Page:Wonderful progidies (sic) of judgment and mercy.pdf/47

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divers Magicians and Witches.
47

things like to moles, having four feet apiece, but no tails, and black, and bid her nurſe them till he deſired them again. She aſked what ſhe muſt give them; he anſwered milk, and that they would not hurt her, but would avenge her on her enemies, and bid her murder ſome, but not too many, and he would forgive her, and then went away; after which ſhe ſaid, She ſent one of theſe imps to kill a ſow of one Benjamin Hows, which was done accordingly; ſhe then with one Joyce Beanes, did ſend each of them an imp to kill one Thomas Brunſtead of St Oſyths, who died about three weeks after, and ſhe believes the two imps killed him; ſhe confeſt likewiſe that ſhe ſent another of her imps to Brunſtead's houſe to kill his wife, and that the reaſon of her offence against them, was becauſe they beat a ſon of hers upon a ſmall occaſion; for these and other villanies this woman was arraigned at Chelmsford, and upon her own confeſſion condemned and hanged—Inform. of witches.


VII. There was a conjurer at Saltzburg in Germany, who boaſted that he could gather together all the ſerpents within half a mile round about, into a ditch, and feed them, and bring them up there; and being about the experiment, behold the old and grand ſerpent came in the while, which whilſt he thought by the force of his charms to make enter into the ditch among the reſt, he ſet upon him, and incloſed him round about like a girdle, ſo strongly, that he drew him by force into the ditch with him, where he miſerably died; and ſo this juggler was couzened by the devil, who was more cunning than himſelf.—Beard's Theatre.


VIII. Lamentable was the death of the governor of Maſcon, a magician, whom the devil ſnatched up