Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800
And to speake more generallie of all the impossible actions referred
unto them, as also of their false confessions; I saie, that there is
none which acknowledgeth God to be onlie omnipotent, and the onlie
worker of all miracles, nor anie other indued with meane sense, but
will denie that the elements are obedient to witches, and at their
commandement; or that they may at their pleasure send raine, haile,
tempests, thunder, lightening; when she being but an old doting woman,
casteth a flint stone over hir left shoulder, towards the west, or
hurleth a little sea sand up into the element, or wetteth a broome
sprig in water, and sprinkleth the same in the aire; or diggeth a
pit in the earth, and putting water therein, stirreth it about with
hir finger; or boileth hogs bristles, or laieth sticks acrosse upon
a banke, where never a drop of water is; or burieth sage till it be
rotten: all which things are confessed by witches, and affirmed by
writers to be the meanes that witches use to moove extraordinarie
tempests and raine, &c.
♦The waies that witches use to make raine, &c.♦
♦_Nider._
_Mal. Malef._
_J. Bod._
_Frier Barth._
_Heming._
_Danæus, &c._♦
We read in _M. Maleficarum_, that a little girle walking abroad with
hir father in his land, heard him complaine of drought, wishing for
raine, &c. Whie father (quoth the child) I can make it raine or haile,
when and where I list? He asked where she learned it. She said, of
hir mother, who forbad hir to tell anie bodie thereof. He asked hir
how hir mother taught hir? She answered, that hir mother committed
hir to a maister, who would at anie time doo anie thing for hir. Whie
then (said he) make it raine but onlie in my field. And so she went
to the streame, and threw up water in hir maisters name, and made it
raine presentlie. And proceeding further with hir father, she made it
haile in another field, at hir fathers request. Hereupon he accused
his wife, and caused hir to be burned; and then he new christened
his child againe: which circumstance is common among papists and
witchmongers. And howsoever the first part hereof was prooved, there
is no doubt but the latter part was throughlie executed. If they could
indeed bring these things to passe at their pleasure, then might they
also be impediments unto the course of all other naturall things, and
ordinances appointed by God: as, to cause it to hold up, when it should
raine; and to make midnight, of high noone: and by those meanes (I
saie) the divine power should beecome servile to the will of a witch,
so as we could neither eat nor drinke but by their permission.
♦_Mal. Malef. par. 2. quæ. 1. cap. 12._♦
♦He that can lie, can steale; as he that can worke can plaie.♦
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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