Relation of the Grievous Handling of William Sommers, Text
A True Relation OF The grievous handling of WILLIAM SOMMERS OF NOTTINGHAM, Being poſſeſſed with a Devill. SHEWING How he was firſt taken, and how lamentably from time to time he was tormented and afflicted.
Publiſhed by John Darrel, Miniſter of the Word of God.
Printed at London by Tho. Harper. 1641.
The Hiſtory of William Sommers.
WIlliam Sommers of Nottingham, ſonne in law to Robert Cowper of the ſaid towne, and by trade of life a Muſician, about 8. or 9. yeares paſt, as he journeyed from Bellyn in the County of Wigorne, (where hee then dwelt with one M. Anthony Brackenbery) to Bramſgrove, a market towne in that ſhire, accompanyed with an old woman dwelling in the ſaid Bellyn, found an hat with a copper band: the woman requiring the ſame, he gave her the hat, though unwillingly, but the band he utterly refuſed to give, ſuppoſing it to bee of gold: whereupon ſhe threatning him, ſaid, That it had beene as good for him to have given it her. After this, in the night he ſaw a ſtrange light in the chamber where he lay, which caſt him into a great feare, and thus hee continued frighted for a time. Shortly after M. Brackenbery his maſter removed to Holme, neare to Newark upon Trent, in the County of Nottingham, being there ſent about his maſters buſineſſe unto Newark, in the way as he went thither, he was ſuddenly throwne into a ditch, ſome 8. yards diſtant from the high way wherein he went; after he had lyen there a certaine time, he got up and went forward in his journey, but by that he had gone a very little way further, he was taken again and caſt into a thorne buſh about 60. yards diſtant from the high way: but how he came into it or the ditch hee knew not. In theſe two places hee lay for the ſpace of ſome 4. houres, as he perceived after by the time of the day. Notwithſtanding this let, to Newark he went, when in his returne he drew near Holme he began to be ſicke: from ſickneſſe he came to carry himſelfe after that ſtrange manner by fits, that his maſter ſuppoſed him to play the counterfeit, and thereupon he whipped him. But notwithſtanding all the whipping was uſed (which he felt not at all) he continued after that ſame manner, and was more ſtrangely handled every day then other; at length it well appeared to be ſome ſtrange viſitation and hand of God, whereupon his maſter procured one in the Miniſtery to come to him, he being for the ſpace of 3. weekes or thereabouts a continuall trouble, and his maſter not knowing by what means to procure his amendment, ſent him accompanied with 3. perſons to Nottingham to his mother, being then a widow: whilſt he was at Holme he heard ſomething ſay unto him, that upon ſuch a day he would leave him, and not come to him (ſo far as I remember hee ſaid) untill the end of 6. yeares. Now after hee had beene 5. weekes at Nottingham afflicted after his accuſtomed and ſtrange manner, and that the ſaid appointed day was come, he indeed amended in the judgement of man, and ſo continued: inſo much that ſhortly after he was bound prentice to one Thomas Porter of Nottingham, a Weaver and Muſician; who after gave over his trade of weaving, and betooke himſelfe wholly to the other, from whom the ſaid William Sommers did twice run away.
His foreſaid maſter Thomas Porter ſent him to Walton in Darbiſhire, the now dwelling houſe of Sir William Bowes, to a ſiſter of his wifes there named Mary Milwood. In his going thither there met him in Blackwell Moore at a deepe coale-pit hard by the high way ſide, an old woman (as he thought) who asked him where he dwelt, and whither he was going, without any more words. About a mile and halfe further (he having gone forward a journying pace without ſtay) ſhe met him againe, and paſſed by him without any words. The next day hee returning from Walton homewards, ſhe met him at the aforeſaid pit, and asked him how he did? ſaying further, I muſt have a penny from thee. He anſwered, that he had no money. Thou haſt (quoth ſhe) Mary Milwood gave thee 2. pence, I will have a penny of it or I will throw thee into this pit, and break thy necke. Hereupon for feare, ſhe giving him 2. pence, he gave her 3. pence which indeed had bin given him by the ſaid Mary. After this ſhe put her hand to a bag ſhe had about her, and taking thence a peece of bread with butter ſpred on it, bad him eate it. He refuſing, ſhee threatned him againe to throw him into the pit and breake his necke if he would not eate it. Whereupon (greatly againſt his will, and for feare) he did eat it, and in the eating it ſeemed as ſweet as any honey. She ſaid moreover unto him, Doſt thou not know Katherine Wright? No, qooth he. She is my neighbour (ſaid ſhe) and ſhe and I will come to Nottingham one of theſe dayes, and ſee how thou doeſt. Then a cat (as the boy thought) leapt up into her boſome, the which ſhe imbraced, and with her armes claſpt it unto her, and thus they parted each from other.
The ſaid Sommers (being at Nottingham in the houſe of his maſter Thomas Porter) did uſe ſuch ſtrange and idle kinde of geſtures, in laughing, dauncing, and ſuch like light behaviour, that he was ſuſpected to be mad: ſundry times he refuſed all kinde of meat for a long ſpace together, in ſo much as hee did ſeeme thereby to pine away: ſometimes he ſhaked as if hee had had an ague: there was heard a ſtrange noiſe or flapping from within his body: he was often ſeen to gather himſelfe on a round heape under his bed clothes, and being ſo gathered to bounce up a good height from the bed: alſo to beat his head and other parts of his body againſt the ground and bedſtead, in ſuch earneſt manner, and ſo violently, that the beholders did feare that thereby he would have ſpoyled himſelfe, if they had not by ſtrong hand reſtrained him, and yet thereby received he no hurt at all. In moſt of his fits he did ſwell in his body, and in ſome of them did ſo greatly exceed therein, as hee ſeemed to be twice ſo big as his naturall body. Oft alſo was he ſeene to have a certaine variable ſwelling or lump to a great bigneſſe, ſwiftly running up and downe betweene the fleſh and skinne, through all the parts of his body: and many times when that ſwelling was, theſe or the like words were heard out of his mouth, I will goe out at his eyes, or eares, or toes: at which ſpeeches the ſaid ſwelling evidently appearing i… ſuch parts, did immediately remove and vaniſh away. This ſwelling did not onelyonly run from eye to eye▪ from cheeke to cheeke, and up and downe along ſtill in the body, but beſides being now in the one leg, preſently it would be in the other, and ſo of the armes in like manner: and looke in which arme or leg it ſtayed (as often it did for a certaine ſpace) the ſame member was inflexible and exceedingly heavy, as it had beene ſo much iron. Thus it went with him, though not in all, yet in many of his fits, wherein over and beſides theſe things, he was ſtrangely handled, for ſuddenly (if he were ſtanding when the fit came) he would be caſt headlong upon the ground, or fall downe, drawing then his lips awry, gnaſhing with his teeth, wallowing and foaming. In ſundry of his fits he did utter ſo ſtrange and fearfull ſchrieking as cannot bee uttered by mans power, and was of ſuch ſtrength as ſometimes 4. or 5 men, though they had much advantage againſt him by binding of him to a chaire, yet could they not rule him: and in ſhewing that ſtrength he was not perceived to pant or blow, no more then if he had not ſtrained nor ſtrugled at all. Sometimes he cryed extreamly, ſo as teares came from him in great abundance: preſently after he would laugh aloud and ſhrill, his mouth being ſhut cloſe. And being demanded concerning thoſe accidents, he proteſted he knew of no ſuch matter, neither felt he any paine. Moreover, he was oftentimes caſt into the fire, ſome bare part of his body alſo lying in the fire, and yet was not burned; and ſometimes caſt violently againſt the ground, and againſt the wall or poſts of the houſe, without any hurt of his body, and did many wayes ſeeke to deſtroy himſelfe; by reaſon whereof they were driven to take away his knife, girdle, garters, &c. yea with the ſheet of his bed hee had like to have ſtrangled himſelfe. Whereupon, as alſo through the increaſing of his fits, they were conſtrained to watch him continually, even day and night. His behaviour generally towards all that came, was very pleaſant, moſt impudent alſo and ſhameleſſe, with much uncleanneſſe. His ſpeeches were uſually vaine, delivered in very ſc…ffing manner and many times filthy and uncleane, very unfit once to be named, or blaſphemous, ſwearing moſt fearfully, uſing one bloody oath after another: ſometimes ſaying, I am God, and ſometimes, There is no GOD.
Being moved to ſay the Lords Prayer, when he came to theſe words, Lead us not into temptation, hee would ſay, Lead us into temptation: Divers fond ſpeeches did he uſe to interrupt them that prayed for him. Many ſtrange ſpeeches alſo were uttered by him, not in his owne name, but as ſpoken by an evill ſpirit poſſeſſing him: upon occaſion of ſome queſtion or ſpeech uſed by ſome in their ſimplicity and ignorance: as, That his D…m… had ſent him, that his name was L…ye, that he was King, that he was Prince of darkneſſe. You thinke I have no power of him, yet I can uſe his tongue, his teeth, lippes, hands, legges, his body and all parts of him. And as the ſpirit named each part, hee uſed it. And this ſpeech with the action was very common: Was I (ſaid he to one John Wiggin) never in heaven? Yea, quoth he, but God for thy pride threw thee downe into hell, there to remaine. One John Sherwood charging him to tell who ſent him thither, he anſwered, a woman. He charged him againe to tell where ſhe dwelt: he anſwered, in Worceſterſhire. Whether is ſhe living or dead? Dead ſaid hee. Wherefore did ſhe ſend thee? For a hat and hatband. Then the boy, when the fit was done, was queſtioned with concerning theſe things: where unto he returned for anſwer, that which is ſet downe in the beginning of this ſtory, which he had concealed untill that time. Hereunto I might adde certaine direct anſwers he made in Latine to thoſe ſpeeches which in Latine were uſed unto him: a little Greek he alſo ſpake, being ignorant in thoſe languages, altogether in the one, and underſtanding little or nothing in the other.
In going thus with the boy, I was importuned in his behalfe, firſt by two letters, after by another from the Maior, and thereupon I went unto him. At when & about the time I condeſcended to goe, (being 14. miles off him) hee ſpake thereof to them which were about him: So when I was come to Nottingham, hee inſtantly told the ſame, and foretold my comming unto him when I drew neere the houſe, as he had alſo foretold M. Aldridge (the Preacher of the Towne) his comming at ſundry times.
Towards that evening I came, he ſeemed to be ſi…ke, and his ſickneſſe greatly to increaſe upon him, ſo as they feared he would have dyed, or had been dead: for he lay an houre with his face and hands blacke, cold as ice, no breath being perceived to come from him. Whereupon I was no ſooner light, but tidings hereof was brought to me by one of the neighbour women Ioane Pye by name, who came purpoſely from him to ſignifie the ſame unto me. To whom I anſwered, that was the meere act or operation of the Divell, and that the boy was nothing leſſe then either dead, or in danger thereof. Forthwith with her I went to him, whom we found very lively, and in one of his accuſtomed Fits, many being preſent with him.
My ſpeech I carried for a ſeaſon doubtfully; but after a while perceiving how it was with him, I did aſſure him that he was poſſeſſed, and had in that body of his a Divell, and withall did ſo frame the words of my mouth, as might beſt ſerve to prepare and ſtir him up to a ſpirituall fight againſt Satan, or reſiſtance of him in faith. This evening he acted many ſins by ſignes and geſtures, moſt lively repreſenting and ſhadowing them out unto us: as namely, brawling, quarrelling, fighting, ſwearing, robbing by the high wayes, picking and cutting of purſes, burglary, whoredome, pride both in men and women, hypocriſie, ſluggiſhneſſe in hearing the Word, drunkenneſſe, gluttony, alſo dancing with the toyes thereto belonging, the manner of anticke dances, the games of dicing and carding, the abuſe of the viole, with other inſtruments. At the end of ſundry of theſe he laughed exceedingly, divers times clapping his hands on his thighes for joy: And at the end of ſome of them, as killing and ſtealing, he ſhewed how he brought them to the gallowes, making a ſigne thereof. During this time, which continued about an houre, as hee was altogether ſilent, ſo was hee moſt active, though his eyes were cloſed; and in many things he did, there was great and neceſſary uſe of ſight. In a word, theſe things were in ſuch lively and orient colours painted out (as I may ſay) unto us that were preſent, being to the number of ſome ſixty, that I for my owne part, (and I am perſwaded the reſt of the beholders are of my minde) doe verily thinke, that it is not in the skill and power of man to doe the like. Whilſt we were recommending him and his grievous eſtate to the Lord, and intreating his Majeſty in his behalfe, hee uttered theſe words: I muſt be gone.
The next day being the Lords day, I came not at him untill about 3 a clocke in the afternoon, (finding company with him) at which time I uſed ſome ſpeech, wherein I endevoured to prepare both him and his maſters family, as alſo his parents (whom that judgement principally concerneth) unto the holy exerciſe the day after to be performed. Towards evening much people reſorted to the houſe, then ſome words of exhortation were uſed by my ſelfe, for the ſanctifying of ſo many of us, whoſe ſpirits God ſhould ſtirre up, to joyn in that ſolemne ſervice and worſhip of God to be performed on the day following. As the night and day before he had little or no reſt from Satan afflicting him: ſo this evening, and all the night long, he handled him more extreamly then before. At this time among other things the ſpirit retorted his tongue into his throat, and this he did often, whereupon many looked with a candle into his mouth, where they could ſee no tongue nor part of it, onelyonly in his throat they beheld the root thereof, hee uttered often theſe words, For corne, for corne, with a few more thereunto appertaining, noting the unſatiable deſire of gaine, or raiſing the price of corne in corne men. This night was ſpent by ſome well diſpoſed people, in reading and praying. This evening I requeſted the Miniſter of that Congregation, M. Aldridge, M. Aldred, and M. Halam, Paſtors of two ſeverall townes neere acjoyning unto Nottingham, to joyne with me on the morrow in the miniſtration of the Word and Prayer: whereunto they condeſcended. And this I did the rather, that thereby I might proclaime and make knowne unto all men, that as I have no ſpeciall or greater gift herein then the reſt of my brethren: ſo neither doe I arrogate or challenge any ſuch thing to my ſelfe.
In the morning many of us were aſſembled together in the next convenient and ſeemly roome to the place of his abode. The boy was brought with ſtrange and fearfull ſcrikings, by ſix or ſeaven ſtrong men, who had all of them enough adoe to bring him, and laid him on a couch in the midſt of us. M. Aldridge began, and after prayer proceeded to the interpretation of the 4. of Hoſea, the two firſt verſes. When he had finiſhed, my ſelfe intreated of that ſtory ſet downe in the 9 of Mark, from verſe 14. untill the 30. where the father bringing his poſſeſſed childe to Chriſt to be cured, had him healed accordingly. All this day he was continually vexed and tormented by Satan, having little no reſt at all, ſo as the ſame for vexation by the ſpirit, farre exceeded any of the dayes before. His torments in his fits were moſt grievous and fearfull to behold, wherein his body being ſwelled, was toſſed up and downe. In theſe fits his ſtrength was very great, ſo as being held downe with five ſtrong men, hee did notwithſtanding all their ſtrength, againſt their wills, riſe and ſtand upright on his feet. Hee was alſo continually torne in very fearfull manner, and disfigured in his face; wherein ſometimes his lips were drawne awry, now to the one ſide, now to the other. Sometimes his face and necke diſtorted to the right and to the left hand, yea ſometimes writhen to his backe. Sometimes he thruſt out his tongue very farre and bigge, and ſometimes turned backwards into his throat, gaping ſo wide that we might afarre off perceive it. Now he gnaſhed, with his teeth, now he fomed like to the Horſe or Boare, roaping downe to his breaſt, notwithſtanding there was one purpoſely ſtanding by with a cloath ever and anon to wipe it away▪ Not to ſay any thing of his fearfull ſtaring with his eyes, and incredible gaping.
This day, notwithſtanding he was ſo held, as is aforeſaid, hee went about to have choked and ſo deſtroyed himſelfe: ſpeeches he uſed none, ſave once in a great voyce, Corne. And when I applied that ſpeech of our Saviour, All things are poſſible to him that beleeveth; hee uſed theſe words, Thou lieſt. Divers times he ſcriked or cried aloud in a ſtrange and ſupernaturall manner: ſometimes he roared fearfully like a Beare, and cried like a ſwine.
Towards the evening, as I was treating of theſe words, Then the ſpirit cryed and rent him ſore, and came out, and he was as one dead, inſomuch that many ſaid he is dead. The boy was rent▪ſore indeed, cryed, and that aloud. Then the people which were preſent, as men aſtoniſhed, and wi…h the grievous ſight, & … unſpeakeable, affected in the bowels of compaſſion towards him, breaking then hitherto continued ſilence, cried out all at once, as it were with one voyce unto the Lord, to have mercy upon him: and within a quarter of an houre (they and he ſtill crying alowd) he held down on a bed by 5 men, and offering as though he would have vomited, was on the ſudden violently caſt, and his body there with turned, ſo as his face lay downwards to the ground, and at the beds feet, and his backe upward, with his feet on the beds head; and thus bee lay as if he had been dead for a ſeaſon. Thus we have heard not only how it went with Sommers … the time of his poſſeſſion, and at and little before his diſpoſſeſſion, but alſo how and by what meanes I came unto him, and being there, carried my ſelfe in thi… preſent action.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Darrell, Relation of the Grievous Handling of William Sommers (1641)