Читать книгу The Discovery of Witchcraft - Reginald Scot - Страница 76

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That Incubus is a naturall disease, with remedies for the same, besides magicall cures herewithall expressed.

UT in truth, this Incubus²⁷⁸ is a bodilie disease (as hath beene said) although it extend unto the trouble of the mind: which of some is called The mare, oppressing manie in their sleepe so sore, as they are not able to call for helpe, or stir themselves under the burthen of that heavie humor, which is ingendred of a thicke vapor proceeding from the cruditie and rawnesse in the stomach: which ascending up into the head oppresseth the braine, in so much as manie are much infeebled therebie, as being nightlie haunted therewith. They are most troubled with this disease, that being subject thereunto, lie right upward: so as, to turne and lie on the one side, is present remedie. Likewise, if anie heare the groning of the partie, speake unto him, so as he wake him, he is presentlie releeved. Howbeit, there are magicall cures for it, as for example./87.

S. George, S. George, our ladies knight,

He walkt by daie, so did he by night:/67.

Untill such time as he hir found,

He hir beat and he hir bound,

Untill hir troth she to him plight,

She would not come to hir*²⁷⁹ that night.

Whereas S. George our ladies knight, was named three times S. George.

Item, hang a stone over the afflicted persons bed, which stone hath naturallie such a hole in it, as wherein a string may be put through it, and so be hanged over the diseased or bewitched partie; be it man, woman, or horsse.

Item, you shall read in M. Malefic.²⁸⁰ that excommunication is verie notable, and better than any charme for this purpose. There are also other verses and charmes for this disease devised, which is the common cloke for the ignorance of bad physicians. But Leonard Fuchsius ²⁸¹ in his first booke, and 31. chapter, dooth not onelie describe this disease, and the causes of it; but also setteth downe verie learnedlie the cure thereof, to the utter confusion of the witchmongers follie in this behalfe. Hyperius being much bewitched and blinded in this matter of witchcraft, hoovering about the interpretation of Genesis 6. from whence the opinion of Incubus and Succubus is extorted, Viderunt filii Dei filias hominum, quòd elegantes essent, acceperunt sibi in uxores ex omnibus, quas elegerant, &c: seemeth to mainteine upon heare-saie, that absurd opinion; and yet in the end is driven to conclude thus, to wit: Of the evill spirits Incubus and Succubus there can be no firme reason or proofe brought out of scriptures, using these verie words; Hæc ut probabilia dicta sunto, quandoquidem scripturarum præsidio hac in causa destituimur. As if he should saie, Take this as spoken probablie; to wit, by humane reason, bicause we are destitute of scriptures to mainteine the goodnesse of the cause.

Tertullian and Sulpicius Severus²⁸² doo interpret Filios Dei in that place to be angels, or evill spirits, and to have beene enamored with the beautie of those wenches; and finallie, begat giants by/88. them. Which is throughlie confuted by Chrysostome, Hom. 22. in Gen: but speciallie by the circumstance of the text.