Scot, Reginald: The Discoverie of
Witchcraft ©1584 Reginald Scott Republished many times, including: ©1972 Dover Publications, Inc., NY Softcover, perfect-bound ©1995 Richard Kaufman Hardcover, no dj, 282 pages |
![]() Inside title page |
Comments: The Discoverie of Witchcraft was originally
written in 1584 by Reginald Scot as a response to the many
accusations of witchcraft taking place at the time. The book
provides an analysis of Scriptures to demonstrate that modern
witchcraft is no longer possible, and thus many of the
prosecutions of supposed witches were incorrect. He also covered
some of the magic tricks of the time, to show how many feats
supposed to be by witchcraft were actually just deceit and
illusion.
There have been several reprints of this book through the years,
with differing introductory materials providing additional
historical background. The contents below are based on the Dover
Edition, which was "an unabridged and unaltered republication of
the work originally published in Great Britain by John Rodker in
1930."
Many thanks to Jacky Kahan of magicbooks.be who provided a rough
scan. Those contents have been edited for OCR errors and compared
against the Dover contents listing for better accuracy.
1. To the Honorable, mine especiall good Lord, Sir Roger Manwook
Knight, Lord cheefe Baron of Hir Maiesties Court of the Eschequer.
2. To the right worshipfull Sir Thomas Scot Knight, &c.
3. To the right worshipfull his loving friends, Maister Doctor
Coldwell Deane of Rochester, and Maister Doctor Readman Archdeacon
of Canturburie, &c.
4. To the Readers
5. The forren authors used in this Booke: a listing
Contents (from the Dover Edition ToC, old English spelling retained):
xvii Introduction (Montague Summers, 1930)
xxxiii Bibliographical Note
1 Booke I
1 Chapter I: An impeachment of Witches power in meteors and
elementarie bodies tending to the rebuke of such as attribute too
much unto them
3 Chapter II: The inconvenience growing by mens credulitie herein,
with a reproofe of some churchmen, which are inclined to the
common conceived opinion of witches omnipotencie, and a familiar
example thereof
4 Chapter III: Who they be that are called witches, with a
manifest declaration of the cause that mooveth men so commonlie to
thinke, and witches themselves to beleeve that they can hurt
children, cattell, &c. with words and imaginations: and of
coosening witches
5 Chapter IV: What miraculous actions are imputed to witches by
witchmongers, papists, and poets
7 Chapter V: A confutation of the common conceived opinion of
witches and witchcraft, and how detestable a sinne it is to
repaire to them for counsell or helpe in time of affliction
7 Chapter VI: A further confutation of witches miraculous and
omnipotent power, by invincible reasons and authorities, with
dissuasions from such fond credulitie
9 Chapter VII: By what means the name of witches becommeth so
famous, and how diverslie people be opinioned concerning them and
their actions
9 Chapter VIII: Causes that moove as well witches themselves as
others to thinke that they can worke impossibilities, with answers
to certeine objections: where also their punishment by lawe is
touched
10 Chapter IX: A conclusion of the first booke, wherein is
foreshewed the tyrannicall crueltie of witchmongers and
inquisitors, with a request to the reader to peruse the same
11 Booke II
11 Chapter I: What testimonies and witnesses are allowed to give
evidence against reputed witches, by the report & allowance of
the inquisitors themselves, and such as are speciall writers
heerein
11 Chapter II: The order of examination of witches by the
inquisitors
13 Chapter III: Matters of evidence against witches
14 Chapter IV: Confessions of witches, whereby they are condemned
14 Chapter V: Presumptions, whereby witches are condemned 14
15 Chapter VI: Particular Interogatories used by the inquisitors
against witches
16 Chapter VII: The inquisitors triall of weeping by conjuration
16 Chapter VIII: Certaine cautions against witches, and of their
tortures to procure confession
18 Chapter IX: The fifteen crimes laid to the charge of witches,
by witchmongers; speciallie by Bodin, in Daemonomania
19 Chapter X: A refutation of the former surmised crimes patched
togither by Bodin, and the onelie waie to escape the inquisitors
hands
20 Chapter XI: The opinion of Cornelius Agrippa concerning
witches, of his pleading for a poore woman accused of witchcraft,
and how he convinced the inquisitors
21 Chapter XII: What the feare of death and feeling of torments
may force one to doo, and that it is no marvell though witches
condemn themselves by their owne confessions so tyrannicailie
extorted
23 Booke III
23 Chapter I: The witches bargaine with the divell, according to
M. Mal. Bodin, Nider, Danaeus, Psellus, Erastus, Hemingius,
Cumanus, Aquinas, Bartholomnus, Spineus, &c.
24 Chapter II: The order of the witches homage done (as it is
written by lewd inquisitors and peevish witchmoongers to the
divell in person; of their songs and dance, and namelie of La
volta, and of other ceremonies, also of their excourses
25 Chapter III: How witches are summoned to appeere before the
divell, of their riding in the aire, of their accompts, of their
conference with the divell, of his supplies, and their conference,
of their farewell and sacrifices; according to Dannus, Psellus,
&c.
26 Chapter IV: That there can no real! league be made with the
divill the first author of the league, and the weake proofes of
the adversaries for the same
Chapter V: Of the private league, a notable tale of Bodins
concerning a French ladie, with a confutation
27 Chapter VI: A disproofe of their assemblies, and of their
bargaine
28 Chapter VII: A confutation of the objection concerning witches
confessions
29 Chapter VIII: What follie it were for witches to enter into
such desperate peril!, and to endure such intollerable tortures
for no gain or commoditie, and how it comes to asse that witches
are overthrowne by their confessions
30 Chapter IX: How melancholic abuseth old women, and of the
effects thereof by sundrie examples
32 Chapter X: That voluntarie confessions may be untrulie made, to
the undooing of the confessors, and of the strange operation of
melancholic, prooved by a familiar and late example
33 Chapter XI: The strange and divers effects of melancholic, and
how the same humour abounding in witches, or rather old women,
filleth them full of mervellous imaginations, and that their
confessions are not to be credited
34 Chapter XII: A confutation of witches confessions, especiallie
concerning their league
34 hapter XIII: A confutation of witches confessions, concernin
making of tempests and raine : of the natural cause of raine, and
that witches or divels have no power to doo such things
36 Chapter XIV: What would ensue, if witches confessions or
witchmongers opinions were true, concerning the effects of
witchcraft, inchantments, &c.
36 Chapter XV: Examples of forren nations, who in their warres
used the assistance of witches; of eybiting witches in Ireland, of
two archers that shot with familiars
37 Chapter XVI: Authorities condemning the fantasticall
confessions of witches, and how a popish doctor taketh upon him to
disproove the same
38 Chapter XVII: Witchmongers reasons, to proove that witches can
worke wonders, Bodins tale of a Friseland preest transported, that
imaginations, proceedings of melancholic doo cause illusions
39 Chapter XVIII: That the confession of witches is insufficient
in civil! and common lawe to take await life. What the sounder
divines, and decrees of councels determine in this case
40 Chapter XIX: Of foure capital! crimes objected against witches,
all fullie answered and confuted as frivolous
41 Chapter XX: A request to such readers as loath to heare or read
filthie and bawdie matters (which of necessitie are heere to be
inserted) to passe over eight chapters
42 Booke IV
42 Chapter I: Of witchmongers opinions concerning evil1 spirits,
how they frame themselves in more excellent sort than God made us
42 Chapter II: Of bawdie Incubus and Succubus, and whether the
action of venerie may be performed between witches and divels, and
when witches first yeelded to Incubus
43 Chapter III: Of the divels visible & invisible dealing
witches in the waie of lecherie
44 Chapter IV: That the power of generation is both outwardlie and
inwardlie impeached by witches, and of divers that had their
genitals taken from them by witches, and by the same means again
restored
45 Chapter V: Of bishop Sylvanus his leacherie opened and covered
agame, how maides having yellow haire are most combred with
Incubus, how maried men are bewitched to use other mens wives, and
to refuse their own
46 Chapter VI: How to procure the dissolving of bewitched love,
also to enforce a man (how proper so ever he be) to love an old
hag : and of a bawdie tricke of a priest in Gelderland
46 Chapter VII: Of divers saints and holie persons, which were
exceeding bawdie and lecherous, and by certeine miraculous meanes
became chaste
47 Chapter VIII: Certeine popish and magicall cures, for them that
are bewitched in their privities
47 Chapter IX: A strange cure done to one that was molested with
Incubus
48 Chapter X: A confutation of all the former follies touching
Incubus, which by examples and proofes of like stuffe is shewed to
be flat knaverie, wherein the carnall copulation with spirits is
overthrowne
49 Chapter XI: That Incubus is a naturall disease, with remedies
for the same, besides magicall cures herewithall expressed
50 Chapter XII: The censure of G. Chaucer, upon the knaverie of
Incubus
51 Booke V
51 Chapter I: Of transformations, ridiculous examples brought by
the adversaries for the confirmation of their foolish doctrine
53 Chapter II: Absurd reasons brought by Bodin, and such others,
for confirmation of transformations
54 Chapter III: Of a man turned into an asse, and returned again
into a man by one of Bodins witches: S. Augustines opinion thereof
55 Chapter IV: A summarie of the former fable, with a refutation
thereof, after due examination of the same
56 Chapter V: That the bodie of a man cannot be turned into the
bodie of a beast by a witch, is prooved by strong reasons,
scriptures, and authorities
58 Chapter VI: The witchmongers objections, concerning
Nabuchadnez-zar answered, and their errour concerning Lycanthropia
confuted
58 Chapter VII: A speciall objection answered concerning
transportations, with the consent of diverse writers thereupon
60 Chapter VIII: The witchmongers objection concerning the
historie of Job answered
62 Chapter IX: What severall sorts of witches are mentioned in the
scriptures, and how the word witch is there applied
64 Booke VI
64 Chapter I: The exposition of this Hebrue word Chasaph, wherein
is answered the objection conteined in Exodus 22. to wit: Thou
shalt not suffer a witch to live, and of Simon Magus. Acts. 8
65 Chapter II: The place of Deuteronomie expounded, wherin are
recited all kind of witches; also their opinions confuted, which
hold that they can worke such miracles as are imputed unto them
67 Chapter III: That women have used poisoning in all ages more
than men, and of the inconvenience of poisonIng
68 Chapter IV: Of divers poisoning practises, otherwise called
veneficia, committed in Italie, Genua, Millen, Wittenberge, also
how they were discovered and executed
68 Chapter V: A great objection answered concerning this kind of
witchcraft called Veneficium
68 Chapter VI: In what kind of confections that witchcraft, which
is called Venificium, consisteth: of love cups, and the same
confuted by poets
70 Chapter VII: It is proved by more credible writers, that love
cups rather ingender death through venome, than love by art; and
with what toies they destroie cattell, and procure love
70 Chapter VIII: John Bodin triumphing against John Wier is
overtaken with false Greeke & false interpretation thereof
72 Booke VII
72 Chapter I: Of the Hebrue word Ob, what it signifieth where it
is found, of Pythonisses called Ventriloquae, who they be, and
what their practises are, experience and examples thereof shewed
74 Chapter II: How the lewd practise of the Pythonist of Westwell
came to light, and by whome she was examined; and that all hir
diabolicall speach was but ventriloquie and plaine cousenage,
which is prooved by hir owne confession
75 Chapter III: Bodins stuffe concerning the Pythonist of Endor,
with a true storie of a counterfeit Dutchman
76 Chapter IV: Of the great oracle of Apollo the Pythonist, and
how men of all sorts have been deceived, and that even the
apostles have mistaken the nature of spirits, with an unanswerable
argument, that spirits can take no shapes
77 Chapter V: Why Apollo was called Pytho whereof those witches
were called Pythonists; Gregorie his letter to the divell
78 Chapter VI: Apollo, who was called Pytho, compared to the Rood
of grace; Gregories letter to the divell confuted
78 Chapter VII: How diverse great clarkes and good authors have
been abused in this matter of spirits through false reports, and
by meanes of their credulitie have published lies, which are
confuted by Aristotle and the scriptures
79 Chapter VIII: Of the witch of Endor, and whether she
accomplished the raising of Samuel truelie, or by deceipt : the
opinion of some divines hereupon
80 Chapter IX: That Samuel was not raised indeed, and how Bodin
and all papists dote herein, and that soules cannot be raised by
witchcraft
81 Chapter X: That neither the divell nor Samuell was raised, but
that it was a meere cousenage, according to the guise of our
Pythonists
81 Chapter XI: The objection of the witchmongers concerning this
place fullie answered, and what circumstances are to be considered
for the understanding of this storie, which is plainelie opened
from the beginning of the 28. chap. of the 1. Samuel, to the 12.
verse
83 Chapter XII: The 12. 13. & 14. verses of 1. Samuel 28.
expounded; wherin is shewed that Saule was cousened and abused by
the witch, and that Samuel was not raised, is prooved by the
witches owne talke
84 Chapter XIII: The residue of i. Sam. 28. expounded; wherin is
declared how cunninglie this witch brought Saule resolutelie to
beleeve that she raised Samuel, what words are used to colour the
cousenage, and how all might also be wrought by ventriloquie
85 Chapter XIV: Opinions of some learned men, that Samuel was
indeed raised, not by the witches art or power, but by the
speciall miracle of God, that there are no such visions in these
our daies, & that our witches cannot doo the like
86 Chapter XV: Of vain apparitions, how people have beene brought
to feare bugges, which is partlie reformed by preaching of the
gospell, the true effect of Christes miracles
87 Chapter XVI: Witches miracles compared to Christs, that God is
the creator of all things, of Apollo, and of his names and
portraiture
88 Booke VIII
88 Chapter I: That miracles are ceased
90 Chapter II: That the gift of prophesie is ceased
91 Chapter III: That Oracles are ceased
92 Chapter IV: A tale written by manie grave authors, and beleeved
by manie wise men of the divels death. An other storie written by
papists, and beleeved of all catholikes, approoving the divels
honestie, conscience, and courtesie
Chapter V: The judgments of the ancient fathers touching oracles,
and their abolishment, and that they be now transferred from
Delphos to Rome
94 Chapter VI: Where and wherein couseners, witches, and preests
were woont to give oracles, and to worke their feats
95 Booke IX
95 Chapter I: The Hebrue word Kasam expounded, and how farre a
Christian may conjecture of things to come
95 Chapter II: Proofes by the old and new testament, that certaine
observations of the weather are lawfull
96 Chapter III: That certeine observations are indifferent,
certeine ridiculous, and certeine impious, whence that cunning is
derived of Apollo, and of Aruspices
97 Chapter IV: The predictions of soothsaiers and lewd priests,
the prognostications of astronomers and physicians allowable,
divine prophesies holie and good
98 Chapter V: The diversitie of true prophets, of Urim, and of the
propheticall use of the twelve precious stones conteined therein,
of the divine voice called Eccho
98 Chapter VI: Of prophesies conditionall; whereof the prophesies
in the old testament doo intreate, and by whom they were
published; witchmongers aunswers to the objections against witches
supernaturall actions
99 Chapter VII: What were the miracles expressed in the old
testament, and what are they in the new testament and that we are
not now to looke for anie more miracles
101 Booke X
101 Chapter I: The interpretation of this Hebrue word Onen, of
the vanitie of dreames, and divinations thereupon
101 Chapter II: Of divine, naturall, and casuall dreames, with
their differing causes and effects
102 Chapter III: The opinion of divers old writers touching
dreames, and how they varie in noting the causes thereof
102 Chapter IV: Against interpretors of dreames, of the ordinarie
cause of dreames, Hemingius his opinion of diabolicall dreames,
the interpretation of dreames ceased
103 Chapter V: That neither witches, nor anie other, can either by
words or hearbs, thrust into the mind of a sleeping man, what
cogitations or dreames they list; and whence magicall dreames come
104 Chapter VI: How men have been bewitched, cousened or abused by
dreames to dig and search for monie
104 Chapter VII: The art and order to be used in digging for
monie, revealed by dreames, how to procure pleasant dreames, of
morning and midnight dreames
105 Chapter VIII: Sundrie receipts and ointments, made and used
for the transportation of witches, and other miraculous effects:
an instance therof reported and credited by some that are learned
106 Chapter IX: A confutation of the former follies, as well
concerning ointments, dreames, &c. as also of the assemblie of
witches, and of their consultations and bankets at sundrie places,
and all in dreames
106 Chapter X: That most part of prophesies in the old testament
were revealed in drearnes, that we are not now to looke for such
revelations, of some who have drempt of that which hath come to
passe, that dreames proove contrarie, Nabuchadnez-zars rule to
knowe a true expositor of dreames
108 Booke XI
108 Chapter I: The Hebrue word Nahas expounded, of the art of
augurie, who invented it, how slovenlie a science it is; the
multitude of sacrifices and sacrificers of the heathen, and the
causes thereof
108 Chapter II: Of the Jewes sacrifice to Moloch, a discourse
thereupon, and of Purgatorie
108 Chapter III: The Canibals crueltie, of popish sacrifices
exceeding in tyrannie the Jewes or Gentiles
108 Chapter IV: The superstition of the heathen about the element
of fier, and how it grew in such reverence among them, of their
corruptions, and that they had some inkling of the godlie fathers
dooings in that behalfe
110 Chapter V: Of the Romane sacrifices: of the estimation they
had of augurie, of the lawe of the twelve tables
110 Chapter VI: Colleges of augurors, their office, their number,
the signification of augurie, that the practisers of that art were
couseners, their profession, their places of exercise, their
apparrell, their superstition
111 Chapter VII: The times and seasons to exercise augurie, the
maner and order -thereof, of the ceremonies thereunto belonging
112 Chapter VIII: Upon what signes and tokens augorors did
prognosticate, observations touching the inward and outward parts
of beasts, with notes of beasts behaviour in the slaughterhouse
112 Chapter IX: A confutation of augurie, Plato his reverend
opinion thereof, of contrarie events, and false predictions
112 Chapter X: The cousening art of sortilege or lotarie,
practised especiallie by Aegyptiara vagabonds, of allowed lots, of
Pythagoras his lot, &c.
113 Chapter XI: Of the Cabalisticall art, consisting of traditions
and unwritten verities learned without booke, and of the division
thereof
114 Chapter XII: When, how, and in what sort sacrifices were first
ordained, and how they were prophaned, and how the pope corrupteth
the sacraments of Christ
115 Chapter XIII: Of the objects whereupon the augurors used to
prognosticate, with certeine cautions and notes
116 Chapter XIV: The division of augurie, persons admittable into
the colleges of augurie, of their superstition
116 Chapter XV: Of the common peoples fond and superstitious
collections and observations
117 Chapter XVI: How old writers varie about the matter, the manor
and the meanes, whereby things augurificall are mooved
118 Chapter XVII: How ridiculous an art augurie is, how Cato
mocked it, Aristotles reason against it, fond collections of
augurors, who allowed, and who disallowed it
119 Chapter XVIII: Fond distinctions of the heathen writers,
concerning augurie
119 Chapter XIX: Of naturall and casuall augurie, the one allowed,
and the other disallowed
119 Chapter XX: A confutation of casuall augurie which is meere
witchcraft, and upon what uncertaintie those divination are
grounded
120 Chapter XXI: That figure-casters are witches, the uncerteintie
of their art, and of their contradictions, Cornelius Agrippas
sentence against judiciall astrologie
121 Chapter XXII: The subtiltie of astrologers to mainteine the
credit of their art, why they remaine in credit, certeine
impieties conteined in astrologers assertions
122 Chapter XXIII: Who have power to drive awaie divels with their
onelie presence, who shall receive of God whatsoever they aske in
praier, who shall obteine everlasting life by meanes of
constellations, as nativitie-casters affirme
123 Booke XII
123 Chapter I: The Hebrue word Habar expounded, where also the
supposed secret force of charmes and inchantments is shewed, and
the efficacie of words is diverse waies declared
123 Chapter II: What is forbidden in scriptures concerning
witchcraft, of the operation of words, the superstition of the
Cabalists and papists, who createth substances, to imitate God in
some cases is presumption, words of sanctification
124 Chapter III: What effect and offense witches charmes bring,
how unapt witches are, and how unlikelie to worke those things
which they are thought to doo, what would followe if those things
were true which are laid to their charge
125 Chapter IV: Why God forbad the practise of witchcraft, the
absurditie of the lawe of the twelve tables, whereupon their
estimation in miraculous actions is grounded, of their woonderous
works
125 Chapter V: An instance of one arreigned upon the lawe of the
twelve tables, whereby the said lawe is proved ridiculous, of two
witches that could doo woonders
126 Chapter VI: Lawes provided for the punishment of such witches
as worke miracles, whereof some are mentioned, and of certeine
popish lawes published against them
127 Chapter VII: Poetical authorities commonlie alleaged by
witchmongers, for the proofe of witches miraculous actions, and
for confirmation of their supernaturall power
130 Chapter VIII: Poetrie and poperie compared in inchantments,
popish witchmongers have more advantage herein than protestants
131 Chapter IX: Popish periapts, amulets and charmes, agnus Dei, a
wastcote of proofe, a charme for the falling evill, a writing
brought to S. Leo from heaven by an angell, the vertues of S.
Saviors epistle, a charme against theeves, a writing found in
Christs wounds, of the crosse, &c.
135 Chapter X: How to make holie water, and the vertues therof. S.
Rufins charme, of the wearing and bearing of the name of Jesus,
that the sacrament of confession and the eucharist is of as much
efficacie as other charmes, & magnified by L. Vairus
136 Chapter XI: Of the noble balme used by Moses, apishlie
counterfeited in the church of Rome
136 Chapter XII: The opinion of Ferranus touching charmes,
periapts, appensions, amulets, &c. Of Homericall medicines, of
constant opinion, and the effects thereof
137 Chapter XIII: Of the effects of amulets, the drift of Argerius
Ferrarius in the commendation of charmes, &c.: foure sorts of
Homericall medicines, & the choice thereof; of imagination
138 Chapter XIV: Choice of Charmes against the falling evill, the
biting of a mad dog, the stinging of a scorpion, the toothach, for
a woman in travell, for the Kings evill, to get a thorne out of
any member, or a bone out of ones throte, charmes to be said
fasting, or at the gathering of hearbs, for sore eies, to open
locks, against spirits, for the bots in a horsse, and speciallie
for the Duke of Albas horsse, for sowre wines, &c.
142 Chapter XV: The inchanting of serpents and snakes, objections
aunswered concerning the same; fond reasons whie charmes take
effect therin, Mahomets pigeon, miracle wrought by as Asse at
Memphis in Aegypt, popish charmer against serpents, of miracle
workers, the tameing of snakes, Bodins lie of snakes
146 Chapter XVI: Charmes to carrie water in a sive, to know what
is spoken of us behind our backs, for bleare eies, to make seeds
to growe well, of images made of wax, to be rid of a witch, to
hang hir up, notable authorities against waxen images, a storie
bewraieng the knaverie of waxen images
147 Chapter XVII: Sundrie sorts of charmes tending to diverse
purposes, and first, certeine charmes to make taciturnitie in
tortures
151 Chapter XVIII: A charme or experiment to find out a witch
157 Chapter XIX: That one witchcraft maie lawfullie meete with
another
158 Chapter XX: Who are privileged from witches, what bodies are
aptest to be bewitched, or to be witches, why women are rather
witches than men, and what they are
159 Chapter XXI: What miracles witchmongers report to have beene
done by witches words, &c.: contradictions of witchmongers
among themselves, how beasts are cured herby, of bewitched butter,
a charmet witches, and a counter charme, the effect charmes and
words proved by L. Vairus to be woonderfull
161 Chapter XXII: Lawfull charmes, or rather medicinable cures for
diseased cattell. The charme of charmes, and the power thereof
162 Chapter XXIII: A confutation of the force and vertue falselie
ascribed to charmes and amulets, by the authorities of ancient
writers, both divines and physicians
163 Booke XIII
163 Chapter I: The signification of the Hebrue word Harturnim
where it is found written in the scriptures, and how it is
diverslie translated; whereby the objection of Pharaos magicians
is afterward answered in this booke; also of naturall magicke not
evill in it selfe
163 Chapter II: How the philosophers in times past travelled for
the knowledge of naturall magicke, of Salomons knowledge therein,
who is to be called a naturall magician, a distinction thereof,
and why it is condemned for witchcraft
164 Chapter III: What secrets do lie hidden, and what is taught in
naturall magicke, how Gods glorie is magnified therein, and that
it is nothing but the worke of nature
165 Chapter IV: What strange things are brought to passe by
naturall magick
165 Chapter V: The incredible operation of waters, both standing
and running; of well, lakes, rivers, and of their woonderfull
effects
166 Chapter VI: The vertues and qualities of sundrie pretious
stones, of cousening Lapidaries, &c.
168 Chapter VII: Whence the pretious stones receive their
operations, how curious Magicians use them, and of their seales
170 Chapter VIII: The sympathie and antipathie of naturall and
elementarie bodies declared by diverse examples of beasts, birds,
plants, &c.
171 Chapter IX: The former matter prooved by manie examples of the
living and the dead
172 Chapter X: The bewitching venome conteined in the bodie of an
harlot, how hir eie, hir toong, hir beautie and behavior
bewitcheth some men; of bones and
homes yeelding great vertue
173 Chapter XI: Two notorious woonders and yet not marvelled at
174 Chapter XII: Of illusions, confederacies, and legierdemaine,
and how they may be well or ill used
174 Chapter XIII: Of private confederacie, and of Brandons pigeon
175 Chapter XIV: Of publike confederacie, and whereof it
consisteth
175 Chapter XV: How men have beene abused with words of
equivocation, with sundrie examples thereof
176 Chapter XVI: How some are abused with naturall magike, and
sundrie examples thereof when illusion is added thereuunto, of
Jacobs pied sheepe, and of a blacke Moore
177 Chapter XVII: The opinion of witchmongers, that divels can
create bodies, and of Pharaos magicians
Chapter XVIII: How to produce or make monsters by art magike, and
why Pharaos magicians could not make lice
178 Chapter XIX: That great matters may be wrought by this art,
when princes esteeme and mainteine it; of divers woonderfull
experiments, and of strange conclusions in glasses, of the art
perspective, &c.
180 Chapter XX: A comparison betwixt Pharaos magicians and our
witches, and how their cunning consisted in juggling knacks
180 Chapter XXI: That the serpents and frogs were trulie
presented, and the water poisoned indeed by Jannes and Jambres of
false prophets, and of their miracles, Balams asse
182 Chapter XXII: The art of juggling discovered, and in what
points it dooth principallie consist
182 Chapter XXIII: Of the ball, and the manner of legierdemaine
therewith, also notable feats with one or diverse balles
184 Chapter XXIV Of conveiance of monie
186 Chapter XXV: An excellent feat, to make a two penie peece lie
plaine in the palme of your hand, and to be passed from thence
when you list
187 Chapter XXVI: To transforme anie one small thing into anie
other forme by folding of paper
188 Chapter XXVII: Of cards, with good cautions how to avoid
cousenage therein; speciall rules to conveie and handle the cards,
and the maner and order to accomplish all difficult and strange
things wrought with cards
190 Chapter XXXIII: How to tell what card anie man thinketh, how
to conveie the same into a kernell of a nut or cheristone,
&c.; and the same againe into ones pocket; how to make one
drawe the same or anie card you list, and all under one devise
190 Chapter XXIX: Of fast or loose, how to knit a hard knot upon a
handkercher, and to undo the same with words
191 Chapter XXX: Juggling knacks by confederacie, and how to know
whether one cast crosse or pile by the ringing
192 Chapter XXXI: Boxes to alter one graine into another, or to
consume the grain or come to nothing
193 Chapter XXXII: To burn a thred, and to make it whole againe
with the ashes thereof
195 Chapter XXXIII: How to make a booke, wherein you shall shew
everie leafe therein to be white, blacke, red, yellow, greene,
&c.
196 Chapter XXXIV: Desperate or dangerous juggling knacks, wherein
the simple are made to thinke, that a seelie juggler with words
can hurt and helpe, kill and revive anie creature at his pleasure;
and first too kill anie kind of pullen, and to give it life againe
204 Booke XIV
204 Chapter I: Of the art of Alcumystrie, of their woords of art
and devises to bleare mens eies, and to procure credit to their
profession
205 Chapter II: The Alcumysters drift, the Chanons yeomans tale,
of alcumysticall stones and waters
206 Chapter III: Of a yeoman of the countrie cousened by an
Alcumyst
208 Chapter IV: A certeine king abused by an Alcumyst, and of the
kings foole a pretie jest
208 Chapter V: A notable storie written by Erasmus of two
Alcumysts, also of longation and curtation
212 Chapter VI: The opinion of diverse learned men touching the
follie of Alcumystrie
214 Chapter VII: That vaine and deceitfull hope is a great cause
why men are seduced by this alluring art, and that there labours
therein are bootelesse, &c.
214 Chapter VIII: A continuation of the former matter, with a
conclusion of the same
217 Booke XV
217 Chapter I: The exposition of Iidoni, and where it is found,
whereby the whole art of conjuration is deciphered
217 Chapter II: An inventarie of the names, shapes, powers,
government, and effects of divels and spirits, of their severall
segniories and degrees; a strange discourse woorth the reading
226 Chapter III: The houres wherin principall divels may be bound,
to wit, raised and restrained from dooing of hurt
226 Chapter IV: The forme of adjuring or citing of the spirits
aforesaid to arise and appeare
227 Chapter V: A confutation of the manifold vanities conteined in
the precedent chapters, speciallie of commanding of divels
228 Chapter VI: The names of the planets, their characters,
togither with the twelve signes of the zodiake, their
dispositions, aspects, and government, with
other observations
231 Chapter VII: The characters of the angels of the seaven daies,
with their names: of figures, seales and periapts
232 Chapter VIII: An experiment of the dead
235 Chapter IX: A licence for Sibylia to go and come by at all
times
236 Chapter X: To know of treasure hidden in the earth
237 Chapter XI: An experiment following, of Citrael, &c.:
angeli diei dominici
238 Chapter XII: How to enclose a spirit in a christall stone
240 Chapter XIII: An experiment of Bealphares
243 Chapter XIV: To bind the spirit Bealphares, and to lose him
again
244 Chapter XV: The making of the holie water
245 Chapter XVI: To make a spirit appeare in a christall
246 Chapter XVII: An experiment of the dead
247 Chapter XVIII: A bond to bind him to thee, and to thy N. as
followeth
249 Chapter XIX: This bond as followeth, is to call him into your
christall stone, or glasse, &c.
250 Chapter XX: When to talke with spirits, and to have true
answers to find out a theefe
251 Chapter XXI: A confutation of conjuration, especiallie of the
raising, binding and dismissing of the divell, of going invisible,
and other lewd practises
252 Chapter XXII: A comparison betweene popish exorcists and other
conjurors, a popish conjuration published by a great doctor of the
Romish church, his rules and cautions
253 Chapter XXIII: A late experiment, or cousening conjuration
practised at Orleance by the Franciscane Friers, how it was
detected, and the judgement against the authors of that comedie
255 Chapter XXIV: Who may be conjurors in the Romish church
besides priests, a ridiculous definition of superstition, what
words are to be used and not used in exorcismes, rebaptisme
allowed, it is lawfull to conjure any thing, differences between
holie water and conjuration
257 Chapter XXV: The seven reasons why some are not rid of the
divell with all their popish conjurations, why there were no
conjurors in the primitive church, and why the divell is not so
soone cast out of the bewitched as of the possessed
258 Chapter XXVI: Other grosse absurdities of witchmongers in this
matter of conjurations
258 Chapter XXVII: Certaine conjurations taken out of the
pontificall and out of the missall
259 Chapter XXVIII: That popish priests leave nothing unconjured,
a forme of exorcisme for incense
260 Chapter XXIX: The rules and ]awes of popish Exorcists and
other conjurors all one, with a confutation of their whole power,
how S. Martine conjured the divell
261 Chapter XXX: That it is a shame for papists to beleeve other
conjurors dooings, their owne being of so litle force, Hipocrates
his opinion herein
262 Chapter XXXI: How conjurors have beguiled witches, what bookes
they carie about to procure credit to their art, wicked assertions
against Moses and Joseph
263 Chapter XXXII: All magicall arts confuted by an argument
concerning Nero, what Cornelius Agrippa and Carolus Gallus have
left written thereof, and prooved by experience
264 Chapter XXXIII: Of Salomons conjurations, and of the opinion
conceived of his cunning and practise therein
265 Chapter XXXIV: Lessons read in all churches, where the pope
hath authoritie, on S. Margarets daie, translated into English
word for word
265 Chapter XXXV: A delicate storie of a Lombard, who by S.
Margarets example would needs fight with a reall divell
266 Chapter XXX VI: The storie of Saint Margaret prooved to be
both ridiculous and impious in everie point
267 Chapter XXX VII: A pleasant miracle wrought by a popish preest
268 Chapter XXX VIII: The former miracle confuted, with a strange
storie of saint Lucie
268 Chapter XXXIX: Of visions, noises, apparitions, and imagined
sounds, and of other illusions, of wandering soules: with a
confutation thereof
269 Chapter XL: Cardanus opinion of strange noises, how counterfet
visions grow to be credited, of popish appeerances, of pope
Boniface
270 Chapter XLI: Of the noise or sound of eccho, of one that
narrowlie escaped drowing thereby, &c.
270 Chapter XLII: Of Theurgie, with a confutation thereof, a
letter sent to me concerning these matters
273 Booke XVI
273 Chapter I: A conclusion, in maner of an epilog, repeating
manie of the former absurdities of witchmongers conceipts,
confutations thereof, and of the authoritie of James Sprenger and
Henrie Institor inquisitors and compilers of M. Mal.
274 Chapter II: By what meanes the common people have been made
beleeve in the miraculous works of witches, a definition of
witchcraft, and a description thereof
274 Chapter III: Reasons to proove that words and characters are
but bables, & that witches cannot doo such things as the
multitude supposeth they can, their greatest woonders prooved
trifles, of a yoong gentleman cousened
276 Chapter IV: Of one that was so bewitched that he could read no
scriptures but canonicall, of a divel that could speake no Latine,
a proofe that witchcraft is flat cousenage
277 Chapter V: Of the divination by the sive and sheeres, and by
the booke and key, Hemingius his opinion thereof confuted, a bable
to know what is a clocke, of certeine jugling knacks, manifold
reasons for the overthrowe of witches and conjurors, and their
cousenages, of the divels transformations, of Ferrum candens,
&c.
279 Chapter VI: How the divell preached good doctrine in the shape
of a preest, how he was discovered, and that it is a shame (after
confutation of the greater witchcrafts) for anie man to give
credit to the lesser points thereof
280 Chapter VII: A conclusion against witchcraft, in maner and
forrne of an Induction
281 Chapter VIII: Of naturall witchcraft or fascination
281 Chapter IX: Of inchanting or bewitching eies
282 Chapter X: Of naturall witchcraft for love, &c.