, his treatife from which I ſhould learne forſooth all my ſkill, came to light, an. 1598. which was after all our 10. perſons were diſpoſſeſſed, and, the ſaide booke not to be had in Englande, vntill after I was in in the, Gatehouſe (that I knowe of) and therfore it can not be that I learn…d any thinge for my practiſe hitherto from him. except I wente beyond the ſeas vntounto him, and had it from his owne mouth. But I maruell where this firſt booke of the fiue had bene, if Thireus booke had not come to the Diſc. handes, before this Diſcouerie came from them: for whoſoeuer hath read Thireus, may eaſily ſee, how that as wind filleth a bladder, and ſo maketh it bigg, which in it ſelfe is little: ſo hath Thyreus treatiſe of Demoniakes made the firſt booke of the Diſcouerers to ſwell greatly.