Dan. I trust they be all in good health, they were when I came from
home, I am sorry to see you looke so
pale, what have you beene sicke lately?
Sam. Truely no, I thanke God I have had my health pretily well, but
yet me thinke my meate doth me no
good of late.
Dan. What is the matter man, doe you take thought and care for the world?
take heed of that, for the
Scripture saith, worldly sorrow worketh death. 2.Cor.7.10. It is a
great sinne rising from unbeleefe, and
distrust in Gods providence, when men be over pensive for the world.
Sam. In deede my minde is troubled, but not for that which you say,
for I hope in God I shall not want so
long as I live.
Dan. Is it any trouble of conscience for sinne? If it be, that may turne to good.
Sam. O, no, no. I know no cause why.
Dan. Why, what is it then, if I may be so bold, I pray [A4v] you tell me. I thinke you take me for your friend.
Sam. In deede I have alwaies found you my very good friend, and I am
sure you will give me the best
counsell you can, truely we dwell here in a bad countrey, I think even
one of the worst in England.
Dan. Is it so? I thinke you dwell in a fine countrey, in a sweete wholesome aire and fruitfull grounds.
Sam. Aire man? I finde no fault with the aire, there be naughty people.
Dan. Naughty people? where shall a man dwell, and not finde them? swearers,
liars, raylers, slaunderers,
drunkards, adulterers, riotous, unthriftes, dicers, and proude high
minded persons, are every where to be
founde in great plenty.
Sam. Nay, I doe not meane them. I care not for them. These witches,
these evill favoured old witches doe
trouble me.
Dan. What doe you take your selfe to be bewitched?
Sam. No, no, I trust no evill spirite can hurt me, but I heare of much
harme done by them: they lame men
and kill their cattle, yea they destroy both men and children. They
say there is scarce any towne or village
in all this shire, but there is one or two witches at the least in
it. In good sooth, I may tell it to you as to my
friend, when I goe but into my closes, I am afraide, for I see nowe
and then a hare; which my conscience
giveth me is a witch, or some witches spirite, shee stareth so uppone
men. And sometime I see an ugly
weasell runne through my yard, and there is a foule great catte sometimes
in my Barne, which I have no
liking unto.
Dan. You never had no hurt done yet, had you by any witch?
Sam. Trust me I cannot tell, but I feare me I have, [B1v] for there
be two or three in our towne which I like
not, but especially an old woman, I have beene as careful to please
her as ever I was to please mine own
mother, and to give her ever anon one thing or other, and yet me thinkes
shee frownes at me now and then.
And I had a hogge which eate his meate with his fellowes and was very
well to our thinking over night, and in
the morning he was starke dead. My wife thath had five or sixe hennes
even of late dead. Some of my
neighbours wishe me to burne some thing alive, as a henne or a hogge.
Others will me in time to seeke helpe
at the handes of some cunning man, before I have any further harme.
I wold be glad to do for the best.
Dan. Have you any cunning man hereabout, that doth helpe?
Sam. There is one, they say, here a twenty miles of at T.B. which hath
holpe many. And thus much I know,
there was one of mine acquaintance but two miles hence, which had great
losses, he lost two or three kine,
six hogs, he would not have tooke fifteene shillings a hog for them,
and a mare. He went to that same man, and
tolde him shee had three or foure imps, some call them puckrels, one
like a gray catte, an other like a weasell,
an other like a mouse, a vengeance take them, it is a great pitty the
countrey is not ridde of them, and told him
also what he shoulde doe, it is halfe a yeare agoe, and he never had
any hurt since. There is also a woman at
R.H. five and twenty miles hence, that hath a great name, and great
resort there is dayly unto her. A neighbour
of mine had his childe taken lame, a girle of ten yeares olde, and
such a paine in her backe, that shee could not
sit upright. He went to that woman, she tolde him he had some badde
neighbour, the childe was forespoken, as
he suspected; marry if he would goe home, and bring her som of the
clothes which the child [B1v] lay in all night,
she would tell him certainely.