The Oath to be administered to a Midwife
by the Bishop or his Chancellor, when
she is licensed to that office, is said to
have been as followeth. 2 Burn Ecc. Law 469.
"You shall swear, first, that you shall be diligent and
faithful and ready to help every woman labouring with
child, as well the poor as the rich; and that in time of
necessity you shall not forsake the poor woman to go to
the rich.
"Item. You shall neither cause nor suffer any woman to name or put any other father to the child but only him which is the very true father thereof indeed.
"Item. You shall not suffer any woman to pretend, feign, or surmise herself to be delivered of a child, who is not indeed; neither to claim any other woman's child for her own.
"Item. You shall not suffer any woman's child to be murdered, maimed, or otherwise hurt, as much as you may: and so often as you shall perceive any peril or jeopardy, either in the woman, or in the child, in any such wise as you shall be in doubt what shall chance thereof, you shall thenceforth in due time send for other midwives and expert women in that faculty, and use their advice and counsel in that behalf.
"Item. You shall not in any wise use or exercise any manner of witchcraft, charm, or sorcery, invocation, or other prayers, than may stand with God's laws and the King's.
"Item. You shall not give any counsel or minister any herb, medicine, or potion, or any other thing to any woman being with child, whereby she should destroy or cast out that she goeth withal before her time.
"Item. You shall not enforce any woman being with child, by any pain or by any ungodly ways or means,
