A Treatise of Witchcraft | Page 6

turned Vlysses Companions into Wolues, Lyons, Swine, &c. by her Inchantments, insauaging and making them beast-like and furious. _Medea_[m] famous in this kinde, for she murthered by Witch-craft Glauca in the day of her marriage, who enioyed Iason her loue. And[n] the Mortars of these two, wherein they stamped their Magicall drugges, were for a long time kept in a certaine mountaine, and shewed as strange monuments to those who desired a sight of them. For[o] the Diuel furnisheth such with powders, oyntments, hearbes, and like receipts, whereby they procure sicknesse, death, health, or worke other supernaturall effects. Of the same profession were [p]Simotha, [q]Erictho, [r]Canidia, and infinite others beside, whose damnable memory deserueth to be buried in euerlasting obliuion.
[Footnote l: _Homer. odissea 10, +pharmakois alli?se+ Eustathius._]
[Footnote m: _Euripides in Medea. Ouidius Metamorph. lib. 7. Pindarus Pythonum Idillio 4. Apollonius Argonauticorum lib. 4o._]
[Footnote n: _Scholiastes Theocriti Idil 2_ +en t? selênai? orei deiknuousi tous mêdeias kai Kirkês hormous en hois ekopten ta phrarmaka+.]
[Footnote o: _Remigius demonolatri? lib. 1. cap 2._]
[Footnote p: Theocritus in +pharmakeutria+ _Idil. 2._]
[Footnote q: _Lucan. Pharsalibus lib. 6._]
[Footnote r: Horatius +Erod?+ _lib. 5._]
But because the reports of these may seeme to carry small credit, for that they come from Poets, who are stained with the note of licentious [s]faining, and so put off as vaine fictions; yet seeing they deliuer nothing herein but that which was well knowne and vsuall in those times wherein they liued, they are not slightly, and vpon an imagined conceit, to be reiected: for they affirme no more then is manifest in the records of most approued Histories, whose essence is and must be [t]truth, [u]as straightnesse of a rule, or else deserue not that title. In which wee reade of [x]Martiana, [y]Locusta, [z]Martha, [aa]Pamphilia, [bb]Aruna, _&c._ And not to insist vpon particulars, there bee infinite numbers ouerflowing euen in these our[cc] dayes, since the sinceritie of Christian Profession hath decreased, and beene in a sort ecclipsed in the hearts of men: for the period of the continuance thereof (after it be once imbraced) in his first integrity, either for zeale of affection, or strictnesse of discipline, hath beene by some learned Diuines[dd] obserued, to bee confined within the compass of twenty yeares; and then afterward by degrees, the one waxed cold, and the other dissolute: which being so, it is not to be maruelled though the Diuell now begin to shew himselfe in these his instruments, as heretofore, though he cannot in the same measure, in respect of those sparkes of light which yet shine amongst vs. But of this so much now, because I shall haue afterward occasion further to enlarge this poynt.
[Footnote s: _Pictoribus atque Poetis quidlibet audiendi semper fuit ?qua potestas._]
[Footnote t: +kathaper empsuchou s?matos t?n sphe?n exairetheis?n akreionas to holon: hout?s ex historias ean arês tên alêtheian, to kataloipomenon autês, anateles gignetai diêgêma+ _Polib. historiarum lib. 12._]
[Footnote u: Timaus +Kaionos idiotês eutheia+.]
[Footnote x: _Tacitus Annal. lib. 2._]
[Footnote y: _Idem annal. lib. 12 & 13 & Suetonius in Claudio c. 33._]
[Footnote z: _Plutarchus in Mario._]
[Footnote aa: _Apuleius._]
[Footnote bb: _Munsterus Cosmographi? lib. 2._]
[Footnote cc: Remigius, a iudge in these cases reporteth of 900 executed in Lorayne for this offence of Witch-craft in the time of his gouernement.]
[Footnote dd: _Lutherus in Genesin._]
Againe, the policie of all States[ee] haue prouided for the rooting out of these poysonfull Weedes, and cutting of these rotten and infected members; and therefore infallibly prouing their existence and being: for all[ff] penall lawes looke to matters of fact and are made to punish for the present, and preuent in future, some wicked actions already committed. And therefore Solon the Athenian making statutes for the setling of that Common-wealth, when a defect was found, that he omitted to prouide a cautelous restraint, and appoint[gg] answerable punishm[~e]t for such who had killed their parents, answered, He neuer suspected there were or would be any such. Wherefore to confirme the position set downe, God doth not threaten to cast away his people for murther, incest, tyranny, &c. But Sorcery, _Leuit. 20. 6_. And Samuel willing to shew Saul the grieuousnesse of his disobedience, compareth it to witch-craft, _1. Sam. 15. 23_. The Holy Ghost also manifesting how highly God was displeased with Manasses, maketh this the reason, because hee gaue himselfe to Witch-craft, and to Charming, and to Sorcery, and vsed them who had familiar spirits, and did much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him, _2. Chro. 33. 6_. And for this offence were the ten tribes of Israell led into captiuitie, _2. King. 17. 17._ [hh]The twelue Tables of the Romans (the ancientest law they haue) by a solemne Embassage (sent for that purpose) obtained from Athens, & accounted as a Library of knowledge, do both make mention of such malefactors, & decree a