for a kinsman of hers had been there a few days before, and
carried all away: she was in a great passion at my relating thereof,
because she could not gratify my pains in all her sickness, advised me
to help myself, when she was gone, out of my master's goods, which I
never did.

Courteous Esquire, be not weary of reading hereof, or what followeth.

When my mistress died, she had under her arm-hole a small scarlet bag
full of many things, which, one that was there delivered unto me. There
was in this bag several sigils, some of Jupiter in Trine, others of the
nature of Venus, some of iron, and one of gold, of pure angel-gold, of
the bigness of a thirty-three shilling piece of King James's coin. In
the circumference on one side was engraven, _Vicit Leo de tribu Judae
Tetragrammaton_ [symbol: cross], within the middle there was engraven a
holy lamb. In the other circumference there was Amraphel and three
[symbol: cross]. In the middle, _Sanctus Petrus_, _Alpha_ and _Omega_.

The occasion of framing this sigil was thus; her former husband
travelling into Sussex, happened to lodge in an inn, and to lie in a
chamber thereof; wherein, not many months before, a country grazier had
lain, and in the night cut his own throat; after this night's lodging,
he was perpetually, and for many years, followed by a spirit, which
vocally and articulately provoked him to cut his throat: he was used
frequently to say, 'I defy thee, I defy thee,' and to spit at the
spirit; this spirit followed him many years, he not making any body
acquainted with it; at last he grew melancholy and discontented; which
being carefully observed by his wife, she many times hearing him
pronounce, 'I defy thee,' &c. she desired him to acquaint her with the
cause of his distemper, which he then did. Away she went to Dr. Simon
Forman, who lived then in Lambeth, and acquaints him with it; who having
framed this sigil, and hanged it about his neck, he wearing it
continually until he died, was never more molested by the spirit: I sold
the sigil for thirty-two shillings, but transcribed the words _verbatim_
as I have related. Sir, you shall now have a story of this Simon Forman,
as his widow, whom I well knew, related it unto me. But before I relate
his death, I shall acquaint you something of the man, as I have gathered
them from some manuscripts of his own writing.

OF DR. SIMON FORMAN

He was a chandler's son in the city of Westminster. He travelled into
Ho