s: how they naturallie rode and went, eate and drank, and did all
other actiones like naturall men and women: I thinke it liker VIRGILS
_Campi Elysij_, nor anie thing that ought to be beleeued by Christians,
except in generall, that as I spake sundrie times before, the deuil
illuded the senses of sundry simple creatures, in making them beleeue that
they saw and harde such thinges as were nothing so indeed.

PHI. But how can it be then, that sundrie Witches haue gone to death with
that confession, that they haue ben transported with the _Phairie_ to such
a hill, which opening, they went in, and there saw a faire Queene, who
being now lighter, gaue them a stone that had sundrie vertues, which at
sundrie times hath bene produced in judgement?

EPI. I say that, euen as I said before of that imaginar rauishing of the
spirite foorth of the bodie. For may not the deuil object to their
fantasie, their senses being dulled, and as it were a sleepe, such hilles
& houses within them, such glistering courts and traines, and whatsoeuer
such like wherewith he pleaseth to delude them. And in the meane time
their bodies being senselesse, to conuay in their hande any stone or such
like thing, which he makes them to imagine to haue receiued in such a
place.

PHI. But what say ye to their fore-telling the death of sundrie persones,
whome they alleage to haue scene in these places? That is, a sooth-dreame
(as they say) since they see it walking.

EPI. I thinke that either they haue not bene sharply inough examined, that
gaue so blunt a reason for their Prophesie, or otherwaies, I thinke it
likewise as possible that the Deuill may prophesie to them when he
deceiues their imaginationes in that sorte, as well as when he plainely
speakes vnto them at other times for their prophesying, is but by a kinde
of vision, as it were, wherein he commonly counterfeits God among the
Ethnicks, as I told you before.

PHI. I would know now whether these kindes of spirites may only appeare to
Witches, or if they may also appeare to anie other.

EPI. They may do to both, to the innocent sort, either to affraie them, or
to seeme to be a better sorte of folkes nor vncleane spirites are, and to
the Witches, to be a cullour of safetie for them, that ignorant
Magistrates may not punish them for it, as I told euen now. But as the one
sorte, for being perforce troubled with them ought to be pittied, so ought
the other sorte (who may bee discerned by their taking