The Sinful Shameful Lying and Ridiculous Discourse of Samuel Harshnet, Treatise · Book 2 · Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
OF CHAP. 5.
Of M, Dar cunning inſtructing of Somers, by ſpeaking to others in his hearing ſuch things, as he ment he ſhould practiſe in the detecting of witches.
After M. Dar.Diſouery. brought him on to an other matter concerning the detecting of witches,pag. 137. affirming to diuers in the preſence of Somers, that it was ordinary with thoſe that were lately diſpoſſed to detect witches, and that So. would doe the like. Theſe things M. Dar. denyeth.
Darrell.
As before the Diſc. hath tould vsus that I inſtructed So. in his practiſes from the 5. of Nouember vntill the 7. 2. to diſſemble a repoſſeſſion. 3. certayne tricks vnderunder a couerlett, by ſpeaking to others in Som. hearing: ſo heere he ſaith the ſame concerning the detecting of witches: that I inſtructed him therein, by ſpeaking to others in his hearing. Hence it commeth that both in theſe ſeuerall inſtructiors a…nages mē tioned by the Diſcouerer, and the depoſitions prouing the ſame and namely this touching witches, we hauehave ordinarily ſome of theſe clauſes, in the preſence of Somers. ſee for a …t …et … 113.in the boyes preſence, the boy being preſent, Somers being preſent, in the preſence of the boy, M. Dar… affirmes t… theſe that were with the boy, in the hearing of Somers, before Somer &c. And thoſe with ſuch like clauſes are moſt materyall, and ſuch as might not be omitted, for then my cunning inſtructing, and depoſitions concerning the ſame doe fall to the grounde. Did euer any ſince the worlde was made publiſh to the world for truth and in good earneſt, ſo abſurd and ridiculous ſtuff, as this is of my inſtructing So. by ſpeaking to others in h… hearing, what I would hauehave him to doe? The Diſc. ſpeaketh often o… wonders, he may well let this go among one o… them, for I am ſure it is a matter to be wondred at were it true, viz. that Darrell and Somers ſhould agree togither about counterfeyting a poſſeſſion, dupofeſſion &c. which are not very eaſy to be counterfeyted, meere together thereabout for the ſpace or 4. or 5. yeares, hauehave inſtuctions in writing paiſe betwene them, after comming to d…eii at the ſame towne meete often in Dar. chamber alone, and euen then when t…ele counterfeyt tricks were doing, and yet notwithſtanding …efer an…ther inſtructing and learning vntill the very time cameth the…. So. …id do his feytes before others. One woulde thinke t…men woulde ra…r hi…ſe at theſe things then beleeue them. but by … ne…cable experience we ſee it is otherwiſe: wherein the folly of ma…, a…d now eaſily hee is miſſed and ſeducep, doth euidently appeare.
George Richardſon depoſeth thus, ….One Miſtriſſe Wallis and others did talke in the roun… where So. lay, of ſuch perſons as were ſuſpected to he witche…, before be the ſaid Somers did name them.
By this depoſition of the Diſc. …owne witneſſe as I may ſay, (& therefore not by him not to be denye… for ſure teſtimony) this laſt ſuppoſed inſtruction of myne is very much weakened, for it is verye vnlikely that I did inſtr…t him to dete…t witches, ſeeing I did not dyrect him what perſons he ſhoulde name for witches, as appeareth by this depoſition, which ymplyeth that he had ſuch direction only from this ſpeach of Miſtreſſe Wallys and others, But what if Miſtreſſe Wallys and the reſt had not come in the nick, as I may ſay? or comminge had … named theſe perſons ſuſpected to be witches? or if they had named them, yet had not ſo done in the roome where Somers lay, that is not in his hearing? I fall theſe things had not fallen out thus hand patt as the ſay, where had then bene this detecting of witches? For it muſt needs be that evther this coſenage had neuer bene, or Som. had at …eaſt named other perſons. But it may be that Miſtreſſe Wallys at leaſt if not the others had confederated with me about my teachinge So. to counterfeyt, and there are theſe circumſtances to ſtrengthen it. 1. S…ee is my wifes ſiſter. 2. when it was ſhe was not t…ngur-ty… what a man her brother was. 3. Shee writ a letter vntounto me to come ouer an… ſee, …om. 4. we heare what wordes ſhee vttered (if we may be…leue George Richardſon ſwearing) and that in So. h…aring. Conſidering theſe circumſtances ſurely the Diſc. did greatly forgett himſelfe, for el…e vndoubtedly when it was, he woulde hauehave depoſed and examyned Miſtriſſe Wallys about this matter.
Diſcou.
M. Dar.pag 142. (ſaith Robert Cooper) deſired the Maior to make inquirye through the towne, if any perſon could charge any of the pretended witches. The Maior did ſo accordingly, & nothing being ſayd to diuers of their charges, they were all ſett at liberty vponupon bonds, ſaning two.
Darrell.
I ſaid that the ſaid detecting of certayne perſons for witches was done by Sathan, and as he might therein ſpeake truth to an euill end, ſo being the father of lyes, there was more cauſe to ſuſpect him of lying: and therefore whoſoeuer ſhould there-vponupon hold & report them (or any of them) to be witches without ſome proofe had therof from men, ſhould iniure them in their good name, & ſin againſt god. For whereas So. was very ſtrangely and greuouſly handled at the bringing and carrying away of the detected perſons, and ſo oft as that was don where-vponupon percaſe ſome ſuſpected them to be witches: we muſt remember that this alſo was done by the diuell (as by the manner of it it did appeare) therefore not to be regarded, who were they, or ſom of them, moſt free from witchcraft, yet might hauehave done ſo, thereby to hauehave drawne the innocent to puniſhment, and man to condemne & ſlaunder the righteous Heere-vponupon I affirmed, that if any could teſtify any thing againſt them concerning witchcraft, it were wel they did it. And I hearde that witneſſed againſt them yea almoſt all of thē, before they were had to the magiſtrate, that for my own part I did & ſtill doe ſuſpect them generally to be ſuch as worke with ſpirits, and that Alice Freeman, Widdow Higgit, Widdow Boote, Groues, Millycent Horſlay, and So. aunt (whoſe name I know not) are ſuch I hauehave no doubt, and I thinke I could make proofe of thoſe facts of theires, as would make it manifeſt to others. And heereby it is playne that it is vntrue the Diſc. ….ſaith, that the parties brought vntounto Somers. were thereby reputed for witches: for thus it was: Preſently vppon the detection, matters of fact came to light, firſt priuatly, then openly in the towne hall, which lay hid vntill then, and there-vponupon were they reputed for witches. yea it is well knowne to the inhabitants of Nott that when theſe of the towne of Nott. were openly before the magiſtrates of the ſaid towne for ſuſpition of witchcraft, there was not a word vſed concerning the detection: widdow Higgit was reputed a witch, for diuers fa…s wherein it muſt needes be that the diuell and ſhe did conſpire to gether, and eſpecially for murthering the childe of one Bingham of Nott whereof he openly accuſed her in the towne hall. So Alice Freman was reputed a witch for matter of fact, ſpecially a little after the dete…ion, vponupon ſuſpition of murthering the childe of Mary Cooper ſiſter vntounto Somers, wherevpon ſhe was condemned by (a) two Iuryes of w…lfull murther, and it is ſtrange that any Iury ſhould be founde to acquite her there o…. Thus might I proceede to the reſt, ſaue that none of them were charged with taking away the life of any. Yea lett all men iudge of Milli…ent Horſlayes owne confeſſion: who beinge by M. Perkyn… Iuſtice of peace examyned, and denyinge that euer ſhee hurt any body, acknowledged that ſhe had helped divers, but it was (forſooth) by good prayers, whereof ſhe then ſaid one.
Diſcouerer.
But this deuiſe of Dar.pag 142. pag 143. concerning the detecting of witches is almoſte laide aſleepe. and againe This deceipt of Dar. is ſo daſht, as it is ſuppoſed wee ſhall heare no more of it.
Darrell.
It is a practiſe of Sathan and no deuiſe of myne to diſcloſe the acquaintance he hath with ſome of his familiars. This hath bene ſeene beeſides in Tho. Darling and the 7. in Lancaſhire, in Margaret Heryſon, (of whome beefore) M. Throckmortons children, & many others. And where the Diſc. ſuppoſeth we ſhall heare no more of this, ſurely we had not if he had not giuen cauſe thereof: and before I ende, I muſt once againe tell him and all men, that it was not So. but the diuell by his tongue, that detected the witches. For firſt it is not likely that he coulde hauehave diſcloſed ſo many, 2. As Sathan was during this Diſcouery ſenſibly about So. body vnderunder the couering to our ſight, hearing, and feeling, (as is aforeſaid) ſo was he alſo ſenſibly vexing him in his bo…y, as was manifeſt to the great multitude that duringe that tyme beheld him: In probabillity therefore might not the diuell vſe his tongue and other inſtruments of ſpeach, although that be very rare and extraordinary, as well as perform other things as rare, yea more rare about him. and alſo moleſt him in his body, & ſome other parts therof? 3. He knew nothing more or leſſe of the infinite ſpeaches he then vttered, and namely of his calling for and naming certaine perſons to be witches, as himſelfe then affirmed, when there was ſome beleuing of him, and in reaſon to leade others to beleeue him, as wil appeare by the reaſon following. 4. whiles he was diſcouering theſe perſons, he vttered thoſe thinges which paſſ…d his knowledge and vnderſtanding: For now it was that he expounded the Creed by the ſpace of an howre: when Alice Freeman and widdowe Higgit were ſearched by diuers weomen, a good way from his fathers hou…e, he tould therof euen as they were ſearching, and that Alice Freeman ha…a mark of ſuch a ſhoulder, and the other none found of her, which was euen ſo. VVhen Milicent Horſlay was had before the abouenamed M. Perkins 4. or 5. myles diſtant from Nott. he tould the very time ſhe was examyned, the words ſhe then vſed for herſelfe, and of the ſtripping & ſearching of her. In like ſort he tould of the ſpeaches and actions of her ſiſter a myle of Nott. euen when the ſame fell out. And were it not to auoyde tedyouſnes, much more of this kinde migh… heere be ſaid. Seeing then it is cleare, that theſe ſpeaches were vttered by the diuell: why ſhould we not thinke that the other ſpeaches, which concerned and accompanyed the ſame, & were vttered as it were with the ſame breath, came from the ſame ſpirit?
OF CHAP. 6.
Of M. Dar. courſe, from about the ſeauenth of December vntill the fourteenth of Ianuary, whileſt Somers refuſed to diſſemble any longer.
Diſcou.
M. Dar. bent his chiefe force to perſwade his auditorye,pag 145 that ſathan would lurke ſometimes about one (out of whome he had bene caſt) ſuffering the party to be well for a good ſpace, but that he was verily p…ſwaded, that Sathan would not giuegive him ouer, vntill in the end he had repoſſ…ſſed him.
About 8.Darrell. weekes after the time the Diſcouerer. heere ſpeaketh of, and after Somers had giuen it forth that he counterfeyted, I did openlye affirme, that Somers had not counterfeyted, and 2. that he was repoſſeſſed, and that it came from the ſubtlety of ſathan then lurking in him, that he vexed him not, but I woulde hauehave b…ne aſhamed, to hauehave ſaide, that Sathan would lurke ſometimes about one, or that Sathan would not giuegive So. ouer vntil he had repoſſeſſed him, as the Diſc. chargeth me to hauehave done: but proueth none of them not ſo …uch as by a ſalfe witnes, no not by So. owne teſtimony, who ſtādeth him in great ſtead at other times for the proofe of many worthy things. But that which the Diſc. ſaith heere, he thwarteth and ouerthroweth elſe-where. for heere from the 7. of December vntill the 14. of Ianuary, he will hauehave me pratling to my auditory that Sathan lurketh ſometimes about one, & that ſathan wold not giuegive ouer vntill in the end h… had rep…ſſeſſed Somers. in the whole Chapter following alſo affirming, that he began to be repoſſeſſed about the 14. of Ianuary: and in page 127. he telleth vsus that …o. ſuppoſed repoſſeſſion was about the 21. of Nouember. If I held and gaue it out about the 21. of N…uember, that So. was repoſſeſſed. it is not credible that I ſhould from the 7. of December till the 14. of Ianu…r… ia…g…e as the Diſc. affirmeth. And this is the 9. tyme that the Diſcouerer is conuinced by his owne Diſcouery
Diſcou.
The author of the Narration writeth thus vponupon So.pag 147 diſpoſſ…ſſi…n M. Dar. was retayned preacher in Nott. that populous towne, hauing h…d no ſetled preacher there before this time, ſince the begining of her maieſtyes raigne. …yther M. Aldridg or his companion are in danger of an hard imputation: except it may be thus holpen. M. Aldridg is v…ar of S Maryes in Nott. wheras this fellow peraduenture accounteth neyther perſons nor vicars nor any that bear ſuch popiſh names, for preachers: the Doctor to be choſen by the parriſh, as M. Dar. was, is the preacher (forſooth) that muſt beare the beil.
Darrell.
The Narrator denyeth not, that they hauehave had a preacher, but no ſetled preacher, or ſtandinge myniſterie, for that M. Aldridg hath flocks or congregations beeſides to attend vppon as well as that, whereby it hath corne to paſſe, that his people of Nott. hauehave hearde his voyce oft times but once in a monneth, ſometimes ſildome: which many beſides the Narrator account no ſetled miniſtery.