Oliver Cromwel attempted to deceive his into higher royalty, and brought about the decline of the kingdom, he had a witch dress up in clothes and act as a lady from the country being sent from God, they pretended she was a saint receiving revelations from God.
Category: Witchcraft
Pamphlets that deal primarily with witchcraft.
Some elderly women were being arranged for witchcraft, two of the chief witness fell into fits in front of the Judges, they then vomited knives, wool, pins, and marble on the floor, the Judges were satisfied with the evidence against the witches but decided to give more time before deciding if the vomit was from the devil or something artificial produced by the women, and then contains a translation from Latin of physician’s notes about the disease.
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The witch of the woodlands
Brief summary:
In the woods lived a cobbler called Robin the Devill, forced to marry a woman’s daughter, got into trouble with the town and left, he got lost but found a house with an old lady in it who he then realized was a witch, he went into fits and she seduced him into bed, the next morning three witches came in seeking revenge against him, promised to marry one of them, they turned into spirits, bit, and drew blood from his throat, ‘bum’ and ‘members,’ he turned into a fox and they followed him as dogs, turned him into other animals, he broke free from their spell and headed back to London, then he became a beggar.
Fuller summary:
This pamphlet reads more as an episode of folklore than a “true and genuine” account of witchcraft—in fact it never alleges itself to be true, is accompanied with rhyming couplets, and attributes itself to an author, “L.P.” Nonetheless, it provides a vivid portrait of what constitutes a witch and magic acts. This illustrated pamphlet is twelve pages long and would have looked eye-catching on the table displays. Most of its illustrations, with the exception of the cover page, are of the male protagonist rather than the witches.
The Witch of the Woodlands begins by detailing the exploits of a cobbler named Robin especially eager to please his attractive female customers. He appreciates his “wenches” so much that he impregnates three of them—as the reader later discovers, in one evening. He misses his bachelorhood and feels overwhelmed by his fatherhood responsibilities, so he takes to London to work until his children reach adulthood. On his way, however, he gets lost in “the Woodlands” (emphasis already in place).
“Robin the Cobler” in search of refuge meets an elderly woman, one of whom the reader can immediately tell is a witch by the descriptions of a “staffe in her hand,” and her physical traits: “long nos’d,” “wry mouth’d” and “bow-legg’d.” She offers for them to sleep together “as the Devill hugg’d the Witch” and out of starvation, Robin falls to his knees and agrees.
When Robin wakes up, he finds that the old woman has found three witch friends, who expose his “whoring” habits. The old woman had imps, one of whom took the form of a black cat, and informed her of the women Robin had exploited.
The three witches seek revenge and turn into animal form: a black cat, a bear, and a wolf. They bite his entire body, including his “members.” Three days of torture ensue, all emasculating and with maleficent properties. On the first day, Robin turns into a fox who must run from angry dogs. The second day, as a nag, he must literally permit the witches to ride him all day, tearing his flesh. The witches transform robin into an owl on the last day, plucking at his body parts. When the witches withdraw their spells, they perform one last act of subordination, forcing him to knell and kiss their entire bodies.
Robin is restored as a full human being but now he is witchlike in completion; his eyes are sunken, his skin pale, his nose lengthened. He returns to London in poverty, but finds the mercy of a fellow beggar. He “lay[s] lovingly” with this beggar and they become relatively successful beggars together. When his beggar partner dies, Robin inherits his money and gives it to his former wives, wenches and children.
Doctor Lambs darling
Anne Bodenham, former servant to Dr. Lamb, admitted to being able to transform herself into various animals, including lions and dogs, and use spells, she also forced an Ann Stiles to sign the Devil’s covenant in blood when she was sent over by her master, she was bewitched after, Anne Bodenham was hanged
[The Sal]isbury assize
A Mistris Bodnan converted a maid by the name of Anne Stiles to witchcraft, gave her a looking glass and sealed it with blood, she was executed for her crimes.
Doctor Lamb revived
Bodenham was known to practice popery, Anne Stiles came to her house to inquire about her master’s silver spoon, when she returned a second time under orders Bodenham showed her people through a crystal, they thought Stiles to be poisoned, another time the witch drew a circle in front of her house with a staff and summoned spirits, the servant was sent to her house multiple times, later she went into uncontrollable fits, she was hanged for her witchcraft.
Two Terrible Sea-Fights
The first part of the pamphlet recounts the torture and trial of six witches in Edinburgh.
A prodigious & tragicall history
Six women were convicted and hanged for witchcraft, the main actor being Anne Ashby, the devil had sexual relations with all of them, when Ashby was being examined she swelled into a monstrous size and screamed, the devil gave them a piece of flesh to act upon their desires with, some were pregnant by the devil; another story of a wife who disappeared from her house and has not appeared since.
The witch of Wapping
Joan Peterson was accused of poisoning a doctor, bewitching cows, bewitched a man to near death for not giving her all her money, she was executed.