THE Devil seen at St. Albon. BEING A TRUE RELATION HOW The Devil was seen there in a Cellar, in the likeness of a Ram; and how a Butcher came and cut his throat, and sold some of it, and dressed the rest for himself, inviting many to Supper, who eat of it. Attested by divers Letters, of men of very good credit in the Town. Whereunto is added a Comment, for the better understanding of the unlearned, or Ignorant.  
Printed for confutation of those that believe there are no such things as Spirits or Devils.  
Sunt mala, at tu non meliora facis.  
Printed in the year, 1648.   

THE Devil seen at St. Albon. BEING A TRUE RELATION HOW The Devil was seen there in a Cellar, in the likeness of a Ram; and how a Butcher came, and cut his throat, and sold some of it, and dressed the rest for himself, inviting many to Supper, who eat of it.  
Saint Alban's is a goodly Town, 
The description of that goodly Town St. Albon, with the distance thereof from London.  situate in the County of Hertford; and of distance from London (according to the compute of the ablest Carriers of that Road) some twenty miles. This Town is very ancient, or as I may so say, a Borough Town, sending Burgomasters to the Parliament. It is likewise a Corporation, 
The Mayor.  having yearly a Mayor of Worship elected for the better administration of Justice. 
The Church.  The Church belonging to this Town is of a curious structure, and very large, famous for the Tomb of Humphrey, 
Tomb of Duke Humphrey.  called the good Duke of Gloucester, son of King Henry the fourth, brother to King Henry the fifth, and uncle to King Henry the sixth, 
See Hollenshead, Martin, Stow, Speed, and Shakespeare in the second part of Henry the sixth.  in whose reign the said good Duke was murdered, and was buried in this Church of Saint Albon. This Duke leaving behind him the best monument, a good name, had his memory much reverenced, insomuch, that many (those being superstitious times) held him for a Saint. 
The Duke a Saint.  Now it fortuned that an old man, having been long impotent in his feet, 
Here gins the story of the old man, Shakespeare, ut supra.  could not be cured; but after he had spent all he had on Surgeons and Doctors, was at last feign to be content with this unreasonable salve, You are past cure. This old man I say, after all this, yet dispaired not, but calling to mind this good Duke of Gloucester, hre resolved to make him his particular Saint, and imposing unto himself a confidence, 
He makes the Duke his particular Saint.  that by going to this good Duke's tomb, and invoking him for help, that thereupon he should be cured.  
This poor soul went unto the Tomb, rejoicing as he went, 
He goes to his Tomb.  with a conceit of being made whole; but (a thing not to be spoken) the old man no sooner offered up his hands in Orrisons to the Duke, 
Infandum  but the Duke sent down such an Alms into his legs, that the old man went away frisking and skipping like a young colt.  
But now Reader, from the Tomb of Saint Humphrey, turn thee to the Bull at Saint Albon, 
Here gins the Devil's story.  which Inn is as famous as the Tomb we spoke of; only Reader I pray thee observe, that these two memorable accidents should happen in the two most memorable places of the Town; 
Note Reader.  for who hast not heard of the Tomb of Saint Humphrey, and how the old man was cured? And who hath not heard of the Bull at Saint Albon? but how the Devil appeared there in the likeness of a Ram, I shall now relate.  
This Inn called the Bull at Saint Albon, 
Description of the Bull at Saint Albon, with the commodities thereof.  hath not only good victuals of all sorts, as flesh, fish, and fowl, to entertain travellers withal, but also good store of refreshing wine, viz. Sack, Claret, and white wine. This wine lieth in a large Cellar that is cut under ground, a great way from the house, 
Description of the Cellar, where the Devil was seen.  and having no cealing but the earth, out of which it is taken. Now it fortuned that an old acquaintance of the Hosts travelling that way, came to lodge with his good friend the Host on monday night last, being the 27. of November last passed; the good jovial Innkeeper was very glad to see his ancient acquaintance, and as a testimony thereof, he commands one of his Drawers to go down, and pierce a fresh But of Sack that stood at the furthermost end of all the Cellar.  
The Drawer takes a candle in his hand, 
The Drawer goes down into the Cellar.  and very nimbly slirs down the stairs, goes to the appointed vessel, and pierces it but whiles the wine was running into the pot, he casts his eyes aside, and see a huge black thing like a Ram, 
He sees the Devil  having glassy eyes, shag hair, wreathed horns, and (which assured him it was the Devil) cloven feet. 
Hereafter for shame, let none deny that the Devil hath cloven feet.  The Drawer stood so long amazed at this horrid apparition, that the pot overslowd even to the ground, at least a gallon, and the Drawer being so wise, as to take care for himself in the first place, 
Note the policy of this Drawer in the extremity of his fear.  for his better lightness, flings wine and pot away, and leaving the vessel running, with a strange alacrity mounts the stairs, appearing to his Master and Mistress, and many other beholders, very pale, and distracted with some strange chance that had happened. At last his fear burst out into these words, Oh Master! the Devil is in the Cellar, and appeared to me, and I was so frighted, that I left the vessel running, and came up as you see; the Host answers him with a box on the ear, which he felt, calling him faint-hearted rogue, and that it was nothing but fear which made him conceit such a thing: 
The Host descends the stairs, and after he had seen the Devil, sommersets them up again.  But the Hosts wife saying, husband, though you venture yourself with the Devil, yet, let us not lose our wine; the Host obeys his wife, and taking a candle, he valiantly descends the stairs, running with all haste towards the further end of the Cellar, to stop the vessel, the Devil with his horns meets him full butt in the midst of the way, the Host not being used to see the Devil, 
Note that to Somerset, is to toss heels over head, and to light on heels again, the word is frequent amongst tumblers at this day.  knew not how to look on him, but casting himself backward, like an activetumbler, never left playing the Somerset, till he mounted the stairs: and shaking and quaking, swore that he had seen the fearfullest, ugliest Devil that ever he saw in his life, and that he should have all his wine, before he would venture to stop a drop of it. These outcries bring all the neighbours into the Inn; & amongst the rest a Butcher, worthily deemed, and taken to be the stoutest man, 
The Butcher with his endowments described.  both of heart and hands, within the jurisdiction of the majoralty, he had broke two arms the last football playing, and would knock down an Ox with an Axe 7 pound lighter at the helm than any other could; briefly, 
Note that the Sack run all this while of it own accord.  he was the very George of Green of St Albon. The said Butcher manfully looking on these affrighted ones, courageously asked what was the matter, or what could make them so fearful; the Host replies that the devil was in the Cellar, and had appeared to him and his man in the likeness of a black Ram, telling him withal, how they had left a But of Sack running, and promising the Butcher, that if he would venture down and stop the vessel, 
The Butcher goes down into the Cellar-Note that none went down without a candle.  he would give him a gallon of the best Sack he had; the Butcher looking somewhat surly, as being angry they should make a doubt of his prowess; snatches up a candle, and swears that he would fetch up the devil Ram, stick him, and quarter him, to make amends for the black Ram he had lately lost. 
He stopped the vessel.  Armed with this resolution, down he goes, and nothing regarding the devil, he goes first and stops the vessel, 
He vanquisheth and bringeth up the Devil.  & suddenly turning himself about, he cast his angry eye upon the devil, and after he had looked so long, as to perceive how his horns grew, he steps to the devil, and seizeth on his horns with his approved hands. The cunning devil, knowing by instinct, that he could not prevail against true valour, meek as a sheep, suffers himself to be dragged up the stairs, the noise whereof makes all retire to their ground, at the furthermost end of the room, 
The Butcher's speech after he had brought up the Devil.  but the Butcher no sooner come up with his infernal captive, but thus he speaks, Lo here is that fiend of darkness, which shall dearly pay for frighting you, for I vow to manacle his feet, 
Some incredulous people seeking to deceive the truth, impudently give it our, that the earth falling into the Cellar, a black Ram fell in therewith, which Ram the Butcher had lost the day before, said benign lector utere sapientia tua.  and carry him to my slaughter house, cut his throat, flay off his skin, & sell his flesh, & this by Lucifer his Prince, I swear to perform. Allapplauded the Butcher, & the Host thanked him for saving his Sack: But the butcher intending to prosecute his revenge against the now silly quiet devil, hales him to his slaughter house, cuts his throat, fleas off his skin, sells all of him but a hind quarter he had reserved for his own supper, to which supper he invites many of his friends, who eat hearty of his flesh, and picked his bones, whilst the Butcher's story of this his atcheivement, together with his hosts wine, made excellent sauce to this hellish food, so that merrily down it went the Devil and all, 
That the Devil may, and hath often appeared, Read Friar Rush, Dr. Faustus, Dr. Lamb and that man of men, and glory of the black art, the famous Lily now living.  at which mirth I leave them.  
Claudite jam Rivos, pueri sat prata biberunt.  
I might have enlarged this discourse with a query, whether cuckolds go to hell or no, since as it appears by this story, the devil himself hath horns, but I affect brevity, especially when the question depends not on the thing related.  
Courteous Reader, I thought good according to Brittanicus custom, to add a Comment to this my concise relation, this being (as most of the learned will avouch) of equal validity with any thing he ever writ.  
FINIS.