lancholicques neuer spares to bewray themselues, by their continuall
discourses, feeding therby their humor in that which they thinke no crime.
As to your third reason, it scarselie merites an answere. For if the
deuill their master were not bridled, as the scriptures teacheth vs,
suppose there were no men nor women to be his instrumentes, he could finde
waies inough without anie helpe of others to wrack al mankinde: wherevnto
he employes his whole study, and _goeth about like a roaring Lyon_ (as
PETER saith) (M16) to that effect, but the limites of his power were set
down before the foundations of the world were laid, which he hath not
power in the least jote to transgresse. But beside all this, there is ouer
greate a certainty to proue that they are, by the daily experience of the
harmes that they do, both to men, and whatsoeuer thing men possesses,
whome God will permit them to be the instrumentes, so to trouble or
visite, as in my discourse of that arte, yee shall heare clearelie proued.

Chap. II.

ARGVMENT.

_The Etymologie and signification of that word of_ Sorcerie. _The first
entresse and prentishippe of them that giues themselues to that craft._

PHILOMATHES.

Come on then I pray you, and returne where ye left.

EPI. This word of _Sorcerie_ is a _Latine_ worde, which is taken from
casting of the lot, & therefore he that vseth it, is called _Sortiarius a
sorte_. As to the word of _Witchcraft_, it is nothing but a proper name
giuen in our language. The cause wherefore they were called _sortiarij_,
proceeded of their practicques seeming to come of lot or chance: Such as
the turning of the riddle: the knowing of the forme of prayers, or such
like tokens: If a person diseased woulde liue or dye. And in generall,
that name was giuen them for vsing of such charmes, and freites, as that
Crafte teacheth them. Manie poynts of their craft and practicques are
common betuixt the _Magicians_ and them: for they serue both one Master,
althought in diuerse fashions. And as I deuided the _Necromancers_, into
two sorts, learned and vnlearned; so must I denie them in other two, riche
and of better accompt, poore and of basser degree. These two degrees now
of persones, that practises this craft, answers to the passions in them,
which (I told you before) the Deuil vsed as meanes to intyse them to his
seruice, for such of them as are in great miserie and pouertie, he allures
to follow him, by promising vnto them greate