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Incubus Incubus: A spirit who has intercourse with mortal man or women. The concept may have arisen from the idea of the commerce of gods with women, rife in pagan times. For, modern and medieval instances, we can do little more than refer to the pages in which they may be found, and the very names of the writers will sufficiently avouch their credibility. The history of Hector Boethius has three or four notable examples, which obtain confirmation from the pen of Cardan. One of these we may venture to transcribe in the quaint dress, which Hohnshed had given it. In the year 1480 it chanced as a Scottish ship departed out of the Forth towards Flanders, there arose a wonderful great tempest of wind and weather, so outrageous, that the master of the ship, with other the mariners, wondered not a little what the matter meant, to see such weather at that time of the year, for it was about the midst of summer. At length, when the furious pirrie and rage of winds still increased, in such wise that all those within the ship looked for present death, there was a woman underneath the hatches called unto them above, and willed them to throw her into the sea, that all the residue, by God’s grace, might yet be saved; and thereupon told them how she had been haunted a long time with a spirit daily coming unto her in man’s likeness. In the ship there chanced also to be priest, who by the master’s appointment going down to this woman, and finding her like a most wretched and lamenting hir great misfortune and miserable estate, used such wholesome admonition and comfortable advertisements, willing her to repent and hope for mercy at the hands of God, that, at length, she seeming right penitent for her grievous offences committed, and fetching sundrie sighs even from the bottome of her heart, being witnesse, as should appeare, of the same, there issued forth of the pumpe of the ship, a foule and evil-favoured blacke cloud with a mighty terrible noise, flame, smoke, and stinke, which presently fell into the sea. And suddenlie thereupon the tempest ceassed, and the ship passing in great quiet the residue of her journey, arrived in saftie at the place whither •She was bound.” (‘Chronicles,’ vol. v., 146, ). In another case related by the same author, the Incubus did not depart so quietly. In the chamber of a young gentlewoman, of excellent beauty, and daughter of a nobleman in the country of Mar, was found at an unseasonable hour, “a foule monstrous thing, verie horrible to behold,” for the love of which “ Deformed “ nevertheless, the lady had refused sundry wealthy marriages. A priest who was in the company began to repeat St. John’s Gospel, and ere he had proceeded far “suddenlie the wicked spirit, making a verie sore and terrible roaring noise, flue his waies, taking the roofe of the chamber awaie with him, the hangings and coverings of the bed being also burnt therewith.” Erastus, in his Tract “de Lamiis,” Sprangerus, who assures us that himself and his four colleagues punished many old women of Ratisbon with death for this commerce, Zanchius (“ ~e Operibus Dci,” xvi., 4.) ; Dandidas (“ in Aristotelis de Anima,” ji., 29, 30) ; Reussus (v., 6); Codelman (ii., 5); Valesius (“ de Sacra Phil.,” 40); and Delrio, passim,” amoug others, will satiate the keenest curiosity on these points. From Bodinus, we learn that Joan Hervilleria, at twelve years of age, was solemnly betrothed to Beelzebub, by her mother, who was afterwards burnt alive for compassing this clandestine marriage. The bridegroom was very respectably attired, and the marriage formulary was simple. The mother pronounced the following words to the bridegroom: “Ecce filiam meam quam spospondi tibi,” and then turning to the bride, “Ecce amicum tuum qui beabit te.” It appears, however, that Joan was not satisfied with her spiritual husband alone, but became a bigamist, by inter-marrying with real flesh and blood. Besides this lady, we read of Margaret Bremout, who, in company with her mother, Joan Robert, Joan Guillemin, Mary, wife of Simon Agnus, and Wilhelma, spouse of one Grassus, were in the habit of attending diabolic assignations. These unhappy wretches were burnt alive by Adrian Ferreus, General Vicar of the Inquisition. Magdalena Crucia of Cordova, an abbess, was more fortunate. In 5545 her nuns of magic, an accusation very convenient when a superior was at all troublesome, suspected her. She encountered them with great wisdom by anticipating their charge; and going beforehand to the Pope, Paul III., she confessed a thirty years’ intimate acquaintance with the devil, and obtained his pardon. (See England.)Desperate person, |
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