of express Paction confest by our
Witness, is a simple Promise to serve him. Tacit Paction is either
when a person who hath made no express Paction, useth the Words or
Signs which Sorcerers use, knowing them to be such.... Renouncing of
Baptism is by _Delrio_ made an effect of Paction, yet with us it is
relevant, _per se_ ... and the Solemnity confest by our Witches, is
the putting one hand to the crown of the Head, and another to the
sole of the Foot, renouncing their Baptism in that posture. _Delrio_
tells us, that the Devil useth to Baptize them of new, and to wipe off
their Brow the old Baptism: And our Witches confess always the giving
them new Names.... The Devil's Mark useth to be a great Article with
us, but it is not _per se_ found relevant, except it be confest by
them, that they got that Mark with their own consent; _quo casu_, it
is equivalent to a Paction. This Mark is given them, as is alledg'd,
by a Nip in any part of the body, and it is blew.'[237]

Reginald Scot,[238] writing considerably earlier, gives a somewhat similar
account of the English witches, though couched in less legal phraseology:

'The order of their bargaine or profession is double; the one solemne
and publike; the other secret and priuate. That which is called
solemne or publike, is where witches come togither at certeine
assemblies, at the times prefixed, and doo not onelie see the diuell
in visible forme; but confer and talke familiarlie with him. In which
conference the diuell exhorteth them to obserue their fidelitie vnto
him, promising them long life and prosperitie. Then the witches
assembled, commend a new disciple (whom they call a nouice) vnto him:
and if the diuell find that yoong witch apt and forward in
renunciation of christian faith, in despising anie of the seuen
sacraments, in treading upon crosses, in spetting at the time of
eleuation, in breaking their fast on fasting daies, and fasting on
sundaies; then the diuell giueth foorth his hand, and the nouice
joining hand in hand with him, promiseth to obserue and keepe all the
diuell's commandements. This done, the diuell beginneth to be more
bold with hir, telling hir plainlie that all this will not serue his
turne; and therefore requireth homage at hir hands: yea, he also
telleth hir, that she must grant him both h