from The Apprehension and Confession of Three Notorious Witches (1589)
. . . the devill appeered unto her in the Almes house aforesaide: about ten of the Clock in the night time, beeing in the shape and proportion of a dunnish culloured Ferrit, having fiery eyes, and the saide Examinate beeing alone in her Chamber, and sitting upon a low stoole, preparing her selfe to bedward: the Ferrit standing with his hinder legs upon the ground, and his fore legs setled upon her lappe, and setling his fiery eyes upon her eyes, spake and pronounced unto her these woords following, namelye: "Joan Prentice give me thy soule," to whome this Examinate being greatly amazed, answered and said: "In the name of god what art thou?" The Ferrit answered, "I am Satan, feare me not. My comming vnto thee is to doo thee no hurt but to obtaine thy soule, which I must and wil have before I departe from thee." To whome the saide examinate answered and said, that he demaunded that of her which is none of hers to give, saying: that her soule appertained onely unto Jesus Christ, by whose precious blood shedding, it was bought and purchased. To whome the saide Ferret replyed and saide, "I must then have some of thy blood," which she willingly graunting, offered him the forefinger of her left hand, the which the Ferrit tooke into his mouth, and setting his former feete upon that hand, suckt blood therout, in so much that her finger did smart exceedingye: and the saide examinate demaunding againe of the Ferrit what his name was: "It answered Bidd. and then presently the said Ferrit vanished out of her sight sodainly."
. . . Item, she saith and affirmeth, that at what time soever she would have her Ferret doo any thing for her, she used these woordes, "Bidd, Bidd, Bidd, come Bidd, come bidd, come bidd, come suck, come suck, come suck," and that presently he would appeere as is aforesaide: and suckt blood out of her left cheeke, and then perfourmed any mischeefe she willed or wished him to doo for her unto or against any of her neighbours.
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The full title of this 16 page pamphlet is, The apprehension and confession of three notorious witches. Arreigned and by iustice condemned and executed at Chelmes-forde, in the Countye of Essex, the 5. day of Iulye, last past. 1589 With the manner of their diuelish practices and keeping of thier spirits, whose fourmes are heerein truelye proportioned.
Joan Prentice testifies that she sent Bidd, ferret of Satan, to bite her enemies, but Bidd greedily took too much blood from a young girl, Sara Glascock, who died. Joan angrily chided Bidd, who was only instructed to "nippe" the child; Bidd never returned after this falling out. How Joan came to her arraignment, and subsequent execution (by hanging), is not explained.
Why is "come suck" not a label?
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