own Life, being weary of it, and chusing rather
to Die than to Live._ This her lamentable Speech did astonish all the
Spectators, few of whom could restrain from Tears. The Truth of this
Relation (saith my Author[86]) is certainly attested by a worthy Divine
now living, who was an Eye and an Ear-Witness of the whole matter; but
thus did that miserable Creature suffer Death, and this was a just
Execution. When the _Amalekite_ confessed that he killed _Saul_, whom he
had no legal Authority to meddle with, although 'tis probable that he
belyed himself, _David_ gave order for his Execution, and said to him,
_Thy Blood be upon thy Head, for thy Mouth hath Testified against thee_,
_2 Sam. 1.16._ But as for the Testimony of Confessing Witches against
others, the case is not so clear as against themselves, they are not
such credible Witnesses, as in a Case of Life and Death is to be
desired: It is beyond dispute, that the Devil makes his Witches to dream
strange things of themselves and others which are not so. There was (as
Authors beyond Exception relate) in appearance a sumptuous Feast
prepared, the Wine and Meat set forth in Vessels of Gold; a certain
Person whom an amorous young Man had fallen in Love with, was
represented and supposed to be really there; but _Apollonius
Tyanaeus_[87] discovered the Witchery of the Business, and in an instant
all vanished, and nothing but dirty Coals were to be seen: The like to
this is mentioned in the _Arausican_ Council. There were certain Women
that imagined they rode upon Beasts in the Night, and that they had
_Diana_ and _Herodius_ in company with them, besides a Troop of other
Persons; the Council giveth this Sentence on it; _Satanas qui se
transfigurat in Angelum Lucis, transformat se in diversarum personarum
species, & mentem quam captivam tenet, in somnis deludit._ Satan
transforms himself into the likeness of divers Persons, and deludes the
Souls that are his Captives with Dreams and Fancies; see Dr. _Willet_ on
_1 Sam. 28._ _p. 165_. What Credit can be given to those that say they
can turn Men into Horses? If so, they can as well turn Horses into Men;
but all the Witches on Earth in Conjunction with all the Devils in
Hell, can never make or unmake a rational Soul, and then they cannot
transform a Bruit into a Man, nor a Man into a Bruit; so that this
Transmutation is fantastical. The Devil may and often does impose on the
Imaginations of his Witches and Vassals, that they believ