| Name | Description | Original Text |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous 189 | A devil or spirit from Great Gadston in the County of Buckinghamshire, one of two that allegedly possessed the girl Anonymous 28 at the bidding of Anonymous 430 and Anonymous 431 after Anonymous 430 had a falling out with the girl's father, Anonymous 429. This sprit was originally intended to possess Anonymous 429, but failed when it found him at prayer; it was sent to Anonymous 28 instead. This spirit, along with fellow spirit Anonymous 190, caused two lumps like eggs to rise in Anonymous 28's throat, and would speak through her in a rough voice. It caused her to blaspheme, and was known to converse with bystanders. When Anonymous 429 had his daughter exorcised, this spirit remained in her, taking the use of her legs, flinging her about in her chair, and attempting to prevent girl from reading from the Bible. It also caused her to ride home facing the rear of her horse. At other times, it was known to levitate her or make her bark like a dog, bellow like a bull or roar. It also prevented her from drinking at a party, and tried to get her to drown herself in the well in the host's yard. It continued to possess her until the time of the account's publication. | In the year 1664, there happened to be some difference between this maids Father and a certain woman who had an evil name, but whether causelessly or not, I shall not here determine, nor assert any dubious opinions in any kind, onely relate the principal Circumstances that have occurred, being matter of Fact, to which as well my self as scores of other people, were Eye and Ear-witnesses; and so leave every one to judge as they shall see cause, touching the Maids being possesst or not, and the evil Instruments that are suspected to have been accessary thereunto, when they have duely weighed the whole Discourse. This is certain, soon after the before mentioned Difference, this Maid being then about Sixteen or Seventeen years of age, was taken with strange Fits, and something would rise up in her throat like two great bunches about the bigness of an Egg; and a strange voice was frequently heard within her, speaking Blasphemous words, not fit here to be repeated: And if the Hearers and Bystanders did reply to such voice, by asking any Questions that pleased him, he would answer and discourse with them; and that with a voice as different from hers as any voices I verily believe in the world, she having a smooth, cleer, pleasant voice, and that being very rough, guttural, and coming as it were from the Abdomen or hollow of her belly, but yet intelligible: and though I am not ignorant of a certain sort of Jugglers of old called in Latine Ventriloqui, yet as no such Art or design could be imagined in this innocent creature, so the things he declared (impossible many times for her to know) wipes off all suspicions of that kind: So that those about her generally concluded she was really and exactly possessed by the Devil, and took occasion to ask him, How he came there: to which the Evil Spirit or voice answered, Here are two of us, and that they were sent thither by two women. The voice further said, That they were sent first to the maids Father; but when they came they found him at prayer, and returned to those two women, and told them, they could have no permission to enter into him; whereupon they sent them to his Daughter, and that such a night at she sat by the fire they entred into her. Now the Family did remember that that very night, she had, as she declared, a sudden pain that seized her, and ever since had continued in a bad condition, and after a little time the Swellings and the Voice happend as aforesaid.
Appears in:
Anonymous. Wonderful News from Buckinghamshire. London: 1677, 2-4
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