A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so far forth as it is…A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is…

IV. Witches of our times (say they) are aged persons, of weak brains, and troubled with abundance of melancholy, and the devil taketh advantage of the humour, and so deludes them, persuading that they have made a league ⟨p. 191⟩with him, when they have not, and consequently moving them to imagine, that they do, and may do strange things, which indeed are done by himself, and not by them.

IV. VVitches of our times (say they) are aged persons, of weake braines, and troubled with abundance of melancholie, and the deuill taketh aduantage of the humor, and so deludes them, perswading that they haue made a league ⟨p. 191⟩with him, when they haue not, and consequently moouing them to imagine, that they doe, and may doe strange things, which indeed are done by himselfe, and not by them.

Ans. This reason is a mere melancholic conceit, without ground. And the contrary is a manifest truth, that they are not so, as is affirmed, parties deceived by reason of their humours. For first, our Witches are as wise and politic, yea as crafty and cunning in all other matters, as other men be; whereas brainsick persons troubled with melancholy, if their understanding be distempered in one action, it will be faulty likewise in others, more or less. Again, our Witches know that they sin in their practises of Witchcraft, and therefore they use subtle means to cover them, and he that would convict them, must have great dexterity to go beyond them. Now if they were persons deluded, through corruption of any humours; look what humour caused them to do a thing, the same would urge them to disclose it. Thirdly, they ⟨p. 192⟩are also of the same stamp, they take the same courses in all their practises, their consent in word and action is universal. Men of learning have observed, that all Witches through Europe, are of like carriage and behaviour in their examinations, and convictions: they use the same answers, refuges, defences, protestations. In a word, look what be the practises and courses of the Witches in England, in any of these particulars, the same be the practises of the Witches in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, &c. Wherefore the case is clear, they are not deluded by Satan, through the force of humour s is avouched: for such persons, according as they are diversly ake, would show themselves diversly affected, and vary in their speeches, actions, and conceits, both public and private. Fourthly, our Witches are wont to communicate their skill to others by tradition, to teach and instruct their children and posterity, and to initiate them in the grounds and practises of their own rade, while they live, as may appear