How long is it since the Diuell and you had acquaintance together, and how oftentimes in the weeke would hee come and see you, and you Company with him?
‘Answere. It is eight yeares since our first acquaintance; and three times in the weeke the Diuell would come and see me, after such his acquaintance gotten of me; he would come sometimes in the morning, and sometimes in the evening.
‘Question. In what shape would the Diuell come unto you?
‘Answere. Alwayes in the shape of a dogge, and of two collors, sometimes of blacke, and sometimes of white.
‘Question. What talke had the Diuel and you together, when that he appeared to you, and what did he aske of you—and what did you desire of him?
‘Answere. He asked of me when he came unto me, how I did, and what he should doe for mee, and demanded of mee my soule and body; threatning then to tear me in pieces if I did not grant unto him my soule and my body, which he asked of me.
‘Question. What did you after such the Diuel’s asking of you, to have your Soule and Body, and after this his threatning of you, did you for feare grant unto the Diuell his desire?
‘Answere. Yes; I granted for feare unto the Diuell his request of my soule and body; and, to seale this my promise made unto him, I then gave him leave to sucke of my bloud, the which hee asked of me.
‘Question. In what place of your body did the Diuell sucke of your bloude and whether did hee himselfe chuse the place, or did you yourselfe appoint him the place?
‘Answere. The place where the Diuell suckt my bloud was chosen by himselfe, and in that place, by continuall drawing, there is a thing in the forme of a Teate, at which the Diuell would sucke mee. And I asked the Diuell why he should sucke my bloud, and he sayd, it was to nourish him.
‘Question. Whether did you pull up your Coates or no, when the Diuell came to sucke you?
‘Answere. No. I did not, but the Diuell would put his head under my coates, and I did willingly suffer him to doe what he would.
‘Question. How long would the time bee, that the Diuell would continue sucking of you, and whether did you endure any paine, the time that hee was sucking of you?
‘Answere. He would be suckinge of me the continuance of a quarter of an houre, and when he suckt me I then felt no paine at all.
‘Question. What was the meaning that the Diuell, when he came unto you, would sometimes speake, and sometimes barke?
‘Answere. It is thus: when the Diuell spake to me, then hee was ready to doe for me what I bid him to doe; and when he came barking to mee, he then had done the mischiefe that I did bid him to doe for me. I did call the Diuell by the name of Tom.
********
‘Question. Did you euer handle the Diuell when he came unto you?
‘Answere. Yes, I did stroake him on the backe, and then he would becke unto me, and wagge his tayle as being therewith contented.
‘Question. Would the Diuell come unto you all in one bignesse?
‘Answere. No; when hee came unto mee in the blacke shape, he then was biggest, and in the white the least; and when that I was praying, hee then would come unto me in the white colour.’
In another narrative46 we have a different description of the devil, and of his protean powers:
‘Marie wife of Henrie Smith, Glouer, possessed with a wrathfull indignation against some of her neighbours, in regard that they made gaine of their buying and selling Cheese, which shee (using the same trade) could not doe, or they better, (at the least in her opinion than she did,) often times cursed them, and became incensed with unruly passions, armed with a setled resolution to effect some mischieuous proiects and designs against them. The diuell, who is skilfull, and reioyceth of such an occasion offered, and knoweth how to stirre up the euill affected humours of corrupt mindes, appeared unto her amiddes these discontentments, in the shape of a blacke man, and willed that she should continue in her malice, enuy, hatred, banning and cursing, and then he would be reuenged for her upon all those to whom she wished euill: and this promise was uttered in a lowe murmuring and hissing voyce: and, at that present, they entred tearmes of a compact, he requiring that she should forsake God, and depend upon him; to which she condescended in expresse tearmes, renouncing God, and betaking herselfe unto him.
‘After this, hee presented himselfe againe at sundrie times, and in other formes, as of a mist, and of a ball of fire, with some dispersed spangles of blacke, and at the last in prison (after the doome of iudgement, and sentence of condemnation was passed against her) two seuerall times, in that figure as at the first: only at the last he seemed to haue a pair of horns upon his head.’
Mary Smith, if what is written about her be true, was a very powerful witch. Many instances of her bewitching are given; but I think her spells on one John Orkton, a sailor, were the worst. She cursed him, ‘Whereupon, presently, hee grew weake, distempered in stomacke, and could digest no meate, nor other nourishment receiued, and this discrasie, or feeblenesse continued for the space of three quarters of a yeare; which time expired, the fore mentioned griefe fel downe from the stomacke into his hands and feete, so that his fingers did corrupt and were cut off; as also his toes putrified and consumed in a very strange and admirable manner. Neverthelesse, notwithstanding these calamities, so long as he was able, went still to Sea, in the goods and shippes of sundry Merchants (for it was his onely meanes of living) but neuer could make any prosperous voyage, eyther beneficiall to the Owners, or profitable to himselfe.
‘Whereupon, not willing to bee hindrance to others, and procure no good for his owne maintenance by his labours, left that trade of life, and kept home, where his former griefe encreasing, sought to obtaine help and remedie by Chirurgerie; and, for this end, went to Yarmouth, hoping to be cured by one there, who was accompted very skilfull: but no medicines applyed by the Rules of Arte and Experience, wrought any expected or hoped for effect; for both his hands and feete, which seemed in some measure, euery euening, to be healing, in the morning were found to have gone backeward, and growne far worse than before. So that the Chirurgian, perceiuing his labour to bee wholly frustrate, gaue ouer the cure, and the diseased patient still continueth in a most miserable and distressed estate, unto the which hee was brought by the hellish practises of this malitious woman, who, long before, openly in the streetes, (when, as yet, the neighbours knew of no such thing,) reioycing at the Calamity, said, Orkton now lyeth a rotting.’ She was executed January 12, 1616.
‘The Examination, Confession, Triall and Execution of Joane Williford, Joan Cariden, and Jane Hott, who were executed at Faversham in Kent, for being Witches, on Munday, the 29 of September, 1645,’ furnish us with other particulars, especially as they all confessed their crimes.
Joan Williford confessed ‘That the divell, about seven yeeres ago, did appeare to her in the shape of a little dog, and bid her to forsake God, and leane to him; who replied that she was loath to forsake him. Shee confessed also that shee had a desire to be revenged upon Thomas Letherland and Mary Woodrufe, now his wife. She further said that the divell promised her that she should not lacke, and that she had money sometimes brought her, she knew not whence, sometimes one shilling, sometimes eightpence, never more at once: shee called her Divell by the name of Bunne. She further saith, that her retainer Bunne carried Thomas Gardler out of a window, who fell into a back side. She further saith,
