Compendium Maleficarum/Book 1/Chapter 5
Chapter V.
The Men of Old Accredited Witches with Marvellous Deeds.
Argument.
John of Salisbury[1] says that, when God permits, witches can with the help of demons shake the elements together and alter the true appearance of things. They can foretell much of the future. They confuse the minds of men with dreams; and merely by the potency of their charms can cause death, etc. Saxo Grammaticus[2] writes that giants and sorcerers in the North practised unheard-of wonders with various illusions, and could so skilfully deceive men’s eyes that they hid their own features and those of others under various fantasms, and obscured the true shape of things under seductive forms, and did other marvels like those which we have already told of Simon Magus. Pythagoras made his thigh appear to be golden, and by his spells tamed an eagle with which he often conversed. Baianus[3] the King of Bulgaria was seen to change himself whenever he would into a wolf or any other animal, and sometimes did so in such a manner that no one perceived it. Glycas[4] tells of Simon Magus, besides what we have already mentioned, that once when Caesar would have apprehended him he was stricken with terror and escaped by leaving another man in his own likeness. He says also that he had a dog chained to the door of his house, which devoured those who tried to come in without his permission: but the dog told S. Peter to enter, and announced in human speech that S. Peter was present. You see how the power of the devil yielded to the divine virtue in S. Peter; for that Cerberus fawned upon S. Peter and was unable to harm him. Numa Pompilius produced a sumptuous feast when he had no food in his house. Ollerus sailed over the open sea on an enchanted bone as if it were a ship, as we are told by John Trithemius in his Chronica Hersaugiensis. Eric, King of the Goths, could draw a favourable wind from any quarter by turning his hat towards it. Apuleius[5] himself, according to many, was skilled in magic, and he relates a wonderful story of two women, the first of whom was a Queen among witches, as follows.
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Examples.
This woman, because her lover had seduced another woman, changed him with one word into a beaver; since that animal, when it is in fear of being caught, escapes its pursuers by cutting off its stones: and so also it happened to this man, because he had loved another woman. She changed a neighbouring innkeeper into a frog because he was jealous of her: and now (says Apuleius) in his old age he swims about in a large vessel of his own wine, and squatting in the dregs of it greets his former customers with hoarse servile croakings. Another man who spoke against her in public she changed into a ram. Also when her lover’s wife, who was heavy with child, loaded her with insults, she closed up the woman’s womb and by checking the growth of the foetus condemned her to a perpetual pregnancy; so that it is agreed that the wretched woman went for eight years swollen like an elephant[6] about to give birth. The same author writes of one Pamphile who was said to be a witch of the first order and a mistress of every necromantic spell. This woman, by breathing upon pebbles and twigs and such small articles could plunge the heavenly light of the world into hellish and primeval darkness. Again, when she saw any beautiful youth she was at once smitten by his charms and turned her whole eyes and soul upon him; but if they would not comply with her, or proved in any way defective, she would detest them and at once change them into rocks or cattle or some other animal; while some she killed outright.
It is certain that all the wonders we have just instanced were due to some magic illusion. But the Saints, as S. Paul[7] says (Hebr. xi, 34), performed miracles and wonders in the name of God and in perfect faith: “The Saints through faith quenched the violence of fire,” as did the Hebrew children, and S. Francis of Paula, and many others. Hear the following example of faith and praiseworthy religious obedience.
Bernardino Scardeone writes as follows. A certain Dominican Prior of the Preaching Friars was invited to dine with the Jesuates, the sons of Blessed John Colombini, and sat down to the meal. When the food had been removed and leave was given to talk, this Prior began to speak of the Passion of Our Lord and His sufferings in good set phrase indeed, but somewhat arrogantly, tacitly criticising his hosts because, although they were monks they did not, as other monks did, make public and private profession of the three vows. To this the Jesuate Prior, a simple man, but prudent and beloved of God, answered: “Since we have fallen into this talk. Father, do you agree that we see whether one of our Brothers, who has humbly devoted himself to God, or that companion of yours who has publicly professed the three vows, will show the more sincere obedience to his Superior?” Without thinking, the other willingly agreed. Then the Jesuate turned to our Brother Mark here as he ministered to those at the table, and said: “Brother Mark our guests are cold: in the name of your holy obedience bring them quickly from the kitchen in your bare hands some burning coals that they may be warmed at once.” The Brother promptly and unhesitatingly obeyed, not dreaming that anything could be impossible which he was commanded to do in the name of his obedience, and brought straight from the kitchen to the table as many burning coals as he could hold in his two hands, without taking the slightest hurt, and offered them to the two guests to warm themselves with: and at the Prior’s command, to the wonder of all, he then carried them back again to the place where he had fetched them from. The Dominican Prior was beyond measure astonished, and looked at his companion as if he were about to command him to do likewise; but this man, recognising this, thought there was not a moment to lose and broke out into the following words: “I beg you, Father, not to command me to tempt God. If you wish I will bring you fire as I always do in a potsherd, but not in my hands.” The other monks were looking at each other in silent amazement at this great miracle; but when they heard him blurt out those words, they quietly smiled at each other.
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- ↑ “John of Salisbury.” “Polycraticus,” I, 10.
- ↑ “Saxo Grammaticus.” “Hist. Dan.” I.
- ↑ “Baianus.” This is from Marcantonio Cocceius Sabellius, III, “Ennead.” 2.
- ↑ “Glycas.” “Annales,” II and III.
- ↑ “Apuleius.” “Metamorphoseon,” I.
- ↑ “Elephant.” Pliny, “Historia Naturalis,” VIII, 10, says of the elephant: Decem annis gestare in utero uulgus existimat. Cf. Plautus, “Stichus,” I, 3, and Achilles Tatius, Lib. IV.
- ↑ “S. Paul.” “Hebrews” XI, 34.