POSTSCRIPT  
Arminians and friars, so near together dwell,  
There is but wall between both● One like each other well:  
 
The Protestant walks up and down the street (with grief,)  
And in his sad distractions to God praes for yreleife   

MOST fearful and strange news From the bishopric of Durham,  
Being a true Relation of one Margaret Hooper of Edenbyres, near the River Darwent in the said bishopric.  
Who was most fearfully possessed and tormented with the devil, as also in what ugley shape he first appeared unto her, how lamentably she was handled with this evil spirit, and at last how wonderfully the Lord delivered her.  
Affirmed by these Cridible witnesses there present, November the fifteenth. 1641.  

Stephen Hooper.  
John Hooper.  
John Sky.  
Alexander Eglestone.  
Anthony Westgarth  
Alice Egleston.  
And divers others.   
LONDON, Printed for John Thomas 1641.   

News out of the bishopric of Durham, or strange miracles, and fearful as ever was seen or heard in the memory of man, And affirmed by divers creedible witnesses.  
BEloved, and courteous friends and Readers, we have to consider by this strange discourse, how ready Satan is to take hold on us, if we fall from him never so little, he continually runneth up and down seeking whom he may devour, but not withstanding his temptations which are great, the mercies of God are greater, who never fail to send comfort in temptation, if we accept thereof: great are the examples, both of God's mercies, and might put us in remembrance of our sins, which are infinite and loathsome, wherein if we continue, let us undoubtedly look for the reward thereof, which is an everlasting destruction, both of body and soul.  
Let not this which is here declared seem a ●●ined fable unto thee, but assure thyself that all such things are sent as warnings for our wickedness, and to put us in mind of the seat of our salvation which is an assured faith in Christ Jesus, from which pillar if we once shrink, the tempter is ready to drive us into despair of God's mercy.  
Many are the wonders which have lately happened, as of sudden & strange deaths of Purjured persons, strange sights in the air, strange births on the earth, earthquakes, comets, and the like, all which are to put us in mind of God whose works are wonderful.  
These are therefore as many warnings unto us, to be watchful for the day of the Lord, which is at hand, least suddenly his wrath be kindled against us, let us therefore pray to Almighty God, to hold back his rod, to be merciful unto us, and to forgive us that is past, that through the assistance of his spirit we may with penitent hearts live in his fear to our lives end.   

Strange, news out of the bishopric of Durham.  
Upon the 15 day of November now last past 1641. there is a yeo man of good and honest reputation, dwelling in the town of Edinbyres upon Darwent 〈◊〉 in the bishopric of Durham, whose name is Stephen Hooper, a man of good wealth, and also well-beloved of his neighbours, who being sick, and lying in aweake estate, sent his wife whose name was Margaret Hooper to a farm which he had in a village, called Hanstonueth, some three miles off, at whose coming thither, it seemed all things were not according to her mind. Thus continuing there one day and something more, she returned home to her husband, partly aggrieved at such things as she thought her husband might reform, if God lent him life, now when she was come home to Edenbyres, she found her husband recovered to an indifferent health, to whom she began to use very much idle talk, as we concerning the same farm as also concerning an old groat, which her son being a little boy had found about a week before, thus she continued as if she had been one bewitched, or haunted with an evil Spirit, until the wednesday at night following, which night she took her rest something indifferently until the morning, at which time she began with much vain speech to disquiet her husband, and to use much idle talk, but her husband seeing her in such a mind, and finding that she was, as it were desperate; he persuaded her to call upon, God & that being the Creature of God, she should not forget to call upon her Creator in the day of trouble, wherefore he counselled her to pray with him, and to say the Lord's Prayer after him, which she partly did, but the devil who always doth build the chapel, so much as he may to 〈◊〉 gods Church, began to withdraw her from prayer, and to p●● her in mind to 〈◊〉 most fearful fort, for the groat, which he son had lately found, as also for her wedding Ring, desiring to see them with all speed, her husband made no great haste thereunto, but continued in prayer that it would please God to send her a more quiet spirit, and to strengthen her that fairh might speedily vanquish such vanity in her, but the more he prayed and persuaded her to prayer, the more she seemed to be as it were troubled with some evil spirit, calling for the old groat, which her husband neglected to show her, whereat she began with a very s●●●ne and staring countenance to look on her husband in most wonderful sort, that he was sore affrighted at the than he called for her sister, for that he was not able to keep her in the bed, which when her sister and others were come into the chamber, they kept her down violently in her bed, and forthwith she was so sore tormented that she foamed at the mouth, and was shaken with such force, that the bed and the chamber did shake and move in most straying sort, her husband continued praying for her deliverance, so that within one half hour after her shaking was past, she began to tell them she had been in the Towerne to beat away the beat which followed her into the yard, when she came from H●●sten-●●rth, which to her thinking had no head, than her husband and friends wished her to leave those vain imaginations, persuading her that it was nothing but the lightness of her brain, which was become Idle for want of rest, wherefore her husband and friends exhorted her to say the Lord's prayer with them, which she did, and after took some rest, and thus she continued until the Saturday following, in which time she continued raging, as it were distract of her memory, which came by fits, to the great grief of her husband, friends, and neighbours, yet upon the Saturday there was some hopes of her recovery, for that she took some reasonable rest, to the comfort of her husband and friends, and upon the Sunday she seemed to be very patient, and conformable until midnight at which time the candle which was set burning in the same Chamber was burned, she then suddenly awaking, called to her husband, and cried out saying, that she did see a strange thing like unto a snale, carrying fire in a most wonderful sort, whereat her husband was amazed, and seeing the candle was clean burnt out, called to his Brothers and Sisters that were in the house, with other of their friends watching, and sitting up to comfort her, if her extreme fit should any way molest her, who hearing him call, come in, and brought a candle lighted, and set it upon the table, which stood near where the woman lay, She began to wax very fearful, saying to her husband and the rest, do not you see the devil, whereat they desired her to remember God, and to call for grace that her faith might only be fixed upon him, to the vanquishing the devil and his assaults, Hell (quoth she) if you see nothing now, you shall see something by and by, and forthwith they heard a great noise in the street, as if it had been the coming of four or five carts, and presently they in the chamber cried out saying, Lord help us, what manner of thing is this that cometh here, than her husband looking up in his bed, espied a thing coming to the bed, much like a bear, but it had no head nor tail, half a yard in height, and half a yard in length, her husband seeing it come to the bed rose up, and took a joint stool, and struck at the said thing, the stroke founded as though he had strucken upon a featherbed, than it came to the woman, and struck her three times upon the feet, and took her out of the bed, and so rolled her too and fro in the Chamber, and under the bed, the people then present, to the number of seven persons, were so greatly amazed with this horrible sight, that they knew not what to do, yet they called still upon God for his assistance, but the candle was so dim, that they could scarcely see one another, at the last this Monster, which we supposed to be the devil, did thrust the woman's head between her legs, and so rolled her in around compass, like an hoop through the other Chambers, down an high pair of stairs into the Hall, where he kept her the space of a quarter of an house, her husband and they in the Chamber above, durst not come down to her, but remained in prayer, weeping at the stai●es head grievously lamenting to see her so carried away, there was such an horrible stink in the Hall, and such fiery flames, that they were glad to stop their noses with clothes, and napkines, than the woman cried out calling to her husband, now he is gone, than quoth he in the name of God come up to me, and so even upon the sudden she was come up so quickly, that they greatly marveiled at it, than they brought her to bed, and four of them, kept down the clothes about the bed, and continued in prayer about her, the candle in the Chamber could not burn clear, but was very dim, and suddenly the woman was got out of the bed, and the Window at the bed's head opened, whether the woman unpind the Winddow, or how it came to pass, they knew not but it was opened, & the wamons legs after a miraculous manner thrust out of the Winddow, so that they were clasped about the post in the middle of the Winddow between her legs, the people of the Chamber heard a thing knock at her feet as if it had been upon a tub, and they saw a great fire, as it seemed to them at her feet, the stink whereof was horrible, the sorrowful husband and his brother, emboldened themselves in the Lord, and did charge the devil in the name of the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost, to depart from her, and to trouble her no more, than they laid hands upon her, and cried to the Lord, to help them in that their 〈…〉 and so pulled her in again, and set her upon her feet, than she looked out of a winddow and began to say O Lord (quoth she) me think I see a little child, but they gave not regard to her, these words she spoke two or three times, so at the last they all looked our at the winddow, and so they espied a thing 〈…〉 little child, with a very bright shi●ning countenance, 〈◊〉 a great light in the Chamber, and the candle burned very brightly so that they might one see another, than they fell flat to the ground, and prayed the Lord that he had so wonderfully assisted them, and so the child vanished 〈…〉 the woman being in better feeling of herself, was laid in her bed, and asked forgiveness at God's hands, and of all that she had offended, acknowledging that it was for her 〈◊〉, that she was so 〈…〉, of the evil spirit, and God be thanked she hath been ever since, in some reasonable order, for there hath been with her many godly learned men, from divers places of the country.  
These are the names of the witnesses that it is most true.  

Steven Hooper.  
John Hooper.  
John ●ky.  
Alexander Egleston.  
Anthony Westgarth.  
Ali● Egleston.  
with divers others.   
FINIS.