by Walter Scott
No. II.
THE JUST DEVIL OF WOODSTOCK;
OR,
A TRUE NARRATIVE OF THE SEVERAL APPARITIONS, THE FRIGHTS ANDPUNISHMENTS, INFLICTED UPON THE RUMPISH COMMISSIONERS SENT THITHERTO SURVEY THE MANNORS AND HOUSES BELONGING TO HIS MAJESTIE.
[London, printed in the year 1660. 4to.]
The names of the persons in the ensuing Narrative mentioned, withothers:--
CAPTAIN COCKAINE.CAPTAIN HART.CAPTAIN CROOK.CAPTAIN CARELESSE.CAPTAIN ROE.Mr. CROOK, the Lawyer.Mr. BROWNE, the Surveyor.Their three Servants.Their Ordinary-keeper, and others.The Gatekeeper, with the Wife and Servants.
Besides many more, who each night heard the noise; as Sir GerrardFleetwood and his lady, with his family, Mr. Hyans, with his family, andseveral others, who lodged in the outer courts; and during the threelast nights, the inhabitants of Woodstock town, and other neighborvillages.
And there were many more, both divines and others, who came out of thecountry, and from Oxford, to see the glass and stones, and other stuffe,the devil had brought, wherewith to beat out the Commissioners; themarks upon some walls remain, and many, this to testifie.
THE PREFACE TO THE ENSUING NARRATIVE.
Since it hath pleased the Almighty God, out of his infinite mercy, so tomake us happy, by restoring of our native King to us, and us unto ournative liberty through him, that now the good may say, _magna temporumfelicitas ubi sentire quoe velis, et dicere licet quoe sentias_, wecannot but esteem ourselves engaged in the highest of degrees, to renderunto him the highest thanks we can express. Although, surpris'd withjoy, we become as lost in the performance; when gladness and admirationstrikes us silent, as we look back upon the precipiece of our latecondition, and those miraculous deliverances beyond expression. Freedfrom the slavery, and those desperate perils, we dayly lived in fear of,during the tyrannical times of that detestable usurper, Oliver Cromwell;he who had raked up such judges, as would wrest the most innocentlanguage into high treason, when he had the cruel conscience to takeaway our lives, upon no other ground of justice or reason, (the stonesof London streets would rise to witness it, if all the citizens weresilent.) And with these judges had such councillors, as could advise himunto worse, which will less want of witness. For should the manyauditors be silent, the press, (as God would have it,) hath given it usin print, where one of them (and his conscience-keeper, too,) speaksout. What shall we do with these men? saith he; _Aeger intemperanscrudelem facit medicum, et immedicabile vulmis ense recidendum_. Whothese men are that should be brought to such Scicilian vespers, theformer page sets forth--those which conceit _Utopias_, and have theirday-dreams of the return of I know not what golden age, with the oldline. What usage, when such a privy councillor had power, could heexpect, who then had published this narrative? This much so plainlyshows the devil himself dislikt their doings, (so much more bad werethey than he would have them be,) severer sure than was the devil totheir Commissioners at Woodstock; for he warned them, with dreadfulnoises, to drive them from their work. This councillor, without moreado, would have all who retained conceits of allegiance to theirsoveraign, to be absolutely cut off by the usurper's sword. A sadsentence for a loyal party, to a lawful King. But Heaven is always just;the party is repriv'd, and do acknowledge the hand of God in it, as isrightly apply'd, and as justly sensible of their deliverance in that thefoundation which the councillor saith was already so well laid, is nowturned up, and what he calls day-dreams are come to passe. That old linewhich (as with him) there seemed, _aliquid divini_, to the contrary isnow restored. And that rock which, as he saith, the prelates and alltheir adherents, nay, and their master and supporter, too, with all hisposterity, have split themselves upon, is nowhere to be heard. And thatposterity are safely arrived in their ports, and masters of that mightynavy, their enemies so much encreased to keep them out with. The eldestsits upon the throne, his place by birthright and descent,
"Pacatumque regit Patriis virtutibus orbem;"
upon which throne long may he sit, and reign in peace. That by his justgovernment, the enemies of ours, the true Protestant Church, of thatglorious martyr, our late sovereign, and of his royal posterity, may beeither absolutely converted, or utterly confounded.
If any shall now ask thee why this narrative was not sooner published,as neerer to the times wherein the things were acted, he hath the reasonfor it in the former lines; which will the more clearly appear unto hisapprehension, if he shall perpend how much cruelty is requisite to themaintenance of rebellion; and how great care is necessary in thesupporters, to obviate and divert the smallest things that tend to theunblinding of the people; so that it needs will follow, that they musthave accounted this amongst the great obstructions to their sales of hismajestie's lands, the devil not joining with them in the security; andgreater to the pulling down the royal pallaces, when their chapmenshould conceit the devil would haunt them in their houses, for buildingwith so ill got materials; as no doubt but that he hath, so numerous andconfident are the relations made of the same, though scarce any sototally remarkeable as this, (if it be not that others have been moreconcealed,) in regard of the strange circumstances as long continuances,but especially the number of persons together, to whom all things wereso visibly both seen and done, so that surely it exceeds any other; forthe devils thus manifesting themselves, it appears evidently that thereare such things as devils, to persecute the wicked in this world as inthe next.
Now, if to these were added the diverse reall phantasms seen atWhitehall in Cromwell's times, which caused him to keep such mightyguards in and about his bedchamber, and yet so oft to change hislodgings; if those things done at St. James', where the devil so joal'dthe centinels against the sides of the queen's chappell doors, that someof them fell sick upon it; and others, not, taking warning by it, kildone outright, whom they buried in the place; and all other such dreadfulthings, those that inhabited the royal houses have been affrighted with.
And if to these were likewise added, a relation of all those regicidesand their abettors the devil hath entered into, as he did the Gadarenes'swine, with so many more of them who hath fallen mad, and dyed inhideous forms of such distractions, that which hath been of this withinthese 12 last years in England, (should all of this nature, ourchronicles do tell, with all the superstitious monks have writ, be puttogether,) would make the greater volume, and of more strangeoccurrents.
And now as to the penman of this narrative, know that he was a divine,and at the time of those things acted, which are here related, theminister and schoolmaster of Woodstock; a person learned and discreet,not byassed with factious humours, his name Widows, who each day put inwriting what he heard from their mouthes, (and such things as they toldto have befallen them the night before,) therein keeping to their ownwords; and, never thinking that what he had writ should happen to bemade publick, gave it no better dress to set it forth. And because to doit now shall not be construed to change the story, the reader hath ithere accordingly exposed.
The 16th day of _October_, in the year of our Lord 1649, theCommissioners for surveying and valuing his majestie's mannor-house,parks, woods, deer, demesnes, and all things thereunto belonging, byname Captain Crook, Captain Hart, Captain Cockaine, Captain Carelesse,and Captain Roe, their messenger, with Mr. Browne, their secretary, andtwo or three servants, went from Woodstock town, (where they had lainsome nights before,) and took up their lodgings in his majestie's houseafter this manner: The bed-chamber and withdrawing-room they both lodgedin and made their kitchen; the presence-chamber their room for dispatchof their business with all commers; of the council-hall theirbrew-house, as of the dining-room, their wood-house, where they laid inthe clefts of that antient standard in the High-Park, for many agesbeyond memory known by the name of the King's Oak, which they had chosenout, and caused to be dug up by the roots.
_October_ 17. About the middle of the night, these new guests were firstawaked by a knocking at the presence-chamber door, which they alsoconceived did open, and something to enter, which came throug
h the room,and also walkt about that room with a heavy step during half an hour,then crept under the bed where Captain Hart and Captain Carelesse lay,where it did seem (as it were) to bite and gnaw the mat and bed-coards,as if it would tear and rend the feather beds; which having done awhile, then would heave a while, and rest; then heave them up again inthe bed more high than it did before, sometime on the one side, sometimeon the other, as if it had tried which Captain was heaviest. Thus havingheaved some half an hour, from thence it walkt out and went under theservants' bed, and did the like to them; hence it walkt into awithdrawing room, and there did the same to all who lodged there. Thushaving welcomed them for more than two hours' space, it walkt out as itcame in, and shut the outer door again, but with the clap of somemightie force. These guests were in a sweat all this while, but out ofit falling into a sleep again, it became morning first before they spaketheir minds; then would they have it to be a dog, yet they described itmore to the likeness of a great bear; so fell to the examining under thebeds, where, finding only the mats scracht, but the bed-coards whole,and the quarter of beef which lay on the floor untoucht, theyentertained other thoughts.
_October_ 18. They were all awaked as the night before, and nowconceived that they heard all the great clefts of the King's Oak broughtinto the presence-chamber, and there thumpt down, and after roul aboutthe room; they could hear their chairs and stools tost from one side ofthe room unto the other, and then (as it were) altogether josled. Thushaving done an hour together, it walkt into the withdrawing-room, wherelodged the two captains, the secretary, and two servants; here stopt thething a while, as if it did take breath, but raised a hideous one, thenwalkt into the bed-chamber, where lay those as before, and under the bedit went, where it did heave and heave again, that now they in bed wereput to catch hold upon bed-posts, and sometimes one of the other, toprevent their being tumbled out upon the ground; then coming out as fromunder the bed, and taking hold upon the bed-posts, it would shake thewhole bed, almost as if a cradle rocked. Thus having done here for halfan hour, it went into the withdrawing-room, where first it came andstood at the bed's feet, and heaving up the bed's feet, flopt them downagain a while, until at last it heaved the feet so high that those inbed thought to have been set upon their heads; and having thus for twohours entertained them, went out as in the night before, but with agreat noise.
_October_ 19. This night they awaked not until the midst of the night;they perceived the room, to shake with something that walkt about thebedchamber, which having done so a while, it walkt into awithdrawing-room, where it took up a brasse warming-pan, and returningwith it into the bed-chamber, therein made so loud a noise, in thesecaptains' own words, it was as loud and scurvy as a ring of five untunedbells rung backward; but the captains, not to seem afraid, next day mademirth of what had past, and jested at the devil in the pan.
_October_ 20. These captains and their company, still lodging as before,were wakened in this night with some things flying about the rooms, andout of one room into the other, as thrown with some great force. CaptainHart, being in a slumber, was taken by the shoulder and shaked until hedid sit up in his bed, thinking that it had been one of his fellows,when suddenly he was taken on the pate with a trencher, that it made himshrink down into the bed-clothes, and all of them, in both rooms, kepttheir heads at least within their sheets, so fiercely did three dozen oftrenchers fly about the rooms; yet Captain Hart ventured again to peepout to see what was the matter, and what it was that threw, but then thetrenchers came so fast and neer about his ears, that he was fain quicklyto couch again. In the morning they found all their trenchers, pots, andspits, upon and about their beds, and all such things as were of commonuse scattered about the rooms. This night there were also, in severalparts of the room and outer rooms, such noises of beating at doors, andon the walls, as if that several smiths had been at work; and yet ourcaptains shrunk not from their work, but went on in that, and lodged asthey had done before.
_October_ 21. About midnight they heard great knocking at every door;after a while the doors flew open, and into the withdrawing-room enteredsomething as of a mighty proportion, the figure of it they knew not howto describe. This walkt awhile about the room shaking the floor at everystep, then came it up close to the bed-side, where lay Captains Crookand Carelesse; and after a little pause, as it were, the bed-curtains,both at sides and feet, were drawn up and down slowly, then faster againfor a quarter of an hour, then from end to end as fast as imaginationcan fancie the running of the rings, then shaked it the beds, as if thejoints thereof had crackt; then walkt the thing into the bed-chamber,and so plaied with those beds there; then took up eight peuter dishes,and bouled them about the room and over the servants in thetruckle-beds; then sometimes were the dishes taken up and thrown crossethe high beds and against the walls, and so much battered; but therewere more dishes wherein was meat in the same room, that were not at allremoved. During this, in the presence-chamber there was stranger noiseof weightie things thrown down, and, as they supposed, the clefts of theKing's Oak did roul about the room, yet at the wonted hour went away,and left them to take rest, such as they could.
_October_ 22. Hath mist of being set down, the officers imployed intheir work farther off, came not that day to Woodstock.
_October_ 23. Those that lodged in the withdrawing-room, in the midst ofthe night were awakened with the cracking of fire, as if it had beenwith thorns and sparks of fire burning, whereupon they supposed that thebed-chamber had taken fire, and listning to it farther, they heard theirfellows in bed sadly groan, which gave them to suppose they might besuffocated; wherefore they called upon their servants to make allpossible hast to help them. When the two servants were come in, theyfound all asleep, and so brought back word, but that there were nobedclothes upon them; wherefore they were sent back to cover them, andto stir up and mend the fire. When the servants had covered them andwere come to the chimney, in the corners they found their wearingapparrel, boots, and stockings, but they had no sooner toucht theembers, when the firebrands flew about their ears so fast, that away ranthey into the other room for the shelter of their cover-lids; then afterthem walkt something that stampt about the room as if it had beenexceeding angry, and likewise threw about the trenchers, platters, andall such things in the room--after two hours went out, yet stampt againover their heads.
_October_ 24. They lodged all abroad.
_October_ 25. This afternoon was come unto them Mr. Richard Crook thelawyer, brother to Captain Crook, and now deputy-steward of the manner,unto Captain Parsons and Major Butler, who had put out Mr. Hyans, hismajestie's officer. To entertain this new guest the Commissioners causeda very great fire to be made, of neer the chimneyfull of wood of theKing's Oak, and he was lodged in the withdrawing-room with his brother,and his servant in the same room. About the midst of the night awonderful knocking was heard, and into the room something did rush,which coming to the chimney-side, dasht out the fire as with the stampof some prodigious foot, then threw down such weighty stuffe, what ereit was, (they took it to be the residue of the clefts and roots of theKing's Oak,) close by the bed-side, that the house and bed shook withit. Captain Cockaine and his fellow arose, and took their swords to gounto the Crooks. The noise ceased at their rising, so that they came tothe door and called. The two brothers, though fully awaked, and heardthem call, were so amazed, that they made no answer until CaptainCockaine had recovered the boldness to call very loud, and came unto thebed-side; then faintly first, after some more assurance, they came tounderstand one another, and comforted the lawyer. Whilst this was thus,no noise was heard, which made them think the time was past of thatnight's trouble, so that, after some little conference, they appliedthemselves to take some rest. When Captain Cockaine was come to his ownbed, which he had left open, he found it closely covered, which he muchwondered at; but turning the clothes down, and opening it to get in, hefound the lower sheet strewed over with trenchers. Their whole threedozen of trenchers were orderly disposed between the sheets, which heand his fe
llow endeavoring to cast out, such noise arose about the room,that they were glad to get into bed with some of the trenchers. Thenoise lasted, a full half hour after this. This entertainment so ill didlike the lawyer, and being not so well studied in the point as toresolve this the devil's law case, that he next day resolved to be gone;but having not dispatcht all that he came for, profit and perswasionsprevailed with him to stay the other hearing, so that he lodged as hedid the night before.
_October_ 26. This night each room was better furnished with fire andcandle than before; yet about twelve at night came something in thatdasht all out, then did walk about the room, making a noise, not to beset forth by the comparison with any other thing; sometimes came it tothe bedsides, and drew the curtains to and fro, then twerle them, thenwalk about again, and return to the bed-posts, shake them with all thebed, so that they in bed were put to hold one upon the other, then walkabout the room again, and come to the servants' bed, and gnaw andscratch the wainscot head, and shake altogether in that room; at thetime of this being in doing, they in the bed-chamber heard such strangedropping down from the roof of the room, that they supposed 'twas likethe fall of money by the sound. Captain Cockaine, not frightened with sosmall a noise, (and lying near the chimney) stept out, and made shift tolight a candle, by the light of which he perceived the room strewed overwith broken glass, green, and some of it as it were pieces of brokenbottles; he had not been long considering what it was, when suddenly hiscandle was hit out, and glass flew about the room, that he made haste tothe protection of the coverlets; the noise of thundering rose morehideous than at any time before; yet, at a certain time, all vanishtinto calmness. The morning after was the glass about the room, which themaid that was to make clean the rooms swept up into a corner, and manycame to see it. But Mr. Richard Crook would stay no longer, yet as hestopt, going through Woodstock town, he was there heard to say, that hewould not lodge amongst them another night for a fee of 500 L.
_October 27_. The Commissioners had not yet done their work, whereforethey must stay; and being all men of the sword, they must not seemafraid to encounter with any thing, though it be the devil; therefore,with pistols charged, and drawn swords laied by their bedsides, theyapplied themselves to take some rest, when something in the midst ofnight, so opened and shut the window casements with such claps, that itawakened all that slept; some of them peeping out to look what was thematter with the windows, stones flew about the rooms as if hurled withmany hands; some hit the walls, and some the beds' heads close above thepillows, the dints of which were then, and yet (it is conceived) are tobe seen, thus sometime throwing stones, and sometime making thunderingnoise for two hours space it ceast, and all was quiet till the morn.After their rising, and the maid come in to make the fire, they lookedabout the rooms; they found fourscore stones brought in that night, andgoing to lay them together in the corner where the glass (beforementioned) had been swept up, they found that every piece of glass hadbeen carried away that night. Many people came next day to see thestones, and all observed that they were not of such kind of stones asare naturall in the countrey thereabout; with these were noise likeclaps of thunder, or report of cannon planted against the rooms, heardby all that lodged in the outer courts, to their astonishment, and atWoodstock town, taken to be thunder.
_October_ 28. This night, both strange and differing noise from theformer first wakened Captain Hart, who lodged in the bed-chamber, who,hearing Roe and Brown to groan, called out to Cockaine and Crook to comeand help them, for Hart could not now stir himself; Cockaine would fainehave answered, but he could not, or look about; something, he thought,stopt both his breath and held down his eye-lids. Amazed thus, hestruggles and kickt about, till he had awaked Captain Crook, who, halfasleep, grew very angry at his kicks, and multiplied words, it grew toan appointment in the field; but this fully recovered Cockaine toremember that Captain Hart had called for help, wherefore to them he ranin the other room, whom he found sadly groaning, where, scraping in thechimney, he both found a candle and fire to light it; but had not gonetwo steps, when something blew the candle out, and threw him in thechair by the bedside, when presently cried out Captain Carelesse, with amost pitiful voice, "Come hither, O come hither, brother Cockaine, thething's gone of me." Cockaine, scarce yet himself, helpt to set him upin his bed, and after Captain Hart, and having scarce done that to them,and also to the other two, they heard Captain Crook crying out, as ifsomething had been killing him. Cockaine snacht up the sword that lay bytheir bed, and ran into the room to save Crook, but was in much morelikelyhood to kill him, for at his coming, the thing that pressed Crookwent of him, at which Crook started out of his bed, whom Cockainethought a spirit made at him, at which Crook cried out "Lord help, Lordsave me;" Cockaine let fall his hand, and Crook, embracing Cockaine,desired his reconcilement, giving him many thanks for his deliverance.Then rose they all and came together, discoursed sometimes godly andsometimes praied, for all this while was there such stamping over theroof of the house, as if 1000 horse had there been trotting; this nightall the stones brought in the night before, and laid up in thewithdrawingroom, were all carried again away by that which brought themin, which at the wonted time left of, and, as it were, went out, and soaway.
_October_ 29. Their businesse having now received so much forwardnesseas to be neer dispatcht, they encouraged one the other, and resolved totry further; therefore, they provided more lights and fires, and furtherfor their assistance, prevailed with their ordinary keeper to lodgeamongst them, and bring his mastive bitch; and it was so this night withthem, that they had no disturbance at all.
_October_ 30. So well they had passed the night before, that this nightthey went to bed, confident and careless; untill about twelve of theclock, something knockt at the door as with a smith's great hammer, butwith such force as if it had cleft the door; then ent'red something likea bear, but seem'd to swell more big, and walkt about the room, and outof one room into the other, treading so heavily, as the floare had notbeen strong enough to beare it. When it came into the bed-chamber, itdasht against the beds' heads some kind of glass vessell, that broke insundry pieces, and sometimes would take up those pieces, and hurle themabout the room, and into the other room; and when it did not hurle theglasse at their heads, it did strike upon the tables, as if many smiths,with their greatest hammers, had been laying on as upon an anvil;sometimes it thumpt against the walls as if it would beat a holethrough; then upon their heads, such stamping, as if the roof of thehouse were beating down upon their heads; and having done thus, duringthe space (as was conjectured) of two hours, it ceased and vanished, butwith a more fierce shutting of the doors than at any time before. In themorning they found the pieces of glass about the room, and observed,that it was much differing from that glasse brought in three nightsbefore, this being of a much thicker substance, which severall personswhich came in carried away some pieces of. The Commissioners were indebate of lodging there no more; but all their businesse was not done,and some of them were so conceited as to believe, and to attribute therest they enjoyed the night before this last, unto the mastive bitch;wherefore, they resolved to get more company, and the mastive bitch, andtry another night.
_October_ 31. This night, the fires and lights prepared, the ordinarykeeper and his bitch, with another man perswaded by him, they all tooktheir beds and fell asleep. But about twelve at night, such rapping wason all sides of them, that it wakened all of them; as the doors did seemto open, the mastive bitch fell fearfully a yelling, and presently ranfiercely into the bed to them in the truckle-bed; as the thing came bythe table, it struck so fierce a blow on that, as that it made the frameto crack, then took the warming-pan from off the table, and stroke itagainst the walls with so much force as that it was beat flat together,lid and bottom. Now were they hit as they lay covered over head and earswithin the bed-clothes. Captain Carelesse was taken a sound blow on thehead with the shoulder-blade bone of a dead horse, (before they had beenbut thrown at, when they peept up, and mist;) Browne had a shrewed blow
on the leg with the backbone, and another on the head, and every one ofthem felt severall blows of bones and stones through the bed-clothes,for now these things were thrown as from an angry hand that meantfurther mischief; the stones flew in at window as shot out of a gun, norwas the bursts lesse (as from without) than of a cannon, and all thewindows broken down. Now as the hurling of the things did cease, and thething walkt up and down, Captain Cockaine and Hart cried out, In thename of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, what are you? What would youhave? What have we done that you disturb us thus? No voice replied, (asthe Captains said, yet some of their servants have said otherwise,) andthe noise ceast. Hereupon Captains Hart and Cockaine rose, who lay inthe bed-chamber, renewed the fire and lights, and one great candle, in acandlestick, they placed in the door, that might be seen by them in boththe rooms. No sooner were they got to bed, but the noise arose on allsides more loud and hideous than at any time before, insomuch as (to usethe Captains' own words) it returned and brought seven devils worse thanitself; and presently they saw the candle and candlestick in the passageof the door, dasht up to the roof of the room, by a kick of the hinderparts of a horse, and after with the hoof trode out the snuff, and sodasht out the fire in the chimnies. As this was done, there fell, asfrom the ceiling, upon them in the truckle-beds such quantities ofwater, as if it had been poured out of buckets, which stunk worse thanany earthly stink could make; and as this was in doing, something creptunder the high beds, tost them up to the roof of the house, with theCommissioners in them, until the testers of the beds were beaten downupon, and the bedsted-frames broke under them; and here some pause beingmade, they all, as if with one consent, started up, and ran down thestairs until they came into the Councel Hall, where two sate upa-brewing, but now were fallen asleep; those they scared much with thewakening of them, having been much perplext before with the strangenoise, which commonly was taken by them abroad for thunder, sometimesfor rumbling wind. Here the Captains and their company got fire andcandle, and every one carrying something of either, they returned intothe Presence-Chamber, where some applied themselves to make the fire,whilst others fell to prayers, and having got some clothes about them,they spent the residue of the night in singing psalms and prayers;during which, no noise was in that room, but most hideously round about,as at some distance.
It should have been told before, how that when Captain Hart first rosethis night, (who lay in the bed-chamber next the fire,) he found theirbook of valuations crosse the embers smoaking, which he snacht up andcast upon the table there, which the night before was left upon thetable in the presence amongst their other papers; this book was in themorning found a handful burnt, and had burnt the table where it lay;Browne the clerk said, he would not for a 100 and a 100 L that it hadbeen burnt a handful further.
This night it happened that there were six cony-stealers, who were comewith their nets and ferrets to the cony-burrows by Rosamond's Well; butwith the noise this night from the Mannor-house, they were so terrified,that like men distracted away they ran, and left their haies all readypitched, ready up, and the ferrets in the cony-burrows.
Now the Commissioners, more sensible of their danger, considered moreseriously of their safety, and agreed to go and confer with Mr. Hoffman,the minister of Wotton, (a man not of the meanest note for life orlearning, by some esteemed more high,) to desire his advice, togetherwith his company and prayers. Mr. Hoffman held it too high a point toresolve on suddenly and by himself, wherefore desired time to considerupon it, which being agreed unto, he forthwith rode to Mr. Jenkinson andMr. Wheat, the two next Justices of Peace, to try what warrant theycould give him for it. They both (as 'tis said from themselves)encouraged him to be assisting to the Commissioners, according to hiscalling.
But certain it is, that when they came to fetch him to go with them, Mr.Hoffman answered, that he would not lodge there one night for 500 L, andbeing asked to pray with them, he held up his hands and said, that hewould not meddle upon any terms.
Mr. Hoffman refusing to undertake the quarrel, the Commissioners held itnot safe to lodge where they had been thus entertained any longer, butcaused all things to be removed into the chambers over the gatehouse,where they stayed but one night, and what rest they enjoyed there, wehave but an uncertain relation of, for they went away early the nextmorning; but if it may be held fit to set down what hath been deliveredby the report of others, they were also the same night much affrightedwith dreadful apparitions; but observing that these passages spread muchin discourse, to be also in particulars taken notice of, and that thenature of it made not for their cause, they agreed to the concealing ofthings for the future; yet this is well-known and certain, that thegate-keeper's wife was in so strange an agony in her bed, and in herbed-chamber such noise, (whilst her husband was above with theCommissioners,) that two maids in the next room to her, durst notventure to assist her, but affrighted ran out to call company, and theirmaster, and found the woman (at their coming in) gasping for breath; andthe next day said, that she saw and suffered that, which for all theworld she would not be hired to again.
From Woodstock the Commissioners removed unto Euelme, and some of themreturned to Woodstock the Sunday se'nnight after, (the book ofValuations wanting something that was for haste left imperfect,) butlodged not in any of those rooms where they had lain before, and yetwere not unvisited (as they confess themselves) by the devil, whom theycalled their nightly guest; Captain Crook came not untill Tuesday night,and how he sped that night the gate-keeper's wife can tell if shedareth, but what she hath whispered to her gossips, shall not be made apart of this our narrative, nor many more particulars which have fallenfrom the Commissioners themselves and their servants to other persons;they are all or most of them alive, and may add to it when they please,and surely have not a better way to be revenged of him who troubledthem, than according to the proverb, tell truth and shame the devil.
There remains this observation to be added, that on a Wednesday morningall these officers went away; and that since then diverse persons ofseverall qualities, have lodged often and sometimes long in the samerooms, both in the presence, withdrawing-room, and bed-chamber belongingunto his sacred Majesty; yet none have had the least disturbance, orheard the smallest noise, for which the cause was not as ordinary asapparent, except the Commissioners and their company, who came in orderto the alienating and pulling down the house, which is wellnighperformed.