THAT the Devill hath bin a grand imposter ever since the worlds infancie, and doth still prosecute his inveterate enmity against Adams Progenie, seeking by variety of stratagems and cunning de­lusions, first to entrap, and then utterly to sub­vert all men of what Ranke or Qualitie soever: Is such an infallible Axiom and Tenent of Christi­anitie, as needs no further proofe; considering that every day proceedeth one or other memorable passage, wherein is detected the policie of that roaring Lyon, who by divine permission doth insinuate himself with the Children of disobedience, and stirres them up to the perpetrating of most odious and execrable actions; but in the end payes them home, with the due reward of all their de­linquencies, so that their very memorie is abhorred of all posteri­tie.

The matter which we are now to treate of may seeme to passe the bounds of humane conceit and credulity, but if wee duly examine that divers Subjects of the like nature have issued from the Pens of most worthy and approved Authors both ancient and moderne, wee need not question any of the circumstances here inserted. For that Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light, is sufficiently testified by holy Writ, and appeareth in that notable delusion which he puts upon Saul at his reparing to the Witch of Endor about the raising up of Samuells Ghost. But to be briefe, the verity of this subsequent treatise is already confirmed by sundry persons of good [Page 2] ranke and quality inhabiting about the place where it happened, as I shall briefly declare.

In the County of Devon at a Market Town called Bow, liveth one John Buxford by profession a Worsted-comber having a Son named Joseph, aged fifteene years or thereabouts, whom he had bound Ap­prentice to a Weaver, named Simon Culiver dwelling in Crediton: this Joseph being a stubborne and untowardly Boy, could not brooke his Masters service, but after a Moneths time secretly departed away to the Kings Army with one Byerly a Leiutenant to a Troop of Horse in the Lord of Cleavelands Brigade, with whom he continued a roguish course of life; most of this last Summer till the defeat which the Cavaliers received at Langport-Moore, where the Leiutenant his Master lost his Horse, and cloathes, and the Boy was stripped and turned into ragges: so that seeing no probability to be furnished with apparell from his Master, he came home to the old man his fa­the [...] who cloathed him and would have had him returne to the Wea­ver againe, but no perswasions or entreaties could prevaile or worke upon the froward disposition of this obstinate and disobedient Boy, which so incensed the old man, that he swore in great fury, that if he would not consent to goe to the Weaver, he would bin him Appren­tice to the Devill, which rash and in considerate threatnings, he oft­en times used and repeated, but perceiving that words tooke small ef­fect, he determined to take a more rigerous course, and shortly put the same in execution.

Upon the fifth day of November in the morning, he charged the Boy to prepare himself for to goe along with him to Crediton, which the Boy presently refused, saying he would rather go to the Devill: whereupon the old man taking him by the arme did fall a beating of him, so that by meere force compelled him along, (the Boy all the time using many bitter execrations, and the father bestowing many grievous stripes up on his shoulders) contiuning this posture for a­bove balfe a miles distance from the Towne, which they met with a Carrier driving before him foure Horses loaden with packes of Cloath, who seemed to this John Buxford to be one whom he had often observed to frequend the Roade. The Carrier very courtiously demanded of him why he used such severitie towards the boy; wher­ [...]pon he willing to satisfie him, told him all the circumstances of his [Page 3] Sonnes refractory behaviour in running from his Master, and his un­willingnes to take any good course of life, or honest vocation for his future maintainance. The Carrier replyed, that, it was pitty the Boy should miscarry by undertaking a forced service upon him: But if they two could agree, and that the Boy were willing to goe a long with him, he doubted not but he should find a Master for him, and such employment as would put him in the way to gaine a compleat estate to maintaine himself and helpe his friends. But the old man willingly listed to the Carriers proposition, and being very desirous to provide for his sons good, (as the naturall affection of all Parents towards Children doth greatly oblige) was content that he should goe a long with the Car­rier, who condtioned with him to bring or send backe the Boy in eight daies time at the furthest, if he should not take likeing of the promised service, thus all parties have concluded, the boy being more inclined to any service then to live with his old Master the Weaver. The old man took his leave of them both, bequeathing his sonne Io­seph to the hopefull tuition and custodie of this supposed Carrier.

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 Horses and Packes vanished, the timorous Boy beholds his new Ma­ster metamorphesed in a trice from a man to a flying Horse in a black and vgly shape and colour; who now proves so officious to his Ser­vant, that he will cary him upon his owne back, and so snatches him up sorthwith 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 Tycho Branche, or the subtillest Astrologer could ever invent; they descend by and by Torrenti smile with a more precipitious motion then the Cataracts of the seven headed Nole, 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, [Page 4] then the wisest Phoylosophers have hitherto at any time mentioned or expressed, at length they came into a profound Cell or Cave, (the earth seeming to open it selfe) as the swallowing up of Korah Dathan and Abiram.

The Devill now dischargeth his burthen, and assumeth a more ter­rible shape then that of the flying Horse, saying to his Guest: Bee not dismayed, thy employment here shall be onely to take a view of divers men, who thou hast formerly seene or knowne in the Malignant Army, whose base course of life have occasioned their suddaine and unex­pected deaths, and now are sent tame to receive their due recompence for the same. Where upon there instantly insued a most hideous and fearfull howling, and a great many gastly apparitions presented them­selves before him, amongst whom he observed many whom he sup­posed to have seene before Langport fight, who bitterly bewailed their insupportable paine in these words, Woe, woe, unto us that ever we undertooke the defence of such an unjust Cause: But that which made the greatest impression in the distracted fancy of this wreched Spectator was the sight of Sir Peter Ball, (one of the Commissioners of Excester lately deceased) lying all along after a strange manner, his Legs and Feet schorching in furious flames, his Buttockes upon a Crediron, his Backe and Shoulders in a frying pan, his Head in a boy­ling kettle of pitch, bellowing and roaring out in griveous sort, and cursing the hour of his ativity, with his extorting, coveteousnesse, and cheating of the Country. There was preparation made for Green­vile and Goring, whose places was alloted unto them close by Sir Pe­ter Ball, there to stand with three furies attending upon them whose Office was foure Ladles of scalding Acomite downe their belching throats. Not long after came in the Lady Scot, Gorings sister, being usherd by that immeasurable luxurie and perjured Caytiffe Greenvile, who was to be hung up by the tongue upon hot burning tenter hooks: Lastly appeared the Lady Dolkeat, Nurse to the young Princesse lying at Bedford House in Excester. All these and infinite more were con­fined to their severall stations of tormend, whose confused eiulations and waylings were too tedious here to relate but were in sine so full of dread and horrour to this wreched Boy, that he earnestly wished himselfe out of this place, to undergoe any servitude though never so miserable and deplorable.

The time being now expired according to the former contract made which this arch enemy of mankind, whose power extends no further then God hath limited, the Boy Joseph was conveyed backe againe to a place named Cannon Lee in Devon, where he was found by two honest Labourers being servants to Mr. Justice Cullum living there, who first espied him under a Hedge, and comming to him de­manded what he was, but receiving no answer but onely signes with his Head, they perceived that he was speechlesse, and his hands and legs strangely distorted, his haire of his head singyd, his cloathes all be smeared with pitch and rosin, and other sulfurous matter, which yeelded an odious stench; but they commiserating his miserable con­dition, tooke him up betwixt them and carried him home to there Masters house, where he was shifted and put in a warme bed, and shortly after by meanes of some nourishing broah given him, was so well revived that he then declared unto them his name, birth-place, and his strange journey with the Devill, which seemed at first redi­culous to the Justice and most which heard him, but then a little bet­ter pondering in what manner he was found and brought to the house, he sent for the old man his father, who comming thither, acknow­ledged him to be his sonne, and manner of his departure, with other circumstances above rehearsed: There were present Mr. Jonathan Gainwell a very zealous and godly Minister of the Parish, who tooke speciall notice thereof and gave the Boy very pious admonitions of obedience, which by Gods grace tooke such good effect, that hee there delivered good testimonies that he was truely penitent of his former lewd courses and there reconciled himselfe to his father, with whom he now liveth and is almost cured of that distortion of his members.

A true information was sent by Justice Cullum and Mr. Gainwell the Minister, unto Major Generall Massie at Tiverion, of all these precedent circumstancies related unto them by the old man and his some, which for the noveltie thereof was much admired by all that ever heard it.

The s [...]me day that the Devill departed from the Boy where the Labourers found him, happened another strange thing worth the re­lating. The Devill assumed his former shape of the Carrier, and was encountred upon the way by stragling Troopers of the Malignant Party, who viewing such faire horses made themselves sure of rich purchase, and presently addressed themselves to plunder, but as they went about it the Catrier and his Horses suddainely vanished away in the flames of fire, leaving three of those Plunderers dead in the place, the rest so terribly shaken and almost stifled with the noysome sent of Brimstone, that they hardly escaped to carry newes of this strange accident.