By order of His Majesty the KYNG

Herein be the honeft account of a moste terryble offence to thine Lord and Maker

Foundashun Bestiary Number 4:

"Lucifer's Crones"

Being clafsified by the Royal Foundashun for the Contaynmant of Eville as

Unrepentante Eville

which has the following standing orders with refpect of her contaynment

Sufpected Lucifer's Crones are to be tranfported to Foundashun village withe greate hurry whereupon thee olde hag is to be dunk'ed in Olde Yellowe Duck's Pond. If she floats then she is indeede a Crone of Lucifer and she muft be put to a fyre righte awaye. If thee olde hag peryshes in the waters of Olde Yellowe Duck's Pond she muft be given a righte proper Chriftian burial and a letter of condolants sent to the wretched woman's hufband.

After burning a Crone of Lucifer, if she be not confumed by the fyre, put her daemonic huske in the darkeft hole ye can finde where even the devil wille not find her!

and the Foundashun does therefore describe this eville entyte as follows

Lucifer's Crones are accurfed olde hags that commune withe the source of alle eville. Such vile women are marked as daemons by WARTS and MOLES and alsoe by loofe tongues that showe ungodly temperament SUCH AS blasfeme and nowlidge of men's privvy parts.

Some alsoe showe UNNATRAL preocupashun with blacke cats, the Lord's moste wicked of creatures.

Lucifer's Crones are saide to haf GREATE and TERRYBLE powere over the elements and can START FYRES without kindling or flint. Some haf been nowne to TRANSMUTE a man into a GOATE. Some do claime powere to HEAL but manye treated haf continyoud to showe signes of GOUT, CONSUMPSHUN, HYSTERIA and GENRUL MALAYSE.

Manye men in villages difcover a Lucifer's Crone in his midft when a wyfe or sister or mother is WITNESSED showeing UNDUE INTEREST in a man that is not her hufband!

On the worde of Lord Yorke a new means of tefting for Lucifer's Crones is now to be used. The Mafter of Philofophy Lord Sufsex did difcover that these hags do float! The new teft means a goode Foundashun man may avoide speakeing to a Crone when he contayns her. We men of philofophy stand at the very edge of progresse!

Sum earthly remayns of Crones wille not decaye. It is as if she has defiled natrul law so greatly natrul law has spurned her. It is a greate abominashun in the eyes of the Lord.

Here followe the eventes of an INQUISISHUN of Lucifer's Crone number 49 by Inquifitor Stubbs

Lucifer's Crone number 49 was brort to me yefterday and I did nowe at once that she be a daemon. She did deny hafing poweres and did COMPLAINE fore manye manye hours at her incarferashun but the devil cud note be'fuddle mine mind for I did beholde a MYGHTY MOLE upon her face which I did sickyn to see!

Her hufband, a Godly man, did alsoe speake of her COMPLAYNING and genrul unruly charactur which I did alsoe witness.

Then this hag, becoming so angered did put a CURSE upon me and said I wud be deade when the sun rises for a fifth time and so I did write to the KYNG to insiste she be put to the FYRE.

Here followes the acount of the inquisishun of Lucifer's Crone number 49 one weeke later by Inquifitor Smythe

Upone the instrucshuns of the Royal Foundashun I was charged wif difcovering the meanes by which inquifitor Stubbs, a goode and loyale man, did perishe. I did speake to number 49 in a state of greate fear for mine life. She was in a state of greate merryment.

Haf ye no shame for ye wicked acts I did aske of her and she did say in reply he did deferve his fate for he was moste rude and had treated her poorly.

Then I did poke her with hot irons and saw she did NOT burn and wud not reveal the workings of her eville arte.

Then she did CURSE me and I am now much afear'd for my life! This hag muste be sent to the fyre

Herein followes the VERDICTE of Head Inquifitor Lorde Yorke, a proude and noble man of goode standing in the Royal Court of ENGLAND, on the issue of Lucifer's Crone number 49, a TERRYBLE HAG

Wif no smalle regret I did haf the sorrowful duty of writing to the wyves of Inquifitors Stubbs and Smythe. I could not telle of their true fate, a moste unbecoming and diabolycal ende not fit for the ears of ladyes.

I did also instructe the Royal Foundashun to herein ceafe all inquifitions of Lucifer's Crones for there be no defence in heavyn or earth against such eville. We wille now use only the STOOL of DUCKING as defcribed by Mafter of Philofophy Lord Sufsex, a moste potente and effectif TEST.

Number 49 is deade. Yet she does not rot. Indeed she was in league with the Beaft after alle!

I fear we acted too late. The Tower is befet by Lucifer's Crones, more are founde every day! I haf written to the Kyng to aske for an addishunal sum of one pound and twenty to enlist more goode men to the worke.

God Save us!