Book 12, Chapter 7: Poetical authorities commonlie alleaged by witchmongers, for the proofe of witches miraculous actions, and for confirmation of their supernaturall power
1 Here have I place and oportunitie, to discover the whole art of witchcraft; even all their charmes, periapts, characters, amulets, praiers, blessings, curssings, hurtings, helpings, knaveries, cousenages, &c. But first I will shew what authorities are produced to defend and mainteine the same, and that in serious sort, by Bodin, Spinæus, Hemingius, Vairus, Danæus, Hyperius: M. Mal. and the rest.
2 Carmina vel cœlo possunt deducere lunam, Carminibus Circe socios mut avit Ulyssis, Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis:
3 Inchantments plucke out of the skie, The moone, though she be plaste on hie: Dame Circes with hir charmes so fine, Ulysses mates did turne to swine: The snake with charmes is burst in twaine, In medowes, where she dooth remaine.
4 Againe out of the same poet they cite further matter.
5 Has herbas, atq́; hæc Ponto mihi lecta venena, Ipsa dedit Mæris: nascuntur plurima Ponto. His ego sæpè lupam fieri, & se condere sylvis, Mærim sæpe animas imis exire sepulchris, Atq́; satas aliò vidi traducere messes.
6 These herbs did Meris give to me, And poisons pluckt at Pontus, For there they growe and multiplie, And doo not so amongst us. With these she made hir selfe become, A wolfe, and hid hir in the wood, She fetcht up soules out of their toome, Remooving corne from where it stood.
7 Furthermore out of Ovid they alledge these folowing.
8 Nocte volant, puerósq; petunt nutricis egentes, Et vitiant cunis corpora capta suis: Carpere dicuntur lactentia viscera rostris, Et plenumpotu sanguine gutur habent:
9 To children they doo flie by night, And catch them while their nursses sleepe, And spoile their little bodies quite, And home they beare them in their beake.
10 Hinc mihi Massylæ gentis monstrata sacerdos, Hesperidum templi custos, epulásq; draconi Quæ dabat, & sacros servabat in arbore ramos, Spargens humida mella, soporiferúmq; papaver. Hæc se carminibus promittit solvere mentes, Quas velit, ast aliis dur as immittere curas, Sistere aquam fluviis, & vertere sidera retrò, Nocturnósq; ciet manes, mugire videbis Sub pedibus terram, & descendere montibus ornos:
11 From thence a virgine preest is come, from out Massyla land, Sometimes the temple there she kept, and from hir heavenlie hand The dragon meate did take: she kept also the frute divine, With herbes and liquors sweete that still to sleepe did men incline. The minds of men (she saith) from love with charmes she can unbind, In whom she list: but others can she cast to cares unkind. The running streames doo stand, and from their course the starres doo wreath, And soules she conjure can: thou shalt see sister underneath The ground with roring gape, and trees and mountaines turne upright, &c.
12 Moreover out of Ovid they alledge as followeth.
13 Cùm volui ripis ipsis mirantibus amnes Infontes rediere suos, concússaq́; sisto,
14 Stantia concutio, cantu freta nubila pello, Nubiláq; ìnduco, ventos abigóq; vocóq;, Vipereas rumpo verbis & carmine fauces, Viváque saxa, sua convulsáque robora terra, Et sylvas moveo, jubeóque tremescere montes, Et mugire solum, manésque exire sepulchris, Téque luna traho, &c:
15 The rivers I can make retire, Into the fountaines whence they flo, (Whereat the banks themselves admire) I can make standing waters go, With charmes I drive both sea and clowd, I make it calme and blowe alowd. The vipers jawes, the rockie stone, With words and charmes I breake in twaine The force of earth congeald in one, I moove and shake both woods and plaine; I make the soules of men arise, I pull the moone out of the skies.
16 Virbáque ter dixit placidos facientia somnos, Quæ mare turbatum, quæ flumina concita sistant:
17 And thrise she spake the words that causd Sweete sleepe and quiet rest, She staid the raging of the sea, And mightie flouds supprest.
18 She sticketh also needels fine In livers, whereby men doo pine.
19 Carmine læsa Ceres, sterilem vanescit in herbam, Deficiunt læsi carmine fontis aquæ, Illicibus glandes, cantatáque vitibus uva Decidit, & nullo poma movente fluunt:
20 With charmes the corne is spoiled so, As that it vades to barren gras, With charmes the springs are dried lowe, That none can see where water was, The grapes from vines, the mast from okes, And beats downe frute with charming strokes.
21 Quæ sidera excantata voce Thessala Lunámque cœlo diripit:
22 She plucks downe moone and starres from skie, With chaunting voice of Thessalie.
23 Hanc ego de cœlo ducentem sidera vidi, Fluminis ac rapidi carmine vertit iter, Hæc cantu findítque solum, manésque sepulchris Elicit, & tepido devorat ossa rogo: Cùm lubet hæc tristi depellit lumina cœlo, Cùm lubet æstivo convocat orbe nives:
24 She plucks each star out of his throne, And turneth backe the raging waves, With charmes she makes the earth to cone, And raiseth soules out of their graves: She burnes mens bones as with a fire, And pulleth downe the lights from heaven, And makes it snowe at hir desire Even in the midst of summer season.
25 Mens hausti nulla sanie polluta veneni, Incantata perit:
26 A man inchanted runneth mad, That never anie poison had.
27 Cessavere vices rerum, dilatáque longa Hæsit nocte dies, legi non paruit æther, Torpuit & præceps audito carmine mundus:
28 The course of nature ceased quite, The aire obeied not his lawe, The daie delaid by length of night, Which made both daie and night to yawe; And all was through that charming geare, Which causd the world to quake for feare.
29 Carmine Thessalidum dura in præcordia fluxit, Non fatis adductus amor, flammísque severi Illicitis arsere ignes:
30 With Thessall charmes, and not by fate Hot love is forced for to flowe, Even where before hath beene debate, They cause affection for to growe.
31 Gens invisa diis maculandi callida cœli, Quos genuit terra, mali qui sidera mundi Juráque fixarum possunt pervertere rerum: Nam nunc stare polos, & flumina mittere norunt, Aethera sub terras adigunt, montésque revellunt:
32 These witches hatefull unto God, And cunning to defile the aire, Which can disorder with a nod The course of nature everie where, Doo cause the wandring starres to staie And drive the winds beelow the ground, They send the streames another waie, And throwe downe hilles where they abound.
33 ——————————————linguis dixere volucrum, Consultare fibras, & rumpere vocibus angues, Solicitare umbras, ipsúmque Acheronta movere, In noctémque dies, in lucem vertere noctes, Omnia conando docilis solertia vincit:
34 They talked with the toongs of birds, Consulting with the salt sea coasts, They burst the snakes with witching words, Solliciting the spirituall ghosts, They turne the night into the daie, And also drive the light awaie: And what ist that cannot be made By them that doo applie this trade?
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