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"his Tricks there privately, then they fent him home "to his Father (who thought he had been loft, and was much troubled for him) to exercise them in a more publick Way. He came home in a 26 very diftracted manner, to the Amazement of his "Parents, and in fhort time drew much Company to "vifit him; and his Parents being poor, got Money from many charitable people, which did encourage him to perfift in that Way. But whent "the Fame of his being poffeffed with an Evil Spi"rit was fufficiently bruited abroad, the Priests came to difpoffefs him, but he found fo much Sweet"nefs in the Eafe and Profit of that Life, that he "would not be difenchanted by them, tho' they "charmed never fo cruelly; for they beat him, and "pinch'd him, and ufed him bitterly ill, to make "him defift. Thus were the Deceivers deceived. "The Bishop asked him, Why he accufed the poor "old Woman of Witchcraft? He answered, The "Priefts told him, he muft lay the Caufe of his "being poffefs'd upon fome old Woman, and the

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being known to him, and of a fcolding Humour, "he fixed it on her. Then the Bifhop asked him, "How he came to fall into his Fits a little before "the Woman appeared in the Room, both at her "Examination and Arraignment, his Back being to"wards her? For the firft, at Litchfield, he faid, "He heard fome about him mutter, She is here; "which made him cry out, She comes, foe comes; "and for the fecond at Stafford, he heard the Peo

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ple remove, and her Chains gingle, as fhe came, "which gave him the Sign. Laftly, he was asked, How he made his Throat fwell? And he fhewed it was by thrufting his Tongue (being very long) "down his Throat, which Trick he found our him

felf; the reft were taught him by the Priefts. Thus "did the Bifhop preferve an innocent old Woman fecondemned by the Law to die, discover the abo minable Forgeries of the Priefts, and convert a "wicked Boy, whom afterwards he bound Apprentice, and proved a good Man. This Story I heard

"from

from the Bishop's own Mouth, almoft Thirty Years before it was inferted here.

I hope the Readers will not be difpleafed to find bere an Account of the following Book.

A DISCOURSE concerning Sorcery and Witchcraft, taken from the Trials of many Sorcerers and Witches, who have been condemned within thefe Two Years in the District of St Oyan de Joux, otherwife called St. Claude in Franche Comte. Rouen, &c. 1603. in 12mo. Pagg. 306.

TENRY Boguet, Grand Judge of the Town and District of St. Claude in Franche Comte, is the Author of this Book. It appears from the feveral Approbations prefixed to it, and dated in 1601, that it was firft printed in that Year. The Author de dicated this Difcourfe to the Archbishop of Bezançon, and compares the noble Exploits of that Prelate in the Profecution of Sorcerers and Witches, with the Warlike Actions of his Three Brothers against the Enemies

Enemies of the State. He declares in his Preface, That he defires every body should know that he is a Sworn Enemy to Sorcerers and Witches, and that he will never Spare them, both on account of their execrable Abominations, and because their Number increafes eve Ty Day. This Judge was a very credulous Man: The leaft Depofition, tho' never fo doubtful and inconfiderable, appeared to him an undeniable Proof of Witchcraft. He informs us, how he proceeded against feveral Men and Women accufed of that Crime; and therefore his Difcourfe is one of the moft Authentick Pieces that can be had, to know all the Particulars relating to Sorcerers and Witches.

On the 15th of June 1598, Louife Maillat of a Village called Coirieres, a Girl of Eight Years of Age, loft the Ufe of her Limbs to fuch a Degree, that fhe crawled and went upon Four: Befides, fhe wrefted her Mouth in a very ftrange manner. She continued in that Condition till the 19th of the next Month, when her Parents believing the was poffeffed with the Devil, caufed her to be exorcized in a Church. It appeared then that he had five Devils, whofe Names were Wolf, Cat, Dog, Folly and Griffin. The Prieft ask'd the Girl, How the came to have fo many Devils in her Body. She answered, That Frances Secretain, (pointing at her among thofe that were prefent at the Exorcifm,) had fent thofe Devils into her Body. That Woman lived in the fame Village, and was about Fifty-eight Years old. Notwithstanding the Exorcifm, the Devils did not come out. When the Girl came home, fhe defired her Father and Mother to pray for her, being perfuaded that he would be quickly difpoffeffed by that Means. This fhe faid as the Night was coming. on. Soon after fhe told her Parents, that two Devils were dead, and if they went on with their Prayers, thofe that remained would fare no better. Her Parents fpent the whole Night in praying. The next Morning, at break of Day, the Girl happened to be worse than the ufed to be, and belched con

tinually.

in the Shape of a Goole, became the wicked Sri. It does frequently transform Kelf into a Gocie, which has occafioned this Fread Proverb, Le Ditte a des pieds dope. He does not think it improbable that fome living Creamres may proceed from fach a Copulation; " For, Mays he not to mention "the famous Paffage in Greft, Mr.in was born of "a Devil and a Woman. The Hams and the Inha"Hirants of Cypu had the fame Original; and "tis faid that Lather was born by the Copulation "of the Devil with his Mother Margaret."

I hope the Readers will not Eame me for giving feveral Inftances of the prodigious Ignorance and Cre dulity of this Judge. It cannot be denied, that if Judges had been more knowing and lets credulous in former Times, we fhould not have heard of fo many Trials about Witchcraft

The Author proceeds to give an Account of femè other Witches. Rolande du Vernis being upon her Trial, declared, That fhe went to the Devil's Meet; ing on a large black Sheep, which carried her through the Air with a wonderful Swiftnefs. Thic venne Paget faid, That the Devil appeared to her the first time at Noon, in the Shape of a tall black Man; that he gave herself up to him; that he carried her into a Houfe near the Meadow of Long chamois, where he knew her, and then brought her back again to the fame Place where he took her, We are told that the Devil kept his Meeting in that Meadow. Our Author names five Children, the oldeft whereof was not above ten Years of Age, who declared they had been carried to one of the Devil's Meetings. Two Women told him, That as they were going along the Meadow of Longchamois, they perceived there was a Devil's Meeting there, and went to it. Some Witches go to that Meeting riding on a Goat, others on Horfeback, and fometimes on a Broom; and most times they go out of their Houses through the Chimney.

Our Judge is of Opinion, That when the Witches leave their Beds in the Night to go to their Nocturnal Affemblies, the Devil places a Phantome in their Room, that is altogether like them; and that a Huf band in fuch a Cafe embraces a Spectre instead of his Wife, as the Poets tell us, that Ixion embraced a Cloud instead of Juno. Sometimes the Devil himfelf fupplies the Place of the Wife, and lies with the Husband in the Shape of a Woman.

All the Sorcerers and Witches, tried by Judge Bo guet, told him, That they went conftantly to their Nocturnal Meetings about Midnight, and that those Affemblies broke up as foon as the Cock crew. The Author thinks that God out of his infinite Mercy defigns to bring thofe deluded People to Repentance by the Cock's Crowing, as St. Peter repented of his Fault when he heard the Cock crow.

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When Sorcerers and Witches meet, they worship the Devil, who appears fometimes in the Shape of a Man, and fometimes in the Shape of a Goat. They offer up fome Candles, to him, which caft a Light of a bluish Colour, and then kifs his Backfide. Afterwards they fall a Dancing with their Backs turned to each other. Some Devils play upon the Violin and most times Satan himself plays upon a Flute. When Dancing is over, they lie promifcuoufly one with another. This Lewdnefs is attended with a common Meal. All Sorcerers declare that the Meat which they eat in thofe Meetings, has no manner of Tafte: And moft of them add, That when they rife from Table, they are as hungry as they were before. After the Meal every body is obliged to give an Account of what he has done fince the last Meeting. Those who have been guil ty of the moft wicked Things, are highly commended for it; but thofe, who have been lefs Mifchievous, are laughed at by the whole Affembly, and moft times abufed and beaten by their Mafter. Then Vol. IV. Bb

the