The Discoverie of Witchcraft

Name: The Discoverie of Witchcraft
Author: Scot, Reginald

Scot, Reginald

Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800

Here have I place and oportunitie, to discover the whole art of
witchcraft; even all their charmes, periapts, characters, amulets,
praiers, blessings, curssings, hurtings, helpings, knaveries,
cousenages, &c. But first I will shew what authorities are produced to
defend and mainteine the same, and that in serious sort, by _Bodin_,
_Spinæus_, _Hemingius_, _Vairus_, _Danæus_, _Hyperius_: _M. Mal._ and
the rest.

    _Carmina vel cœlo possunt deducere lunam,
    Carminibus Circe socios mut avit[*] Ulyssis,
    Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis:_

♦_Virg. eclog. 8._♦

♦[*] [_mutavit_]♦

        _Inchantments plucke out of the skie,
        The moone, though she be plaste on hie:
        Dame Circes with hir charmes so fine,
        Ulysses mates did turne to swine:
        The snake with charmes is burst in twaine,
        In medowes, where she dooth remaine._

_Againe out of the same poet they cite further matter._

    _Has herbas, atq́; hæc Ponto mihi lecta venena,
    Ipsa dedit Mæris: nascuntur plurima Ponto.
    His ego sæpè lupam fieri, & se condere sylvis,
    Mærim sæpe animas imis exire sepulchris,
    Atq́; satas aliò vidi traducere messes._

♦_Virg. eclog. 8._♦

        _These herbs did Meris give to me,
        And poisons pluckt at Pontus,
        For there they growe and multiplie,
        And doo not so amongst us.
        With these she made hir selfe become,
        A wolfe, and hid hir in the wood,
        She fetcht up soules out of their toome,
        Remooving corne from where it stood._

_Furthermore out of Ovid they alledge these folowing._

    _Nocte volant, puerósq; petunt nutricis egentes,
      Et vitiant cunis corpora capta suis:
    Carpere dicuntur lactentia viscera rostris,
      Et plenumpotu[*] sanguine gutur habent:_

♦_Ovid. fast. 6._♦

♦[*] [_plenum potu_]♦

        _To children they doo flie by night,
        And catch them while their nursses sleepe,
        And spoile their little bodies quite,
        And home they beare them in their beake._

_Againe out of Virgill in forme following._

    _Hinc mihi Massylæ gentis monstrata sacerdos,
    Hesperidum templi custos, epulásq; draconi
    Quæ dabat, & sacros servabat in arbore ramos,
    Spargens humida mella, soporiferúmq; papaver.
    Hæc se carminibus promittit solvere mentes,
    Quas velit, ast aliis dur as[*] immittere curas,
    Sistere aquam fluviis, & vertere sidera retrò,
    Nocturnósq; ciet manes, mugire videbis
    Sub pedibus terram, & descendere montibus ornos:_

♦_Virg. Aene. 4._♦

♦[*] [duras]♦

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Discoverie of WitchcraftScot, Reginald

Religion

The Discoverie of Witchcraft

Scot, Reginald

Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800

Here have I place and oportunitie, to discover the whole art of
witchcraft; even all their charmes, periapts, characters, amulets,
praiers, blessings, curssings, hurtings, helpings, knaveries,
cousenages, &c. But first I will shew what authorities are produced to
defend and mainteine the same, and that in serious sort, by _Bodin_,
_Spinæus_, _Hemingius_, _Vairus_, _Danæus_, _Hyperius_: _M. Mal._ and
the rest.

    _Carmina vel cœlo possunt deducere lunam,
    Carminibus Circe socios mut avit[*] Ulyssis,
    Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis:_

♦_Virg. eclog. 8._♦

♦[*] [_mutavit_]♦

        _Inchantments plucke out of the skie,
        The moone, though she be plaste on hie:
        Dame Circes with hir charmes so fine,
        Ulysses mates did turne to swine:
        The snake with charmes is burst in twaine,
        In medowes, where she dooth remaine._

_Againe out of the same poet they cite further matter._

    _Has herbas, atq́; hæc Ponto mihi lecta venena,
    Ipsa dedit Mæris: nascuntur plurima Ponto.
    His ego sæpè lupam fieri, & se condere sylvis,
    Mærim sæpe animas imis exire sepulchris,
    Atq́; satas aliò vidi traducere messes._

♦_Virg. eclog. 8._♦

        _These herbs did Meris give to me,
        And poisons pluckt at Pontus,
        For there they growe and multiplie,
        And doo not so amongst us.
        With these she made hir selfe become,
        A wolfe, and hid hir in the wood,
        She fetcht up soules out of their toome,
        Remooving corne from where it stood._

_Furthermore out of Ovid they alledge these folowing._

    _Nocte volant, puerósq; petunt nutricis egentes,
      Et vitiant cunis corpora capta suis:
    Carpere dicuntur lactentia viscera rostris,
      Et plenumpotu[*] sanguine gutur habent:_

♦_Ovid. fast. 6._♦

♦[*] [_plenum potu_]♦

        _To children they doo flie by night,
        And catch them while their nursses sleepe,
        And spoile their little bodies quite,
        And home they beare them in their beake._

_Againe out of Virgill in forme following._

    _Hinc mihi Massylæ gentis monstrata sacerdos,
    Hesperidum templi custos, epulásq; draconi
    Quæ dabat, & sacros servabat in arbore ramos,
    Spargens humida mella, soporiferúmq; papaver.
    Hæc se carminibus promittit solvere mentes,
    Quas velit, ast aliis dur as[*] immittere curas,
    Sistere aquam fluviis, & vertere sidera retrò,
    Nocturnósq; ciet manes, mugire videbis
    Sub pedibus terram, & descendere montibus ornos:_

♦_Virg. Aene. 4._♦

♦[*] [duras]♦

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Discoverie of Witchcraft

The Discoverie of Witchcraft

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