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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02750	A declaration of egregious popish impostures to with-draw the harts of her Maiesties subiects from their allegeance, and from the truth of Christian religion professed in England, vnder the pretence of casting out deuils. Practised by Edmunds, alias Weston a Iesuit, and diuers Romish priestes his wicked associates. Where-vnto are annexed the copies of the confessions, and examinations of the parties themselues, which were pretended to be possessed, and dispossessed, taken vpon oath before her Maiesties commissioners, for causes ecclesiasticall.	Harsnett, Samuel, 1561-1631.	1603 (1603)	STC 12880; ESTC S120922	196,686	296

so neere the order of the Primitiue Church yet they are not able either to discerne who are possessed amongst them nor how to giue thē remedy The third part is handled more largely to the great aduauncement power of Reliques As for holy water that S. Macarius thereby cured a woman who by Magicall enchauntment seemed to be turned into a Mare Likewise how S. Peter hallowed bread against the assault of certaine deuils which were sent by Simon Magus in the likenes of dogges to deuoure him For the power of priesthood there is an example alledged of S. Martin how he putting his fingers into the mouth of a Daemoniacke the deuill durst not bite him though he bad him to bite him if he had any power so to doe There is also mention made of the vertue of the blessed sacrament of holy oyle and of the bones of Saints The vse of all those things was very frequent in the exorcising of the parties possessed Insomuch as wee omitted not the reliques and bones of Ma. Campian Ma. Sherwin Ma. Brian and Ma. Cottam to haue some little testimonie by implication from the deuill to prooue them holy Matyrs If I be not deceiued Ma. Edmunds alias Weston was the Author of this booke and the examples by him alledged were brought of purpose to giue the more credit to his and our proceedings with the said parties before mentioned And indeed he was not therein deceiued for wee that were priests were thereby greatlie magnified by Catholiques schismaticks and weak protestants the two former beeing confirmed in the Romane Catholicke faith and the third sort therevnto reconciled as hath beene before mentioned And that cannot be denied but that in the course which wee held with the said pretended Daemoniacks many occasions were giuen and aptly taken to scorne and deride the orders seruice now established by her Maiesties lawes in the Church of England Likewise I must confesse that the course we held was so pleasing to such as saw it or were informed of it by those that they trusted as it prooued very gainfull vnto vs all that were priests wee had out of question procured vnto our selues very great fauour credit and reputation so as it was no meruaile if some young Gentlemen as Ma. Babington the rest were allured to those strange attempts which they tooke in hand by maister Ballard who was an Agent amongst vs. They saw as they supposed for both maister Babington and diuers of his company were oftentimes at the exorcisings that we had a great commandement ouer deuils which preuailed greatly with them as I think It would haue been a very strange thing I am perswaded that wee could not haue wrought men at that time to attempt which was prudently foreseene by Fa. Edmunds of purpose as I am resolued in my conscience to prepare the harts minds of Catholiques by those practises that when such forces as were intended should haue come into England they might haue been more readily drawn by him and vs to haue ioyned theyr forces with them And this is that I can say concerning the occasions or inducements that such matters were taken in hand at the time articulated Now as touching the substance of the generall interrogatory it selfe I haue perused the seuerall examinations and confessions of Sara Williams and Friswood her sister of Anne Smith and of Richard Mainy gentleman and am fully perswaded that they haue deposed the truth in such poynts whereof they were examined belonging to theyr pretended possession dispossessiō The effect wherof is that they were drawn by our cunning carriage of matters to seeme as though they had beene possessed when as in truth they were not neither were there any of the priests ignorant in my cōscience of their dissimulation nor the parties themselues as now it appeareth of our dissembled proceeding with them After I had beene my selfe first at one of theyr exorcisings it was my chaunce to he that night with maister Thomson a priest and a great Actor in those matters at his chamber by the Spittle and falling into some conference about it I vsed some such words as though I doubted whether the party were actually and really possessed For I my selfe being not acquainted with anie plot deuised by Fa Edmunds or any other spake my minde some-what more plainely then I perceaued Ma Thomson wel liked of His aunswer vnto me was in effect that he being my friend did earnestly wish me to cast forth no such speeches whatsoeuer I did thinke For quoth he the matter is iudged to be so by Fa Edmunds and some others that are Priests Besides such Catholiques as haue beene present at such fits haue receaued it for a truth that the parties are possessed And although I for my part will not make it an article of my Creede yet I thinke that godlie credulitie doth much good for the furthering of the Catholique cause and for the defacing of our common enemies and their proceedings or to this effect Not long after also talking with Ma Stamp at the Lo. Vaux his house in Hackney concerning these matters and demaunding of him seriously his opinion what he thought of them his aunswer was that they were things of such importance as would further the Catholique cause more then all the bookes that had beene written of late yeeres about the controuersies in Religion with the Protestants with which aunswer I seemed to rest contented because I saw thereby he was not willing to enter into any playner course with me I would not haue this my confession further extended then my meaning is I doe not take vpon me either directly or indirecty to oppose my selfe to the three poynts of the Treatise before mentioned which are strengthened with some authorities both of the Scriptures and of the auncient Fathers and Writers How be it as I account it presumption to denie all those Histories as touching the casting out of deuils in the Primitiue Church since the Apostles times so to beleeue all that is written thereof I hold it a point of great madnes and I doubt not but the soundest Catholiques in Europe are of my opinion For be it true that is alledged in the said treatise of S. Ambrose that he neuer heard of any that could counterfeit himselfe to be a Daemoniack yet later experience hath taught vs the contrary And indeede the artificiall skil considered where-vnto priests haue attained it is a very easie matter to bring a young girle or a youth to doe and speake those things which the Exorcists can readily colour and interpret as if it were both done and spoken by deuils that did possesse them But yet this I wil say and giue it for a rule to all Catholiques heereafter that wil not purposely suffer themselues to be deluded let them but mark diligently when they are present at any such actions what the parties pretended to be possessed doe eyther act or speak and then they shal perceaue nothing but may very well

illam cum omnibus daemonijs Take away that dreadfull hand in the name of all the deuils in hell Vt me vexas et torques nunquam sine cruciatibus sine incendio esse patiens How doost thou vexe how doost thou wring me thou art neuer but plaguing me with torment and fire Then cries he out of his head his heart his bowels his bones Manum tamen non dimittit sacerdos Yet Edmunds would not be moued to remit his hand but begins a new chase In sequitur manu per tergum cet He pursues the deuill downe along his backe his reines his close parts his thighes his legges vsque ad talos downe to his ankle-bone Thence he fetches him backe againe with a Susurrare downe his knee his belly his breast his neck and there graspes him round about the neck with both his holy hands which cast the deuil into so strange an agonie and passion as Edmunds himselfe breakes forth into an exclamation Deus imortalis quanta tum ille passeus fuit nec mille hominum linguas explicare posse existimo Good God! into what a passion was he then cast not the tongues of a thousand men I imagine can expresse it A little tast of the inexplicable agony he giues vs by this that the sweat that flowed from Marwoods face was in such current streames as it was the office of one man to stand and dry them vp Digitus Ignatij est hic this was the finger of Ignatius deuil indeede to teach a yong Popish Rakehell so cunningly to act feigne the passions and agonies of the deuil that the whole companie of spectators shal by his false illusions be brought into such commiseration and compassion as they shal all weepe crie and exclaime as loude as the counterfet deuil and the end and plaudite of the act must be this O Catholicam fidem O fidem Catholicam vereé fidem sanctam castam operatricem fidē tu daemonibus terribilis inferno formidabilis tibi cedunt cateruae legiones daemonum contre miscunt ad tuas voces tuas voces insuperabiles fugiunt horrent te audire nolunt That is O the Catholique faith O the faith Catholique truly faith holy pure powerfull faith Thou art terrible to deuils formidable to hell troupes submit to thee legions of deuils doe tremble at thy voyce they flie from thy vnresistable commaund they quake and dare not abide thy sound Now by that time Sara and her play-fellowes be come vpon the stage haue told you how they were burned and handled likewise I doubt not but you will helpe their plaudite with an O to O diabolicam fraudem O fraudem diabolicam O diros actores O ineptos spectatores Sara was content to play the she-deuil touching your presence and approach and to grace you with an Oh I burne oh I cannot abide the presence of a Catholique mary when you came neerer then in manhood you should offer or she in modesty suffer as to hunt her with your holy hote hands shee could in her woman-hood haue beene content you would haue forborne but that way lay your game and therefore there was no remedy but you would haue your hunting sport Your game being by hote chase embossed did commonly take soyle and there you let him lodge and hunted him a fresh vpon the old foyle and counter too which none but Curres of an impure sent wil doe Sara saith you began with your fiery hands at her foot and so vp all along her leg so her knee her thigh and so along all parts of her body And that you followed the chase so close that it could neither double nor squat but you were ready to pinch VVas this a fayre chase for holy anointed priests to make especially with those holy hands that had instantlie before celebrated the holy Masse blessed the chalice made as they suppose a new God eleuated the Hoast handled and deuided the very body of Christ to bring the same holy hands piping hote from the Altar to the chayre where Sara sate at Masse to seize with the same hands vpon her toe slip them vp along her legge her knee her thigh and so along all parts of her body till you came neere her neck and by the way with the same holy hands to handle pinch and gripe where the deuil in his blacke modesty did forbeare till you made her crie oh and then you to crie O that oh is the deuill Now the great deuil pinch you all for me and that I may say without malignity for I wel know he dares not you are so deuil holy all ouer head hart and hands that the deuil dares not come neere you and therefore you neede not to care a rush for either deuil or hell for you wil either with your holines make holy both the deuil and hell or make him crie oh when you come there with your holy pinch Fid Williams doth complaine looke in their owne confessions that with your holy hote burning hands you did hunt the deuil counter in her too and did toe-burne shin-burne knee-burne her and so forth till you made her crie oh for they were the sweet paire of your holy deuils that were alwayes in chase And heere we see the cause why Trayford was soone dispatched of his deuil after a bout or two and was neuer deuil hunted from toe to top with your holy hote hands nor Ma Maynie was neuer troubled with this pinching sport but Sara and Fid stuck long in your fingers or your fingers about them and euer anone they were at the holy chayre and this dislodging coursing and pinching the deuil was still in their Parkes Alack the poore soules had no worse deuils then Tray-ford and Maynie had for Maynie had the soueraigne Dictator of hell in him but their walke was faire for your course their game pleasing their sute hote your sent fuller and therefore no meruaile though your dogges being curres did hunt ryot so often after this fallow Deare And heere I must remember you that you were so fierie hote and so sharpe set vpon this game that you forgat your Maisters Mengus Thyraeus Sprenger Nider and all and did as schoole-boyes doe when they haue an otium to play giue a showt and for hast of their sport cast satchel bookes and paper behind at their heeles For in your graund probato when Sara at my L. Vaux his house was to receaue her solemne graund exorcisme and so be quit the Court this high day being held for her finall quietus est where you should haue had speciall regard to haue dignified and graced euery holy Engine in his due order and place seruiceable to this great worke as the Amice the Albe holy water holy candell the Crosse Brians bones and your Ma Mengus his formidable deuil-whip aboue the rest you hauing Sara your game set faire in her forme for ioy and showt of your sport could not abstaine but like Lycurgus his Hound that hauing

without receauing any adition of matter to feede and preserue the light except nutriment onely It was no great disgrace to the deuils puffe that could not blow out the holy candel being happily supported by the holy candlestick of the priest But you must be enformed of a farre greater foyle sustained by the deuil at the hands of a young child by the vertue of this holy candel holden in his hand Heare the Miraclist report it in his owne gracious Idiome Sara being set in a chaire shee raged more then ere shee did before especially at the presence of an infant holding a holy candell crying oft with terrible voyce and countenance I will eate thee but the child nothing abashed thereat was brought to hold the candell to her nose and to put him to silence O Catholicam fidem O fidem Cathoticam that hast such a check and soueraignty ouer all the power of hell as that thy priests leade about deuils after them as men leade Beares by the nose or Iack an Apes in a string and enduest thy young Infants with such heroical magnanimitie as they dare play with the deuils nose and crie Iack deuill ho deuill blow out the candell deuill and the poore deuil stands like a mute in a blacke sanctus with a bone in his mouth and dares not speake one word The two next deuil-scourges proclaimed from hel were Frankincense and the booke of Exorcismes the former whereof though it pleased you not to grace with any special miracle accomplished alone hauing many new initiats to aduaunce that stood you in more stead yet to shew that your deere mother-Mother-church did not bestow her blessing vppon such a iewel for naught you gaue him his due time order and place and marshalled him very honourably according to his discent somtime with the powerful potion sometime with brimstone sometime wirh holy water sometime with holy candle shewing vs by the worthines of his companion that hee was none of the rascal crue Indeede you needed be the lesse careful for this by reason it is alwaies of worth very sufficient to grace and aduaunce it selfe both in regard of the antiquity as also of the honourable discent thereof as springing from no meaner stemme then the three Kings of Cullen that brought it with gold and Mirrhe for a present vnto our Sauiour Christ And therefore it hath beene worth the keeping esteeme in your Mother-church euer since and hath receiued her deere motherly blessing by consecration and benediction And so wee find that your holy Mother hath layd her holy hands vppon gold likewise and consecrated and blessed that amiable mettall to whereby it hath had and shewed as much power ouer deuils haunting houses walking in Churchyeards and speaking out of images as Frankincense holy candle and holy water haue But little did those three good Kings of Cullen know what a powerful rich present they had brought vnto our Sauiour whē they presented him with Frankincense as little deeming of fuming any deuil in theyr way or profugating a deuil from the body of our blessed Sauiour But your eyes pierced farther thē these 3. Kings could notwithstanding it is generally accoūted they had eye-sight enough as comming from the head and fountaine of wisedome vnderstanding and wit and you cleerely saw that the Egyptian priests perfuming theyr two grand Idols Isis and Osiris with this holy smoake and hearing Tully proclaime of theyr Images at Rome in omnibus vicis statuae factae ad eas thus cerei that they halowed them and theyr Altars with frankinsence and candle you haue very wisely deuoutly and heathenishly smoaked your Altars your images your Churches your vestments your reliques your beades your bookes your breeches with this perfume for feare of deuil-blasting and therefore you needed not vppon our deuil Theater to grace it with any new wonder The fourth feareful whip halowed out of hel was the booke of Exorcismes which though Stemp the priest shewed Sara a little corner of out of his pocket when he was new come from London to Denham telling her he had brought her Maister a whip and that Sara knew it as wel by the crosses figures as a begger knew his dish or an old curre a kitchin whippe by a corner of the steale it had beene so often thundred vpon yet we find in our tragaedie that this plaid not the most tragicall monster-part nor did not the greatest wonders and that vppon very wise and important considerations First this booke was sicut fortis equus spatio qui saepe supremo vecit Olympia It had playd so many worthy parts and caried away the garland so oft in all the Lists Turnaments and Iusts with the deuil that it needed no new Io paean to be honoured with-all Secondly it hath hanging on it all the seales and stamps of holy popes for many hundred yeeres with all their potent benedictions and it hath had the deere and louing mothers blessing with priuiledge of birth-right and priority of honour besides and therefore it might wel stand and breath a while without any new addition or title of aduauncement Thirdly it serued wonderous aptly ad terrorem et stuporem incutiendum populo in steede of thunder and lightning to bring Iupiter vpon the stage by these dreadful frightful Exorcismes thundring clapping and flashing out the astonishing of Gods names Iehouah Tetragrammaton Adonai and the rest to amaze and terrifie the poore people and to possesse them with an expectation of some huge monster-deuil to appeare Who standing at gaze with trembling and feare hearing the huge thunder cracke of adiuration flie abroad and no deuils to roare and then seeing the Exorcist in a rage to throw away his thunder booke behind him and hunt the deuil with his owne holy hands and instantly hearing the deuil rouze out of his cabin as a Lyon out of his denn bellow out with his roaring voyce Oh oh oh I burne I burne I scald I broyle I am tormented This must needes make the poore Madge Owlets cry out in admiration of the power of the potent priesthood O Catholicam fidem O fidem Catholicam O the Catholique faith O the power of the faith Catholique Brimstone and the holy potion needed no Herrauld from hell to proclaime their potency and might for where so euer they went they caried hel before them both for vgly blacknes smoake scorching broyling and heate As you may see in the poore she-deuil Sara that bore in her face the very Idaea of hell imprinted branded in her by these dreadful fumigations For the force vse and application of this Engine I referre you to the tenth chapter not that you must think that the loathsome hellish potion of Sacke Sallet-oyle and Rue mashed together and by force poured downe into her stomacke a full pint at a time did of their owne natural qualities fume vp and intoxicate her braine as Tobacco Giniper and Henbane mingled together would doe or that the owne vnkind fulsomnes of

reported This exam further saith that shee being present by Mainy when he was in exorcising after that shee the first time had been exorcised by Cornelius Ma Edmunds the Iesuit did aske the deuil in Mainy whether she this exam was possessed or not and the deuil aunswered that she was Then quoth Ma Edmunds how chaunce he could not be brought to speake this other day when she was exorcised He the said deuil as she then supposed aunswered that the reason was because the spirit that was in her was sullen and dumbe Then they demaunding of his deuil what was the name of the spirit that was in this exam he aunswered Soforce And this was betwixt Christmas and Shrouetide She further saith that it was a common thing amongst them to giue out words as though Protestants were all possessed and there-vpon the priests would aske some that were pretended to be possessed or the deuil in them as it was supposed whilest they were exorcising them why they did not trouble them before whilst they were Protestants And the deuil would aunswer that there was no reason for them so to doe because the Protestants were theirs already She further saith that after the time she was out of the priests hands her former disease of the Mother did diuers times take her and continued with her as before it had done vntill being married she had children Since which time she hath beene rid of that disease she thanketh God She further saith that shee wel remembreth the morning when Alexander the Apothecarie was to goe to London to fetch more priests the day before this exam was first exorcised his horse prauncing and flinging of him downe he returned backe againe and constantly affirmed that the wicked spirit that was in this exam had caused his horse to fling him whereat when this exam laughed he the said Alexander affirmed that it was the deuill that laughed at him The confession of Ma. Anthonie Tyrrell Clerke written with his owne hand and auouched vpon his oath the 15 of Iune 1602. DIuers interrogatories beeing propounded to this examinate cōcerning the pretended casting out of deuils by maister Edmunds alias Weston a Iesuit and certaine other Seminary priests in the yeeres 1585 and 1586 at Hackney Denham and other places and as touching likewise the occasions or inducements that mooued them at that time to take such matters vpon them hee hath set downe his aunswer as followeth I will first answer to the circumstance of time which is heere propounded vnto me In the yeere 1584 I Iohn Ballard priest since executed with Ma. Babington and the rest comming together from Rome through Burgundy found there a great presse of souldiours and were aduertised that they were to serue vnder the Duke of Guise When wee came to Roane wee heard then directly that the said preparations were against England The same yeere as I remember Ma. Crighton a Scottish Iesuit was taken at the sea and after brought into England who by occasion of certaine writings which he had was driuen to confesse at large as I haue beene informed what the whole plot was and how far both the Pope and the King of Spaine had ingaged themselues in it Hereof I doubt not but that sundry Catholiques in England had sufficient notice from beyond the seas and especially Ma. Edmunds alias Weston the Iesuit who was then the chiefe as maister Garnet as I take it is at this present and therefore could not be ignorant of such important matters wherein principall men of his owne societie were engaged Not long after my cōming into England in the yeere 1585 maister Martin Aray a priest meeting with me at the end of Cheapside as I was turning to enter into Paules Churchyard tooke mee by the hand and whispering me in the eare bad me be of good cheere for that all things went now very well forward The king of Spayne quoth he is now almost ready with his forces to come into England and we shall be sure to heare some good newes therof very shortly wherefore it standeth vs now in hand that be priests to further the Catholique cause as much as possibly in vs lyeth or to this effect And this was the state of that time nourished I well perceiued with great hope of some great alteration by the meanes before expressed About the time of maister Arayes aforesaid communication with me maister Edmunds alias Weston had lately as it was reported cast a deuill out of one Marwood whereupon he the said maister Aray at the time before mentioned did highly commend vnto mee the exorcismes of Fa. Edmunds saying that hee the said Edmunds would make the deuils themselues now confesse that theyr kingdome was neere at an end Vpon the pretended dispossession of the said Marwood sundry other priests mooued thereunto I am perswaded by the instigation of maister Edmunds or for that they meant to shew theyr zeale in imitating of him did take vpon them to exorcise and cast deuils out of diuers persons viz. Sara and Friswood Williams William Trayford Anne Smith Richard Mainy and Elizabeth Calthrop whose necke was found broken at the bottome of a payre of stayres as the brute went then amongst vs. VVhen I saw this course I liked it well and was my selfe an Actor in it and did well perceiue that it was the matter whereat Ma. Aray had aymed when he told me that it stoode vs Priests in hand to further the Catholique cause as much as possibly wee could And indeed our proceedings therein had for a time wonderfull successe I cannot in my conscience esteeme the number fewer that in the compasse of halfe a yeere were by that meanes reconciled to the Church of Rome then 5 hundred persons some haue said three or foure thousand As touching the seuerall manners of dispossessing the said parties and of theyr fits traunces and visions diuers discourses were penned amongst the which I my selfe did penne one Ma. Edmunds likewise writ I am perswaded a quire of paper of Ma. Mainyes pretended visions For he thought as it seemed to haue wrought some great matter by him but was disappointed very ridiculously so as I thinke the said vision will hardly come to light There was also a Treatise framed to proue first that in former times diuers had been possessed Secondly that Christ hath left to his Church certaine remedies for the dispossessing of such parties Thirdly that in the casting out of deuils there hath beene great vse of application to the Daemoniacks of holy reliques In prosecution of the first part amongst other points the Author sheweth that GOD permitteth some to be possessed that thereby the faithlesse Atheists may learne that there is both a God and a deuill and that the faith of the Catholique Church may also be confirmed by the power left vnto her in casting out of deuils In the handling of the second point hee tryumpheth against the Protestants saying that for all theyr reformation which they talke of to be

Queene herselfe standing excommunicate and that therefore the examinations taken before them are of no validitie to bind the examinats but that all that they doe confesse is tanquam coram non Iudice A number of other shifts they haue which I doe not now remember The Apostolicall rule is that euill shall not be doone that good may come of it but they doe not account it euill as I verily thinke to calumniate the Protestants by any deuise whatsoeuer that may carry any probabilitie with it nor make any conscience to tell and publish any vntruthes which they thinke beeing belieued may aduaunce and promote such poynts and matters as they take vpon them to defend for the honour of the church of Rome and dignitie of their priesthood Anth Tyrrell ❧ The confession of Richard Mainy Gentleman written by himselfe and auouched vppon his oath the sixt of Iune 1602. THe said Richard Mainy had read vnto him some parts of a discourse or two written by certaine Seminary priests of a pretended possession and dispossession both of himselfe and of certaine others viz. one Marwood Trayford Sara Francis Williams two sisters and Anne Smith These parties were said to be possessed and dispossessed of many wicked spirits The priests that dealt with them were diuers but the especiall men that had Richard Mainy in hand were Ma. Edmunds the Iesuit alias Weston Cornelius and one Dibdale men wholy at the deuotion and direction of the said Edmunds It was in the yeeres 1585 and 1586 when these stratagems were executed Such dealings as they had with the said Mainy were at Denham at one Ma. Fittons two miles from Windsore and at the Earle of Loncolnes house in Channon-row where Iohn Mainy his brother did then remaine Of these matters the said Mainy beeing demaunded diuers questions desired that hee might haue leaue to aunswer them after his owne fashion and not to be tied to the order of the said demaunds for that hee thought he could set downe those things which hee remembred more plainly to his owne vnderstanding then otherwise he should be able if he were bound to follow the order propounded vnto him by the said demaunds And that which he hath set downe is the discourse following not much disagreeing from the order of the interrogatories ministred vnto him And hath Ma. Edmunds the rest of the priests thus dealt with mee I am very sorry for it It might haue beene sufficient for them to haue practised theyr purposes vpon me and the rest youthes and almost girles although they had not published the same to the world But of likelihood theyr glory and our discredit were so ioyned together as the one could not stand without the other This course whereunto they haue therby drawne me wil procure me great displeasure I know amongst my friends and worke me much hinderance in my priuate estate but what remedie Beeing called by publique authoritie and enforced by vertue of mine oath to deliuer the truth I cannot see how with any conscience I can deny those things which I find to be truly layd to my charge and could neuer haue beene thought of if their writings had neuer come to the Magistrats hands The particulers which now of necessity I must deliuer I was purposed to haue concealed from all men liuing although heeretofore in generall termes I haue beene driuen to say somewhat of these matters About 14 yeeres since the Lords of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell Henry Earle of Darby being one hauing gotten some notice of the pretended possessions and dispossessions at the places before mentioned and that I was one of the parties that had beene dealt with did write their letter vnto Ferdinando then Lord Strange to examine me It seemeth they had beene informed that I should publish how I was possessed with certaine wicked spirits and of them dispossessed by some priests of the Catholique Romane Church and that I should take vpon mee in companie where I came to iustifie the same So as being called before the said Lord Strange he demaunded of me whether I had giuen out such speeches Hee examined mee vpon my oath and my aunswer was according to the truth as I was perswaded in mine owne conscience and as farre as my memory did serue me viz. that I was neuer possessed with any wicked spirit nor had reported any such thing and that I was so farre from iustifying of it that I was fully perswaded that in all the courses which the priests tooke with me when they pretended that I was possessed there was nothing but deceit falfhood illusions and iuglings This was the effect of my aunswer at that time if my memory doe not much faile me and thereupon I was by his Lordship dismissed VVith this aunswer I suppose the Iesuits were long since acquainted which hath greatly already hindered me alienated the harts of some of my deerest friends from mee And the same aunswer that I made then before his Lordship I must now make againe to the substance of all those questions which haue been demaunded of mee viz. that I was neuer possessed with any wicked spirit otherwise then all other sinners are but euer as free I thanke GOD from hauing any deuils in me as either Ma. Edmunds himselfe or any other of the Priests that had to deale with me for ought I know This aunswer I thought would haue beene sufficient to haue satisfied all those things which are obiected against me but I am vrged with sundry particulers and therefore I must of necessity yeeld to the cleering of my selfe in them and yet no otherwise then the truth requireth When I was about 13 yeeres old I was sent by my mothers direction to Rhemes in Fraunce where there was then an English Seminary the intent of my mother and other of my friends was as I thinke to haue had mee to haue been a priest I remained in Rhemes about two yeres and was there maintained with my mothers exhibition allowance Towards the end of the said two yeeres of a childish curiositie I entred into the obseruances of certaine religious men termed in that country Bonhommes or fratres minimi and became a young probationer amongst them This order was deuised by Fraunces de Paula who is canonized for a saint of whom there is mention made in the Romane breuiary as hauing his place appointed in the Kalender on the second of Aprill There his office course of life is set downe and briefly described After I had remained about a quarter of a yeere or somewhat more in this probation I was sent by the Rector of the house with some other of my fellowes to the house of the Bonhommes at Paris where I had scarcely remained a quarter of a yeere but I grew weary of that profession Their rules seemed vnto me to be too strict for me and their diet beeing nothing but fish I began to dislike it Besides I had a disease wherewith I had been