VPon the nineth day of May last past Anno. 1584. Th●re was a Yeoman of honest reputation , dwelling in the Towne of Dichet , which is within three miles of Bruton ( the most auncient Towne within Sommerset shire ) whose name is Stephen Cooper ( a man of good wealth and well beloued of his neighbours : ) who being sicke , and lying in a weake state , sent his wife ( whose name was Margeret Cooper ) vppon the nineth daie of Maie last past into Gloster-shire , to take order concerning a Farme whiche he hath in a Villedge called Rockhampton , alias Rockington , at whose comming thether , it seemed all things were not according to her minde . Thus continuing there one daie and something more , she returned home to her husbande , partly agreeued at suche thinges as she thought her husbande might reforme if GOD lent him life . Now when she was come home againe to Dichet , she founde her husband recouered to an indifferent health : to whom she began to vse very muche idle talke , aswell concerning the same Farme , as also concerning an old groate which her sonne ( being a little boy ) had found abought one weeke before . Thus she continued ( as it were one that had been bewitched or haunted with some euill spirite ) vntill Tuesdaie at night following , whiche night she tooke her rest something indifferently vntill towardes the morning : at whiche time she began with much vaine speech to disquiet her husbande , and to vse much idle talke : but her husbande seeing her in such a minde , and finding that she was as it were one that were desperate , he perswaded her to call vppon God , and that being the creature of God she should not forget to call vppon her Creator in the daie of trouble : wherefore he counselled her to praie with him , and to saie the Lordes Prayer after him , whiche she partly did : But the deuill who alwaie doth builde his Chappell so neere as hee maie to vexe Gods Church , began to withdraw her from Prayer , and put her in minde to call in most fearfull sorte for the groate which her sonne had lately founde , as also for her Wedding ring , desiring to see them with all speede : her husbande made no great hast thereunto , but continued in praier , that it would please God to sende her a more quiet spirite , and to strengthen her , that faithe might speedely vanquishe such vanitie in her . But the more he praied and perswaded her to Praier , the more she seemed to bee as it were troubled with some euill Spirite , calling still for the olde groate whiche her husbande neglected to shew her : whereat she began with a very sterne and staring countenaunce to looke on her husbande in most wonderfull sorte , as that he was sore frighted with the same . Then he called for her Sister , for that he was not able to keepe her in the bed : which when her Sister and other were come into the Chamber , they kept her downe violently in the bed : and forthwith she was so sore tormented that she fomed at the mouth , and was shaken with suche force that the Bedd and the Chamber did shake and moue in most straunge sorte : her husbande continued praying for her deliueraunce : so that within one halfe hower after her shaking was left , she began to tell them that she had been in the Toune to beat awaie the Beare whiche followed her into the Yarde when she came out of the Countrie , which to her thinking had no hed . Then her husbande and freendes perswaded her to leaue those vaine imaginations , perswading her that it was nothing but the lightnesse of her braine whiche was become idle for want of rest . Wherfore her husband and freendes perswaded her to saie the Lordes Praier with them , which she did , and after tooke some small rest : And thus she remained vntill the Sunday following : in which time she continued raging as it were bestraught of her memorie , whiche came by fittes , to the greate greefe of her husbande , freendes and neighbours . Vppon the Satterdaie following there was good hope of her recouerie , for that she in the night before had taken some reasonable rest : her freendes and neighbours came to comforte her , yet sometime she would talke somewhat idely to them , which came by small fittes . And vppon the Sundaie she seemed very patient and confirmable to reason , vntill midnight : at which time the Candle which was set vp burning in the same Chamber was burned out : She then suddenly waking called to her husbande and cryed out , saying , that she did see a straunge thing like vnto a Snaile , carrying fire in most wonderful sort : Wherat her husbande was amazed : and seeing the Candle was cleane burnt out , called to his Brother and her Sister ( whiche were in the house with other of their freendes watching and sitting vp , to comfort her if her extreame fitt should any way molest her ) who hearing her husbande call , came in and brought a Candle lighted and set it on the table , which stood neere where the woman laie : She began then to waxe as one very fearefull , saying to her husbande and the rest , doe you not see the Deuill : whereat they desired her to remember God and to cal for grace , that her faith might bee onely fixed vppon him to the vanquishing of the Deuill , and his assaults . Well ( quoth she ) if you see nothing now , you shall see something by and by : and forthwith they heard a noise in the streete as it had been the comming of two or three Carts , and presently they in the Chamber cried out saying : Lord helpe vs what maner of thing is this that commeth here . Then her husbande looking vp in his bedd espied a thing come to the bedd muche like vnto a Beare , but it had no head nor no taile , halfe a yarde in length and halfe a yarde in height : her husbande seeing it come vp to the bed , rose vp and tooke a ioyned stoole and stroke at the saied thing , the stroke sounded as though he had stroken vppon a Featherbedd : then it came to the woman and stroke her three times vpon the feete , and tooke her out of the bed , and so roulled her to & fro in the Chamber , and vnder the bed : The people there present to the number of seuen persons were so greatly amazed with this horrible sight , that they knewe not what to doe , yet they called still vpon God for his assistaunce : but the Candle was so dimme that they could scarsly sée one another . At the last this Monster whiche we suppose to be the Deuill , did thrust the womans hed betwixt her legges , and so roulled her in a rounde compasse like an Hoope through three other Chambers downe an high paire of staires in the Hall , where he kept her the space of a quarter of an hower : Her husbande and they in the Chamber aboue durst not come downe to her , but remained in praier weeping at the staiers head , greeuously lamenting to see her so caried away . There was suche an horrible stincke in the Hall , and suche fierie flames , that they were glad to stoppe their noses with cloathes and napkins . Then the woman cried out calling to her husbande , now he is gone : then ( quoth he ) in the name of God come vp to me , and so euen vpon the suddaine she was come so quickly that they greatly marueiled at it . Then they brought her to bedd , and fower of them kept downe the cloathes about the bedd , and continued in Praier for her . The Candle in the Chamber could not burne cleere but was very dimme , and suddenly the woman was got out of the bed , and the windowe at the beds hed opened , whether the woman did vnpin the windowe , or how it came to passe they knewe not , but it was opened , and the womans legges after a marueilous maner thrust out at the windowe , so that they were clasped about the post in the middle of the windowe betweene her legges : The people in the Chamber heard a thing knocke at her feete as it had been vpon a Tubbe , and they sawe a great fire as it seemed to them at her feete , the stincke whereof was horrible : The sorrowfull husbande and his brother imboldened themselues in the Lorde , & did charge the Deuill in the name of the Father , the Sonne , and the holy Ghost , to departe from her and to trouble her no more : then they laied handes on her and cried to the Lorde to helpe them in that their greate neede , and so pulde her in againe and set her vppon her fette : Then she looked out at a window and began to saie : O Lord ( quoth she ) me thinke I see a little childe , but they gaue no regard to her : These wordes she spake two or three times : so at the last they all looked out at the windowe : and loe they espied a thing like vnto a little child with a very bright shining countenaunce , casting a greate light in the Chamber , & then the Candle burned very brightly , so that they might one see an other : then fell they flat to the grounde and praised the Lorde that he had so wonderfully assisted them , and so the child vanished awaie . Then the woman beeing in some better feeling of her self was laied in her bedd , and she asked forgiuenesse at Gods handes , and of all that she had offended , acknowledging that i● was for her sinnes that she was so tormented of the euill Spirite . And so God bethanked she hath euer since beene in some reasonable order , for there hath beene with her many godly learn●d men , as M●ister Doctor Cottington , Parson of the same Towne , and Maist●r Nicholles Preacher of Bruton , with other cheefe Preachers from diuers pl●ces of the Countrey .