The Malleus Maleficarum

by The Malleus Maleficarum (lit)

  The legati a latere are cardinals set by the Pope on extraordinary missions or as temporary representatives.

  The Archbishop Rupprecht von der Pfalz (1463-80) was forcibly pressing his rights as temporal lord, an action which gave rise to considerable violence and much fighting throughout the territory.

  The Devotion itself was revealed by Our Lady to S. Dominic. Although perhaps no actual Confraternities had been granted indulgences before 1475-6, yet there were Dominican Guilds and Fraternities which foster this Crown of Prayers.

  In 1486 a priest in London writes to his patron in Yorkshire: I send a paper of the Rosary of Our Lady of Coleyn, and I have registered your name with both my Ladis names, as the paper expresses, and ye be acopled as brethren and sisters. Plumpton Correspondence (Camden Society, p. 50).

  Later authorities say Zwolle in Holland.

  Michel François de l’Isle, O.P., Bishop of Selymria, born circa 1435; died 2 June, 1502. In 1488 this famous theologian was Regent of Studies at Cologne. An ample biography may be found in Qutif-Echard, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum, Paris, 1719, sub anno 1502, Vol. II. pp. 7-9. Selymbria, or Selybria, is a titular see in Thracia Prima, suffragan of Heraclea.

  He was the socius of Francis Silvester, O.P., of Ferrara, a celebrated theologian, who was born circa 1474, and died at Rennes, 19 September, 1526.

  Lusitanus, born near Braga in Portugal; died at Naples, 2 January, 1585. The praise of Sprenger may be found in his Bibliotheca Ordinis Praedicatorum. He is called of Siena because of his great devotion to S. Catherine of Siena.

  Theologian and papal envoy. Born at Mantua in 1533 or 1534; died at Ferrara, 26 February, 1611. His many writings include Moscovia, Vilna, 1586, an important work on Russian history; Del Sacrificio della Messa, Lyons, 1563; Apparatus sacer ad Scripturam Ueteris et Noui Test., Venice, 1603-6; Il soldato cristiano, Rome, 1569; and a Bibliotheca Selecta, Rome, 1593.

  Albert Le Mire, ecclesiastical historian, born at Brussels, 30 November, 1573; died at Antwerp, 19 October, 1640. He wa a canon of Antwerp Cathedral, and in 1624 he became Dean of the chapter and Vicar-general of the diocese. He has left thirty-nine vast works on profane, ecclesiastical, and monastic history. See De Riddler's Aubert Le Mire, sa vie, sas crits, memoire historique et critique, Paris, 1865.

  Louis-Ellies Dupin, born 17 June, 1657; died 6 June, 1719. He wrote at great length upon the Fathers, many of whose works he edited with commentaries. Some of his statements involved him in disputes with Dom. Petit-Didier and later with Bossuet. Dupin is an extremely prolific author, but several of his propsitions were regarded as suspect in orthodoxy.

  In 1457 Pope Nicholas V, upon the death of Domenico Michel, Patriarch of Castello, incorporating them both by the terms of the Bull Regis aeterni in the new Patriarchate of Venice, and thus Venice succeeded to the whole metropolitan jurisdiction of Grado, including the see of Dalmatia.

  Jacopo Zeno, nephew and biographer of the famous Venetian admiral, Carlo Zeno.

  It is remarkable that at the very moment similar controversies are raised about the Blessed Sacrament. The words Real Presence are freely bandied. This is a popular phrase, since it may mean anything or nothing. It is far better to save all ambiguity, and to say, The Blessed Sacrament is God. One writer, professing himself a Christian, declares that it is at least doubtful whether Our Lord instituted The Holy Sacrifice of the Altar. This, of course, is tantamount to a denial of Christ.

  It must suffice to mention only a few of the many Saints who have seen Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. S. Veronica of Binasco, the Augustinian, saw Him there with her bodily eyes, whilst the Host was environed by adoring Angels. Vaulem the Cistercian saw in the Host the Infant Jesus, Who held a crown of gold adorned with precious stones. When Peter of Toulouse was holding the Host over the chalice at Mass the Bambino of marvellous beauty appeared between his fingers. The same thing happened every morning for two or three months. Similarly Our Lord was seen by S. Angela of Flogno; S. Hugh of Cluny; S. Lydwine; S. Ignatius; S. Joseph of Cupertino; Domenica of Paradise; Teresa de la Cerda, O.S.D., who saw the Infant Jesus lying on the corporal; and very many more. S. Catherine of Siena saw Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament under different forms, and at the fraction of the Host she saw how He remained entired in each part. Mary of Oignies at the elevation in Passion-Tide saw Our Lord upon the Cross; at Christmas Our Lady appeared in the Host carrying the Infant Jesus in her arms. In the Cathedral at Orvieto I have venerated the Corporale which is stained with blood that fell from the Host when a young priest who doubted was saying Mass. This happened in the days of Pope Urban IV, who reigned 1261-64.

  This can hardly be correct.

  The contents of this valuable collection are as follows: Vol. I:

  Nider, O.P., John. Formicarius de maleficiis.

  Sprenger and Kramer. Malleus Maleficarum.

  Vol. II:

  Anania, Giovanni Lorenzo. De Natura Daemonum.

  Basin, Bernard. De Artibus magicis.

  Bernard of Como, O.P. De Strigibus. (With the annotations of Frencesco Peña.)

  Castro, O.M., Alfonso A. De impia Sortilegarum haeresi.

  De Vignate, Ambrose. Quaestio de Lamiis. (With a commentary by Peña.)

  Gerson, John. De Probatione Spirituum. De erroribus circa artem magicam reprobatis.

  Grilland, Paul. De Sortilegiis.

  Leone, Giovanni Francesco. De Sortilegiis.

  Moliter, Ulrich. De Pythonicis mulieribus.

  Murner, O.M., Thomas. De Pythonico Contractu.

  Simancus, Iago. De Lamiis.

  Spina, O.P., Bartolomeo. De Strigibus. In Ponzinibium de Lamiis Apologia.

  Vol. III:

  Gorichen, Heinrich De. De superstitionis quibusdam casibus.

  Mamor, Pietro. Flagellum maleficorum.

  Menghi, Girolamo, Capuchin. Flagellum Daemonum. Fustis Daemonum.

  Stampa, Pietro Antonio. Fuga Satanae.

  Vol. IV:

  Ars exorcistica tribus partibus.

  This great Saint is much honoured in France. Hw was Archbishop of Arles, and founder of the monastery of Lrins. Born about 350, he died in January, 429.

  John II, Margrave of Baden.

  The extremer Picards seem to have been an offshoot of the Behgards and to have professed the Adamite heresy. They called their churches Paradise whilst engaged in common worship stripped themselves quite nude. Shameful disorders followed. A number of these fanatics took possession of an island in the river Nezarka and lived in open communism. In 1421 Ziska, the Hussite leader, practically exterminated the sect. There have, however, been sporadic outbreaks of these Neo-Adamites. Picards was also a name given to the Bohemian Brethren, who may be said to have been organized in 1457 by Gregory, the nephew of Rokyzana. They held very extreme views, denying that the Blessed Sacrament is the Body of Christ, advocating the abolition of all disctinctions of rank and fortune and the living in community. In the course of time these views were practically modified, and to-day they may be said to be represented by the Moravian Body.

  Reigned from 11 August, 1492, to 18 August, 1503.

  Born at Rouen 19 January, 1639; he entered the Dominican Order in that city, 9 May, 1655. His literary labours were very vast, and in 1677 he published at Paris the first volume of his huge History. Some passages were very sharply criticized, and even censured, but in the preface to the third edition (aris, 1699, 8 volumes, folio) the author, whilst fully submitting to the Holy See, tactfully defends himself. He died of old age in the convent of S. Jacques at Paris, 21 August, 1724.

  Oratorian, born at Treviso, 1595; died at Rome, 22 January, 1671. This eminent historian occupied himself with the continuation of the Annales of the Ven Cesare Baronio, and his work, which covers the years from 1198 to 1565, was published at Rome, 1646-77.

  In his Bibliotheca Ordinis Praedicatorum.

  S. Zeno, Martyr, is the Patron of Verona, in which city a basilica, San Zenone, is dedicated in his honour. His feast is kept 12 April, and the Roman Martyr
ology tells us that he was a Bishop of Verona, put to death under the Emperor Gallienus.

  Edinburgh, 1597.

  4to, 1682. Produced at the Duke's Theatre, Dorset Garden, in the autumn (probably September) of 1681.

  The word is from fe, feu, =Grk. , to produce; whence fetus, fecundus, etc. Cf. Sanscrit bhuas, bhavas, to become. Also fio; futurus.

  The word is from = tradicere. So , slander, enmity. , the slanderer, the enemy; hence, Satan, the devil.

  For an excellent study of this most difficult and most painful subject see a valuable work by George Ives, The History of Penal Methods, 1914.

  Cassian. John Cassian, monk and ascetic writer of Southern Gaul, and the first to introduce the rules of Eastern monasticism into the West, was born probably in Provence about 360; and died near Marseilles about 435. The two principal works of Cassian are the Institutes; De institutis coenobiorum et de octo principalium uitiorum remediis libri XII; and the Collations or Conferences, Collationes XXIV. The author has himself remarked upon the relation between the two works: These books (the Institutes) . . . are mainly taken up with what belongs to the outer man and the customs of the coenobis; the others (the Conferences) deal rather with the training of the inner man and the perfection of the heart. The best edition of the works of Cassian is that by Petschenig, Vienna, 1885-88.

  Although never formally canonized, from very early days Cassian was regarded as a saint. At Marseilles his feast (with an octave) is celebrated 23 July, and his name is found in the Greek Calendar.

  S. Heraclides. Episcopus Tamasi in Cypro, cuius Festum agitur die xvii Septembris. See Analecta Bollandiana, XXVI, 238-9; and Fr. Nau, Revue de lOrient chrtien, XII (197), 125-38.

  Blessed Thomas. At the instance of his mother Theodora, Countess of Teano, S. Thomas, who had received the Dominican habit some time between 1240 and August 1243, was whilst on his way to Rome from Naples captured near Aquapendente by his two brothers, Landolfo and Rinaldo, officers in the army of the Emperor Frederick. They confined him for nearly two years in the fortress of San Giovanni at Rocca Secca. He revealed this vision of Holy Angels who endows him with the white girdle of chastity to his faithful friend, Reginald of Piperno. One of the particular devotions of the Dominican Order consists in wearing, as a devout memorial of this event, a white girdle for which a special form of blessing is presribed: Benedictio Cinguli S. Thomae Aquinatis Ad Seruandam Castitatem.

  De Natura Daemonis. De Diuinatione Daemonum, written 406-11. Migne, Patres Latini, XL, pp. 581-92.

  Holy Nights. Saturday, however, was always particularly avoided as being the day sacred to the Immaculate Mother of God. See my History of Witchcraft, c. IV, pp. 115-16.

  S. Peter Damian. Doctor of the Church, Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, born at Ravenna 1007; died at Faenza, 21 February, 1072. His works, which have been more than once collected, may be conveniently found in Migne, Patres Latini, CXLIV-CXLV.

  Habacuc. Daniel xiv, 32-38:

  32. Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habacuc, and he had boiled pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl: and was going into the field, to carry it to the reapers.

  33. And the angel of the Lord said to Habacuc: Carry the dinne which thou hast into Babylon to Daniel, who is the lions' den.

  34. And Habacuc said: Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den.

  35. And the angel of the Lord took him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair on his head, and set him in Babylon over the den in the force of his spirit.

  36. And Habacuc cried, saying: O Daniel, thou servant of God, take the dinner that God hath sent thee.

  37. And Daniel said: Thous hast remembered me, O God, and thou hast not forsaken them that love thee.

  38. And Daniel arose and ate. And the angel of the Lord presently set Habacuc again in his own place.

  Henry Boguet Discours des Sorciers, Lyons, 1590, XVI, 4, points out that this flying ointment is of itself useless. The actual formulae for its confection have been preserved and the employment thereof is to be considered, say most demonologists, as a piece of vain and empty ceremony of Satan, yet more to delude his votaries.

  S. Germain. Bishop of Auxerre, born circa 380; died at Ravenna, 31 July, 448. His body was brought back to Auxerre, and later there arose the celebrated Benedictine Abbey known as St. Germains.

  Generation. Exodus xx, 5: xxxiv, 7.

  Carnival. These Pagan practices are sternly reprobated in the Liber Poenitentialis of S. Theodore, seventh Archbishop of Canterbury. In Book XXXVII is written: If anyone at the Kalends of January goeth about as a stag or a bull-calf, that is, making himself into a wild animal, and dressing in the skins of a herd animal, and putting on the heads of beast; those who in such wise transform themselves into the appearance of a wild animal, let them do penance for three years, because this is devilish. See my Geography of Witchcraft, Chap. II, pp. 65-73. The Council of Auxerre in 578 (or 585) forbade anyone to masquerade as a bull-calf or a stag on the first of January or to distribute devilish charms.

  Witchcraft. It is not unusual for Satanists to go to Holy Communion in various churchs of a town, and instead of consuming the Host they spit God's Body from their mouths into a handkerchief or cloth and take it away to abuse in their horrid worship. In the notorious case of the Lancashire witches, at the first trial, 1612, James Device confessed that upon Sheare Thursday was two yeares, his Grand-Mother Elizabeth Souternes alias Demdike, did bid him this Examinate goe to the Church to receive the Communion (they next day after being Good Friday), and then not to eate the Bread the Minister gave him, but to bring it and deliver it to such a thing as should meet him in his way homewards; Notwithstanding her perswasions thie Examinate did eate the Bread: and so in his comming homeward some fortie roodes off the said Church, there met him a thing in the shape of a Hare, who spoke unto this Examinate, and asked him whether he had brought the Bread.

  The toad constantly appears as a familiar. In 1579 at Windsor one Mother Dutton dwellyng in Cleworthe Parishe keepeth a Spirite or Feende in the likenesses of a Toade, and fedeth the same Feende lying in a border of greene Hearbes, within her garden, with blood whiche she causeth to issue from her owne flancke. Ursley Kemp, a S. Osyth witch (1582), had a familiar, Pygine, black like a Toad. Ales Hunt of the same coven nourished two familiars, the which she kept in a little lowe earthen pot. Margerie Sammon, another S. Osyth's witch, hath also two spirites like Toades, the one called Tom, and the other Robbyn. When Ursley Kemp peeped through Mother Hunt's window she espied a spirite to looke out of a porcharde from under a clothe, the nose thereof being brown like unto a Ferret.

  Altar-Cloth. These practices still survive.

  Stadlin. Formicarius, c. III.

  Beothius. De Consolatione Philosophiae, Liner I, Prosa ii. Atqui talia contuleramus arma, quae nisi prius abiecisses, inuicta te firmitate tuerentur.

  An Ox. Daniel iv, 30: The same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor, and he was driven away from among men, and did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till his hairs grew like the feathers of eagles and his nailes like birds' claws.

  On the Spirit. The treatise De Natura et Origine Animae was written towards the end of the year 419.

  Apostle. S. Paul, II. Thessalonians ii, 8, 9.

  Itinerarium. Pseudo-Clementines.

  Lying Wonders. II Thessalonians ii, 8-9: That wicked one . . . whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders.

  Severus. Sulpicius Severus, who has been styled the Christian Sallust, was born in Aquitaine about 360; and died circa 420-25. He became a personal friend and enthusiastic disciple of S. Martin, and lived near Eauze, at Toulouse and Luz in Southern France. His Life of S. Martin was very popular during the Middle Ages, as also were his Two Dialogues, formerly divided into three. His works are to be found in Migne, Patres Latini, XX, 95-248.