The novice or yoong disciple goeth to some church, togither with the mistresse of that profession, upon a sundaie morning, before the conjuration of holie water, & there the said novice renounceth the faith, promiseth obedience in observing, or rather omitting of ceremonies in meetings, and such other follies; and finallie, that they doo homage to their yoong maister the divell, as they covenanted. But this is notable in that storie, that this yoong witch, doubting that his wives examination would bewraie his knaverie, told the inquisitor; that in truth his wife was guiltie as well as he, but she will never, I am sure (quoth he) though she should be burned a thousand times, confesse any of these circumstances. And this is in no wise to be forgotten, that notwithstanding his contrition, his confession, and his accusation of his owne wife (contrarie to the inquisitors promise and oth) he and his wife were both burned at a stake, being the first discoverers of this notable league, whereupon the fable of witchcraft is mainteined; and whereby such other confessions have beene from the like persons, since that time, extorted and augmented. The fift Chapter. _Of the private league, a notable tale of Bodins concerning a French ladie, with a confutation._ The maner of their private league is said to be, when the divell invisible, and sometimes visible, in the middest of the people talketh with them privatelie; promising, that if they will followe his counsell, he will supplie all their necessities, and make all their endevors prosperous: and so beginneth with small matters: whereunto they consent privilie, and come not into the fairies assemblie. ♦The maner of witches private league with the divell.♦ And in this case (mee thinks) the divell sometimes, in such externall or corporall shape, should meete with some that would not consent to his motions (except you will saie he knoweth their cogitations) and so should be bewraied. They also (except they were idiots) would spie him, and forsake him for breach of covenants. But these bargaines, and these assemblies doo all the writers hereupon mainteine: and _Bodin_ confirmeth them with a hundred and odd lies; among the number whereof I will (for diverse causes) recite one.