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Assertions for a specific being.

Name Description Original Text
Anonymous 145The Devil in the shape of a "flying Hourse in a black and ugly shape and colour." The flying horse is transmogrified from the Devil's first disguise as a carrier with four horses. As a carrier, the Devil bound Joseph Buxford as his apprentice for eight days with the permission of his father, when Joseph Buxford refused to apprentice to a weaver and wanted to join the army instead. As soon as Joseph Buxford is bound, and his father leaves, "his new Master metamorphosed in a trice," and takes Joseph Buxford onto his back, and "snatches him up forthwith into the aire." From the air, the flying horse and Joseph Buxford see the Earth so that "London and other magnificent Cities on greater then small Cottages." They also fly past the moon, and into "watrie dominions," only to end in "a profound Cell or Cave." All of this is described as the beginning of a "stupendious Miracle," and the sights the flying horse shows Joseph Buxford are greater than what astrologers and philosophers can ever imagine. Upon landing in the cave, "the earth seeming to open it selfe," the Devil "now dischargeth his burthden, and assumeth a more terrible shape then that of the flying Horse," as the Devil.No sooner was he departed out of their sight, but suddainely ensued the beginning of this stupendious Miracle, the ending whereof is able to amaze each curious inquisitour, that studies to prie in the Cabinet of Divine or Humane Misteries, for in the first place, the Houses and Packes vanished, the timorous Boy beholds his new Master metamorphosed in a trice from a man to a flying Hourse in a black and ugly shape and colour; who now proves so officious to his Servant, that he will carry him upon his owne back, and so snatches him up forthwith into the aire through which he hurrie; him with violence and motion swifter then imagination, so that this new Rider was quickly mounted above the midle Region the earth seemed unto him of a very small proportion, London and other magnificent Cities on greater then small Cottages: and having measured the wast concave of the Moone with more curiosity then Tyche Branche, or the subtillest Astrologer could ever invent; they descend by and by Torrentimile with a more precipitious motion then the Catatacts of the seven headed Nite, and so are plunged into the vast Caverners Neptune, in whose watrie dominions (during the time of this short and miraculous transportation) the Boy observed the most strange and unutterable wonders of the deepe diversified in more severall peeces 4 then the wisest Phoylosophers have hitherto at any time mentioned or expressed, at lengththey came into a profound Cell or Cave, (the earth seeming to open it selfe) as the swallowing up of Korah, Datham and Abiram. The Devill now dischargeth his burthden, and assumeth a more terrible shape then that of the flying Horse, saying to his Guest:

Appears in:
Massey, Edward. A True and Perfect Relation of a Boy, Who was Entertained by the Devill. London: 1645, 3-4