not only about exorcism but about witchcraft as well. It is refreshing
and inspiriting to read his hard-flung and pungent words. "Out of
these," he wrote, "is shaped us the true _Idea_ of a Witch, an old
weather-beaten Croane, having her chinne and her knees meeting for age,
walking like a bow leaning on a shaft, hollow-eyed, untoothed, furrowed
on her face, having her lips trembling with the palsie, going mumbling
in the streetes, one that hath forgotten her _pater noster_, and hath
yet a shrewd tongue in her head, to call a drab, a drab. If shee have
learned of an olde wife in a chimnies end: _Pax, max, fax_, for a spel:
or can say _Sir John of Grantams_ curse, for the Millers Eeles, that
were stolne: ... Why then ho, beware, looke about you my neighbours; if
any of you have a sheepe sicke of the giddies, or an hogge of the
mumps, or an horse of the staggers, or a knavish boy of the schoole, or
an idle girle of the wheele, or a young drab of the sullens, and hath
not fat enough for her porredge, nor her father and mother butter enough
for their bread; and she have a little helpe of the _Mother_,
_Epilepsie_, or _Cramp_, ... and then with-all old mother _Nobs_ hath
called her by chaunce 'idle young huswife,' or bid the devil scratch
her, then no doubt but mother _Nobs_ is the witch.... _Horace_ the
Heathen spied long agoe, that a Witch, a Wizard, and a Conjurer were but
bul-beggers to scare fooles.... And _Geoffry Chaucer_, who had his two
eyes, wit, and learning in his head, spying that all these brainlesse
imaginations of witchings, possessings, house-hanting, and the rest,
were the forgeries, cosenages, Imposturs, and legerdemaine of craftie
priests, ... writes in good plaine terms."[37]

It meant a good deal that Harsnett took such a stand. Scot had been a
voice crying in the wilderness. Harsnett was supported by the powers in
church and state. He was, as has been seen, the chaplain of Bishop
Bancroft,[38] now--from 1604--to become Archbishop of Canterbury. He was
himself to become eminent in English history as master of Pembroke Hall
(Cambridge), vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, Bishop of
Chichester, Bishop of Norwich, and Archbishop of York.[39] Whatever
support he had at the time--and it is very clear that he had the backing
of the English church on the question of exorcism--his later position
and influence must have given great weight not only to his views on
exorcism but to his skepticism about witchc