Courteous Esquire, be not weary of reading hereof, or what followeth.

When my mistress died, she had under her arm-hole a small scarlet bag full of many things, which, one that was there delivered unto me.  There was in this bag several sigils, some of Jupiter in Trine, others of the nature of Venus, some of iron, and one of gold, of pure angel-gold, of the bigness of a thirty-three shilling piece of King James’s coin.  In the circumference on one side was engraven, Vicit Leo de tribu Judae Tetragrammaton [symbol:  cross], within the middle there was engraven a holy lamb.  In the other circumference there was Amraphel and three [symbol:  cross].  In the middle, Sanctus Petrus, Alpha and Omega.

The occasion of framing this sigil was thus; her former husband travelling into Sussex, happened to lodge in an inn, and to lie in a chamber thereof; wherein, not many months before, a country grazier had lain, and in the night cut his own throat; after this night’s lodging, he was perpetually, and for many years, followed by a spirit, which vocally and articulately provoked him to cut his throat:  he was used frequently to say, ‘I defy thee, I defy thee,’ and to spit at the spirit; this spirit followed him many years, he not making any body acquainted with it; at last he grew melancholy and discontented; which being carefully observed by his wife, she many times hearing him pronounce, ‘I defy thee,’ &c. she desired him to acquaint her with the cause of his distemper, which he then did.  Away she went to Dr. Simon Forman, who lived then in Lambeth, and acquaints him with it; who having framed this sigil, and hanged it about his neck, he wearing it continually until he died, was never more molested by the spirit:  I sold the sigil for thirty-two shillings, but transcribed the words verbatim as I have related.  Sir, you shall now have a story of this Simon Forman, as his widow, whom I well knew, related it unto me.  But before I relate his death, I shall acquaint you something of the man, as I have gathered them from some manuscripts of his own writing.

OF DR. SIMON FORMAN

He was a chandler’s son in the city of Westminster.  He travelled into Holland for a month, in 1580, purposely to be instructed in astrology, and other more occult sciences; as also in physick, taking his degree of Doctor beyond seas:  being sufficiently furnished and instructed with what he desired, he returned into England, towards the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and flourished until that year of King James, wherein the Countess of Essex, the Earl of Somerset, and Sir Thomas Overbury’s matters were questioned.  He lived in Lambeth, with a very good report of the neighbourhood, especially of the poor, unto whom he was very charitable.  He was a person that in horary questions (especially thefts) was very judicious and fortunate; so also in sicknesses, which indeed was