Читать книгу The Discovery of Witchcraft - Reginald Scot - Страница 53

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How melancholie abuseth old women, and of the effects thereof by sundrie examples.

F anie man advisedlie marke their words, actions, cogitations, and gestures, he shall perceive that melancholie abounding in their head, and occupieng their braine, hath deprived or rather depraved their judgements, and all their senses: I meane not of coosening witches, but of poore melancholike women, which are themselves deceived. For you shall understand, that the force which melancholie hath, and the effects that it worketh in the bodie of a man, or rather of a woman, are almost incredible. For as some of these melancholike persons imagine, they are witches/53. and by witchcraft can worke woonders, and doo what they list: so doo other, troubled with this disease, imagine manie strange, incredible, and impossible things. Some, that they are monarchs and princes, and that all other men are their subjects: some, that they are brute beasts: some, that they be urinals or earthen pots, greatlie fearing to be broken: some, that everie one that meeteth them, will conveie them to the gallowes; and yet in the end hang themselves. One thought, that Atlas, whome the poets feigne to hold up heaven with his shoulders, would be wearie, and let the skie fall upon him: another would spend a whole daie upon a stage, imagining that he both heard and saw interludes, and therewith made himselfe great sport. One Theophilus a physician, otherwise sound inough of mind (as it is said) imagined that he heard and sawe musicians continuallie plaieng on instruments, in a certeine place of his house. One Bessus, that had killed his father, was notablie detected; by imagining that a swallowe upraided him therewith: so as he himselfe thereby revealed the murther.

But the notablest example heereof is, of one that was in great perplexi/tie,44.¹⁸⁷ imagining that his nose was as big as a house; insomuch as no freend nor physician could deliver him from this conceipt, nor yet either ease his greefe, or satisfie his fansie in that behalfe: till at the last, a physician more expert in this humor than the rest, used this devise following. First, when he was to come in at the chamber doore being wide open, he suddenlie staied and withdrew himselfe; so as he would not in any wise approch neerer than the doore. The melancholike person musing heereat, asked him the cause why he so demeaned himselfe? Who answered him in this maner: Sir, your nose is so great, that I can hardlie enter into your chamber but I shall touch it, and consequentlie hurt it. Lo (quoth he) this is the man that must doo me good; the residue of my freends flatter me, and would hide mine infirmitie from me. Well (said the physician) I will cure you, but you must be content to indure a little paine in the dressing: which he promised patientlie to susteine, and conceived certeine hope of his recoverie. Then entred the physician into the chamber, creeping close by the walles, seeming to feare the touching and hurting of his nose. Then did he blindfold him, which/54. being doone, he caught him by the nose with a paire of pinsors, and threw downe into a tub, which he had placed before his patient, a great quantitie of bloud, with manie peeces of bullocks livers, which he had conveied into the chamber, whilest the others eies were bound up, and then gave him libertie to see and behold the same. He having doone thus againe twoo or three times, the melancholike humor was so qualified, that the mans mind being satisfied, his greefe was eased, and his disease cured.

Thrasibulus, otherwise called Thrasillus, being sore oppressed with this melancholike humor, imagined, that all the ships, which arrived at port Pyræus, were his: insomuch as he would number them, and command the mariners to lanch, &c: triumphing at their safe returnes, and moorning for their misfortunes. The Italian, whom we called here in England, the Monarch, was possessed with the like spirit or conceipt. Danæus¹⁸⁸ himselfe reporteth, that he sawe one, that affirmed constantlie that he was a cocke; and saith that through melancholie, such were alienated from themselves.

Now, if the fansie of a melancholike person may be occupied in causes which are both false and impossible;¹⁸⁹ why should an old witch be thought free from such fantasies, who (as the learned philosophers and physicians saie) upon the stopping of their monethlie melancholike flux or issue of bloud, in their age must needs increase therein, as (through their weaknesse both of bodie and braine) the aptest persons to meete with such melancholike imaginations: with whome their imaginations remaine, even when their senses are gone. Which Bodin ¹⁹⁰ laboureth to disproove, therein shewing himselfe as good a physician, as else-where a divine.

But if they may imagine, that they can transforme their owne bodies, which neverthelesse remaineth in the former shape: how much more credible is it, that they may falselie suppose they can hurt and infeeble other mens bodies; or which is lesse, hinder the comming of butter? &c. But what is it that they will not imagine, and consequentlie confesse that they can doo; speciallie being so earnestlie persuaded thereunto, so sorelie tor/mented,45. so craftilie examined, with such promises of favour, as wherby they imagine, that they shall ever after live in great credit & welth? &c.

If you read the executions doone upon witches, either in times/55. past in other countries, or latelie in this land; you shall see such impossibilities confessed, as none, having his right wits, will beleeve. Among other like false confessions,¹⁹¹ we read that there was a witch confessed at the time of hir death or execution, that she had raised all the tempests, and procured all the frosts and hard weather that happened in the winter 1565: and that manie grave and wise men beleeved hir.