CHAPTER XIV

Upon Those who have once Fallen into his Power the Devil keeps a Tenacious Grip, even when They stand Tortured before Their Judges, or in Holy Places, or wherever They may Be.
Argument.
NCE the devil has acquired
power over a man he obstin- ately guards and retains it, so that he does not lose his hold of, or deny his help to, his bondslave even when such a one stands bound before the Judge; just as a strenuous pugilist does not slacken or relax his efforts so long as his strength endures and he is able to fight. And the demon never leaves those who have once followed him until they are snatched from him as a lamb from a wolf. And when he fore- sees such an event, he often drives them by base counsel to take their own lives by hanging themselves, or else he actually kills them by twisting their necks, beating them, or (unless God prevents him) persuades them some other way to death, as we have else- where shown in our examples. Or if even this is forbidden him he con- trives, if he can, to do some horrible thing so that he shall not go away without leaving mischief and misfor- tune. And although this is so evident as to be apparent to any who have leisure to consider the matter, it will not be tedious to describe certain hap- penings which may help us to under- stand better the wiles of our enemy. There is, moreover, no place so sacred or religious but that bold and intrepid old Enemy will try to violate and break into it when he is pursuing his prey. He roams about churches, shrines, the cells of anchorites, and frequently and assiduously haunts them; and this should not seem wonderful to anyone, when it is remembered that formerly he dared to be present when the Sons of God gathered before God, as we learn from Job i. And wherever he
BK. II. CH. XIV.
may be, he shows himself visible to those whom he wishes, while the rest are able to discern nothing; as will be seen from the examples.
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Examples.
As soon as Quirina Xallea was cast in prison a demon came and told her that she would not come out from there except after having endured the most excruciating torture; but if she would only bear in silence a short period of pain, she would certainly be free afterwards; and meanwhile he would not fail her at her need. And, as he had foretold, so it happened be- fore long. For while she was being tortured and was in supreme anguish, he hid himself in her hair-net and did not cease to encourage her and to promise that the torture was just com- ing to an end. And if it so happened that the examiner signed to them to relax the torture a little, he would foresee this and tell the wretched woman that it was going to happen, just as if he was the cause of it. But when there was no end to her pain and it became more than could be borne by the most hardened, she broke into these words: ‘““Take me away; for that deceiver of mine has given me enough of his words. See, I am ready to con- fess the truth.”” And so when she was free from the devil, whom she was bidden to abjure in a solemn declara- tion, she told the whole in order from that day when she had given herself to the devil.
In the same year and at the same place Anna Xallea told a similar story in nearly the same words. But she said that her devil had hidden himself, not in her hair, but at the back of her throat while she was being tortured, doubtless that he might more easily prevent her from speaking if by chance she felt impelled, through inability to bear the pain, to confess the truth. And in the opinion of those who were
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present this was no deception; for they saw her throat swell to a great size until it became level with her chin and so livid and discoloured that they could easily believe there was some large object strangling her.
Among many other women con- demned to the fire for witchcraft, whose names I do not now remember, when Claude Simonette and her son were led into prison it was observed that a demon in the form of a fly* buzzed round their temples and re- peatedly warned them not to lay their crimes bare by confession even under stress of the direst torture: for if they confessed, it was most certain that they would be condemned to the most terrible death; whereas if they held their tongues they would shortly escape safe and unharmed.
Frangoise Fellet said that a demon had impressed upon her a similar need of keeping silent; and moreover that her ears were so deaf to the Judge’s words when he first questioned her that she heard no more than if he had not spoken at all: but that when this spell was at length overcome and the truth had been wrung from her by torture, the demon had not ceased from that time to threaten her with death, And for that reason she begged that they would not leave her alone,
* “Form of a fly.” Beelzebub was the Lord of Flies, and it was considered that a familiar might often assume the appearance of a fly. In the description given by the Rev. Fohn Gaule (‘Select Cases of Conscience Touching Witches,” London, 1646) of the methods em- ployed by Matthew Hopkins the watching of witches is particularly described. The sus- pected witch was placed cross-legged or in some uneasy posture upon a stool or table in the middle of a room. Here she was watched and kept without meat or sleep for twenty-four hours. ‘‘A little hole 1s likewise made in the door for the Impe to come in at; and lest tt might come in some less discernible shape, they that watch are taught to be ever and anon sweeping the room, and if they see any spiders or flyes to kill them. And if they cannot kill them then they may be sure they are her Impes.”
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especially at night, when she had the greatest fear of being attacked by him.
At the same place, in the year 1587, Francois Fellet, who had twice escaped a capital sentence by concealing the truth and resisting the torture, was a third time accused, and was con- victed and, after a full confession, paid a belated but heavy penalty for his crimes. There have not been lacking others who have endured the stress of their questioning without confessing, and when they were on the point of being discharged have at last dis- covered the crimes about which they had so long kept silence.
This is exemplified by the case of Marguerite Valtrin, who endured the executioner’s fiercest tortures for a whole hour without admitting any- thing against herself; but when at length she was to be discharged she asked that the Judge should be sum- moned, and first having asked pardon of him for her obstinacy which was due to the lying promises of the demon, she then unburdened herself by a confession of every sort of wickedness.
Not unworthy of being recorded is what happened in the same year to Alexia Belhore, to the utter amaze- ment of all who were present, when she wished to behave in the same way. For when she had in like fashion pre- pared herself for a free confession, and had in the manner of Christians pre- faced with the Lord’s Prayer, she rushed backwards against the wall behind her with such violence that many were of opinion that she should be carried away as a dead woman. But after a little she came to herself and, being asked what had caused her mishap, said: ‘“‘Do you not see the executioner lying under the bed, who just now seized me by the throat and nearly strangled me? See how he threatens me and does all he can to prevent me from saying a word about him. That is not the first time he has tried to keep me from telling the truth: for while I was being tortured he stood by my left ear as big as a thumb, and
COMPENDIUM
BK. II. CH. XIV.
busily warned me to hold my tongue and not allow myself to be over- powered by a short period of not too violent pain.
Remy writes as follows of a case which he witnessed with his own eyes: There was a witch commonly called Asinaria, from her husband the ass- driver, whom I was confounding with the evidence that had been given against her, so that she had no room left for evasion. Accordingly she was preparing herself to make a full con- fession, when she suddenly changed colour and fixed her eyes in horror upon a corner at the back of the prison, and began to lose all power of speech or thought. I asked her what it was that so suddenly ailed her; and she answered that she saw at the top of that corner her Little Master* threatening her with hands forked and jagged like a crab’s claws, and that he seemed about to fly at her. I looked there, and she continued to point her finger in that direction, but I could see nothing. I then told her to be of good courage, and with every confidence spoke a great deal in con- tempt of that Little Master: and at last she recovered from her fear and was starting to tell her story. But be- fore she had begun she saw him again in a monstrous guise starting out from another corner. He had completely changed his appearance, just as if he had been a play actor on the stage, for huge horns were sprouting from his head, and he seemed on the very point of rushing violently upon her. But
* “Tittle Master.”? Bodin, ‘“‘Démono- manie,” II, iv, quoting the examination of three witches at the Castello San Paolo, Spoleto, by Grilland, says that the youngest of these made an ample confession concerning her at- tendance at the Sabbat. “Et quad il fallott partir pour y aller, elle oyoit la voix d’un homme, qu’elles appelloyent leur petit maistre, & quelquesfois maistre Martinet.” “‘Euocaba- tur,’ says Debris (II, xvi), “‘uoce quadam, uelut humana ab ipso daemone, quem non uocant daemonem, sed Magisterulum, aliae magistrum Martinettum, siue Martinellum.”
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when he was again reviled and loaded with derision he departed, and was never again seen by her, as she frankly declared when she was on her way to the stake.
Elsewhere there have been told, and will be told, examples of how the de- mons enter sacred buildings and cloisters.
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