The True Story vs. Myth of Witchcraft. William Godwin

Ronoue 19 Berith 26 Astaroth 40 Foras or Forcas 29 Furfur 26 Marchosias 30 Malphas 40 Vepar or Separ 29 Sabnacke or Salmac 50 Sidonay or Asmoday 72 Gaap or Tap 36 Shax or Scox 30 Procell 48 Furcas 20 Murmur 30 Caim 30 Raum or Raim 30 Halphas 26 Focalor 3 Vine none Bifrons 26 Gamigin 30 Zagan 33 Orias 30 Valac 30 Gomory 26 Decarabia or Carabia 30 Amduscias 29 Andras 30 Andrealphus 30 Ose none Aym or Haborim 26 Orobas 20 Vapula 36 Cimeries 20 Amy 36 Flauros 20 Balam 40 Allocer 36 Vuall 37 Saleos none Haagenti 33 Phœnix 20 Stolas 26

      ‘Note that a legion is 6666, and now by multiplication count how manie legions doo arise out of euerie particular,’

      Or a grand total of 14,198,580 devils, not including their commanders.

      How many of these fall to the share of England? I know not, but they were very active in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, especially in the seventeenth. They seem to us, nowadays, to have frittered away their energies in attending on witches, in entering into divers persons and tormenting them, and in making senseless uproars and playing practical jokes. Let us take about half a dozen of these latter. Say, for argument sake, that they are not very abstruse or intellectual reading; at all events, they are as good as the modern stories of spiritual manifestations, and are as trustworthy.

      Chapter III.

       Table of Contents

      ‘The Just Devil of Woodstock’—Metrical Version—Presumed Genuine History of ‘The Just Devil of Woodstock.’

THE JUST DEVIL OF WOODSTOCK.5

      ‘The 16 day of October in the year of our Lord 1649, The Commissioners for surveying and valuing his Majesties Mannor House, Parks, Woods, Deer, Demesnes, and all things thereunto belonging, by Name Captain Crook, Capt. Hart, Capt. Cockaine, Capt. Carelesse, and Capt. Roe their Messenger, with Mr. Brown their Secretary, and two or three servants, went from Woodstock town (where they had lain some nights before) and took up their lodgings in his Majesties House, after this manner: The Bedchamber and withdrawing room, they both lodged in, and made their Kitchin; the Presence Chamber their room for dispatch of business with all commers: of the Councel Hall, their Brewhouse, as of the Dining room, their Woodhouse, where they laid in the clefts, of that antient standard in the High-Park, for many ages beyond memory, known by the Name of the Kings Oak, which they had chosen out, and caused to be dug up by the Roots.

      ‘Octob. 17. About the middle of the night, these new guests were first awaked, by a knocking at the Presence Chamber door, which they also conceived did open, and something to enter, which came through the room, and also walkt through the withdrawing room into the Bed chamber, and there walkt about that room with a heavy step during half an hour; then crept under the bed where Captain Hart, and Capt. Carelesse lay, where it did seeme (as it were) to bite and gnaw the Mat and Bed-coards, as if it would tear and rend the feather beds, which having done a while, then would they heave a while, and rest; then heave them up again in the bed more high than it did before, sometime on the one side, sometime on the other, as if it had tried which Captain was heaviest; thus having heaved for some