that her ravings were inspirations of the Holy Ghost.
Knavery, as is usual, soon after succeeding to delusion, she learned to
counterfeit trances and she then uttered, in an extraordinary tone,
such speeches as were dictated to her by her spiritual director. Masters
associated with him Dr. Bocking, a canon of Canterbury; and their design
was to raise the credit of an image of the Virgin which stood in a
chapel belonging to Masters, and to draw to it such pilgrimages as
usually frequented the more famous images and relics. In prosecution of
this design, Elizabeth pretended revelations which directed her to have
recourse to that image for a cure; and being brought before it, in the
presence of a great multitude, she fell anew into convulsions: and
after distorting her limbs and countenance during a competent time, she
affected to have obtained a perfect recovery by the intercession of the
Virgin.[*] This miracle was soon bruited abroad; and the two priests,
finding the imposture to succeed beyond their own expectations, began
to extend their views, and to lay the foundation of more important
enterprises. They taught their penitent to declaim against the new
doctrines, which she denominated heresy; against innovations in
ecclesiastical government; and against the king's intended divorce from
Catharine. She went so far as to assert, that if he prosecuted that
design, and married another, he should not be a king a month longer, and
should not an hour longer enjoy the favor of the Almighty, but should
die the death of a villain. Many monks throughout England, either from
folly or roguery, or from faction, which is often a complication of
both, entered into the delusion; and one Deering, a friar, wrote a book
of the revelations and prophecies of Elizabeth.[**] Miracles were daily
added to increase the wonder; and the pulpit every where resounded
with accounts of the sanctity and inspirations of the new prophetess.
Messages were carried from her to Queen Catharine, by which that
princess was exhorted to persist in her opposition to the divorce; the
pope's ambassadors gave encouragement to the popular credulity; and even
Fisher, bishop of Rochester, though a man of sense and learning, was
carried away by an opinion so favorable to the party which he had
espoused.[***]

* Stowe, p. 570. Blanquet's Epitome of Chronicler.

** Strype, vol. i. p. 181.

*** Collier, vol. ii. p. 87

The king at last began to think th