Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	body_n	death_n	soul_n	5,812	5	5.2725	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55138	A pleasant treatise of witches their imps, and meetings, persons bewitched, magicians, necromancers, incubus, and succubus's, familiar spirits, goblings, pharys, specters, phantasms, places haunted, and devillish impostures : with the difference between good and bad angels, and a true relation of a good genius / by a pen neer the covent of Eluthery.	Pen neer the Covent of Eluthery.	1673 (1673)	Wing P2564; ESTC R9332	44,947	136

they unlockt the door and entered the Chamber with a great company of lights and saw by their Daughter a most horrid Monster more terrible in shape then what can be described believed The beholders of this strange Spectacle all run away save an holy Priest that staid began to read St. Johns Gospel and when he came to this passage The Word was made Flesh the evil Spirit with a horrid noise flew away with the window of the chamber And the woman at the fright was delivered of a horrid Monster which the Midwives least it might be a reproach to the Family burnt upon a pile of wood immediately In the year 1480. as the same Author affirms a Merchants Ship was going to Flanders to Traffique when on a sudden there arose so vehement a Storm that the Mast was broke and great damage done to the rest of the Tackling insomuch that nothing could be expected but present destruction The Master wondring at this unclemency of the Air for it was then about the Summer Solstice when he could attribute it to no natural cause concluded it was rather by some evil spirit Which as he related to the Passengers comforting them forasmuch as he trusted God would not suffer them to perish by those means of the Devil a pittiful voyce was heard from the bottom of the Ship of one of the passengers a woman accusing her self that for many years she had had familiarity with a Devil in mans shape and that he was then with her and that she deserved to be thrown into the Sea to save the rest from the imminent danger The Minister therefore was sent down to this distressed creature who pray'd by her and after her confession earnestly entreated her to repent and ask of God forgiveness for what she had done This the poor distressed woman no so●…ner began to do but a black and thick mist seemed to rise up out of the pump of the Ship and with a great noise flame smoak and stink threw it self into the Sea after which the Tempest ceased and the Ship got safe to harbour Vincentius writes that a certain strong young man well skilled in Swimming was bathing himself by Moon-shine in the Sea and that a woman swimming after him took him by the hair as if it were one of his companions that would have ducked him to whom he spoke but no answer was made nevertheless she followed him to shoar and the youth taken by the great excellence of her beauty covered her with some of his garments and brought her to his home and not long after marryed her But being jeered often by his companions that he had marryed a Phantasm forasmuch as she would never speak he drew his Sword one day and threatned he would kill the Child she bore if she would not speak and tell her Original Alas poor man said she that loosest a good wife by forcing me to speak I had remained long with thee and done thee much good had I not broken the silence enjoyned me and therefore henceforth thou shalt see me no more and then she vanished But the child grew and began to use himself much to swim till at last as he swimmed one day in the Sea many people admiring him he was taken way out of their sight by his Mother Hieronymus reports the like of a Monk invited to uncleaness by a Succubus in the shape of a very fair and beautiful woman but when went to embrace her she sent forth a great cry as she was nothing in reality but a meer shade and Phantasm vanished out of his arms deceiving and deriding the foolish Monk that had by his Lust rendred himself like the horse and bruit beasts without understanding CHAP. VI. Of Familiar Spirits Goblings and Pharies GIlbert writes in the eight Book of his Narrations that a young Gentleman of Lo●…rain of a good Family but corrupted by ill company frequenting often Ordinaries and such like houses of Debauchery was one day walking in the fields melancholy by himself for want of money To whom a Spirit appearing in mans shape asked the reason of his solitariness profering to do him service in whatever troubled him providing he would stedfastly believe all that was in a little Book he would give him and swear never to open or shew it to any body This when the young man had promised the other produced a little Book in his left hand and shaked 60. Crowns out of it into his right bidding the young man do the like who produced the same effect But at last when he wanted for nothing being overcome with curiosity he resolved to see what was contained in it and opening it he saw in the midst a round Circle divided with certain lines in form of a Cross on which was painted a horrible face of a Devil At this sight the young man was so frighted that his Eyes became black and his Brains turned that he thought to have some heavy load on his shoulders He was forced therefore to confess the matter to his friends who perswaded him to through the Book into the fire which although there was nothing in it but Paper yet remained an hour in the fire before it consumed A certain Souldier travelling through Marchia a country of Almaigne and finding himself weary in his journey abode in an Inn till he might recover his strength and committed to his Hostesses custody certain money which he had about him Not long after when he was to depart he required his money but the woman having consulted with her Husband denyed the Receit and return thereof accusing him also of wrong in demanding that which she never received the Souldier on the other side fretting amain accused her of cousenage which stir when the man of the house heard though privy to all before yet dissemblingly took his Wives part and thrust the souldier out of doors who being throughly chafed with that indignity drew his Sword and ran at the door with the point of it whereat the Host cried Theeves Theeves saying that he would have entered his House by force so that the poor Souldier was taken and put in Prison and by process of Law to be condemned to death but the very day wherein this hard Sentence was to be pronounc●…d and executed the Devil entred into the prison and told the Souldier he was condemned to dye nevertheless if he would give himself body and soul to him he would promise to deliver him out of their hands the prisoner answering said that he had rather dye being innocent then be delivered on such conditions Again the Devil propounded to him the great danger his life was in and also used all cunning means possible to perswade him But the other resolutely withstood his temptation that at last he promised to revenge him of his enemies for nothing advising him moreover to plead not guilty to declare his innocency and their wrong and to entreat the Judge to grant him one that stood by in a

A Pleasant TREATISE OF Witches Their Imps and Meetings Persons bewitched Magicians Necromancers Incubus and Succubus's Familiar Spirits Goblings Pharys Specters Phantasms Places Haunted and Devillish Impostures WITH The difference between Good and Bad Angels and a true Relation of a good GENIUS By a Pen neer the Covent of ELUTHERY LONDON Printed by H. B. for C. Wilkinson at the Black Boy in Fleetstreet and Tho. Archer and Tho. Burrell under St. Dunstans-Church 1673. TO THE READER THere is an inward Inclination and desire of Knowledge gentle Reader which hath moved many grave Learned Authors amongst the rest of their inquiries to search into the Nature of those things which because they are beyond the reach of common capacity seem to the vulgar Fables only and Poetical Fictions Amongst the rest of those things there is nothing hath been more cry'd down by some and upheld by others nothing has had more Defendants on either side than the possibility of man's having familiarity with Demons This general Curiosity drew me in among the rest that were ignorant of such matters and caused me for my own Recreation as well as Satisfaction to allot some spare hours to a stricter inquiry into these things but their scope being so large and so far extended so many Arguments stand on the one side so many on the other that I fell short of any just determination Nevertheless like that Merchant that misses sometimes his designs yet alwayes comes home well laden I have found many things by the way and fill'd this small Treatise with the Pith and Marrow of above a hundred Antient and Modern Authors whose pleasant Relations have not only been delightful to my self in their Collection but have wrought so effectually on the Ears of some that have heard but two or three of them that not through any desire of mine but by their frequent and earnest intreaties I have used these means to satisfie them and to present thee with this compendious Treatise and that thy Acceptance of it may be kind according to my desires you shall find nothing here of those Vulgar Fabulous and Idle Tales that are not worth the lending an ear to nor of those hideous Sawcer-eyed and Cloven-Footed Divels that Grandams affright their children withal but only the pleasant and well-grounded discourses of the Learned as an object adequate to thy wise understanding Farewel Index CHAP. I. The manner of the Witches Profession CHAP. II. Their Imps and Meetings CHAP. III. Persons Bewitched CHAP. IV. Magicians and Negromancers CHAP. V. Incubus and Succubus CHAP. VI. Familiar Spirits Goblings and Pharies CHAP. VII Specters and Phantasms CHAP. VIII Places Haunted CHAP. IX Divellish Impostures CHAP. X. An admirable and true Process of a Woman that wrought Miracles by the help of the Divel CHAP. XI The horrid end of witches and Negromancers CHAP. XII The difference between good and bad Spirits and the true Relation of a good Genius A Pleasant Treatise of WITCHES c. CHAP. I. The manner of the Witches Profession INcoherent various and deceitful will all the Institutions of Satan appear whether we consider him in his ambiguous Oracles deceiving the Heathen World in his subtilty to create himself a worship and followers so obedient as to sacrifice their of-springs to him but more especially in his seducing some poor miscreants so far as to contract a bargain with them for their bodies and souls for ever Such are persons St. Chrisost. lib. de provid ad Stag. Monac perversly instituted in Religion envious malicious and distrusting Gods mercyes who to satisfie their unreasonable desires in those things they could not otherwise perform have hearkened to his flatteries renounced their Faith and made themselves his slaves and subjects Nevertheless to make his worship become more solemn and his servants tye the greater many horrible and detestable ceremonies are perform'd at their first reception the summ of all is this The Wizards and Witches being met in a place and time appointed where the Devil appears to them in humane shape admonisheth them to be faithful promises them success and length of life they that are present recommend the Novice to him and the Devil if the party will renounce the Christian Faith the Sacraments and tread upon the Cross gives him his hand adding moreover that this is not alone sufficient but that he will have an homage also containing that he give himself to him body and soul for ever and bring as many as possibly he may into the same societ●…y furthermore that he prepare himself certain Oyntments This we inquisitors say the Authors of a Book called Malleus Maleficarum know being fully informed by a young Witch Another marryed youth is said to have confessed to Peter Judge in Boltingen after this manner That the rest of the society on Sunday before the water was consecrated brought the new Disciple into the Church where he denyed his faith c. and promised homage to his little Master for so they call him Magisterulum and no otherwise then he drinks out of a Bottle presently which being done he begins to conceive something of his Profession and is confirmed in the principall Rites of it Manlius writes concerning their abominable profession that in the Year 1553. two Witches sto●…e a Child from their neighbour kild it cut it in pieces and put it into a Kittle to boil when the sorrowful Mother looking for her Infant came by chance into the house and found the limbs thereof horribly consumed For which abominable Fact the Authors of it were burnt having first in their torture confessed this part of their horrible profession Two other Witches are reported by Spranger to have kild the one forty Children unchristned the other an infinite number and R. P. P. Valdarama the Spaniard relates that in Germany were taken eight Witches who confessed to have murthered One hundred forty five Children in the making their Oyntments CHAP. II. Of their familiar Imps and their meetings THey are likewise reported by the same Author to have each of them a Spirit or lmp attending on and assigned to them which never leave those to whom they are subject but assist and render them all the service they command These give the Witches notice to be ready on all Solemn appointments and meetings which are ordinarily on Tuesday or Wednesday night and then they strive to separate themselves from the company of all other Creatures not to be seen by any and night being come they strip themselves naked and anoint themselves with their Oyntments Then are they carryed out of the house either by the Window Door or Chimney mounted on their Imps in form of a Goat Sheep or Dragon till they arrive at their meeting place whither all the other Wizards and Witches each one upon his Imps are also brought Thus brought to the designed place which is sometimes many hundred miles from their dwellings they find a great number of others arrived there by the same means who before

utterly deni'd it Whereupon she was released for that time and lockt in her Chamber A while after being again accused by new Evidences brought against her she was the second time put to the rack where again she confessed some small faults as before But finding her self tortured she began to cry and say takeme away hence or I shall stink you all out of the Room for I can hold my ex●…rement no longer There was a house of office neer whither the standers by would have her carryed others more judicious were of opinion she should not fearing some greater difficulty might arise but by plurality of voices she was untv'd and carryed thither and having staid there half an Hour and more although she were called twice or thrice she was at last compelled to come forth and was put to the Rack again and was tortured more vehemently then before But she without crying or lamenting as she had done before fell a laughing and derided and mocked the Judges bidding them do what they would their cruelty could prevail nothing against her Hereupon the standers by thought the Devil had made her impassible for she would confess nothing that was charged against her but being stretcht on the Rack she either laught or slept Therefore by the councel of some more judicious in such matters than the rest she was taken and shaved in all parts of the body where hair used to grow and was searched by divers woman who found ty'd about her arms certain small Parchment notes containing the names of evil Spirits with some crosses intermixed These Bills being presented to the Magistrate she was again stretched on the Rack where at the first pull she began to roar and confess all whereof she had been accused and being examined concerning her former obstinacy in her denials she said that if she had not been wholly shaved and deprived of those Bills the truth had never came out of her mouth This being brought to this pass the Judges proceeded to condemnation some were of Opinion she should be burnt alive others for the most part that she should only be put to a rigorous fine to be banished from the Countrey and never to return upon pain of being burnt according to this last opinion she was set upon a Scaffold with a false Periwig made on purpose which was taken off her head by the Hangman and thrown in the fire kindled to that end Afterwards she was conducted by two Judges and the Attorney of Bruges out of their Territory Thus out of Flanders she went into Zealand and dwelt some time at Middlebroug where she presently fell to her former trade The Lord Florent Dam Judge of the town was advised by us of what was past concerning this woman and in favour of justice the Copies of her Accusations and Confessions and Sentence was sent him which made him strictly observe her and finding by undeniable truths that she persevered in her diabolical Witchcraft caused her to be apprehended and put in Prison and having narrowly examined her by her wilful confessions and according to her former Sentence he condemned her to be burnt alive After which he sent a Letter with the whole Relation to Bruges whereof Danhoudere hath given us this relation CHAP. XI The horrid end of Witches and Negromancers ZAcoes and Arfaxad the great Persian Magicians at the very hour St. Simon and Iude suffered Martyrdome were struck dead with Lightning Cynops the Prince of Negromancers was at St. Iohn's Prayers swallowed up with waters and Methotin who by his Diabolical illusions got to be High-Priest was stoned Several have been taken away alive by the Divel but one more wonderfully as we may read in Spec. Hist. lib. 26. c. 26. after this manner There hapned one day that a certain Daw that an old Witch kept spoke at which the woman let fall the knife out of her hand as she was at dinner and grew extream pale till at length after many sighs and groans she broke out into these words This day my Plough is come to its last Period and I shall certainly suffer some great evil Whilst she thus spoke a messenger brought word that her Son was dead upon which newes she fell immediately sick and sending for the rest of her children which were two a Monk and a Nun I have by my wretched Fate said she with grief these many years followed Witchcraft and given my self body and soul to the Devil that perswaded me to this wickedness and will be the punishe●… as well as the Author of it I desire you therefore that you would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me to asswage my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 struction of my soul is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall also ●…ew up my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 skin and put it into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ing fast the top wa●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bind it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I lye securely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall bury me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sung for me fifty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayers said All these things her two children obeyed after the death of their mother but prevailed not for the first two nights when the Monks began to sing Hymns about the body the Devils opened the Church doors that were shut with a great barr and broke two chains but the middlemost being stronger remained whole the third night the noise was so great of those Demons that came to fetch the body that the very foundation of the Church was shaken But one Devil in shape more terrible than the rest broke down the doore and went toward the Coffin commanding the body to arise which answered it could not for the chain thou shalt be delivered replyed he from that hindrance and going to the Coffin he broke the Chain and with his foot thrust off the covering then taking the woman by the hand lead her out of the Church in presence of them all to the door where stood a black horse ready and proudly Neighing upon which the woman was placed and all the company of Devils went away with her through the Air their noise being so great that the Inhabitants thereabouts were no less astonish'd then the beholders CHAP. XII The difference between good and evil Angels with an admirable relation of a good Genius HAving hitherto in some manner declared the acts of evil and cursed Spirits 't will be reasonable that before I conclude this Treatise I give you some account of those blessed Angels which God oft times for reasons best known to himself hath caused to appear unto men and to distinguish the one from the other there are three ways of discovery The first is according to Jamblic●…s d' Mysterijs that the good never appear in any phantastical shape nor strive to deceive us or offer to councel us in wicked matters Evil angels on the contrary appear always in strange shapes and although sometimes they strive to imitate the Children of Light to be thought Angels of God yet because of their evil nature if desired to