A Treatise of Witchcraft | Page 6

_Ruffinus._ and Eusebius
alloweth but one only Epistle of his, _Histor. Ecclesiast. 2. cap. 16_.
_Gratianus distinct. 15._ _Epiphanius contra Audianos._]
Among the Gentiles, when these so qualitied persons did swarme, and
were accounted of high esteeme, there be reckoned vp whole troopes of
this blacke guard of the Diuell; As [l]Circe whom Homer reporteth to
haue 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 alliôse+ 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 tô selênaiô orei
deiknuousi tous mêdeias kai Kirkês hormous en hois ekopten ta
phrarmaka+.]
[Footnote o: _Remigius demonolatriæ lib. 1. cap 2._]
[Footnote p: Theocritus in +pharmakeutria+ _Idil. 2._]

[Footnote q: _Lucan. Pharsalibus lib. 6._]
[Footnote r: Horatius +Erodô+ _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
æqua potestas._]
[Footnote t: +kathaper empsuchou sômatos tôn spheôn exairetheisôn
akreionas to holon: houtôs 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 Cosmographiæ 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