Читать книгу The Discoverie of Witchcraft онлайн

160 страница из 216

Secondlie, the judge must beware she touch no part of him, speciallie of his bare; and that he alwaies weare about his necke conjured salt, palme, herbes, and waxe halowed: which (say they)Ja. Sprenger.

H. Institor. are not onelie approoved to be good by the witches confessions; but/30. also by the use of the Romish church, which halloweth them onelie for that purpose.

Item,Mal. malef. pa. 3, quæ. 15. she must come to hir arreignement backward, to wit, with hir taile to the judges face, who must make manie crosses, at the time of hir approching to the barre. And least we should condemne that for superstition, they prevent us with a figure,Prolepsis or Præoccupation. and tell us, that the same superstition may not seeme superstitious unto us. But this resembleth the persuasion of a theefe, that dissuadeth his sonne from stealing; and neverthelesse telleth him that he may picke or cut a pursse, and rob by the high waie.

One other caution is, that she must be shaven, so as there remaine not one haire about hir: for sometimes they keepe secrets for taciturnitie, and for other purposes also in their haire, in their privities, and betweene their skinne and their flesh. For which cause I marvell they flea them not: for one of their witches would not burne, being in the middest of the flame, as M. Mal.Mal. malef. reporteth; untill a charme written in a little scroll was espied to be hidden betweene hir skin and flesh, and taken awaie. And this is so gravelie and faithfullie set downe by the inquisitors themselves, that one may beleeve it if he list, though indeed it be a verie lie. The like lie citeth Bodin,John. Bod. of a witch that could not be strangled by the executioner, doo what he could. But it is most true, that the inquisitor CumanusAnno. 1485 a knave inquisitor. in one yeare did shave one and fourtie poore women, and burnt them all when he had done.