A true and strange RELATION OF A BOY, Who was entertained by the Devil to be Servant to him with the consent of his Father, about Crediton in the West, and how the Devil carried him up in the air, and shown him the torments of Hell, and some of the Cavaliers there, and what preparation there was made for Goring and Greenvile against they came.  
Also how the Cavaliers went to rob a Carrier, and how the Carrier and his Horses turned themselves into flames of fire.  
With a Copy of a Letter from Maior General massy, concerning these strange and wonderful things, with a certain Box of Relics and Crucifixes found in TIVERTON Church.   Hermes or Mercury, carrying a staff of his astrological symbol, and a written paper 
London, Printed by J. H. 1645.   

A true and perfect Relation of a Boy that bound himself Apprentice to the Devil, and related what Cavaliers be saw tormented in HELL.  
THAT the Devil hath been a grand imposter ever since the world's infancy, and doth still prosecute his inveterate enmity against Adam's Progeny, seeking by variety of stratagems and cunning delusions, first to entrap, and then utterly to subvert all men of what Rank or Quality soever: Is such an infallible Axiom and Tenent of Christianity, as needs no further proof; considering that every day proceedeth one or other memorable passage, wherein is detected the policy of that roaring Lion, who by divine permission doth insinuate himself with the Children of disobedience, and stirs them up to the perpetrating of most odious and execrable actions; but in the end pays them home, with the due reward of all their delinquencies, so that their very memory is abhorred of all posterity.  
The matter which we are now to treat of may seem to pass the bounds of humane conceit and credulity, but if we duly examine that divers Subjects of the like nature have issued from the Pens of most worthy and approved Authors both ancient and modern, we need not question any of the circumstances here inserted. For that Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light, is sufficiently testified by holy Writ, and appeareth in that notable delusion which he puts upon Saul at his repairing to the Witch of Endor about the raising up of samuel's Ghost. But to be brief, the verity of this subsequent treatise is already confirmed by sundry persons of good rank and quality inhabiting about the place where it happened, as I shall briefly declare.  
In the County of Devon at a Market Town called Bow, liveth one John Buxford by profession a Worsted-comber having a Son named Joseph, aged fifteen years or thereabouts, whom he had bound Apprentice to a Weaver, named Simon Culiver dwelling in Crediton: this Joseph being a stubborn and untowardly Boy, could not brook his Master's service, but after a Month's time secretly departed away to the King's Army with one Byerly a Lieutenant to a Troop of Horse in the Lord of cleaveland's Brigade, with whom he continued a roguish course of life; most of this last Summer till the defeat which the Cavaliers received at Langport-Moore, where the Lieutenant his Master lost his Horse, and , and the Boy was stripped and turned into rags: so that seeing no probability to be furnished with apparel from his Master, he came home to the old man his father who clothed him and would have had him return to the Weaver again, but no persuasions or entreaties could prevail or work upon the froward disposition of this obstinate and disobedient Boy, which so incensed the old man, that he swore in great fury, that if he would not consent to go to the Weaver, he would been him Apprentice to the Devil, which rash and in considerate threaten, he often times used and repeated, but perceiving that words took small effect, he determined to take a more rigerous course, and shortly put the same in execution.  
Upon the fifth day of November in the morning, he charged the Boy to prepare himself for to go along with him to Crediton, which the Boy presently refused, saying he would rather go to the Devil: whereupon the old man taking him by the arm did fall a beating of him, so that by mere force compelled him along, (the Boy all the time using many bitter execrations, and the father bestowing many grievous stripes up on his shoulders) contiuning this posture for above balfe a miles distance from the Town, which they met with a Carrier driving before him four Horses loaden with packs of Cloth, who seemed to this John Buxford to be one whom he had often observed to frequend the Road. The Carrier very courtiously demanded of him why he used such severity towards the boy; wher●pon he willing to satisfy him, told him all the circumstances of his Sons refractory behaviour in running from his Master, and his unwillingness to take any good course of life, or honest vocation for his future maintenance. The Carrier replied, that, it was pity the Boy should miscarry by undertaking a forced service upon him: But if they two could agree, and that the Boy were willing to go a long with him, he doubted not but he should find a Master for him, and such employment as would put him in the way to gain a complete estate to maintain himself and help his friends. But the old man willingly listed to the Carrier's proposition, and being very desirous to provide for his sons good, (as the natural affection of all Parents towards Children doth greatly oblige) was content that he should go a long with the Carrier, who condtioned with him to bring or send bacl the Boy in eight day's time at the furthest, if he should not take liking of the promised service, thus all parties have concluded, the boy being more inclined to any service then to live with his old Master the Weaver. The old man took his leave of them both, bequeathing his son joseph to the hopeful tuition and custody of this supposed Carrier.  
No sooner was he departed out of their sight, but suddenly ensued the beginning of this stupendious Miracle, the ending whereof is able to amaze each curious inquisitor, that studies to pry in the Cabinet of Divine or Humane Mysteries, for in the first place, the Horses and Packs vanished, the timorous Boy beholds his new Master metamorphesed in a trice from a man to a flying Horse in a black and ugly shape and colour; who now proves so officious to his Servant, that he will carry him upon his own back, and so snatches him up sorthwith into the air through which he hurry; him with violence and motion swifter than imagination, so that this new Rider was quickly mounted above the middle Region the earth seemed unto him of a very small proportion, London and other magnificent Cities on greater than small Cottages: and having measured the waste concave of the Moon with more curiosity than Tycho Branch, or the subtlest ginger could ever invent; they descend by and by Torrenti smile with a more precipitious motion than the Cataracts of the seven headed Nole, and so are plunged into the vast Caverners Neptune, in whose watery dominions (during the time of this short and miraculous transportation) the Boy observed the most strange and unutterable wonders of the deep diversified in more several pieces, than the wisest Phoylosophers have hitherto at any time mentioned or expressed, at length they came into a profound Cell or Cave, (the earth seeming to open itself) as the swallowing up of Korah Dathan and Abiram.  
The Devil now dischargeth his burden, and assumeth a more terrible shape than that of the flying Horse, saying to his Guest: Be not dismayed, thy employment here shall be only to take a view of divers men, who thou hast formerly seen or known in the Malignant Army, whose base course of life have occasioned their sudden and unexpected deaths, and now are sent tame to receive their due recompense for the same. Where upon there instantly ensued a most hideous and fearful howling, and a great many ghastly apparitions presented themselves before him, amongst whom he observed many whom he supposed to have seen before Langport fight, who bitterly bewailed their insupportable pain in these words, Woe, woe, unto us that ever we undertook the defence of such an unjust Cause: But that which made the greatest impression in the distracted fancy of this wretched Spectator was the sight of Sir Peter Ball, (one of the Commissioners of Excester lately deceased) lying all along after a strange manner, his Legs and Feet scorching in furious flames, his Buttocks upon a Crediron, his Back and Shoulders in a frying pan, his Head in a boiling kettle of pitch, bellowing and roaring out in grievous sort, and cursing the hour of his ativity, with his extorting, covetousness, and cheating of the Country. There was preparation made for Greenvile and Goring, whose places was allotted unto them close by Sir Peter Ball, there to stand with three furies attending upon them whose Office was four Ladles of scalding Acomite down their belching throats. Not long after came in the Lady Scot, goring sister, being usherd by that immeasurable luxury and perjured Caitiff Greenvile, who was to be hung up by the tongue upon hot burning tenter hooks: Lastly appeared the Lady Dolkeat, Nurse to the young Princess lying at Bedford House in Excester. All these and infinite more were confined to their several stations of tormend, whose confused eiulations and wail were too tedious here to relate but were in sine so full of dread and horror to this wretched Boy, that he earnestly wished himself out of this place, to undergo any servitude though never so miserable and deplorable.  
The time being now expired according to the former contract made which this arch enemy of mankind, whose power extends no further than God hath limited, the Boy Joseph was conveyed bacl again to a place named Cannon Lee in Devon, where he was found by two honest Labourers being servants to Mr. Justice Cullum living there, who first espied him under a Hedge, and coming to him demanded what he was, but receiving no answer but only signs with his Head, they perceived that he was speechless, and his hands and legs strangely distorted, his hair of his head singyd, his  all be smeared with pitch and rosin, and other sulfurous matter, which yielded an odious stench; but they commiserating his miserable condition, took him up betwixt them and carried him home to there Master's house, where he was shifted and put in a warm bed, and shortly after by means of some nourishing broah given him, was so well revived that he then declared unto them his name, birthplace, and his strange journey with the Devil, which seemed at first ridiculous to the Justice and most which heard him, but then a little better pondering in what manner he was found and brought to the house, he sent for the old man his father, who coming thither, acknowledged him to be his son, and manner of his departure, with other circumstances above rehearsed: There were present Mr. Jonathan Gainwell a very zealous and godly Minister of the Parish, who took special notice thereof and gave the Boy very pious admonitions of obedience, which by God's grace took such good effect, that he there delivered good testimonies that he was truly penitent of his former lewd courses and there reconciled himself to his father, with whom he now liveth and is almost cured of that distortion of his members.  
A true information was sent by Justice Cullum and Mr. Gainwell the Minister, unto Major General Massy at Tiverion, of all these precedent circumstances related unto them by the old man and his some, which for the novelty thereof was much admired by all that ever heard it.  
The Copy of a Letter from Maior General massy, to Mr. Davenport a Cheshire Gentleman now resident in LONDON.  
SIR,  
I Lately received your Letter wherein you give me notice that my business is much retracted, and hath not obtained that happy issue which I expected it should have done. We have no new; at present, but such as I suppose is already come to your ears, only this wonder here enclosed the true Relation whereof I received from Mr. Cullum of Cannon's Lee, a Gentleman of approved integrity and astimation in this County: I have sent you by this bearer a Box of Relics with a great Crucifix found in Tiverton Church in the wall which the Cavaliers had there built for the strengthening of the porch, which way serve as a sufficient argument to convince your wives good opinion, which she formerly conceived of those Champions of Antichrist the Cavaliers, You shall do me a favour, if you please to hasten Mr. East about the finishing of my Watch, and send me half a pound of the best sealing wax, I remain  
From Tiverton, Nou. 18. 1645. Your faithful Friend Edward massy.  
The s●me day that the Devil departed from the Boy where the Labourers found him, happened another strange thing worth the relating. The Devil assumed his former shape of the Carrier, and was encountered upon the way by straggling Troopers of the Malignant Party, who viewing such fair horses made themselves sure of rich purchase, and presently addressed themselves to plunder, but as they went about it the Catrier and his Horses suddenly vanished away in the flames of fire, leaving three of those Plunderers dead in the place, the rest so terribly shaken and almost stifled with the noisome sent of Brimstone, that they hardly escaped to carry news of this strange accident.  
FINIS.