Satan's Invisible World Discovered/Chapter 3
Strange pranks played by the Devil at Woodstock in England.
The commissioners, October 13, 1649, with their servants, being come to the manor-house, they took up their lodging in the king's own rooms, the bed-chamber, and withdrawing-room: the former whereof they also made their kitchen; the council-hall their brew-house; the chamber of presence, their place of sitting to dispatch business; and a wood-house of the dining-room, where they laid the wood of that ancient standard in the High Park, known of all by the name of the King's Oak, which (that nothing might remain that had the mane of King affixed to it) they digged up by the roots October 14th and 15th, they had little disturb- ance; but on the 16th there came, as they thought, somewhat into the bed-chamber where two of the commissioners and their servants lay, in the shape of a dog, which going under their beds, did, as it were, gnaw their bed cords; but on the morrow finding them whole, and a quarter of beef, which lay on the ground untouched, they began to entertain other thoughts.
October 17. Something, to their thinking, removed all the wood of the King's Oak, out of the dining-room to the presence-chamber, and hurled the chairs and stools up and down that room: From hence it came into the two chambers where the commissioners and their servants lay, and hoisted up the feet of their beds so much higher than their heads, that they thought they should have been turned over and over, and then let them fall down with such force, that their bodies rebounded from the bed a good distance, and then shook the bedsteads so violently, that themselves confest their bodies were sore with it.
October 18. Something came into the bed-chamber, and walked up and down, and fetching the warming-pan out of the withdrawing-room, made so much noise, that they thought five bells could not have made more. And October 19th, Trenchers were thrown up and down the dining-room, and at them who lodged there; one of them being wakened, put forth his head to see what was the matter, but had trenchers thrown at it.
October 20th. The curtains of the bed in the withdrawing-room were drawn to and fro, and the bed-stead, much shaken, and eight great pewter dishes, and three dozen of trenchers, thrown about the bed-chamber again. This night they also thought a whole armful of the wood of the King's Oak were thrown down in their chambers, but of that in the morning they found nothing had been moved.
October 21st. The keeper of their ordinary, and his bitch lay in one of the rooms with them, which night they were not disturbed at all. But Oct. 22d, Though the bitch kennelled there again, to whom they ascribed their former night's rest, both they and the bitch were in a pitiful taking. the bitch opening but once, and that with a whining fearful yelp.
October 23. They had all their clothes pluck'd off them in the withdrawing room, and the bricks fell out of the chimney into the room.
On the 24th, They thought in the dining-room, that all the wood of the King's Oak had been brought thither, and thrown down by their bedside; which being heard by those of the withdrawing-room, one of them rose to see what was done, fearing indeed that his fellow commissioners had been killed, but found no such matter. Whereupon returning to his bed again, he found two or three dozen of trenchers thrown into it, and handsomely covered with the bed clothes.
October 25. The curtains of the bed in the withdrawing-room were drawn to and fro, and the bed-stead shaken as before; and in the bed-chamber, glass flew about so thick (and yet not one lozen of the chamber windows broken) that they thought it had rained money, whereupon they lighted candles; but, to their grief, they found nothing but glass.
October 29. Something going to the window opened and shut it; then going into the bed chamber, it threw great stones, for half an hour's time, some whereof lighted on the high-bed, others on the truckle-bed, to the number in all of above fourscore. This night there was also a very great noise, as if forty pieces of ordnance had been shot off together. At two several knocks, it astonished all the neighbouring dwellers, which is thought might have been heard a great way off. During these noises, which were heard in both rooms together, both commissioners and their servants were struck with so great horror, that they cried out one to another for help: whereon one of them recovering himself out of a strange agony he had been in, snatched a sword, and had like to have killed one of his brethren coming out of his bed in his shirt, whom he took for the spirit that did the mischief. However, at length they got all together, yet the noise continued so great and terrible, and shook the walls so much, that they thought the whole manor would have fallen on their heads. One of them lighted a candle, and set it between the two chambers in the door-way, on which another fixing his eyes, saw the similitude of a hoof striking the candle and candlestick into the middle of the bed-chamber, and afterwards making three scrapes on the snuff to put it out. Upon this, the same person was so bold as to draw his sword, but he had scarce got it out when there was another invisible hand had hold of it too, and tugged with him for it; and, prevailing struck him so violently, that he was stunned with the blow.
Then began violent noises again, insomuch that they called to one another, got together, and went into the presence-chamber, where they said prayers notwithstanding all which, the thundering noise still continued in other rooms. After this, November 3d, they removed their lodging over the gate; and next day, Being Sunday, went to Ewelm, where how they escaped, the authors of the relation knew not. But returning on Monday, the devil (for that was the name they gave their nightly guest) left them not unvisited, nor on the Tuesday following which was the last day they stayed.
FINIS.