I am not ignorant that some write, that after the death of _Nabuchadnez-zar_, his sonne [*]_Eilumorodath_ gave his bodie to the ravens to be devoured, least afterwards his father should arise from death, who of a beast became a man againe. But this tale is meeter to have place in the _Cabalisticall_ art, to wit: among unwritten verities than here. To conclude, I saie that the transformations, which these witchmongers doo so rave and rage upon, is (as all the learned sort of physicians affirme) a disease proceeding partlie from melancholie, wherebie manie suppose themselves to be woolves, or such ravening beasts. For _Lycanthropia_ is of the ancient physicians called _Lupina melancholia_, or _Lupina insania_. _J. Wierus_ declareth verie learnedlie, the cause, the circumstance, and the cure of this disease. I have written the more herein; bicause hereby great princes and potentates, as well as poore women and innocents, have beene defamed and accounted among the number of witches. ♦_Cor. Agrip. de vanit. scient. cap. 44._♦ ♦[*] [tr. of _Euil_]♦ ♦_Paul. Aeginet. li. 3. c. 16._ _Aetius. lib. 6. cap. 11._ _J. Wier. de præst. dæm. lib. 4. cap. 23._♦ The seventh Chapter. _A speciall objection answered concerning transportations, with the consent of diverse writers thereupon._ For the maintenance of witches transportations, they object the words of the Gospell, where the divell is said to take up Christ, and to set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and on a mountaine, &c. Which if he had doone in maner and forme as they suppose, it followeth not therefore that witches could doo the like; nor yet that the divell would doo it for them at their pleasure; for they know not their thoughts, neither can otherwise communicate with them. But I answer, that if it were so grosselie to be understood, as they imagine it, yet should it make nothing to their purpose. For I hope they will not saie, that Christ had made anie ointments, or entred into anie league with the divell, and by vertue thereof was transported from out of the wildernes, unto the top of the temple of Jerusalem; or that the divell could have maisteries over his bodie, whose soule he could never laie hold upon; especiallie when he might (with a becke of his finger) have called unto him, and have had the assistance of manie legions of angels. Neither (as I thinke) will they presume to make Christ partaker of the divels purpose and sinne in that behalfe. If they saie; This was an action wrought by the speciall providence of God, and by his appointment, that the scripture might be fulfilled: then what gaine our witchmongers by this place? First, for that they maie not produce a particular example to prove so generall an argument. And againe, if it were by Gods speciall providence and appointment; then why should it not be doone by the hand of God, as it was in the storie of _Job_?