you, my deare and nearest children, covenanted and compacted with me
in my hellish league, and sealed with your blood, my delicate
firebrand-darlings_.

[Sidenote: _The Divells speech to the Witches._]

Oh thou (say they) that at the first didst promise to save us thy
servants from any of out deadly enemies discovery, and didst promise
to avenge and flay all those, we pleased, that did offend us; Murther
that wretch suddenly who threatens the down-fall of your loyall
subjects. He then promiseth to effect it. Next newes is heard the
partie is dead, he comes to the witch, and gets a world of reverence,
credence and respect for his power and activeness, when and indeed the
disease kills the party, not the Witch, nor the Devill, (onely the
Devill knew that such a disease was predominant) and the witch
aggravates her damnation by her familiarity and consent to the Devill,
and so comes likewise in compass of the Lawes. This is Satans usuall
impostring and deluding, but not his constant course of proceeding,
for he and the witch doe mischiefe too much. But I would that
Magistrates and Jurats would a little examine witnesses when they
heare witches confess such and such a murder, whether the party had
not long time before, or at the time when the witch grew suspected,
some disease or other predominant, which might cause that issue or
effect of death.

Quer. 14.

_All that the witch-finder doth is to fleece the country of
their money, and therefore rides and goes to townes to have
imployment, and promiseth them faire promises, and it may be
doth nothing for it, and possesseth many men that they have so
many wizzards and so many witches in their towne, and so hartens
them on to entertaine him._

Ans.

You doe him a great deale of wrong in every of these particulars. For,
first,

1. He never went to any towne or place, but they rode, writ, or sent
often for him, and were (for ought he knew) glad of him.

2. He is a man that doth disclaime that ever he detected a witch, or
said, Thou art a witch; only after her tryall by search, and their
owne confessions, he as others may judge.

3. Lastly, judge how he fleeceth the Country, and inriches himselfe,
by considering the vast summe he takes of every towne, he demands but
20.s. a town, & doth sometimes ride 20. miles for that, & hath no more
for all his charges thither and back again (& it may be stayes a weeke
there) and finde there 3. or 4.