Considering the notable pranks that have been played by these Disciples of the Devil, it might seem strange that there is no more hurt done in the World, did we not remember, that the power of their black Master himself is so limited, and restrained by a superior hand of goodness, that he cannot perform what he would.
1. Amongst the Witches and Sorcerers in Scotland, Agnes Sampson (commonly called the wise wife of Keith) was most remarkable: a woman not of the base and ignorant sort of Witches, but Matron-like grave, and settled in her answers. In her examination she declared, That she had a familiar spirit, who upon her call did appear in a visible form, and resolve her of any doubtful matter, especially concerning the life or death of persons lying sick and being asked what words she used when she called the spirit? she said her word was ”Holla Master”, and that he had learned her so to do: that her spirit had undertaken to make away the King; but failing in the performance, and challenged by her, confessed it was not in his power, speaking words she understood not, but as she did take them, the words were, ”Il est Homme de dieu” this was Anno 1591.
2. Wenceslaus, son to the Emperor Charles IV, marrying Sophia, the Duke of Bavaria his daughter; when the marriage was to be solemnised, the Duke knowing that his Son-in-law delighted much in such ridiculous shows and conjuring tricks, sent to Prague for a Waggon load of conjurers. While the most skilful amongst them were studying for some rare and unusual illusion, Wenceslaus his Magician called Zyto (who had sneaked into the crowd, and looked on amongst the rest) suddenly presents himself, having his mouth (as it seemed) cloven on both sides, and all open to his very ears, and so coming amongst them, he takes the Dukes chief conjurer and swallows him up with all that he had about him, saving his shoes because they seemed all dirty, and therefore he spit them a great way from him: which when he had done, and being not able to digest so great a morsel, he goes and empties himself in a great fat that stood full of water, voids the man downwards into it, and brings him in again all wet, and shows him to the company, who laughed to purpose at this pleasant jest, but the other companions would play no more. This story my Author cites from the History of Bohemia, written by Dubravius, the Bishop of Olmutz but this Zyto the Impostor was at last alive body and soul carried away by the Devil; which afterwards begat a care in Wenceslaus, to bethink himself of more serious and religious matters. It is also said of this Bohemian Conjurer, That he appeared now with one face, straight with another, and in different stature; sometimes he showed himself to the King in purple and silks at others in a sordid and base attire; when the King walked on the Land, he sometimes seemed to swim on the water to him; when the King was carried in a litter with horses, he seemed to follow him in another litter born up with cocks instead of horses. He played sundry pranks with such as sat at the table with the King, he changed their hands sometimes into the feet of an ox, at others into the hoofs of a horse, that they could not reach them to the dishes, to take any thing thence if they looked out of the window, he beautified their heads with horns. To show that he could command money at any time for his use, he caused of so many wisps of hay, thirty well fatted swine to appear, and sells them to a rich baker at what price he pleased, with this only condition, He should not suffer them to enter into any water: The baker unmindful of the condition, instead of his hogs found only so many wisps swimming upon the surface of the water: whereupon in a great chase he sought out for Zyto, and finding him sleeping all along upon a form, he pulls him by the one leg to awake him, and both the leg and thigh seemed to remain in his hand; at which astonished, he was glad to be content with his ill bargain.
3. Apollonius Tyanaeus was a Pythagorean Philosopher, and withal a great Magician: being at Rome in the presence of the Emperor Domitian, and by him commanded to be bound hand and foot, he suddenly disappeared and vanished out of their sight that were present, and was at the same time hurried as far as Puteoli, to keep a former appointment with some whom he had promised to meet there. He had the knowledge of things done at great distances, in the very time of their performance: The day and hour that Domitian was killed at Rome by Stephanus and other conspirators, the Philosopher was reading a public Lecture in the City of Ephesus, to a very great number of auditors; suddenly as one amazed, he made a stop in his discourse, and continued some space without speaking a word, and then cries out aloud, Courage Stephanus, strike the villain: thou hast stricken him, thou hast wounded him, thou hast slain him. News after came that the murder was acted the same day, and in that hour exactly.
4. There was within the memory of our fathers (saith Camerarius) John Faustus of Cundligen, a German, he had learned the Black Art at Krakow in Poland; he meeting one day at the table with some who had heard much of his magical tricks, was earnestly entreated by the company to show them some sport: he (overcome in the end by the importunity of his pot-companions, who were also well armed in the head) promised to show them whatsoever they would have: they with a general consent require him to bring into the place a wine laden with ripe grapes ready to be gathered; for they thought because it was in the month of December, Faustus could not show them that which was not: he condescended to them, saying, That forthwith before they stirred from the table, they should see the wine they desired, but upon this condition, That they should not speak a word, nor offer to rise from their places, but should all tarry till he bad them cut the grapes, and that whosoever should do otherwise, was in danger to lose his life: They having all promised to obey him, Faustus so charmed the eyes of these drunken revellers, that they saw (as it seemed to them) a marvellous goodly wine, and upon the same so many bunches of ripe grapes (extraordinary great and long) as there were men sitting at the table. Enflamed with the daintiness of so rare a thing, and being very dry with much drinking, every man takes his knife in his hand, looking when Faustus would give the word, and bid them cut the Clusters. But he having held them a while in suspense, about this vain piece of witchcraft, behold all the wine and the bunches of grapes were in the turn of a hand quite vanished away. And every one of these drunken companions thinking he had a cluster of grapes in his hand ready to cut off, was seen to hold his own nose with one hand, and the sharp Knife with the other to lop that off: so that if any of them had forgot the conjurers lesson, and had been never so little too forward, instead of cutting a bunch of grapes, he had whipped off his own nose. This Faustus, saith I. Wierus, was found dead by a bedside in a certain village within the Duchy of Württemberg, having his neck broken, and the house whererein he was, beaten down at midnight.
5. Fazelus writes, that a certain Sicilian called Lyodor, a most famous magician, got himself a great name in the City of Catania by his wonderful illusions; he seemed by the extraordinary working of his charms and spells to transform men into bruit beasts, and to bestow upon all things else such form and likeness as himself pleased and by general report he drew to him, as soon, and as easily, persons that were distant from thence many days journey, as those that were in the same place. He did also many injuries and shameful outrages to the citizens of Catania, so that they bewitched with a fearful and false opinion fell to worshipping of him; and when for his wicked deeds he was condemned to die, by virtue of his charms he escaped out of the hangman’s hands, causing himself to be carried in the air by Devils from Catania to Constantinople, and after that brought back again from thence into Siciliy. This made him admired of all the people, who thinking the Divine power was laid up in him, they ran into an execrable error, offering him Divine honours. But at last Leo Bishop of Catania inspired suddenly with the Spirit of God, in an open place and before all the people, laid hands upon this devilish magician, and caused him to be cast alive into a hot burning furnace, where he was consumed to ashes.
6. Bodinus reports that of late one of the Earles of Aspremont used to entertain with great magnificence all comers, who received great contentment by the delicate dainties, the curious services and great abundance of all things; but the men and horses were no sooner out of the House, but they were ready to starve with hunger and thirst.
2. Wenceslaus, son to the Emperor Charles IV, marrying Sophia, the Duke of Bavaria his daughter; when the marriage was to be solemnised, the Duke knowing that his Son-in-law delighted much in such ridiculous shows and conjuring tricks, sent to Prague for a Waggon load of conjurers. While the most skilful amongst them were studying for some rare and unusual illusion, Wenceslaus his Magician called Zyto (who had sneaked into the crowd, and looked on amongst the rest) suddenly presents himself, having his mouth (as it seemed) cloven on both sides, and all open to his very ears, and so coming amongst them, he takes the Dukes chief conjurer and swallows him up with all that he had about him, saving his shoes because they seemed all dirty, and therefore he spit them a great way from him: which when he had done, and being not able to digest so great a morsel, he goes and empties himself in a great fat that stood full of water, voids the man downwards into it, and brings him in again all wet, and shows him to the company, who laughed to purpose at this pleasant jest, but the other companions would play no more. This story my Author cites from the History of Bohemia, written by Dubravius, the Bishop of Olmutz but this Zyto the Impostor was at last alive body and soul carried away by the Devil; which afterwards begat a care in Wenceslaus, to bethink himself of more serious and religious matters. It is also said of this Bohemian Conjurer, That he appeared now with one face, straight with another, and in different stature; sometimes he showed himself to the King in purple and silks at others in a sordid and base attire; when the King walked on the Land, he sometimes seemed to swim on the water to him; when the King was carried in a litter with horses, he seemed to follow him in another litter born up with cocks instead of horses. He played sundry pranks with such as sat at the table with the King, he changed their hands sometimes into the feet of an ox, at others into the hoofs of a horse, that they could not reach them to the dishes, to take any thing thence if they looked out of the window, he beautified their heads with horns. To show that he could command money at any time for his use, he caused of so many wisps of hay, thirty well fatted swine to appear, and sells them to a rich baker at what price he pleased, with this only condition, He should not suffer them to enter into any water: The baker unmindful of the condition, instead of his hogs found only so many wisps swimming upon the surface of the water: whereupon in a great chase he sought out for Zyto, and finding him sleeping all along upon a form, he pulls him by the one leg to awake him, and both the leg and thigh seemed to remain in his hand; at which astonished, he was glad to be content with his ill bargain.
3. Apollonius Tyanaeus was a Pythagorean Philosopher, and withal a great Magician: being at Rome in the presence of the Emperor Domitian, and by him commanded to be bound hand and foot, he suddenly disappeared and vanished out of their sight that were present, and was at the same time hurried as far as Puteoli, to keep a former appointment with some whom he had promised to meet there. He had the knowledge of things done at great distances, in the very time of their performance: The day and hour that Domitian was killed at Rome by Stephanus and other conspirators, the Philosopher was reading a public Lecture in the City of Ephesus, to a very great number of auditors; suddenly as one amazed, he made a stop in his discourse, and continued some space without speaking a word, and then cries out aloud, Courage Stephanus, strike the villain: thou hast stricken him, thou hast wounded him, thou hast slain him. News after came that the murder was acted the same day, and in that hour exactly.
4. There was within the memory of our fathers (saith Camerarius) John Faustus of Cundligen, a German, he had learned the Black Art at Krakow in Poland; he meeting one day at the table with some who had heard much of his magical tricks, was earnestly entreated by the company to show them some sport: he (overcome in the end by the importunity of his pot-companions, who were also well armed in the head) promised to show them whatsoever they would have: they with a general consent require him to bring into the place a wine laden with ripe grapes ready to be gathered; for they thought because it was in the month of December, Faustus could not show them that which was not: he condescended to them, saying, That forthwith before they stirred from the table, they should see the wine they desired, but upon this condition, That they should not speak a word, nor offer to rise from their places, but should all tarry till he bad them cut the grapes, and that whosoever should do otherwise, was in danger to lose his life: They having all promised to obey him, Faustus so charmed the eyes of these drunken revellers, that they saw (as it seemed to them) a marvellous goodly wine, and upon the same so many bunches of ripe grapes (extraordinary great and long) as there were men sitting at the table. Enflamed with the daintiness of so rare a thing, and being very dry with much drinking, every man takes his knife in his hand, looking when Faustus would give the word, and bid them cut the Clusters. But he having held them a while in suspense, about this vain piece of witchcraft, behold all the wine and the bunches of grapes were in the turn of a hand quite vanished away. And every one of these drunken companions thinking he had a cluster of grapes in his hand ready to cut off, was seen to hold his own nose with one hand, and the sharp Knife with the other to lop that off: so that if any of them had forgot the conjurers lesson, and had been never so little too forward, instead of cutting a bunch of grapes, he had whipped off his own nose. This Faustus, saith I. Wierus, was found dead by a bedside in a certain village within the Duchy of Württemberg, having his neck broken, and the house whererein he was, beaten down at midnight.
5. Fazelus writes, that a certain Sicilian called Lyodor, a most famous magician, got himself a great name in the City of Catania by his wonderful illusions; he seemed by the extraordinary working of his charms and spells to transform men into bruit beasts, and to bestow upon all things else such form and likeness as himself pleased and by general report he drew to him, as soon, and as easily, persons that were distant from thence many days journey, as those that were in the same place. He did also many injuries and shameful outrages to the citizens of Catania, so that they bewitched with a fearful and false opinion fell to worshipping of him; and when for his wicked deeds he was condemned to die, by virtue of his charms he escaped out of the hangman’s hands, causing himself to be carried in the air by Devils from Catania to Constantinople, and after that brought back again from thence into Siciliy. This made him admired of all the people, who thinking the Divine power was laid up in him, they ran into an execrable error, offering him Divine honours. But at last Leo Bishop of Catania inspired suddenly with the Spirit of God, in an open place and before all the people, laid hands upon this devilish magician, and caused him to be cast alive into a hot burning furnace, where he was consumed to ashes.
6. Bodinus reports that of late one of the Earles of Aspremont used to entertain with great magnificence all comers, who received great contentment by the delicate dainties, the curious services and great abundance of all things; but the men and horses were no sooner out of the House, but they were ready to starve with hunger and thirst.
7. There was a young man in Friburg, that by the help of a magician, hoped to enjoy a maid whom he earnestly loved; the Devil appeared to them in the likeness of the same maid, and the young man putting forth his hand without the enchanted circle to embrace her, was presently grasped of the wicked spirit, who crushed him against a wall, and made the pieces of him fly this way and that way, and afterwards cast the remnant of the dead body so torn in pieces at the conjurer, who therewith fell down in the place sore bruised, and not able to stir from thence, till some hearing a cry and noise ran to him, took him up, and carried him away half dead.
8. A German in our time (saith Camerarius) went to the wars in Italy, and put himself into the company of a soldier that was a conjurer, and by whom he suffered himself to be governed. One time this conjurer made him stand within a circle, fortified with I know not what characters. Here after many invocations and horrible menaces, there appeared at last, as it were much against his will, a spirit like a man sore frighted, wearing a hat all torn, with a great Toss-pot feather in it, having about him a torn and tattered sheet, looking like a dead corpse, that had been dried in the sun, and afterwards gnaw with worms; with a ghastly look, and his feet having other shape than a mans feet. As he thus stood the conjurer would know of him, if that Gouletta were taken by the Turks or not; the Spirit answered that he could not tell for the present, but that the day before the besieged had defended themselves valiantly. He also complained of the conjurer that by his horrible enchantments he did importune spirits too much, and having spoken of some other of his hard courses, craved a time to think upon that he was asked, and then vanished, leaving behind him such a terror and stink, that these curious inquisitors had like to have died in the place with fear. This German would afterwards often swear, that as often as the remembrance of this dreadful apparition together with his voice (which was small, hoarse, cut off, and choked as it were between every word) did but touch his mind never so little, he was ready to swooned with fear.
9. Bodinus mentions one Triscalinus, who in the presence of Charles the IX King of France, and divers others, caused the several links of a Gold-chain of a certain Noble man that stood a good distance off, to fly as it were one by one into his hand, and yet by and by the Chain was found whole and entire. He also caused a Priest that was going with his Breviarie under his arm, to believe that he carried a pack of cards, so that the Priest blushing threw away his Book; afterwards being convicted of many such things, as could not be done by any humane power, he at last confessed he had performed them by the Cooperation of the Devil.
10. In the year 876. the Emperor Louis then reigning, there was one Zedechias, by Religion a Jew, by profession a Physician, but indeed a Magician; he seemed in the presence of great persons to devour men whole, to eat up at once a man armed at all points, to swallow a wagon laden with hay, together with the horses and him that drove them; to cut off heads, hand and feet, and throw them dropping with blood into a great Bason, and yet to restore every man his own limb, the men remaining perfect, entire and without hurt. He represented huntings, races and military sports, such as jousts and tournaments in the air. In the midst of winter in the Emperor’s palace, he suddenly caused a most pleasant and delightful garden to appear, with all sorts of trees, plants, herbs and flowers, together with the singing of all sorts of Birds to be seen and heard.
8. A German in our time (saith Camerarius) went to the wars in Italy, and put himself into the company of a soldier that was a conjurer, and by whom he suffered himself to be governed. One time this conjurer made him stand within a circle, fortified with I know not what characters. Here after many invocations and horrible menaces, there appeared at last, as it were much against his will, a spirit like a man sore frighted, wearing a hat all torn, with a great Toss-pot feather in it, having about him a torn and tattered sheet, looking like a dead corpse, that had been dried in the sun, and afterwards gnaw with worms; with a ghastly look, and his feet having other shape than a mans feet. As he thus stood the conjurer would know of him, if that Gouletta were taken by the Turks or not; the Spirit answered that he could not tell for the present, but that the day before the besieged had defended themselves valiantly. He also complained of the conjurer that by his horrible enchantments he did importune spirits too much, and having spoken of some other of his hard courses, craved a time to think upon that he was asked, and then vanished, leaving behind him such a terror and stink, that these curious inquisitors had like to have died in the place with fear. This German would afterwards often swear, that as often as the remembrance of this dreadful apparition together with his voice (which was small, hoarse, cut off, and choked as it were between every word) did but touch his mind never so little, he was ready to swooned with fear.
9. Bodinus mentions one Triscalinus, who in the presence of Charles the IX King of France, and divers others, caused the several links of a Gold-chain of a certain Noble man that stood a good distance off, to fly as it were one by one into his hand, and yet by and by the Chain was found whole and entire. He also caused a Priest that was going with his Breviarie under his arm, to believe that he carried a pack of cards, so that the Priest blushing threw away his Book; afterwards being convicted of many such things, as could not be done by any humane power, he at last confessed he had performed them by the Cooperation of the Devil.
10. In the year 876. the Emperor Louis then reigning, there was one Zedechias, by Religion a Jew, by profession a Physician, but indeed a Magician; he seemed in the presence of great persons to devour men whole, to eat up at once a man armed at all points, to swallow a wagon laden with hay, together with the horses and him that drove them; to cut off heads, hand and feet, and throw them dropping with blood into a great Bason, and yet to restore every man his own limb, the men remaining perfect, entire and without hurt. He represented huntings, races and military sports, such as jousts and tournaments in the air. In the midst of winter in the Emperor’s palace, he suddenly caused a most pleasant and delightful garden to appear, with all sorts of trees, plants, herbs and flowers, together with the singing of all sorts of Birds to be seen and heard.
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