declared himself), refused to take the box or to give himself to him. The Devil pressed him, and said to him for the last time: “See, here is the box. When you have done what I have told you, you will dedicate yourself to me.” And he placed the box on a stone and disappeared. The poor man was for a long time troubled in spirit, but in the end he took the box, and then followed Satan’s advice so well that in less than a year he caused the death of his brother and his two nephews, and so succeeded to all their property. But he did not long enjoy his wealth, for Satan played him a trick after his own heart. He at once began to urge him to dedicate himself to him; and as the man had no wish to do so, he so tormented and beat him that his cries reached the ears of his neighbours, and then those of the Judge. He was then seized and, after he had confessed, was executed. This story teaches us among other things how the Devil provides his disciples with greases and ointments to cause the death of people. This was also confessed by Jeanne Platet, otherwise known as la Berche; for she said that, in order to kill persons and beasts, she touched them with her hand, which she had previously anointed with a grease given her by her master. And why should we not give credit to this, seeing that the Barbarians of old used to poison their arrows with toxicum and the Napellus, as we may read in the work of Pietro Andrea Mattioli.
