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Witch-hunting curiosities...
Jan. 30th, 2013 08:02 pmA Collection of Rare and Curious Tracts on Witchcraft and the Second Sight is a book printed in 1820 that gathers primary sources on witchcraft from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
The true engines for battering the strong holds of Satan, and driving him and his imps into utter darkness, are science and philosophy; these are the weapons that have compelled him to retrograde movements, after lavishing rivers of holy water in vain. Thus the terrific claws of the devil, when seen by the distempered eyes of ignorant bigotry, appear to us truly horrible, but when viewed through philosophical spectacles, look as harmless as the lamb-skin gloves of a fine lady.
These stories, however, convey a strong likeness of the times in which they were acted. In our day, it is almost impossible to believe, that human beings could give credit to such gross absurdities as we have laid before the public in this little work, were the evidence not indubitable. Far less, that judges, lawyers, and divines, should unite in murdering such numbers of poor ignorant helpless creatures, for such mad chimeras. - Introduction
The first stories, of maidservant Geillies Duncane and Doctor Fian, are a fine source for anyone interested in man's inhumanity to man. Geillies apparently treated the sick and performed it far too well:
Whereupon her maister began to grow verie inquisitive, and examined her which way and by what meanes shee was able to performe matters of so great importance; whereat shee gave him no aunswere: nevertheless, her maister to the intent that hee might the better trie and finde out the truth of the same, did with the help of others torment her with the torture of the pilliwinkes upon her fingers, which is a griveous torture, and binding or wrinching her head with a cord or roape, which is a most cruel torment also, yet would shee not confess anie thing; whereupon they suspecting that shee had beene marked by the devill (as commonly witches are,) made diligent search about her, and found the enemies mark to be in her fore crag, or fore part of her throate; which being found, shee confessed that all her doings was done by the wicked allurements and entisements of the devil, and that shee did them by witchcraft.
Upon which she named Fian amongst her co-conspirators. He too, eventually, proved verbose.
As touching the aforesaide Doctor Fian, alias John Cunningham, the examination of his actes since his apprehension, declareth the great subteltie of the divell, and therefore maketh thinges to appeare the more miraculous; for being apprehended by the accusation of the saide Geillies Duncane aforesaide, who confessed he was their register, and that there was not one man suffered to come to the divel's readinges but onlie hee, the saide Doctor was taken and imprisoned, and used with the accustomed paine provided for those offences, inflicted upon the rest as is aforesaide.
First, by thrawing of his head with a rope, whereat he would confess nothing.
Secondly, hee was persuaded by faire meanes to confesse his follies, but that would prevail as little.
Lastly, hee was put to the most severe and cruell paine in the worlde, called the bootes, who, after he had received three strokes, being inquired if hee would confess his damnable actes and wicked life, his toong would not serve him to speake, in respect whereof the rest of the witches willed to searche his toong, under which was found two pinnes thurst up into the heade; whereupon the witches did say, now is the charm stinted, and shewed, that those charmed pinnes were the cause he could not confesse any thing: then was he immediately released of the bootes, brought before the King, his confession was taken, and his own hand willingly set thereunto.
From quotes from James I's Demonologie, where only the guilty will ever be accused:
Phi.—Indeed, I trow they will be loath to put any honest man upon their counsell; but what if they accuse folke to have been present at their imaginar conventions in the spirit, when their bodies lye senseless, as ye have said?
Epi.—I thinke they are not a haire the less guiltie; for the divell durst never have borrowed their shadow or similitude to that turne, if their consent had not beene at it; and the consent in these turnes is death of the lawe.
And to watching if a witch can float like a duck:( Read more... )
The true engines for battering the strong holds of Satan, and driving him and his imps into utter darkness, are science and philosophy; these are the weapons that have compelled him to retrograde movements, after lavishing rivers of holy water in vain. Thus the terrific claws of the devil, when seen by the distempered eyes of ignorant bigotry, appear to us truly horrible, but when viewed through philosophical spectacles, look as harmless as the lamb-skin gloves of a fine lady.
These stories, however, convey a strong likeness of the times in which they were acted. In our day, it is almost impossible to believe, that human beings could give credit to such gross absurdities as we have laid before the public in this little work, were the evidence not indubitable. Far less, that judges, lawyers, and divines, should unite in murdering such numbers of poor ignorant helpless creatures, for such mad chimeras. - Introduction
The first stories, of maidservant Geillies Duncane and Doctor Fian, are a fine source for anyone interested in man's inhumanity to man. Geillies apparently treated the sick and performed it far too well:
Whereupon her maister began to grow verie inquisitive, and examined her which way and by what meanes shee was able to performe matters of so great importance; whereat shee gave him no aunswere: nevertheless, her maister to the intent that hee might the better trie and finde out the truth of the same, did with the help of others torment her with the torture of the pilliwinkes upon her fingers, which is a griveous torture, and binding or wrinching her head with a cord or roape, which is a most cruel torment also, yet would shee not confess anie thing; whereupon they suspecting that shee had beene marked by the devill (as commonly witches are,) made diligent search about her, and found the enemies mark to be in her fore crag, or fore part of her throate; which being found, shee confessed that all her doings was done by the wicked allurements and entisements of the devil, and that shee did them by witchcraft.
Upon which she named Fian amongst her co-conspirators. He too, eventually, proved verbose.
As touching the aforesaide Doctor Fian, alias John Cunningham, the examination of his actes since his apprehension, declareth the great subteltie of the divell, and therefore maketh thinges to appeare the more miraculous; for being apprehended by the accusation of the saide Geillies Duncane aforesaide, who confessed he was their register, and that there was not one man suffered to come to the divel's readinges but onlie hee, the saide Doctor was taken and imprisoned, and used with the accustomed paine provided for those offences, inflicted upon the rest as is aforesaide.
First, by thrawing of his head with a rope, whereat he would confess nothing.
Secondly, hee was persuaded by faire meanes to confesse his follies, but that would prevail as little.
Lastly, hee was put to the most severe and cruell paine in the worlde, called the bootes, who, after he had received three strokes, being inquired if hee would confess his damnable actes and wicked life, his toong would not serve him to speake, in respect whereof the rest of the witches willed to searche his toong, under which was found two pinnes thurst up into the heade; whereupon the witches did say, now is the charm stinted, and shewed, that those charmed pinnes were the cause he could not confesse any thing: then was he immediately released of the bootes, brought before the King, his confession was taken, and his own hand willingly set thereunto.
From quotes from James I's Demonologie, where only the guilty will ever be accused:
Phi.—Indeed, I trow they will be loath to put any honest man upon their counsell; but what if they accuse folke to have been present at their imaginar conventions in the spirit, when their bodies lye senseless, as ye have said?
Epi.—I thinke they are not a haire the less guiltie; for the divell durst never have borrowed their shadow or similitude to that turne, if their consent had not beene at it; and the consent in these turnes is death of the lawe.
And to watching if a witch can float like a duck:( Read more... )
