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<DATE>2007-06-05</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="1">
<HEAD>&para; TO HIS SINGVLER good freend and loouing Cuntreyman, Mai&s;ter Robert Handley Citizen and Grocer of London and Merchant Venterer into the Cuntries of Spaine Richard Galis wi&s;heth long life and pro&s;peritie to the plea&s;ure of God and his &s;oules helth.</HEAD>
<P>_AFter I was giuen to vnder|&s;tand of your &s;afe return from Spa|nish &s;oyle (mo&s;te deer and &s;inguler good Freend) and of your happy ar|riuall heer into this Cittie, I vvas often in hart more de&s;irous, then in effects any vviaesable, vvith &s;ome &s;mall toke~ of my good vvil to gratulate your vvelcome home, and to thentent I might not be touched vvith that odible vice of Ingratitude (a vice of all men mo&s;te to be dete&s;ted) I imagined many times vvith my &s;elf vvhich vvay I might be&s;t frame myne habilitie, by v&s;ing &s;ome parte of renuneration for your manifolde curte|&s;ies (a&s; vve vpon my &s;elf as for my &s;ake vpon my Freendes imployed) to auoid the &s;ame, emong&s;t vvhich my cogitations this handful of &s;cribled and banerpapers conteining the vvunderfull and mo&s;te &s;trange crueltie of Elizabeth Stile alias Roc+kingham and her a&s;&s;ociates lately at Abingdon re|vvarded vvith the guerdo~ due for their demerits, came to my mind, vvhich after I had fini&s;hed albeit at the fir&s;t deeming them vnvvorthy of dedication to any: yet at the la&s;t incen&s;ed vvith the natuall
<PB REF="2">
in&s;tinct of your gentle di&s;po&s;ition I vvas imbolde|ned (the rather for that that you your &s;elf haue ta|&s;ted of their cup of di&s;plea&s;ure) to commend the &s;ame beeing the fir&s;t frutes of my labour to the gathering of your loouing hands therby outvvardly to shevve vvhat the invvarde hart de&s;ireth if abilitie did not vvant, hoping that vvith the mo&s;te renovv|med Per&s;ian King Artaxerxes you vvil freendly vouch&s;afe tha~kfully to receiue this handfull of colde vvater, the entire cogni&s;aunce of my vvilling minde, offered vnto you, de&s;iring you as lea&s;ure may &s;erue you thorovvly vvith your freends to per|u&s;e it, by reuoluing vvherof if you finde any delight, gently to thinke of the vvriter vvho vvisheth you encrea&s;e of health, vvelth and felicitie vntil the ti~e that Atrapos shall cut of the thread of this your mortall life and that after you haue pa&s;&s;ed the pace and run the race of this short voyage and iournye and of this brittle frail and vncon&s;tant life yovv may be placed, &s;ociated, knit and comined in that glittering light and ble&s;full life of that cele&s;tiall Ie+ru&s;alem among&s;t the company of heauenly Soules and holy mindes vvhich do en|ioy the life that only may be cal|led life and only Emire inuincible.</P>
<P>&Dagger;</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>&para; Your a&s;&s;ured Freend in the Lorde Richard Galis.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<P><PB REF="2">
_AS thou ha&s;t all ready mo&s;te (gentle Rea+der begun to &s;ati&s;fie thy greedye eyes with the freendly &s;uruey of the late confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Elizabeth Stile alias Ro+ckingam,</HI> comprehending not a handful to the number of their deuili&s;h pagea~ts play+ed. So per&s;euer &s;till I be&s;eech thee with no le&s;&s;e good will to peru&s;e this true edi|tion for thy &s;ake and contentatio~ only &s;et foorth de&s;cribing the &s;trange, cruell and diabolicall tiranny practi&s;ed through the little regarde and great necligence of Ma+gi&s;trates in the&s;e our dayes winking at y^e faultes of the Offenders which neither re+garded the pitteful plaints of the tormen|ted, nor the continuall plagues of the Tormentor powred out day by day vpon their hone&s;t and inocent Neighboures, &s;ome bereft of life, &s;ome of their wits and &s;ome of the naturall cour&s;e of their lims.</P>
<P>Emong&s;t which I being one of the lea&s;t that &s;uffered mo&s;te and oftne&s;t went to y^e pot, thought it good to &s;et foorth &s;ome parte bothe of mine owne troubles and of diuers others for thy behoof, in reuolui~g wherof, if iro~ my ha~ds thou expect for my philed phra&s;e or lerned &s;tile being but mi&s;|led vp in a homely cuntrie Cabbin where the practi&s;e of the &s;tayle and whip more ri+per
<PB REF="3">
is then lernings lore, thou &s;halt great+ly be deceiued. But if a plain Shepherds tale neither prophane or fained, oftner oc|cupied in the tarbox and &s;heephook, In|&s;truments more fit for me then either pen or inck may &s;erue thy turn: receiue thy de|&s;ire. Employe therfore thy paines in per|v&s;ing the &s;ame, and if any thing thou find that either pre&s;ently co~tenteth thy minde or that herafter prooue to thy proffit: giue thanks to them (and not to me) at who&s;e in&s;tance I framed the &s;ame, which do on in requitall of my paines: I haue that which I doo expect. Thus farwel gentle Reader.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>RG.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>&para; The fir&s;t attempt of Elizabeth Stile alias Mother Rockingam and her confederates Witches executed for their offences the twentie&s;ix day of <HI>February</HI> la&s;t pa&s;t practi|&s;ed again&s;t the Author.</HEAD>
<P>_BEING AT DI|uer&s;e and &s;undry times gr&eacute;euou&s;lye vexed, troubled and tormented a&s;|well in Body as in Minde, &s;ome times in my raging fits dete&s;ting &amp; abhorring all Company, eft&s;ones again erne&s;tly de+&s;iring the &s;ame, I often Imagined with my &s;elfe what &s;traunge di&s;ea&s;e and gr&eacute;ef it &s;hould be that &s;o &s;hould (b&eacute;eing whole in Body and not ouercharged with &s;ickne&s;&s;e, although exempt of perfect remem|brance) abate my fle&s;h and weaken my Body, and lying in my bed forworne w^t vnquiet re&s;t, heauy w^t ouer much watchi~g, &amp; de&s;irous to va~qui&s;h my pains by taking a little &s;l&eacute;epe: &s;uddainly about twelue a clock in the night a &s;hodowe of a huge and mightie black Cat, app&eacute;ered in my Chamber, which y^e more as &s;h&eacute;e approched n&eacute;er my bed &s;ide: &s;o much the more began my here to &s;tand vpright, my hart to faint, and my paines more and more to encrea&s;e, in &s;o much I was con&s;trained to call for my Fathers Maid, to vring a Candle, wherby I might more cl&eacute;erly beholde mine Enemie which did &s;o euelly intreat m&eacute;e, which Maide, b&eacute;eing entred into my Chamber: I willed to looke for y^e Cat, but &s;he was not to be found, neither could the light which &s;h&eacute;e brought continue burning, at which &s;trange &s;ight beeing ama&s;ed: the Maide beeing gon to bed again,
<PB REF="4">
and I left tumbling and to&s;&s;ing in my bed, more like to dye then any longer to liue, my &s;h&eacute;ets wring|ing wet with &s;weat cau&s;ed through this &s;uddain feare, I called at the la&s;t to my remembrance a Brother of mine named Iames Galis who about the A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e off fift&eacute;ene y&eacute;eres falling out with one Mo|ther <HI>Dutton</HI> one of the helli&s;h broode, and at that time &s;u&s;pected to be in that ind&eacute;ed which afterward &s;h&eacute;e prooued was in like &s;orte taken in his bed, and bereft of his wits, which vntil this day are not his owne &s;til crying away with the Witch away with the Witch, I forewith coniectured that the &s;ame Cat which &s;o amazed m&eacute;e, was either &s;ome Witch or of &s;ome Witches &s;ending and that my paines be+fore and at that in&s;taunce &s;u&s;tained was by &s;ome Witch practi&s;ed vpon m&eacute;e. Whervpon knowing that prayer in all troubles and extremities was the ch&eacute;efe&s;t &s;tring wheron each true Chri&s;tian ought for to &s;trike, I tooke my prayer booke wherin was conteined a&s; wel hol&s;ome and godly prayers as p&s;a|lmes, and with the bracki&s;h teares di&s;tilling from the fountaines of my eyes, I &s;ometimes red ther|in, and &s;ometime againe &s;inging P&s;almes to the honor and glory of God which had vouch&s;afed of his meere mercie and goodnes to &s;trenghthen me in this my afflictions, vtterly from the bottome of my hart dete&s;ting and hauing in defiaunce all the crue of deuili&s;h Enchaunters, wherof England at this day dooth abounde. Per&s;wading my &s;elf that God b&eacute;eing my helper, buckler and defence, nei|ther any Witch nor all the Deuils in hel (were they in number as many as the &s;ands in the Sea could haue once power to hurt m&eacute;e, all this while not forgetting Iob who&s;e faith no plague, no greef paine, nor vexation, that euer Sathan by Gods &s;ufferaunce might ouer charge him with could not
<PB REF="4">
any wi&s;e remooue, thus as I haue &s;aid, &s;pending &amp; contriuing weary and painful night in prayer, Aurora began to &s;hewe her &s;elf, who&s;e cri&s;tall cl&eacute;ernes as it app&eacute;ered: &s;o began my paines to &s;urcea&s;e, &amp; I to be exonerated of the burthen therof, which when I felt: I cau&s;ed forwith the Bible to be brought m&eacute;e, and incontinently I trurned to the before remembred hi&s;tory of that iu&s;t man Job, of who&s;e &s;tedfa&s;t faith and milde patience when I had read and read againe, &s;uch &s;trength in the Lorde did &s;o abound in m&eacute;e, that after that time all the plagues, mi&s;chiefs and torments practi&s;ed by the &s;aid helli&s;h Hagges again&s;t m&eacute;e could not afray m&eacute;e.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hovv the Author occa&s;ioned to vvalke to Cluevvorth met vvith Mother Dutton vvhome he (lea&s;t thinking on) brou|ght to VVind&s;ore before the Magi&s;trates vvhich vvithout any examination &s;et her at libertie.</HEAD>
<P>_REcouered of my gr&eacute;efs and by Gods deuine proui|dence re&s;tored by little and little to my former he|alth, bearing yet in minde &s;ome parte of the &s;aid Mother Duttons dealing v&s;ed vpon my &s;aid Bro|ther Iames, and after that vpon my &s;elf, I determined hap what hap might, when conuenient ley&s;ure might &s;erue to bring the &s;aid Mother Dutton to Winde&s;ore, before the Ma+gi&s;trates there, to the intent if otherwi&s;e &s;h&eacute;e could not purge her&s;elf the better of that wherwith &s;he &s;hould be charged: &s;h&eacute;e might receiue &s;uch condign puni&s;hment as for &s;uch Offe~ders by the lawes of y^e Realme was due and prouided. Which de+termination as it was then remembred: &s;o in proce&s;&s;e of time was it forgotten, til it fortuned that walking one day after dinner to walk to Cluewoorth about certain my affaires whi+ch I had there to doo: &s;h&eacute;e met m&eacute;e ful in the face, who&s;e &s;ud|dain m&eacute;eting remoouing my former intent then &s;et in obliuio~: cau&s;ed m&eacute;e furiou&s;ly to lay holde vpon her arme, by the whi|ch without many woords giuen I brought her to the hall a pri+&s;on in Winde&s;or de&s;iring the keeper therof &s;urely to k&eacute;ep her in his cu&s;tody vntil commaundement were giuen him by the
<PB REF="5">
Magi&s;trates to the contrary which h&eacute;e denyed to doo without &s;ome &s;peciall warrant from y^e Maior or the Iu&s;tice for his di&s;|charge, whervpon I led her before Mai&s;ter Richard Read|forth at y^e time Maior of Winde&s;or de&s;iring him as he was true Officer to God and to his Prince to giue his warrant to the Iaylor for the better &s;aue keeping of this Witch h&eacute;er bro|ught by mee before him, who for her deuili&s;h Sorceries and enchauntments cruelly practi&s;ed vpon diuers hone&s;t men de|&s;erue~th not to liue, affirming that if I could not prooue her by &s;ufficient tryall to be a weed woorthye of plucking vp: I would receiue &s;uch puni&s;hment as might be to all (attemp|ting the like either again&s;t man or woman) a good en&s;ample but he being belike as a great number be now a dayes y^e more pittie, and I would to God it may be amended, mi&s;tru&s;ting her deuili&s;h practi&s;es and fearing lea&s;t &s;ome mi&s;chief might &s;ucc&eacute;ed his correctio~ either to him or his, altogither forgetting his oth and dutie towards God and his Prince, for the due puni&s;hme~t of Offendors in y^t ca&s;e had &amp; prouided commau~ded me y^t without further delay I &s;hould let her go, which foorth|with I did no le&s;&s;e bewailing her libertie then lamenting the lack of better Magi&s;trates to w&eacute;ed out &s;uch Malefactors.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>Hovv the &s;aid Mother Dutton after her deliuery from the Authors hands by the Mayor, practi&s;ed vvith her A&s;&s;oci|ates his ouerthroovve.</HEAD>
<P>_AFter this pe&s;tilent Witch was &s;et at libertie, &s;h&eacute;e with her Confederates perceiuing the little regard the Magi&s;trates appointed to mini&s;ter Iu&s;tice, for the puni&s;hment of vice had of the complaintes made and put vp again&s;t the~ and greatly encouraged therby, cea&s;ed not now to practi&s;e all kinde of meanes to vexe, trouble and mole&s;t m&eacute;e which becau&s;e of my &s;tedfa&s;t faith in God they could not by the~ &s;elues nor by their wicked &s;pirits execute the &s;ame vpon m&eacute;e, they &s;tirred vp others to be their cruel mini|&s;ters in the &s;ame.</P>
<P>&para; Fir&s;t procuring my Fr&eacute;ends whome Nature lincked in the league of looue and Freend&s;hip vtterly to dete&s;t m&eacute;e, &s;hame+fully to v&s;e m&eacute;e, and that which gr&eacute;eued m&eacute;e mo&s;te maliciou&s;ly to enuie mee, in &s;uch &s;orte and &s;o long that I often times wi|&s;hed exchaunge of my lyfe for a mo&s;te ha&s;ty and &s;p&eacute;edy death, thus liuing there in exile where rea&s;on would I &s;hould haue b&eacute;en mo&s;te of all &s;uccoured, hated of all without cau&s;e, and looued of few, it chaunced that a Fr&eacute;end of mine Mai&s;ter Robert Handley (before reher&s;ed) who at that time for recrea|tion &s;ake making his aboade at a hou&s;e of his in the cuntrie was likewi&s;e bewitched in his limmes &s;o that he was not a|ble to go, who &s;u&s;pecting his gr&eacute;efes to come by witchcraft, cau&s;ed m&eacute;e to be &s;ent for partely for Fr&eacute;end&s;hips &s;ake which alwayes hath b&eacute;en equall betwixt vs, and partely to v&s;e that by my meanes which h&eacute;e him &s;elf by rea&s;on of his gr&eacute;efs could not put in practi&s;e, to whome when I was come after a little talke had, he tolde me that h&eacute;e douted very much lea&s;t he was bewitched, wherfore (quoth h&eacute;e) good R. Galis, if any &s;park of Fr&eacute;end&s;hip hath euer b&eacute;en kindled betwixt vs: I pray: th&eacute;e to fetch m&eacute;e a Witch, at who&s;e &s;ight, hope per&s;wadeth m&eacute;e I &s;hall finde ea&s;e. At which woordes b&eacute;eing ind&eacute;ed greatly mooued: inwardly (as one who looued his intire Fr&eacute;end)
<PB REF="6">
bewailing my Fr&eacute;ends troubles more then my owne, I we~t forth with out any woord &s;peaking, and among&s;t the crue of the&s;e helhounds I gat m&eacute;e and within one half houre after God being my help: I brought foure before him, who&s;e names en&s;ue, <HI>videllicet</HI> Audrey the Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e, Elizabeth Stile allias Mother Rockingham, Mother Dutton and Mother Deuil, all which foure I cau&s;ed to kn&eacute;ele downe before the &s;aid Mai|&s;ter Handley and one Mai&s;ter Henry Bu&s;t Studient in Phi|&s;ick (charging them holding a good cudgel ouer their backs) as euer they would pa&s;&s;e thence a liue, not only to tel what the &s;aid Mai&s;ter Handley ayled: but al&s;o to ea&s;e him of his gr&eacute;ef, to whome they replied v&s;ing many excu&s;es, that they neither could tel him his de&s;ea&s;e much le&s;&s;e to help him therof.</P>
<P>Then going about to knowe how they had &s;pent their time in the &s;eruice of God: I examined them in the Lordes prayer, the bel&eacute;ef and the ten Commaundements, wherin I founde them (to my great gr&eacute;ef) as blinde as a b&eacute;etle and as wi&s;e as a Calfe, then demaunding the cau&s;e of their necligence therin, they replied that &s;ince they were borne they were neuer tau|ght them, neither could they finde any that would in&s;truct them therin, and therfore it was to harde for them vpon &s;o &s;hort a warning to an&s;were vnto my obiections, which repli+cation when I heard, &s;orye for their time &s;o ill imployed: I drue my pur&s;e and gaue each of them a peny, charging them as they looued their owne &s;oules helth: diligently to learn the~ lea&s;t that they come to &s;o~e ill end, for (&s;aid I) it can not other, wi&s;e be but that for want of thone ye mu&s;t looue the other and for the lack of the grace of God, the looue of his holy woord and commaundements: ye mu&s;t n&eacute;eds &s;erue the Deuil your Lord and Mai&s;ter, and there withall I bad them in God his name to departe, and in &s;hort &s;pace after my Fr&eacute;end Mai&s;ter Hand+ley came to his olde cour&s;e I mean to his former health.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hovv the &s;ame foure VVitches after their departure from Mai&s;ter Handley his hou&s;e vvrought the Authors impri&s;on+ment and of his torments &s;uffered during the time of his be|ing in holde.</HEAD>
<P><PB REF="6">
_WHen the&s;e foure loouing Si&s;ters were departed from my Fr&eacute;ends hou&s;e, being of m&eacute;e no other wi&s;e intreated or v&s;ed then you haue heard, mi&s;|d&eacute;eming (and not without good cau&s;e) that I wo|uld woork their ouerthrow in time if I might be &s;uffered, they &s;ought by pri&s;on to a bridge my dayes, and becau&s;e they them+&s;elues would be blamele&s;&s;e and void of &s;u&s;pition, not conten|ted with my paines pa&s;&s;ed b&eacute;eing now hated, abhorred and as it were &s;pitted at of all men, and e&s;pecially of my owne Pa|rents &amp; naturall Bretheren and brought euen to y^e very brik of de&s;peration (had not God of his infinit mercy and goodnes with his mightie hand held me vp giuing me a great patience woorthy to &s;uffer his cro&s;&s;e laid vpon me for my offences) they cau&s;ed their Familiars without the which they could not doo any thing, to &s;tirre vp and again&s;t m&eacute;e to incence the Maior and Burge&s;&s;es of the towne of Winde&s;or (wherof my father whil&s;t he liued was a ch&eacute;ef member) who without any offe~ce committed, any hurt pretended, or complaint made again&s;t m&eacute;e, clapped m&eacute;e vp in Pri&s;on fa&s;t locked in a d&eacute;ep dungion, into the which I was let vp and downe with a rope laden w^t as many gyues and manacles as either my legges could cary or my hands be able to beare, there to remain without baile, vntil their further plea&s;ure were therin had, a crueltie more woorthy for a traytor or a murderer then for any true &s;ubiect to God &amp; to his Prince. After I was thus inclo&s;ed in y^e dark, depriued of all humain company, refu&s;ed to haue any bed for my money, or libertie of the Pri&s;on vpon good and &s;ufficient bond, I then began to mi&s;tru&s;t my &s;elf, and feared the &s;udain lo&s;&s;e of my life, which ea&s;ely then might haue b&eacute;ene depriued and with &s;ome &s;urmi&s;ed tale ea&s;ely aun&s;wered to the worlde, though not hid from the face of the Lord, neuerthele&s;&s;e em|boldened by the mightie help of God to ca&s;t away all feare and patiently to &s;uffer my troubles: I cea&s;ed not according to my accu&s;tomed v&s;e and to my great comfort and con&s;olation, to &s;ing to the honor and pray&s;e of God the fortie one the fortie two and the thr&eacute;e and fortie P&s;almes, begining <HI>The man is ble&s;t that carefull is the needy con&s;ider. &amp;c.</HI> during thexecuti|on of which crueltie: a pittieful &s;ound of groning voice opened
<PB REF="7">
the gates of mine eares, and pre&s;ently my yro~s which before by workema~s cunning were riuetted on, making a wonder|full great noy&s;e much like to a Smyth working of his met|tall, fell of of my legges, &amp; I taken in &s;o &s;traunge a cace by the &s;pace of two houres, that I thought y^e &s;oule foorthwith would haue left the chariot of my mortall body. But &s;till per&s;eue|ring in my prayers, I cea&s;&s;ed not to call vpon the Lorde, not onely for my deliuerance: but al&s;o that it would plea&s;e him to turne the hartes of them which had &s;o vniu&s;tly v&s;ed their cor|rection vpon me. In the morning when it was daye, b&eacute;eing not called to mine an&s;were: I de&s;ired that I might be permit|ted to haue &s;ome co~ference with Mai&s;ter Doctor Day Deane of the Ca&s;tell royall of Wind&s;ore, or with Mai&s;ter Doctor Wicham of the &s;ame Chappell, prebende men of great wi&s;e|dome and learning, to thente~t I might (with their opinions) be fully re&s;olued of that which gnawed my con&s;cience, which by no meanes I could obtaine, but within two dayes after called to my an&s;were before the Maior and his brethren, and examined of my yrons falling of, I tolde them as before is de|clared, who hauing nought els to charge me with, gaue order for my deliuera~ce, v&s;ing with &s;uch extremitie their like power vpon me more then a &s;core of times, which here to expre&s;&s;e would be to long, and more tedious to the Reader, &s;o that I was forced of my &s;elfe to weaue the webbe of mine owne ba|ni&s;heme~t, rather de&s;irous to liue amiddes the de&s;ertes of <HI>Ly|bia</HI> among the Sauadge and wilde bea&s;tes then in Wind&s;ore with my parentes and kinred.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hovv by the helpe of Syr Henry Neuell Knight, Mai&s;ter Ri|chard VVarde E&s;quier, and other Gentlemen of vvor|ship, the author gat leaue to pa&s;&s;e the &s;eas into Flaunders, vvhere for a time he &s;erued vnder Captaine Morgaine.</HEAD>
<P>_FInding here in natiue &s;oyle no place of re&s;t to &s;hrowde my carefull head but onely an ougly dun|geon without light or comfort, no refuge &s;uccour or helpe, but that which &s;trau~gers imparted vnto me, I immagined daily with my &s;elfe what were be&s;t for me
<PB REF="7">
to do to auoyde the&s;e troubles daily more &amp; more encrea&s;ing. Sometimes mu&s;ing vpon this, &s;ometime vpon that, nowe de|ui&s;ing one thing, then by and by an other, the lame~table e&s;tate and &s;ubuer&s;ion of the lowe countrie in Flau~ders, came to my minde, whereof a whyle co~&s;idering, I determined to addre&s;&s;e my &s;elfe towardes that coa&s;t, there to &s;pend (if not the remain|der of my dayes) yet at the lea&s;t &s;ome part of my youthfull yeares in the &s;eruice of &s;ome one Gentleman or other. No|thing doubting, but that God knowing mine innocencie and the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of my cau&s;e, would not onely pro&s;per my attempt: but al&s;o giue me happy &s;ucce&s;&s;e to the ende of my trauayles. Vpon the which point being fully per&s;waded, loth without licence. Fir&s;t of my deare father had and obtayned to depart (neuerthele&s;&s;e his vnkinde dealinges con&s;idered) I bended my &s;teppes to the wor&s;hipfull Sir Henry Neuell Knight, who with Mai&s;ter Richard Warde E&s;quier, by waye of humble petition, I moued to talke with my father about the premi&s;&s;es, at who&s;e importunate and earne&s;t per&s;wa&s;io~s b&eacute;eing ouercome, graunted their reque&s;tes, whereof b&eacute;eing aduerti&s;ed ioyfull to &s;&eacute;e my de&s;ier take his effect, what ha&s;te I made to &s;et all thinges in order for my trauayle, let the~ iudge that haue ta&s;ted the like di&s;tre&s;&s;e. In fine armed at all a&s;&s;aies to counteruayle my iorney before pretended, and ready pre&s;t to &s;et forward on my waye, a double &s;orrowe began to com|bate with in m&eacute;e, and therewithall a doubtfull imagination. The one willing m&eacute;e to cea&s;e trauaile and enioye the pre&s;ence of my tender parentes, and louing companions no le&s;&s;e care|full of my health then my &s;elfe, the other encouraging m&eacute;e to auoyde the dayly a&s;&s;aultes of my aduer&s;aries by chaunging the &s;oyle to &s;ubmitte my &s;elfe into the handes of Lady For|tune. Thus trauer&s;ing in doubtfull doubt, nowe mu&s;ing on the one, then thinking on the other, and troubled beyond all mea&s;ure, what were be&s;t to be doone: I paw&s;ed me a while. At the la&s;t ouercome with de&s;ier to proceade on my iourney: I determined to put my &s;elf to y^e mercy of <HI>Aeolus</HI> puffing bla&s;ts and to the merciles waues of Neptunes &s;welling Seaes.</P>
<P>The next day bidding my Fr&eacute;ends and Cuntrie farwel, I trauiled toward London, and from thence I &s;hipped my &s;elfe
<PB REF="8">
into Holland whether b&eacute;eing &s;afely arriued good hay &s;o fel out on my &s;ide that before I had &s;pent a day or two in &s;&eacute;eking be&s;t for my aduantage, I found vnlooked for of Mai&s;ter William Morgan Gentleman &s;uch gentle intertainment that I im|ployed all my enduour to augment my credit with him, vn|der whome I &s;pent &s;ome time on the land, &s;ome times on the &s;eas as occa&s;ion &s;erued as the Souldiers life de&s;ireth not re&s;t in one place, halfe a y&eacute;eres &s;eruice.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hovv his Captaine leauing the Cuntrie the Author vvas pricked vvith a loouely motion to his natiue Cuntrie to make returne to his Father, vvho vpon his &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion re|ceiued him againe.</HEAD>
<P>_THe vprores a little before rife in Holand and in all the Cuntries there about, by valiant prowe&s;&s;e of martiall Knights &s;uppre&s;&s;ed: my Captain (leauing the Cuntrie) gaue me occa&s;ion to think of my Fr&eacute;en+des in England in the mid&s;t of all mine Enemies not forgot+ten, which for to &s;&eacute;e an earne&s;t de&s;ire kindled my bre&s;t, and vanqui&s;hed with looue and dutie had towards them, I made my return again to Winde&s;or, more to reco~&s;ile my &s;elf to my d&eacute;er father to who~e before my departure I gaue &s;ome occa&s;io~ of di&s;plea&s;ure, then for any affection I bare to the towne, be+fore who&s;e Fatherly a&s;pect, when I was approched, my out|warde teares declaring my inward gr&eacute;efs: I fel pro&s;trate on my kn&eacute;es and recogni&s;ing my former follies, I craued medita+tion of forgiuenes vpon my &s;peedy amendme~t. At the which &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion pardoning that which was pa&s;t vpon performa~ce of my promi&s;e mo&s;te like a loouing Father receiued me again greatly ioying my &s;afe return. Neuerthele&s;&s;e de&s;irous not to remain with him abooue thr&eacute;e or foure dayes: I departed and made my repaire to London, and in Tower &s;tr&eacute;et became Couenant with Mai&s;ter Stephen Heath a Vintner, til &s;uch time as my Father oppre&s;&s;ed with infinit paines by meanes of this damnable &s;ect did call me home cruelties and iniuries doon and wrought again&s;t the braunch could not once &s;tanch
<PB REF="8">
their cruell myndes, thir&s;ting after innocent bloud, without the life of my deare father, who&s;e bitter paines dimini&s;hing his wonted &s;tre~gth by litle and litle cau&s;ed him to y&eacute;eld vnto the mercie of death, to the euerla&s;ting grief of all that loued him, but e&s;pecially to m&eacute;e and other his poore children, left as &s;h&eacute;epe without a guide to the mercie of the Woulf. Ala&s;&s;e what &s;hould I &s;ay? to render vnto him his due pray&s;e, I want &s;ufficiencie, and to make long di&s;cour&s;e of his milde and m&eacute;eke pacience, wherein h&eacute;e continued vnto the la&s;t houre of his ga&s;ping breath, I can not for teares and grief, wherefore a|gain&s;t my wil I am cut of from my purpo&s;e. But thus much you &s;hall vnder&s;tande that no per&s;wa&s;ions could preuayle with him that h&eacute;e was bewitched, &s;uch was his &s;trong belief in God, and yet diuer&s;e time &s;ighingly complaining, would &s;aye: O Lord, &s;hall a man dye and b&eacute;e not &s;icke? my harte is whole, and yet my inward paines con&s;ume me, and &s;o m&eacute;eke|ly like a Lambe to the glorie of God, taking and &s;uffering his troubles, pa&s;&s;ed the &s;traightes of this mortall life, to lodge with <HI>Lazarus</HI> in <HI>Abrahams</HI> bo&s;ome.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hhvve the Author after his fathers death abiding vvith his mother for her better comfort, framing him &s;elfe to liue in the vvorld, vvas preuented by the &s;ayd vvitches to his vtter vndooing to this daye.</HEAD>
<P>_MY deare father by the&s;e helhoundes and Impes of the deuell, thus bereft m&eacute;e, and intiered in the ground (after whom we mu&s;t all hie) I determi|ned to the comfort of my mother, &s;orrowing the want of her wedded make, to abyde with her, framing my &s;elfe like a &s;ubiect to liue, and as it became an hone&s;t man to do, &s;o long as the time of his pilgrimage geueth him leaue to abide, I went (with that litle which God and my father had left m&eacute;e for my better maintenance) to buye &s;h&eacute;epe and other cattell, whereby by due fore&s;ight and diligent taking h&eacute;ede; I might make retourne of my principall with &s;ome aduantage, but according to the prouerbe, h&eacute;e that reckoneth before his ho&s;t mu&s;t reckon twi&s;e, and &s;o it fell to my lot. For after I had
<PB REF="9">
&s;tored my &s;elf with the &s;aid Cattaill more woorth at the time of their &s;ale, then the mony I paid for them, they began now one then an other and in fine almo&s;te all to dye, and the re&s;t liuing in &s;uch a ca&s;e, le&s;t that I was con&s;trained to take half the money they co&s;t m&eacute;e gaining by them as Dickins did by his Di&s;hes who bying fiue for twopence &s;olde &s;ix for a peny, my cattail thus b&eacute;eing con&s;umed, and many other at|tempts enterpri&s;ed by m&eacute;e, turned top&s;ie turuie, mine olde accu&s;tomed and raging fits began to &s;et foot within my minde I to imagin that Sathans whelps were now &s;etting a broch the ve&s;&s;el of their de&s;pite to &s;&eacute;eke my vtter &s;poyle and confu|&s;ion. Wherfore I addre&s;&s;ed my &s;elf to the woor&s;hipfull Sir Henry Neuel Knight, who &s;ufficently before per&s;waded of my troubles, and greatly with my good Lady his bedfellowe, (with whome I had often conference) pitying myne e&s;tate. I be&s;ought euen in the bowels of our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;te that either my Aduer&s;aries who hourely tormented m&eacute;e might be cut of: or I my &s;elf to receiue the like puni&s;hment if good and &s;ufficient proof were not on my &s;ide again&s;t them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>&leaf; Hovv vpon complaints made by the Author to Sir Hen|ry Neuel they vvere co~maunded to be brought before him, and not beeing able to an&s;vvere him in the Articles of the Chri&s;tian faith, they vvere publikly &s;et vnder the Pulpit,</HEAD>
<P>_VPon which complaint after Sir Henry Neuel had adui&s;ed him &s;elf, mooued with the pittefull a&s;|pect of my wildi&s;he countenance, promi&s;e was made me that at a prefixed day he only for that purpo&s;e would come to Winde&s;ore, and vpon due examina|tion had, &s;eek redre&s;&s;e of my troubles. At which day appoin|ted, I po&s;ted m&eacute;e to the lodging of the &s;aid Sir Henry Neuel b&eacute;eing in the Ca&s;tel, there to renue the remembraunce of his promi&s;e, who knowing mine errand vpon my fir&s;t entrance into his Chamber commaundid me foorthwith to bring them before him, at which commaundement, you may thinke I made no delay, but ha&s;ted m&eacute;e about my bu&s;ines, &amp; brought
<PB REF="9">
before him as many as I &s;u&s;pected, which were, Audrey the Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e, Elizabeth Stile, Mother Dutton and Mother Nel&s;on, &s;aying, Sir I haue executed your commaundement and brought them into your pre&s;ence, which if by good and &s;ufficient tryall, I can not prooue to be Witches: let me re|ceiue the puni&s;hment due vnto them, at which woordes quoth Sir Henry vnto them, what &s;ay you to this? Then his Woor|&s;hip further examined them in the pre&s;ence of Mai&s;ter Do|ctor Wickham Mai&s;ter Wullard a Prebend of the Ca&s;tel, Mai&s;ter Morris, and Mai&s;ter Stafferton Gentlemen, how and after what &s;orte they liued, whome they &s;erued and how they had imployed their time, they aun&s;wered, as euery one would in his own ca&s;e the be&s;t, &s;aying, y^t where they had been &s;u&s;pected to be Witches &amp; woorkers of mi&s;chief again&s;t their neighbours, it was contrary and that the occa&s;ion put vp a|gain&s;t them was rather vpon malice then otherwi&s;e. Then &s;aid I vnder your Woor&s;hips correction, if they be &s;uch good liuers as they make them &s;elues to be: I be&s;&eacute;ech you to exa|mine them in the Articles of the Chri&s;tian faith, and vpon their aun&s;were iudge of the re&s;t. Then quoth Mai&s;ter Wick|ham, can you &s;ay the Lordes prayer which h&eacute;e hath taught you? No for&s;ooth quoth one, no for&s;ooth quoth an other and likewi&s;e the re&s;t, vpon which replycation: Mai&s;ter Wick|ham began with a mo&s;te godly prote&s;tatio~ to per&s;wade them not only to for&s;ake their damnable wayes afore &amp; at that time v&s;ed, and diligently to learne the Lordes prayer, the beleef, and the ten Commaundements, but al&s;o dayly for their bet|ter in&s;tructions to haue recour&s;e vnto the Temple of God, to heare his deuine &s;eruice, and for th'xecution there of (becau&s;e none dur&s;t wade &s;o farre again&s;t them as I) I was appoin|ted ouer&s;eer, beeing charged that on the next Sunday fol|lowing they &s;hould be brought to the Church, and pub|likly in the pre&s;ence of all men to be &s;et vnder the Pulpit during the time of Seruice.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB REF="10">
<HEAD>&leaf; Hovv the &s;aid VVitches vvere brought to the place ap|pointed and hovv Audrey the Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e and Mother Nel|&s;on vvith in short time after died, vpon vvho&s;e death the Author felt mo&s;te greeuous torments.</HEAD>
<P>_COnceiui~g &s;ome good hope of future redre&s;&s;e vpon thexamination had before the &s;aid Gentlemen of woor&s;hip if otherwi&s;e they were not conuerted from their follie: I hied me home to my Chamber, where locking the doore to mee I fel flat on the ground ren|dring thanks vnto all mightie God for that it had plea&s;ed him of his infinit mercy to open the blinde eyes of the Magi|&s;trates at the la&s;t to looke vpon &s;uch Offenders which before thorow their necligence, nu&s;ted vp in all kinde of wickednes, cea&s;ed not day nor night to oppre&s;&s;e the Inocent, (my prayer ended) I went about my bu&s;ines vntil the day was come wherin I &s;hould doo my dutie, at which day I armed my &s;elf in the Lord again&s;t the &s;aid Witches, whome gently intrea|ting more to win their harts vnto y^e Lord, then for any feare I had of them: I co~ducted them to the Church and in the place appointed I &s;et them downe, (my &s;elf not &s;tanding far of the~) where after by the Preacher they had receiued their le&s;&s;on, and &s;chooled for their lewd behauiour and idle life &s;pent to no profit, but to inuent wickednes and mi&s;chief, they departed home. Afterwards whether it were for gr&eacute;ef of the correctio~ executed, or the inward gnawing of con&s;cience, feeling them&s;elues by the Preacher touched at the quick, (I cannot tel) but with in &s;hort &s;pace after, Audrey the Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e and Mo|ther Nel&s;on dyed, after who&s;e death the &s;i&s;ters left behinde giuen ouer to their owne lu&s;ts and &s;uffered to wallowe in their owne wickednes, made their a&s;&s;embly in the pits in Mai&s;ter Dodges back&s;ide, a place where all their mi&s;chief was pretended, and there in generally agr&eacute;ed either to bring me vnto my end, or liuing &s;til to f&eacute;ele a life a hundred times more &s;harpe then a pre&s;ent death, if otherwi&s;e the &s;ooner I &s;ought not meanes to di&s;lodge my &s;elf, and de&s;irous not to v&s;e any delay in furthering their intents, about their accu&s;tomed
<PB REF="10">
houres of m&eacute;eting in the night: my bed, ordained for my quiet re&s;t became the augmentor of my gr&eacute;efs, and in &s;tead of &s;l&eacute;ep I was fed with continuall watchings, cau&s;ed through the extreame torturs and gr&eacute;euous paines &s;u&s;tained in the night. Thus hauing ouer pa&s;&s;ed many nights in paines, di|uer&s;e and &s;undry times the afore&s;aid Cat or the deuil him &s;elf in a Cats likenes: v&s;ed to frequent and haunt my Chamber hurring and buzing about my bed, vexing and troubling m&eacute;e beyond all mea&s;ure, in &s;uch &s;traunge and lamentable wi&s;e, that I was enforced with my weapon lying drawen vopon my bed to k&eacute;ep my &s;elf waking in prayers lea&s;t b&eacute;eing ouer|come with &s;l&eacute;epe: I &s;hould be &s;trangled in my bed.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB REF="11">
<HEAD>The Author being almo&s;t &s;pent vvith grief, complaineth him the third time to Sir Henry Neuell, before vvhome hee brought the &s;aid Elizabeth Stile bound vvith a cart rope on the market daye.</HEAD>
<P>_COn&s;umed with the&s;e infinite paines both in body and pur&s;e eche night a&s;&s;ayled with a newe grief, lothing anie longer to liue, &s;&eacute;eing that in foure y&eacute;eres pa&s;t, no reformation might b&eacute;e had for all my complaintes. Leauing my careful bedde, the witnes of my griefe and of my inwarde &s;orrowe: I made me ready and gir|ding my Skeane about my middle with a good cudgill in my hande, I gate me to Farneham to the hou&s;e of father Ro&s;e|man, whom furiou&s;ly pulling out of his hou&s;e by head and &s;houlders I charged (not v&s;ing any daliaunce with me) to tell me my griefes. Who b&eacute;eing aga&s;t at my dealinges, and fea|ring lea&s;t that b&eacute;eing not able to gouerne m&eacute;e in my fury, I would &s;trike of his head: Said, O mai&s;ter you are bewit|ched, you are bewitched, wherefore looke to your &s;elfe, if not: in fine you wilbe di&s;troyed, for you haue many wicked wo|men in Wind&s;ore, and &s;uch as doe much harme, and who practized the like on m&eacute;e once, becau&s;e I did di&s;plea&s;e them. Then I bad him tell m&eacute;e what they were, who aun&s;wered, that their names were Elizabeth Stile, Mother Dutton, and Mother Deuell, at which wordes leauing him (not alto|gether recouered of the feare hee conceiued by m&eacute;e) I went to the &s;ayde Elizabeth Stiles hou&s;e, charging her to goe with m&eacute;e vnto Sir Henry Neuelles, which &s;quatting downe vp|pon her buttockes, &s;h&eacute;e denyed to doo. Then finding a Carte rope harde by, I bounde it about her myddle, and layde the rope on my &s;houlder, wherewith forceably I pul|led her out of her hou&s;e, drawing her a long the &s;treate, b&eacute;e|ing on the market daye (not one daring once to helpe mee) but a litle boye, which helde the rope by the ende) vntill I came vnto the lodging of Sir Henry Neuell, vnto whome in the pre&s;ence of a companie of Gentlemen at that time talking with him, I offered vp my pre&s;ent, &s;aying, be|hold
<PB REF="11">
here rigth wor&s;hipfull, I haue brought you h&eacute;er a mon|&s;ter, which becau&s;e of her f&eacute;ebled lymmes, is not able to goe, I haue taken paynes to drawe. Then &s;h&eacute;e began to cur&s;e, banne and &s;weare, foming at the mouth like a bore, to the great a&s;toni&s;hement of all the beholders, which ama&s;ed with that horrible &s;ight (more for feare I thinke then for any good wyll) &s;uffered her to e&s;cape, with the which departure (as I could not chu&s;e b&eacute;eing greatly gr&eacute;eued) &s;&eacute;eing that for all my complaintes made, no hope of redre&s;&s;e was to b&eacute;e looked for at the Magi&s;trates handes: I thought nowe to v&s;e myne owne force vppon them. Wherefore dayly frequenting my &s;elfe to haue once a daye my recour&s;e by their doores, I would nowe one, then an other, &s;o Ribro&s;t with my cudgell (caried always about m&eacute;e for the &s;ame purpo&s;e) that in the ende getting the vpper hand, I had them in &s;uch awe, that the Scholer hauing offended, feared not &s;o much his Mai&s;ters correction as they did my pre&s;ence, as afterwardes it appeared by Mother Dut|ton, who &s;o &s;oone as &s;h&eacute;e had heard of my comming that waye: would haue runne and locked her &s;elfe into a Che&s;te for feare.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hovve the Author hauing occa&s;ion to be abroade one night at the houre of their meeting, hee &s;avve the Deuell in a Carte &s;itting, and hovve by the helpe of God he put him to flight, and of other &s;trange ac|cidentes done by him.</HEAD>
<P>_MY courage nowe b&eacute;eing augmented by the trium|phant victorie gotten ouer myne enemies, and f&eacute;e|ling no more ta&s;te of my pa&s;&s;ed grieffes, my bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;e &s;o falling foorth, it was my chance one night about xj. of the clocke in the night to ride by the place where the&s;e Impes acu&s;tomed v&s;e was to m&eacute;ete, to my hou&s;e.</P>
<P>And in my waye as I was ryding, my hor&s;e L&eacute;eyng
<PB REF="12">
of a very good &s;tomacke, &s;udainly &s;topped flinging and la&s;hing out behinde, &s;norting and taking on out of all mea&s;ure, ney|ther proceading further nor retorning back, wherewith all b&eacute;eing litle ama&s;ed becau&s;e it was no &s;traunge thing vnto m&eacute;e, I alighted and taking my &s;worde drawen in the one hand, and my buckler in the other, ca&s;ting myne eye a&s;ide to &s;ee if I could perceiue anie bodie &s;tirring, I &s;udainly &s;pied a mo&s;t horrible &s;ight and oughly feende &s;itting in a poore mans cart, like one ryding to fetche in his harue&s;t, with a payre of eies burning like the fiery flames, who&s;e ougly &s;hape when I behelde, falling on my kn&eacute;es in the middes of the dirt, I be|&s;ought God to a&s;&s;i&s;t m&eacute;e with his &s;trength again&s;t this feende, and that through his mightie power I might get the victorie. Then ri&s;ing, I went towardes the place where this good fel|lowe was watching for his praye. At whom (my faith &s;ted|fa&s;tly &s;et in the Lord) I let flye with my &s;word, &s;aying, auoide Sathan auoyde, and in the name of God I charge th&eacute;e to a|uoide, thou ha&s;t nought to do with mee, wherefore go hunte after the Doe which hath cau&s;ed th&eacute;e here to &s;itte. At which wordes: a great light appeared round about the carte where hee &s;at, and therewithall an horrible &s;ent of brym&s;tone was di&s;per&s;ed abroade, but h&eacute;e was no more &s;eene afterwarde, with the which &s;ent Mai&s;ter Afton of the Scalding hou&s;e co~|ming that waye the &s;elf &s;ame pre&s;ent time, thought pre&s;ently to haue died, had not helpe come in the meane time.</P>
<P>This doone, I gate m&eacute;e to my hor&s;e, vpon who&s;e back whe~ I was amounted: I pa&s;&s;ed to my hou&s;e as quietly as might be without harme, where not forgetting the goodne&s;&s;e of God towardes them that put their tru&s;t in him, I &s;pent an howre or two in prayer. The next day b&eacute;eing come, no le&s;&s;e de&s;irous to be reuenged of theim then they were to mole&s;t m&eacute;e before: Hoping &s;till to finde a meanes to cut theim off, and to weede theim cleane from the face of the earth, I practi&s;ed many at|temptes, and not &s;o many as often executed to the entent I might b&eacute;e brought to &s;ome further an&s;were, for the extirpa|ting and pulling vp the &s;aide wicked w&eacute;edes by the rootes. And becau&s;e there was no Iu&s;tice that would execute his of|fice therein by the othe derected vnto them. I determined to
<PB REF="12">
prooue what I could doo my &s;elfe, wherefore I gat me a pounde of brim&s;tone, and melted the &s;ame and dipped therein as it melted a great drie linnen cloth, and into a houile of &s;trawe of mother Duttons, I thru&s;t it whereunto I put a great fier brande b&eacute;eing of it &s;elfe (the brim&s;tone taken away) &s;ufficient inough to haue con&s;umed a hundreth times as much, which burned vnto a&s;hes, y^t &s;trawe not once peri&s;hed. An other time likewy&s;e, one Richard Parker &s;tanding by, hauing bought a quarter of a pounde of gunne poulder, and as much of brim|&s;tone, I cho&s;e an arrowe from out of a &s;heafe, and thereunto I bounde the &s;aid poulder and brim&s;tone with &s;tringes, making therein a litle touchhole whereby to giue fier thereunto (whe~ I thought it good) and thru&s;t the &s;ame into an other houile ad|ioyning to her hou&s;e, fully determined to bring her togither with her hou&s;e by fier to playe the la&s;t act of her tragedy, vnto the which, with a matche &s;et at the ende of a long &s;ticke I gaue fier, which arrowe albeit, it con&s;umed to a&s;hes, yet ne|uerthele&s;&s;e y^e &s;trawe &s;till remained without any &s;igne of hurt which &s;traunge &s;ight when I behelde, b&eacute;eing a thing no le&s;&s;e &s;traunge to be tolde, then harde to be beleued: I &s;ighing, &s;ayde to my &s;elfe. O Lord, what &s;hall I doo vnto this wicked impe, &amp; to the re&s;t of her confederates, whom neither fier or &s;worde may deuoure, neither Gods thundering threates prouoke to repentance. To &s;uffer them longer to experiment life in their wickedne&s;&s;e, and to the ouerthrowe of their neighbours, my hart refu&s;eth. And &s;till to contriue and &s;pende my time about it: is to my hinderance. If I complaine m&eacute;e of their dete&s;table dooings: the magi&s;trates &s;eame deafe, if I (as enemies to God and their Prince) mole&s;t or vrge them: impri&s;onment laden with gyues falleth out to my &s;hare. If I craue helpe of the in|ferior &s;ort (my correction &s;o affrayes them) that albeit they would helpe, yet they dare not. Thus doo I &s;&eacute;e al hope of ma~s helpe taken from mee, and all comfort bereft m&eacute;e: Wherefore I will henceforth cea&s;e and bridle my de&s;ires. And vnto th&eacute;e O Lorde, which knowing the &s;ecretes of all mens hartes, can&s;t and wilt, when thou &s;&eacute;e&s;t the time, roote out and pull vp from thy good and cho&s;en plantes &s;uch wicked graftes. To thee (I &s;aie) will I remitte my cau&s;e, and &s;&eacute;eke to lodge and &s;ettle
<PB REF="13">
my &s;elfe in &s;ome other &s;oyle where iu&s;tice may be mini&s;tred, vice corrected, &amp; wronges redre&s;&s;ed. And therewithal departed to my hou&s;e, from whence within fewe daies, after I had &s;et my affaires in good order: I departed to &s;eeke my aduentures, &s;ince which time of my departure, it hath plea&s;eth God at the la&s;t to &s;trike the&s;e wicked and defe&s;table liuers with the rod of his correction. Who with the pot of their wickedne&s;&s;e &s;o long powred the water of God his vengeance vpon them that at the length they were apprehe~ded and committed to the co~|mon gaile there to remaine vntill by due proofe of their dia|bolicall liuings be tried, &amp; after triall had, receiue the Guer|don an&s;werable their demerites, where beeing founde giltie and conuicted of the crime obiected again&s;t them: they &s;uffered at Abingdon the &s;ixe and twentie daie of February la&s;t pa&s;t for the &s;ame, as by the brief and &s;umme of their co~fe&s;&s;ion here en&s;uing, thou mai&s;t more at large perceiue.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The co~fe&s;&s;ion of Elizabeth Stile, alias Rockinham, a vvitch dvvelling in VVind&s;ore in the Countie of Barke, decla|red in the gaile of Reading, in the &s;aid County in the xxi. yere ef the raigne of our mo&s;t dread &s;oueraigne Lady Eli|zabeth. Queene of England, Fraunce and Ireland &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>_ELizabeth Stile, <HI>alias</HI> Rockingham apprehe~ded for her witchcraft v&s;ed in Wind&s;ore, and for the &s;ame brought before Sir Henry Neuel Knight, was by him examined, who for that he by manife&s;t proofes of her vniu&s;t &amp; vnhone&s;t behauiour, founde her an offendour vnto the Qu&eacute;enes Maie&s;ties liedge people, committed her to the common gaile at Reading, where &s;h&eacute;e b&eacute;eing examined, had (the feare of God pricking her thereunto as it &s;eamed) &s;ome remor&s;e of con&s;cience, and confe&s;&s;ed before Thomas Rowe, the Iaylour, Iohn Knight, the Cun&s;table Iohn Grif|fith an Inholder, &amp; one William Pryntall, of diuers as well men as women, that v&s;ed to doo much harme, by Sorcery, witchecrafte, &amp; enchanteme~ts, who&s;e names hereafter en&s;ue.</P>
<P N="1">1 Fir&s;t that one father Ro&s;iman <HI>alias</HI> O&s;borne, dwelling in Farneham in the Countie of Buckingham, and his daugh|ter are witches, &amp; that the &s;aid Ro&s;iman can alter &amp; chaunge
<PB REF="13">
him &s;elfe into any kinde of bea&s;t that him li&s;teth.</P>
<P N="2">2 Item one mother Dutton, dwelling within Hodgkins in the pari&s;he of Cleworth nere Wind&s;ore, can tell euery mans errand a&s;&s;oone as &s;h&eacute;e &s;eeth him, &amp; worketh by a &s;pirit in like|ne&s;&s;e of a tode which &s;hee nominateth Mawde, and &s;he giueth him a drop of bloud in her flancke, and k&eacute;epeth him alwayes in a gardein in a border of grene herbes.</P>
<P N="3">3 Item one mother Deuell dwelling in Wind&s;ore by the pounde, keepeth a black Cat which &s;h&eacute;e nameth Iyll, &amp; v&s;eth to carrie it in her lappe, and feedeth it with blood and milke, and Ro&s;imans daughter hath a white Cat.</P>
<P N="4">4 Item one mother Margaret a lame woman, gooing with crutches, f&eacute;edeth a kitling with crummes of bread and with &s;ome of her blood, and calleth it Iynne.</P>
<P N="5">5 Item the &s;aid Elizabeth Stile, &s;ayth that &s;h&eacute;e her &s;elf kept a Ratte, which &s;h&eacute;e named Philip, the which &s;h&eacute;e fedde with crummes of bread and blood of her right arme about the hand wre&s;t, the place thereof not hidden, and &s;aith, that further &s;h&eacute;e with the re&s;t hath geuen her right &s;ide to the Deuill.</P>
<P N="6">6 Item this examinat further, &s;aieth that father Ro&s;imond and his daughter, mother Margarete, mother Dutto~, and her &s;elfe, were accu&s;tomed to make their m&eacute;eting on the back&s;ide of Mai&s;ter Dodges, where they v&s;ed to conferre of &s;uch their enterpri&s;es as before they had determined of and practized.</P>
<P N="7">7 Item &s;h&eacute;e al&s;o confe&s;&s;eth that mother Deuell was a poore woman, and v&s;ed to go about begging of the almes of her ho|ne&s;t neighbours, which if they did once deny her reque&s;t; mi|&s;chief alwayes en&s;ued to them or to their cattel.</P>
<P N="8">8 Ite~ &s;he further &s;aieth, y^t as concerning their craft &amp; wicked practi&s;es, they haue v&s;ed it vpon diuers &amp; &s;undry per&s;ons, of who~ one Langford a Farmer, inhabiti~g in Wind&s;ore by the thea~es &s;ide was one, who died therby &amp; who&s;e maid &s;hortly af|ter drunk of y^t &s;ame cup wherof the mai&s;ter before had ta&s;ted.</P>
<P N="9">9 Item one mai&s;ter Richard Galis Gent, (father of the au|thor) who in times pa&s;t, &amp; y^t thri&s;e at y^e lea&s;t, a&s;wel for his wi&s;|dome as for his pollitique &amp; good gouernment, had b&eacute;en Maior of wind&s;ore, was by their practi&s;e brought likewi&s;e to his end.</P>
<P N="10">10 Ite~ one Switcher a Butcher, was &s;erued of y^e &s;ame &s;auce.</P>
<P N="11"><PB REF="14">
11 Item &s;h&eacute;e al&s;o &s;aith that &s;h&eacute;e her &s;elf was the death of one Saddock by a clap &s;h&eacute;e gaue him on the &s;houlder, becau&s;e h&eacute;e brake his promi&s;e in not giuing her an olde cloke which h&eacute;e promi&s;ed to doo.</P>
<P N="12">12. Item that Mother Denel did ouer &s;peake one Willi|am Fo&s;ter a Fi&s;her, and one Hil his wife a Baker.</P>
<P N="13">13. Item &s;he al&s;o confe&s;&s;eth that they altogither with one con&s;ent ouer &s;pake on Humfrey He&s;ey and his wife, Ri|chard Mils and Iohn Mattingley, &s;o that they lay euery one long time &s;ick before they could recouer again their helth al&s;o and one Ma&s;tline a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"></P>
<P N="14">14 Item &s;h&eacute;e &s;aith that on a time a Childe (b&eacute;eing a mans Sonne in Winde&s;ore) hurled a &s;tone on her hou&s;e wherwith b&eacute;eing mooued to anger &s;h&eacute;e tooke his pot from him, threat|ned to be euen with him, wherwithall the Child went home wardes, and in the way m&eacute;eting his Father he tolde him what had happened. To whome his Father &s;aid: y^e ha&s;t doon &s;ome vnhappine&s;&s;e to her, come with mee and I will &s;peak with her, and as they went togithers towards her hou&s;e, the Childe &s;udainly began to cry out Oh my hand my hand, and his Father meruailing what h&eacute;e ailed looking vpon his hand and beholding it turned clean out of cour&s;e and that otherwi&s;e then Nature had framed it: tooke it in his hand and a&s;&s;ayed to haue turned it right again, but h&eacute;e &amp; an other man a neigh|bour of his (b&eacute;eing with him at that pre&s;ent) could not doo it, the which was holpen afterwardes by Mother Dutton,</P>
<P N="15">15. Item &s;he &s;aith that as woorking the death of th'afore named Lanckforde, Mai&s;ter Galis Lankfoords Maide and Suitcher the &s;aid Mother Dutton did make a picture of wax and did &s;tick a hauthorn prick as it were again&s;t the hart of it that they died &s;hortly after, and the &s;aid pictures they conuei|ed in a hole made for the nonce in the Chimney coruer, before the which they &s;et two bricks &amp; as the wax melted &s;o the man con&s;umed vnto death by which meanes &s;h&eacute;e &s;aith they could kil any of what degr&eacute;e &s;oeuer.</P>
<P N="16">16. Item &s;h&eacute;e al&s;o &s;aith that the &s;aid Mother Dutton did giue a picture but whether it were of man or woma~ &s;he dooth
<PB REF="14">
not remember &amp; the man that had it of her, &s;h&eacute;e thinkeh to be dead, and al&s;o y^t one Gorge Whiting &s;erua~t to Mathew Pain of Caton had a picture of her &s;elf for one Fo&s;ter, for that that the &s;ame Gorge and Fo&s;ter fel at woords and the picture, was made in Mother Duttons hou&s;e, and Mother Deuil &s;aid to her bun, &s;pare not to plague him, thru&s;ting a hauthorn prick again&s;t the hart of it, &s;o y^t he lay at the point of death, a long time but in the end Mother Dutton recouered him a|gain, v&s;ing their extremitie by kiling of a Cowe of his.</P>
<P N="17">17 Item the &s;aid Elizabeth &s;aith that the &s;aid Mother Dut|ton and Mother Deuil were the fir&s;t Inticers of her to all tho&s;e afore &s;aid dooings, and that &s;he and euery of them did ofte~ times meet togither at Mai&s;ter Dodges pits and &s;o~etime at the pound about eleuen a clock at night, &amp; that Mother Dutton and Mother Deuil did alure her to doo and exerci&s;e y^t craft which they them &s;elues then and before v&s;ed, and with them to &s;or&s;ake God and all his woorks and to giue her &s;elfe to the Deuil.</P>
<P N="18">18 Item &s;h&eacute;e &s;aith that on a time &s;h&eacute;e went to olde Ro&s;i|mans hou&s;e and found him &s;itting at the root of an oke like an Ape and there talked with him long, and leauing him at her departure in the &s;ame &s;hape, and at an other time &s;he found him like an hor&s;e.</P>
<P N="19">19. Item &s;hee &s;aith that &s;h&eacute;e went on a time to olde Winde|&s;ore to the bedmaker to beg milk which &s;hee could not haue be+cau&s;e the maid was a milking but at her return &s;hee &s;aid her Rat had prouidid bothe milk and creame.</P>
<P N="20">20 Item &s;h&eacute;e confe&s;&s;eth that one Mother Audrey b&eacute;eing one of the foure that &s;at vnder the Pulpit before &s;he wed inhabi|ting in the Almes hou&s;e was the ch&eacute;ef Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e of them all but &s;h&eacute;e is dead.</P>
<P N="21">21 Item &s;h&eacute;e &s;aith that foure or fiue of the able&s;t men in Winde&s;or (if &s;h&eacute;e had b&eacute;en &s;o di&s;po&s;ed) &s;hould not haue brou|ght her to the Gaile but that &s;h&eacute;e came of her owne accorde, for by the way as &s;h&eacute;e went with Iohn Browne to the Gaile who was her Guide thither, her Bun came to her in the like ne&s;&s;e of a great black Cat and would haue had her away, but
<PB REF="15">
hoping for fauour, &s;he bani&s;hed him againe.</P>
<P N="22">22 Item &s;h&eacute;e al&s;o &s;aith that their woords of charme weare the&s;e, <HI>come on let vs go about it,</HI> and pre&s;ently they were changed into a new &s;hape.</P>
<P>&para; To all which afore&s;aid Articles the &s;aid Eliza|beth &s;aied &s;h&eacute;e would affirme, and vnto her death truely &s;tand to.</P>
<P>This is not to be forgotten that the &s;aid Mother Stile albeit at the time of her apprehen&s;ion and conduction to the Gaile &s;hee was of perfect limme and ioint: yet neuerthele&s;&s;e was &s;h&eacute;e after the &s;aid confe&s;&s;ion made, &s;o altered and changed, by the inchauntments of her owne Confederates: that &s;he was y^e mo&s;te odible&s;t creature that euer man beheld, in&s;omuch that &s;hee was brought vpon a barrowe to her arrainment before the Iudges.</P>
<P>This is to be remembred al&s;o that among&s;t the Offenders afore &s;aid, and that at the time of their execution, Mother Margaret b&eacute;eing vpon the ladder and readye to playe the la&s;t act, of her life, and commiting her &s;elf to the merecie of the law, by the which &s;h&eacute;e was adiudged for her de&s;arts to &s;uffer death: began to &s;ay the Lordes prayer in the which &s;h&eacute;e con|tinued til &s;hee came to the&s;e woords <HI>and forgiue vs our tre&s;pa|&s;es &amp;c.</HI> at which place making a &s;tay crying out again&s;t one Sauoye Haruy of Winde&s;or O&s;tler her accu&s;er, which then was comming towards the place of the execution where they all &s;uffered to &s;ee her end, &s;aying art thou come to ca&s;t m&eacute;e a|way? and &s;peak to the People then &s;tanding by, mark the end of him before this time tweluemoonth, and waxing ougly to the terror of the Beholders &s;h&eacute;e impatiently ended her life.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>Finis.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="conclusion">
<HEAD>The Conclu&s;ion to the Reader.</HEAD>
<P>_THhus ha&s;t thou heard h&eacute;ere mo&s;te loouing Reader how much the fooli&s;h pittie and &s;lacknes of the Magi&s;trates of Winde&s;ore in executing their office, hath giuen occa&s;ion to the&s;e wicked Imps
<PB REF="15">
the Daughters of the Deuil, to per&s;i&s;t in their follye, thou ha&s;t heard al&s;o remembred vnto th&eacute;e what drifts of deueli&s;h de|ui&s;es &s;ince the fir&s;t time of mother Duttons apprehen&s;ion and brought by m&eacute;e before Mai&s;ter Richard Redforth then Maior of Winde&s;ore, hath by them b&eacute;en practi&s;ed to the great hurt of the Inhabitaunts, their neighbours, and to thy great admiracion, which if at that pre&s;ent had b&eacute;en as thorowely &s;ifted out as it was but wincked at, and as to late (I may &s;ay) it hath b&eacute;en by &s;ome, (&s;ince tho&s;e per&s;ons in the afore confe&s;|&s;ion mentioned and by their enchauntments brought to their ends) not only had enioyed their liues vntil this day: but I al&s;o a mo&s;te loouing Father and they them &s;elues an a&s;&s;ured and &s;tedfa&s;t rock in the time of their n&eacute;ed, where now by their &s;ufferance w&eacute;e be depriued of bothe. But &s;ith to call thi|nges long time pa&s;t in obliuion to remembrance again, will but increace my gr&eacute;ef and renue my &s;orowe: I therfore will with the vale of &s;cilence couer that which my hart de&s;ired to expre&s;&s;e. Only I be&s;&eacute;ech the heauenly Father who is the gi|uer of all goodnes that this en&s;ample pa&s;t and now to all men mo&s;t apparaunt, may be &s;o printed and rooted in the harts of all Magi&s;trates appointed for the execution of true and vp|right Iu&s;tice to the maintenaune of the good and pulling down of the wicked, that from hence foorth not only all poore mens cau&s;es may be pitied, their complaints accepted, and their wrongs redre&s;&s;ed: but al&s;o that by their carefull indu&s;try and diligence employed, all Sorcerers, Witches and Char|merers may vtterly be weeded out from the face of the earth to the commeditie of a common welth and to the honor &amp; glory of God, to whome be all prai&s;e, laude, dominion and power for euer and euer Amen.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
