their bodie lying as dead, hee may object to their spirites as it
were in a dreame, & (as the Poets write of _Morpheus_) represente such
formes of persones, of places, and other circumstances, as he pleases to
illude them with? Yea, that he maie deceiue them with the greater
efficacie, may hee not at that same instant, by fellow angelles of his,
illude such other persones so in that same fashion, whome with he makes
them to beleeue that they mette; that all their reportes and tokens,
though seuerallie examined, may euerie one agree with an other. And that
whatsoeuer actiones, either in hurting men or beasts: or whatsoeuer other
thing that they falselie imagine, at that time to haue done, may by
himselfe or his marrowes, at that same time be done indeede; so as if they
would giue for a token of their being rauished at the death of such a
person within so shorte space thereafter, whom they beleeue to haue
poysoned, or witched at that instante, might hee not at that same houre,
haue smitten that same person by the permission of GOD, to the farther
deceiuing of them, and to mooue others to beleeue them? And this is
surelie the likeliest way, and most according to reason, which my
judgement can finde out in this, and whatsoeuer vther vnnaturall poyntes
of their confession. And by these meanes shall we saill surelie, betuixt
_Charybdis_ and _Scylla_, in eschewing the not beleeuing of them
altogether on the one part, least that drawe vs to the errour that there
is no Witches: and on the other parte in beleeuing of it, make vs to
eschew the falling into innumerable absurdities, both monstruouslie
against all Theologie diuine, and Philosophie humaine.

Chap. V.

ARGVMENT.

_Witches actiones towardes others. Why there are more women of that craft
nor men? What thinges are possible to them to effectuate by the power of
their master. The reasons thereof. What is the surest remedie of the
harmes done by them._

PHILOMATHES.

Forsooth your opinion in this, seemes to carrie most reason with it, and
sence yee haue ended, then the actions belonging properly to their owne
persones: say forwarde now to their actiones vsed towardes others.

EPI. In their actiones vsed towardes others, three thinges ought to be
considered: First the maner of their consulting thereupon: Next their part
as instrumentes: And last their masters parte, who puts the same in
execution. As to their consultationes thereupon, they vse them oftest in
th