The Discoverie of WitchcraftFolk Magic / White MagicScholarly ReconstructionEarly Modern EnglishShareThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.91886 reprint of 1584 edition - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 available1886 reprint of 1584 editionLanguageEnglishEspañol‹The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.1The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.2The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.3The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.4The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.5The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.6The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.7The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.8The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1.9The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.1The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.2The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.3The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.4The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.5The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.6The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.7The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.8The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.9The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.10The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.11The Discoverie of Witchcraft 2.12The Discoverie of Witchcraft 3.1The Discoverie of Witchcraft 3.2The 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15.40The Discoverie of Witchcraft 15.41The Discoverie of Witchcraft 15.42The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.1The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.2The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.3The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.4The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.5The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.6The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.7The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.8The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.9The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.10The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.11The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.12The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.13The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.14The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.15The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.16The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.17The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.18The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.19The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.20The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.21The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.22The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.23The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.24The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.25The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.26The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.27The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.28The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.29The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.30The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.31The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.32The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.33The Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.34›Book 16, Chapter 9: Of inchanting or bewitching eiesThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.9ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Manie writers agree with Virgil and Theocritus in the effect of witching eies, affirming that in Scythia, there are women called Bithiæ, having two balles or rather blacks in the apple of their eies. And as Didymus reporteth, some have in the one eie two such balles, and in the other the image of a horsse. These (forsooth) with their angrie lookes doo bewitch and hurt not onelie yoong lambs, but yoong children. There be other that reteine such venome in their eies, and send it foorth by beames and streames so violentlie, that therewith they annoie not onlie them with whom they are conversant continuallie; but also all other, whose companie they frequent, of what age, strength, or complexion soever they be: as Cicero, Plutarch, Philarchus, and manie others give out in their writings. 2This fascination (saith John Baptista Porta Neapolitanus) though it begin by touching or breathing, is alwaies accomplished and finished by the eie, as an extermination or expulsion of the spirits through the eies, approching to the hart of the bewitched, and infecting the same, &c. Wherby it commeth to passe, that a child, or a yoong man endued with a cleare, whole, subtill and sweet bloud, yeeldeth the like spirits, breath, and vapors springing from the purer bloud of the hart. And the lightest and finest spirits, ascending into the highest parts of the head, doo fall into the eies, and so are from thence sent foorth, as being of all other parts of the bodie the most cleare, and fullest of veines and pores, and with the verie spirit or vapor proceeding thence, is conveied out as it were by beames and streames a certeine fierie force; whereof he that beholdeth sore eies shall have good experience. For the poison and disease in the eie infecteth the aire next unto it, and the same proceedeth further, carrieng with it the vapor and infection of the corrupted bloud: with the contagion whereof, the eies of the beholders are most apt to be infected. By this same meanes it is thought that the cockatrice depriveth the life, and a woolfe taketh awaie the voice of such as they suddenlie meete withall and behold. 3Old women, in whome the ordinarie course of nature faileth in the office of purging their naturall monethlie humors, shew also some proofe hereof. For (as the said J.B.P.N. reporteth, alledging Aristotle for his author) they leave in a looking glasse a certeine froth, by meanes of the grosse vapors proceeding out of their eies. Which commeth so to passe, bicause those vapors or spirits, which so abundantlie come from their eies, cannot pearse and enter into the glasse, which is hard, and without pores, and therefore resisteth: but the beames which are carried in the chariot or conveiance of the spirits, from the eies of one bodie to another, doo pearse to the inward parts, and there breed infection, whilest they search and seeke for their proper region. And as these beames & vapors doo proceed from the hart of the one, so are they turned into bloud about the hart of the other: which bloud disagreeing with the nature of the bewitched partie, infeebleth the rest of his bodie, and maketh him sicke: the contagion wherof so long continueth, as the distempered bloud hath force in the members. And bicause the infection is of bloud, the fever or sicknes will be continuall; whereas if it were of choler, or flegme, it would be intermittent or alterable. 1There was also another contention betweene the Greeke church and the Latine; to wit, of what orders of angels they were that did fall with Lucifer. Our schoolemen saie they were of all the nine orders of angels in Lucifers conspiracie. But bicause the superior order was of the more noble constitution and excellent estate, and the inferior of a lesse worthie nature, the more part of the inferior orders fell as guiltie and offenders with Lucifer. Some saie the divell himselfe was of the inferior order of angels, and some that he was of the highest order: bicause it is written, In cherubim extentus & protegens posui te in monte sancto Dei. And these saie further, that he was called the dragon, bicause of his excellent knowledge. Finallie, these great doctors conclude, that the divell himselfe was of the order of seraphim, which is the highest, because it is written, Quomodo enim manè oriebaris Lucifer? They of this sect affirme, that Cacodæmones were they that rebelled against Jove; I meane they of Plato his sect, himselfe also holding the same opinion. Our schoolemen differ much in the cause of Lucifers fall. For some said it was for speaking these words, Ponam sedem meam in aquilone, & similis ero altissimo: others saie, bicause he utterlie refused felicitie, and thought scorne therof; 2others saie, bicause he thought all his strength proceeded from himselfe, and not from God; others saie that it was, bicause he attempted to doo that by himselfe, and his owne abilitie, which he should have obteined by the gift of another; others saie, that his condemnation grew hereupon, for that he challenged the place of the Messias; others saie, bicause he detracted the time to adore the majestie of God, as other angels did; others saie, bicause he utterlie refused it. Scotus and his disciples saie that it was, bicause he rebelliouslie claimed equall omnipotencie with God: with whom lightlie the Thomists never agree. Others saie it was for all these causes together, and manie more: so as hereupon (saith Laurentius Ananias) grew a wonderfull conflict betweene Michaël and the good angels on the one side, and Lucifer and his freends on the other: so as, after a long and doubtfull skirmish, Michaël overthrew Lucifer, and turned him and his fellowes out of the doores. ‹Previous chapterThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.8Next chapterThe Discoverie of Witchcraft 16.10›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg