DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0161
ACCOUNT OF REPUTED WITCHES, &C.
139
999. Pope Sylvester II. was tutor to Robert the Good,
King of France, and afterwards to Otho III. Emperor of
the West. By their interest he was made Pope, and
maintained in the chair against the will of the Cardinals.
He being a learned mathematician in an ignorant age, his
enemies imputed his favour with those princes and his
curious works to magic. To this they added a multitude
of ridiculous fables, particularly the following : “ that his
bones shake in his sepulchre, and, by their rattling, por-
tend the death of their Popes.” Of these tales Cardinal
Benno and other papists were the authors.
1200. Balsamon, in his comment on the 83d. canon of
St. Basil, says, he was an eye-witness when the wife of
Alexius Comnenus, Emperor of the East, being sick,
some gypsies pretended she was bewitched, and that
they could cure her. They secretly hid waxen images in
corners, and then pretended to foretel where they should
find them, and who made them. They caused many inno-
cent women to be punished, and being unable to effect a
cure, at length absconded.
1232. Hubert, Earl of Kent, was accused of stealing
out of the king’s jewel-house, a stone that would make a
man invisible, and of giving it to Llewellyn, the Welch
Prince, and the enemy of the King. He was likewise
charged with having drawn the King’s favour to himself,
above others, by sorceries.
1253. Robert Grosted, bishop of Lincoln, a man of
great learning and virtue, was falsely said to be a ma-
gician.
1264. Roger Bacon was accused of conjuration. He
was twice cited at Rome, where he received great applause
for his learning and ingenuity.
1280. Albertus Magnus, a learned and pious bishop,
was said by the people to have a brazen head, which gave
him
139
999. Pope Sylvester II. was tutor to Robert the Good,
King of France, and afterwards to Otho III. Emperor of
the West. By their interest he was made Pope, and
maintained in the chair against the will of the Cardinals.
He being a learned mathematician in an ignorant age, his
enemies imputed his favour with those princes and his
curious works to magic. To this they added a multitude
of ridiculous fables, particularly the following : “ that his
bones shake in his sepulchre, and, by their rattling, por-
tend the death of their Popes.” Of these tales Cardinal
Benno and other papists were the authors.
1200. Balsamon, in his comment on the 83d. canon of
St. Basil, says, he was an eye-witness when the wife of
Alexius Comnenus, Emperor of the East, being sick,
some gypsies pretended she was bewitched, and that
they could cure her. They secretly hid waxen images in
corners, and then pretended to foretel where they should
find them, and who made them. They caused many inno-
cent women to be punished, and being unable to effect a
cure, at length absconded.
1232. Hubert, Earl of Kent, was accused of stealing
out of the king’s jewel-house, a stone that would make a
man invisible, and of giving it to Llewellyn, the Welch
Prince, and the enemy of the King. He was likewise
charged with having drawn the King’s favour to himself,
above others, by sorceries.
1253. Robert Grosted, bishop of Lincoln, a man of
great learning and virtue, was falsely said to be a ma-
gician.
1264. Roger Bacon was accused of conjuration. He
was twice cited at Rome, where he received great applause
for his learning and ingenuity.
1280. Albertus Magnus, a learned and pious bishop,
was said by the people to have a brazen head, which gave
him