_Balme, virgine wax, and holie water, an Agnus Dei make: A gift than which none can be greater, I send thee for to take._ _From founteine cleere the same hath issue, in secret sanctifide: Gainst lightning it hath soveraigne vertue, and thunder crackes beside. Ech hainous sinne it weares and wasteth, even as Christs precious blood, And women, whiles their travell lasteth, it saves, it is so good. It doth bestow great gifts and graces, on such as well deserve: And borne about in noisome places, from perill doth preserve. The force of fire, whose heat destroieth, it breaks and bringeth downe: And he or she that this enjoieth, no water shall them drowne._ ♦_Englished by Abraham Fleming._♦ ♦Looke in the Beehive of the Romish church. Lib. 4. cap. 1. fol. 243.♦ ¶ _A charme against shot, or a wastcote of proofe._ Before the comming up of these _Agnus Deis_, a holie garment called a wastcote for necessitie was much used of our forefathers, as a holy relike, &c: as given by the pope, or some such archconjuror, who promised thereby all manner of immunitie to the wearer thereof; in somuch as he could not be hurt with anie shot or other violence. And otherwise, that woman that would weare it, should have quicke deliverance: the composition thereof was in this order following. On Christmas daie at night, a threed must be sponne of flax, by a little virgine girle, in the name of the divell: and it must be by hir woven, and also wrought with the needle. In the brest or forepart thereof must be made with needle worke two heads; on the head at the right side must be a hat, and a long beard; the left head must have on a crowne, and it must be so horrible, that it maie resemble Belzebub, and on each side of the wastcote must be made a crosse. ♦The maner of making a wastecote of proofe.♦ ¶ _Against the falling evill._ Moreover, this insuing is another counterfet charme of theirs, whereby the falling evill is presentlie remedied. _Gaspar fert myrrham, thus Melchior, Balthasar aurum, Hæc tria qui secum portabit nomina regum, Solvitur à morbo Christi pietate caduco._ _Gasper with his myrh beganne these presents to unfold, Then Melchior brought in frankincense, and Balthasar brought in gold. Now he that of these holie kings the names about shall beare, The falling yll by grace of Christ shall never need to feare._