England's First Demonologist: Reginald Scot and 'The Discoverie of Witchcraft'

256 Pages·2011·1.62 MB·English

by  Philip C. Almond

Philip C. Almond is Professor Emeritus of Religion at the
University of Queensland, and is internationally respected
for his work on religion and the history of ideas, especially
during the English Enlightenment. His eight previous books
include Heaven and Hell in Enlightenment England, Adam and
Eve in Seventeenth-Century Thought, Demonic Possession and
Exorcism in Early Modern England and The Witches of Warboys
(I.B.Tauris, 2008).
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd ii 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::1188 PPMM
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd iiii 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::1188 PPMM
England’s First
Demonologist
Reginald Scot &
‘ ’
The Discoverie of Witchcraft
Philip C. Almond
Published in 2011 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.ibtauris.com
Distributed in the United States and Canada
Exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
Copyright © Philip C. Almond, 2011
The right of Philip C. Almond to be identifi ed as the author of
this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book,
or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced
into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978 1 84885 793 3
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd iivv 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::2200 PPMM
T o P a t
‘The fables of Witchcraft have taken so fast hold and deepe root in
the heart of man, that fewe or none can (nowadaies) with patience
indure the hand and correction of God. For if any adversitie,
greefe, sickness, losse of children, corne, cattell, or libertie happen
unto them; by & by they exclaime uppon witches. As though there
were no God in Israel that ordereth all things according to his will;
punishing both just and unjust with greefs, plagues, and affl ictions
in maner and forme as he thinketh good.’
Reginald Scot, The Discoverie of Witchcraft
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd vv 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::2200 PPMM
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd vvii 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::2200 PPMM
C o n t e n t s
Acknowledgements ix
Chapter One: ‘The Discoverie of Witchcraft’ 1
The Book 1
Noblesse Oblige 9
Motivations and Methods 13
The Bible, the Book, and the Books 21
Chapter Two: Witchcraft 25
Apocalypse Soon 25
A Witch in Brenchley 26
Evil and Providence 29
The Witches of Windsor 35
The Witches of St. Osyth 40
Witches, Deluding and Deluded 49
Mad and Melancholic Imaginings 60
Chapter Three: Demonology 71
Demonological Foundations 71
The Demonic Pact 78
On Sabbatical Travels 89
Animal Transformations 99
Sex and the Devil 104
vii
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd vviiii 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::2200 PPMM
England’s First Demonologist
Chapter Four: Magic 117
Poisons and Potions 117
Pythonists and Ventriloquists 121
The Pythonist of Endor 127
Miracles, Oracles, and Apparitions 130
Reading the Stars 136
Divining and Dreaming 139
Guessing Upon Uncertain Toys 141
Of Enchanters, Priests, and Physicians 145
Magic, Angelic and Demonic 155
Chapter Five: Philosophy and Religion 163
Natural Magic 163
Secular Enchantments 168
‘Of the Art of Alchumystrie’ 173
A Devilish and Spiritual Discourse 177
The Secret Sadducee? 182
Carnal and Spiritual Men 187
The Spiritual Demonologist 190
Notes 193
Bibliography 229
Index 241
viii
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd vviiiiii 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::2200 PPMM
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
This work was undertaken in the Centre for the History of
European Discourses at the University of Queensland. This
Centre and this University have continued to provide a congenial,
stimulating and, more often than one can hope to expect, an
exciting context in which to work. For this, I am indebted in
particular to Professor Peter Cryle, the Director of the Centre,
to Professor Ian Hunter, Australian Professorial Fellow in the
History of Political Thought, and to the postdoctoral fellows of the
Centre, all of whose dedication to their work has provided much
encouragement to my own. The work was also made possible by
funding from the Australian Research Council. I am grateful to
them for their support.
This book is dedicated to my partner Patricia Lee. She has
always been willing to endure my reading of the text to her as it
was written, and has provided much helpful criticism.
ix
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd iixx 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::2200 PPMM
AAllmmoonndd__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd xx 55//2266//22001111 99::3377::2200 PPMM