My recent post giving an excerpt from Scott's Discovery of Witchcraft (1665 edition) in which he outlined various instances of "filthy bawdery" proved to be *cough* unexpectedly popular. I am pleased therefore to offer an entire chapter from this fascinating work, on the topic of men whose virility, and indeed in some cases actual bodily members, have been stolen from them by witches.
The James Sprenger referred to is the German theologian Jacob Sprenger, to whom the Malleus Maleficarum ("The hammer of the witches") is sometimes attributed; this is the M.Mal. referred to in the text.
I particularly commend to you the anecdote at the end of the chapter, about the young man who climbed a tree to retrieve what he had lost. Certainly a more worthwhile occupation than stealing birds' eggs...
BOOK IV, CHAP. IV
That the power of
Generation is both outwardly and inwardly impeached by Witches, and of divers
that had their genitals taken from them by Witches, and by the same means again
restored.
They so affirm, That the virtue of Generation is impeached
by Witches, both inwardly, and outwardly: for, intrinsically they repress the
courage, and they stop the passage of the mans seed, so as it may not descend
to the vessels of generation: also they hurt extrinsically, with images,
hearbs, &c. And to prove this
true, you shall hear certain stories out of M.Mal.
worthy to be noted.
[1]A young
priest at Mespurge, in the Diocess of
Constance, was Bewitched, so as he
had no power to occupy any other or mo women than one: and to be delivered out
of that thralldom, sought to flee into another Countrey, where he might use
that Priestly occupation more freely; but all in vain; for evermore he was
brought as far backward by night, as he went forward in the day before;
sometimes by land, sometimes in the air, as though he flew. And if this not be
true, I am sure that James Sprenger
doth lie.
For the further confirmation of our belief in Incubus, M.Mal. citeth a story of a
notable matter executed at Ravenspurge,
as true and as cleanly as the rest. A young man lying with a wench in that Town
(saith he) was fain to leave his instruments of Venery behind him, by means of
that prestigious art of Witchcraft, so as in that place nothing could be seen
or felt but his plain body. This young man was willed by another Witch, to go
to her whom he suspected, and by fair or foul means to require her help: who
soon after meeting her, intreated her fair, but that was in vain; and therefore
he caught her by the throat, and with a towel strangled her, saying, Restore me
my tool, or thou shalt die for it: so as she being swoln and black in the face,
and through his boisterous handling ready to die, said, Let me go, and I will
help thee: and whilest he was losing the towel, she put her hand into his
Cod-piece, and touched the place, saying, Now hast thou they desire: and even
at that instant he felt himself restored.
[2]Item, a reverend Father, for his life,
holiness and knowledge notorious, being a fryer of the order and company of Spire, reported, that a young man at Shrift made lamentable moan unto him for
the like loss; but his gravity suffered him not to believe lightly any such
reports, and therefore made the young man untruss his cod-piece-point, and saw
the complaint to be true and just. Whereupon he advised, or rather enjoyned the
youth to go to the Witch whom he suspected, and with flattering words to
intreat her, to be so good unto him, as to restore him his instrument: which by
that means he obtained, and soon after returned to shew himself thankful, and
told the holy father of his good success in that behalf: but he so believed
him, as he would needs be Oculatus testis,
and made him pull down his Breeches, and so was satisfied of the truth and
certainty thereof.
[3]Another young
man being in that very taking, went to a Witch for the restitution thereof, who
brought him to a tree, where she shewed him a nest, and bad him climb up and
take it. And being in the top of the tree, he took out a mighty great one, and
shewed the same to her, asking if he might not have the same. Nay (quoth she)
that is our Parish Priests tool, but take any other which thou wilt. And it is
there affirmed, That some have found 20 and some 30 of them in one nest, being
there preserved with provender, as it were at the rack and manger, with this
note, wherein there is no contradiction (for all must be true that is written
against Witches) that if a Witch deprive one of his Privities, it is done only
by prestigious means, so as the senses are but illuded. Marry, by the Devil it
is really taken away, and in like sort restored. These are no jests, for they
be written by them that were and are judges upon the lives and deaths of those
persons.
I always regale my students with stories of King James and his wimpiness about witches. Boy, a little penis threat and they run away.
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