Theinquisitorswererequiredtoaskthesuspectedwhethertheyhadmidnightmeetingswiththedevil？whethertheyattendedthewitch’ssabbathontheBrocken？whethertheyhadtheirfamiliarspirits？
　　whethertheycouldraisewhirlwindsandcalldownthelightning？andwhethertheyhadsexualintercoursewithSatan？
　　Straightwaytheinquisitorssettowork；Cumarius，inItaly，burnedforty-onepoorwomeninoneprovincealone，andSprenger，inGermany，burnedanumberwhichcanneverbeascertainedcorrectly，butwhich，itisagreedonallhands，amountedtomorethanfivehundredinayear。Thegreatresemblancebetweentheconfessionsoftheunhappyvictimswasregardedasanewproofoftheexistenceofthecrime。Butthisisnotastonishing。Thesamequestionsfromthe“MalleusMaleficarum，“wereputtothemall，andtortureneverfailedtoeducetheanswerrequiredbytheinquisitor。Numbersofpeoplewhoseimaginationswerefilledwiththesehorrors，wentfurtherinthewayofconfessionthaneventheirtormentersanticipated，inthehopethattheywouldtherebybesavedfromtherack，andputoutoftheirmiseryatonce。Someconfessedthattheyhadhadchildrenbythedevil；butnoone，whohadeverbeenamother，gaveutterancetosuchafranticimagining，evenintheextremityofheranguish。Thechildlessonlyconfessedit，andwereburnedinstanterasunworthytolive。
　　ForfearthezealoftheenemiesofSatanshouldcool，successivePopesappointednewcommissions。OnewasappointedbyAlexanderVI，in1494；anotherbyLeoX，in1521，andathirdbyAdrianVI，in1522。
　　Theywereallarmedwiththesamepowerstohuntoutanddestroy，andexecutedtheirfearfulfunctionsbuttoorigidly。InGenevaalonefivehundredpersonswereburnedintheyears1515and1516，underthetitleofProtestantwitches。Itwouldappearthattheirchiefcrimewasheresy，andtheirwitchcraftmerelyanaggravation。BartolomeodeSpinahasaliststillmorefearful。Heinformsusthat，intheyear1524，nolessthanathousandpersonssuffereddeathforwitchcraftinthedistrictofComo，andthatforseveralyearsafterwardstheaveragenumberofvictimsexceededahundredannually。Oneinquisitor，Remigius，tookgreatcredittohimselfforhaving，duringfifteenyears，convictedandburnedninehundred。
　　InFrance，abouttheyear1520，firesfortheexecutionofwitchesblazedinalmosteverytown。Danaeus，inhis“DialoguesofWitches，“
　　saystheyweresonumerousthatitwouldhenexttoimpossibletotellthenumberofthem。Sodeepwasthethraldomofthehumanmind，thatthefriendsandrelativesoftheaccusedpartieslookedonandapproved。Thewifeorsisterofamurderermightsympathiseinhisfate，butthewivesandhusbandsofsorcerersandwitcheshadnopity。
　　Thetruthisthatpitywasdangerous，foritwasthoughtnoonecouldhavecompassiononthesufferingsofawitchwhowasnotadabblerintheart:tohaveweptforawitchwouldhaveinsuredthestake。Insomedistricts，however，theexasperationofthepeoplebrokeout，inspiteofsuperstition。TheinquisitorofaruraltownshipinPiedmontburnedthevictimssoplentifully，andsofast，thattherewasnotafamilyintheplacewhichdidnotloseamember。Thepeopleatlastarose，andtheinquisitorwasbuttoohappytoescapefromthecountrywithwholelimbs。TheArchbishopofthedioceseproceededafterwardstothetrialofsuchastheinquisitorhadleftinprison。
　　Someofthechargesweresoutterlypreposterousthatthepoorwretcheswereatonceliberated；othersmetaharder，buttheusualfate。Someofthemwereaccusedofhavingjoinedthewitches’danceatmidnightunderablastedoak，wheretheyhadbeenseenbycreditablepeople。Thehusbandsofseveralofthesewomentwoofwhomwereyoungandbeautifulsworepositivelythatatthetimestatedtheirwiveswerecomfortablyasleepintheirarms；butitwasallinvain。Theirwordwastaken，buttheArchbishoptoldthemtheyhadbeendeceivedbythedevilandtheirownsenses。Itwastruetheymighthavehadthesemblanceoftheirwivesintheirbeds，buttheoriginalswerefaraway，atthedevil’sdanceundertheoak。Thehonestfellowswereconfounded，andtheirwivesburnedforthwith。
　　Intheyear1561，fivepoorwomenofVerneuilwereaccusedoftransformingthemselvesintocats，andinthatshapeattendingthesabbathofthefiends——prowlingaroundSatan，whopresidedoverthemintheformofagoat，anddancing，toamusehim，uponhisback。Theywerefoundguilty，andburned。[Bodin，page95。Garinet，page125。
　　“Anti-demondeSerclier，“page346。]
　　In1564，threewizardsandawitchappearedbeforethePresidentsSalvertandD’Avanton:theyconfessed，whenextendedontherack，thattheyanointedthesheep-penswithinfernalunguentstokillthesheep——thattheyattendedthesabbath，wheretheysawagreatblackgoat，whichspoketothem，andmadethemkisshim，eachholdingalightedcandleinhishandwhileheperformedtheceremony。TheywereallexecutedatPoitiers。
　　In1571，thecelebratedsorcerer，TroisEchelles，wasburnedinthePlacedeGreve，inParis。Heconfessed，inthepresenceofCharlesIX，andoftheMarshalsdeMontmorency，DeRetz，andtheSieurduMazille，physiciantotheKing，thathecouldperformthemostwonderfulthingsbytheaidofadeviltowhomhehadsoldhimself。Hedescribedatgreatlengththesaturnaliaofthefiends——thesacrificeswhichtheyofferedup——thedebaucheriestheycommittedwiththeyoungandhandsomewitches，andthevariousmodesofpreparingtheinfernalunguentforblightingcattle。HesaidhehadupwardsoftwelvehundredaccomplicesinthecrimeofwitchcraftinvariouspartsofFrance，whomhenamedtotheKing，andmanyofwhomwereafterwardsarrestedandsufferedexecution。
　　AtDole，twoyearsafterwards，GillesGarnier，anativeofLyons，wasindictedforbeingaloupgarou，orman-wolf，andforprowlinginthatshapeaboutthecountryatnighttodevourlittlechildren。Theindictmentagainsthim，asreadbyHenriCamus，doctoroflawsandcounselloroftheKing，wastotheeffectthathe，GillesGarnier，hadseizeduponalittlegirl，twelveyearsofage，whomhedrewintoavineyardandtherekilled，partlywithhisteethandpartlywithhishands，seeminglikewolf’spaws——thatfromthencehetrailedherbleedingbodyalongthegroundwithhisteethintothewoodofLaSerre，whereheatethegreatestportionofheratonemeal，andcarriedtheremainderhometohiswife；that，uponanotheroccasion，eightdaysbeforethefestivalofAllSaints，hewasseentoseizeanotherchildinhisteeth，andwouldhavedevouredherhadshenotbeenrescuedbythecountry-people——andthatthesaidchilddiedafewdaysafterwardsoftheinjurieshehadinflicted；thatfifteendaysafterthesamefestivalofAllSaints，beingagainintheshapeofawolf，hedevouredaboythirteenyearsofage，havingpreviouslytornoffhislegandthighwithhisteeth，andhidthemawayforhisbreakfastonthemorrow。Hewas，furthermore，indictedforgivingwaytothesamediabolicalandunnaturalpropensitieseveninhisshapeofaman，andthathehadstrangledaboyinawoodwiththeintentionofeatinghim，whichcrimehewouldhaveeffectedifhehadnotbeenseenbytheneighhoursandprevented。
　　GillesGarnierwasputtotherack，afterfiftywitnesseshaddeposedagainsthim:heconfessedeverythingthatwaslaidtohischarge。Hewas，thereupon，broughtbackintothepresenceofhisjudges，whenDr。Camus，inthenameoftheParliamentofDole，pronouncedthefollowingsentence:——
　　“SeeingthatGillesGarnierhas，bythetestimonyofcrediblewitnesses，andbyhisownspontaneousconfession，beenprovedguiltyoftheabominablecrimesoflycanthropyandwitchcraft，thiscourtcondemnshim，thesaidGilles，tobethisdaytakeninacartfromthisspottotheplaceofexecution，accompaniedbytheexecutionermaitreexecuteurdelahautejustice，wherehe，bythesaidexecutioner，shallbetiedtoastakeandburnedalive，andthathisashesbethenscatteredtothewinds。TheCourtfurthercondemnshim，thesaidGilles，tothecostsofthisprosecution。“
　　“GivenatDole，this18thdayofJanuary，1573。“
　　In1578，theParliamentofPariswasoccupiedforseveraldayswiththetrialofaman，namedJacquesRoller。He，also，wasfoundguiltyofbeingaloup-garou，andinthatshapedevouringalittleboy。HewasburntaliveinthePlacedeGreve。
　　In1579，somuchalarmwasexcitedintheneighbourhoodofMelunbytheincreaseofwitchesandloup-garous，thatacouncilwasheldtodevisesomemeasurestostaytheevil。Adecreewaspassed，thatallwitches，andconsulterswithwitches，shouldbepunishedwithdeath；
　　andnotonlythose，butfortune-tellersandconjurorsofeverykind。
　　TheParliamentofRouentookupthesamequestioninthefollowingyear，anddecreedthatthepossessionofagrimoire，orbookofspells，wassufficientevidenceofwitchcraft；andthatallpersonsonwhomsuchbookswerefoundshouldbeburnedalive。ThreecouncilswereheldindifferentpartsofFranceintheyear1583，allinrelationtothesamesubject。TheParliamentofBourdeauxissuedstrictinjunctionstoallcuratesandclergywhatever，touseredoubledeffortstorootoutthecrimeofwitchcraft。TheParliamentofTourswasequallyperemptory，andfearedthejudgmentsofanoffendedGod，ifallthesedealerswiththedevilwerenotsweptfromthefaceoftheland。TheParliamentofRheimswasparticularlysevereagainstthenoueursd’aiguillette，or“tyersoftheknot；“peopleofbothsexes，whotookpleasureinpreventingtheconsummationofmarriage，thattheymightcounteractthecommandofGodtoourfirstparents，toincreaseandmultiply。ThisParliamentheldittobesinfultowearamuletstopreservefromwitchcraft；andthatthispracticemightnotbecontinuedwithinitsjurisdiction，drewupaformofexorcism，whichwouldmoreeffectuallydefeattheagentsofthedevil，andputthemtoflight。
　　Acaseofwitchcraft，whichcreatedagreatsensationinitsday，occurredin1588，atavillageinthemountainsofAuvergne，abouttwoleaguesfromApchon。Agentlemanofthatplacebeingathiswindow，therepassedafriendofhiswhohadbeenouthunting，andwhowasthenreturningtohisownhouse。Thegentlemanaskedhisfriendwhatsporthehadhad；uponwhichthelatterinformedhimthathehadbeenattackedintheplainbyalargeandsavagewolf，whichhehadshotat，withoutwounding；andthathehadthendrawnouthishunting-knifeandcutofftheanimal’sfore-paw，asitspranguponhisnecktodevourhim。Thehuntsman，uponthis，puthishandintohisbagtopulloutthepaw，butwasshockedtofindthatitwasawoman’shand，withawedding-ringonthefinger。Thegentlemanimmediatelyrecognizedhiswife’sring，“which，“saystheindictmentagainsther，“madehimbegintosuspectsomeevilofher。“Heimmediatelywentinsearchofher，andfoundhersittingbythefireinthekitchen，withherarmhiddenunderneathherapron。Hetoreoffherapronwithgreatvehemence，andfoundthatshehadnohand，andthatthestumpwaseventhenbleeding。
　　Shewasgivenintocustody，andburnedatRiominpresenceofsomethousandsofspectators。[Tablier。SeealsoBoguet，“DiscourssurlesSorciers；“andM。JulesGarinet，“HistoiredelaMagie，“page150。]
　　Inthemidstoftheseexecutions，rarewerethegleamsofmercy；