Severalofthevictimsintheforegoinglist，hadonlythemselvestoblamefortheirfate。Manyagain，includingtheapothecary’swifeanddaughteralreadymentioned，pretendedtosorcery，andsoldpoisons，orattemptedbymeansofcharmsandincantationstoraisethedevil。Butthroughoutallthisfearfulperiodthedelusionofthecriminalswasasgreatasthatofthejudges。Depravedpersonswho，inordinarytimes，wouldhavebeenthievesormurderers，addedthedesireofsorcerytotheirdepravity，sometimeswiththehopeofacquiringpowerovertheirfellows，andsometimeswiththehopeofsecuringimpunityinthisworldbytheprotectionofSatan。Oneofthepersonsexecutedatthefirstburning，aprostitute，washeardrepeatingtheexorcism，whichwassupposedtohavethepowerofraisingthearchenemyintheformofagoat。ThispreciousspecimenofhumanfollyhasbeenpreservedbyHorst，inhis“Zauberbibliothek。“Itranasfollows，andwastoberepeatedslowly，withmanyceremoniesandwaivingsofthehand:——
　　“Lalle，Bachera，Magotte，Baphia，Dajam，VagothHenecheAmmiNagaz，AdomatorRaphaelImmanuelChristus，TetragrammatonAgraJodLoi。Konig！Konig！“
　　Thetwolastwordswereutteredquickly，andwithasortofscream，andweresupposedtobehighlyagreeabletoSatan，wholovedtobecalledaking。Ifhedidnotappearimmediately，itwasnecessarytorepeatafurtherexorcism。Theoneingreatestreputewasasfollows，andwastobereadbackwards，withtheexceptionofthelasttwowords“Anion，Lalle，Sabolos，Sado，Pater，AzielAdonaiSadoVagothAgra，Jod，Baphra！Komm！Komm！“
　　Whenthewitchwantedtogetridofthedevil，whowassometimesinthehabitofprolonginghisvisitstoanunconscionablelength，shehadonlytorepeatthefollowing，alsobackwards，whenhegenerallydisappeared，leavingbehindhimasuffocatingsmell:——
　　“ZellianelleHeottiBonusVagothaPlisossotherosechunicusBeelzebubDax！Komm！Komm！“
　　ThisnonsensicaljargonsoonbecameknowntoalltheidleandfoolishboysofGermany。Manyanunhappyurchin，whoinayouthfulfrolichadrepeatedit，paidforhisfollythepenaltyofhislife。Three，whoseagesvariedfromtentofifteen，wereburnedaliveatWurzburgfornootheroffence。Ofcourseeveryotherboyinthecitybecamestillmoreconvincedofthepowerofthecharm。Oneboyconfessedthathewouldwillinglyhavesoldhimselftothedevil，ifhecouldhaveraisedhim，foragooddinnerandcakeseverydayofhislife，andaponytorideupon。Thisluxuriousyoungster，insteadofbeinghorsewhippedforhisfolly，washangedandburned。
　　ThesmalldistrictofLindheimwas，ifpossible，evenmorenotoriousthanWurzburgforthenumberofitswitch-burnings。Intheyear1633afamouswitch，namedPompAnna，whocouldcauseherfoestofallsickbymerelylookingatthem，wasdiscoveredandburned，alongwiththreeofhercompanions。Everyyearinthisparish，consistingatmostofathousandpersons，theaveragenumberofexecutionswasfive。
　　Betweentheyears1660and1664，thenumberconsumedwasthirty。IftheexecutionsalloverGermanyhadbeeninthisfrightfulproportion，hardlyafamilycouldhaveescapedlosingoneofitsmembers。
　　In1627aballadentitledthe“DrutenZeitung，“orthe“WitchesGazette，“wasverypopularinGermany。Itdetailed，accordingtothetitlepageofacopyprintedatSmalcaldin1627，“anaccountoftheremarkableeventswhichtookplaceinFranconia，Bamberg，andWurzburg，withthosewretcheswhofromavariceorambitionhavesoldthemselvestothedevil，andhowtheyhadtheirrewardatlast:settomusic，andtobesungtothetuneofDorothea。“Thesufferingsofthewitchesatthestakeareexplainedinitwithgreatminuteness，thepoetwaxingextremelywittywhenhedescribesthehorriblecontortionsofpainupontheircountenances，andtheshrieksthatrenttheairwhenanyoneofmorethancommonguiltwasburnedalive。Atrickresortedtoinordertoforceonewitchtoconfess，istoldinthisdoggrelasanexcellentjoke。Assheobstinatelyrefusedtoownthatshewasinleaguewiththepowersofevil，thecommissionerssuggestedthatthehangmanshoulddresshimselfinabear’sskin，withthehorns，tail，andalltheetceteras，andinthisformpenetrateintoherdungeon。Thewoman，inthedarknessofhercell，couldnotdetecttheimposture，aidedasitwasbyherownsuperstitiousfears。Shethoughtshewasactuallyinthepresenceoftheprinceofhell；andwhenshewastoldtokeepuphercourage，andthatsheshouldberelievedfromthepowerofherenemies，shefellonherkneesbeforethesupposeddevil，andsworetodedicateherselfhereafterbodyandsoultohisservice。Germanyis，perhaps，theonlycountryinEuropewherethedelusionwassogreatastohavemadesuchdetestableversesasthesethefavouritesofthepeople:——
　　“ManshickteinHenkersknechtZuihrinGefangnissn’unter，Denmanhatkleidetrecht，MireinerBarnhaute，AlswennsderTeufelwar；
　　AlsihmdieDrutanschauteMeintsihrBuhlkamdaher。
　　“Siesprachzuihmbehende，WielasstdumichsolangInderObrigkeitHande？
　　HilfmirausihrenZwang，Wiedumirhastverheissen，Ichbinjaebendein，ThumichausderAngstentreissenOliebsterBuhlemein？
　　[Theysentahangman’sassistantdowntoherinherprison；theyclothedhimproperlyinabear’sskin，asifhewerethedevil。Him，whenthewitchsaw，shethoughthewasherfamiliar。Shesaidtohimquickly，“Whyhastthouleftmesolonginthemagistrate’shands？
　　Helpmeoutoftheirpower，asthouhastpromised，andIwillbethinealone。Helpmefromthisanguish，Othoudearestdevilorlover，mine？]
　　Thisrarepoetadds，thatinmakingsuchanappealtothehangman，thewitchneverimaginedtheroastthatwastobemadeofher，andputsin，bywayofparenthesis，“wasnotthatfinefun！““WasdaswarfureinSpiel！“Asfeathersthrownintotheairshowhowthewindblows，sothistrumperyballadservestoshowthecurrentofpopularfeelingatthetimeofitscomposition。
　　AllreadersofhistoryarefamiliarwiththecelebratedtrialoftheMarechaled’Ancre，whowasexecutedinParisintheyear1617。
　　Althoughwitchcraftwasoneoftheaccusationsbroughtagainsther，therealcrimeforwhichshesufferedwasherascendencyoverthemindofMaryofMedicis，andtheconsequentinfluencesheexercisedindirectlyovertheunworthyKing，LouisXIII。Hercoachmangaveevidencethatshehadsacrificedacockatmidnight，inoneofthechurches，andotherssworetheyhadseenhergosecretlyintothehouseofanotedwitch，namedIsabella。WhenaskedbywhatmeansshehadacquiredsoextraordinaryaninfluenceoverthemindoftheQueenMother，sherepliedboldly，thatsheexercisednootherpoweroverher，thanthatwhichastrongmindcanalwaysexerciseovertheweak。
　　Shediedwithgreatfirmness。
　　IntwoyearsafterwardsscenesfarmorehorriblethananythathadyettakenplaceinFrancewereenactedatLabourt，atthefootofthePyrenees。TheParliamentofBourdeaux，scandalisedatthenumberofwitcheswhoweresaidtoinfestLabourtanditsneighbourhood，deputedoneofitsownmembers，thenotedPierredel’Ancre，anditsPresident，Espaignel，toinquireintothematter，withfullpowerstopunishtheoffenders。TheyarrivedatLabourtinMay1619。Del’Ancrewroteabook，settingforthallhisgreatdeeds，inthisbattleagainstthepowersofevil。Itisfullofobscenityandabsurdity；butthefactsmaybereliedonasfarastheyrelatetothenumberoftrialsandexecutions，andthestrangeconfessionswhichtortureforcedfromtheunhappycriminals。
　　Del’AncrestatesasareasonwhysomanywitchesweretobefoundatLabourt，thatthecountrywasmountainousandsterile！Hediscoveredmanyofthemfromtheirpartialitytosmokingtobacco。Itmaybeinferredfromthis，thathewasoftheopinionofKingJames，thattobaccowasthe“devil’sweed。“Whenthecommissionfirstsat，thenumberofpersonsbroughttotrialwasaboutfortyaday。Theacquittalsdidnotaveragesomanyasfivepercent。AllthewitchesconfessedthattheyhadbeenpresentatthegreatDomdaniel，orSabbath。Atthesesaturnaliathedevilsatuponalargegildedthrone，sometimesintheformofagoat；sometimesasagentleman，dressedallinblack，withboots，spurs，andsword；andveryoftenasashapelessmass，resemblingthetrunkofablastedtree，seenindistinctlyamidthedarkness。TheygenerallyproceededtotheDomdaniel，ridingonspits，pitchforks，orbroomsticks，and，ontheirarrival，indulgedwiththefiendsineveryspeciesofdebauchery。UpononeoccasiontheyhadhadtheaudacitytocelebratethisfestivalintheveryheartofthecityofBourdeaux。ThethroneofthearchfiendwasplacedinthemiddleofthePlacedeGallienne，andthewholespacewascoveredwiththemultitudeofwitchesandwizards，whoflockedtoitfromfarandnear；somearrivingevenfromdistantScotland。
　　Aftertwohundredpoorwretcheshadbeenhangedandburned，thereseemednodiminutioninthenumberofcriminalstobetried。ManyofthelatterwereaskedupontherackwhatSatanhadsaid，whenhefoundthatthecommissionerswereproceedingwithsuchseverity？Thegeneralreplywas，thathedidnotseemtocaremuchaboutit。Someofthemasserted，thattheyhadboldlyreproachedhimforsufferingtheexecutionoftheirfriends，saying，“Outuponthee，false，fiend！thypromisewas，thattheyshouldnotdie！Look！howthouhastkeptthyword！Theyhavebeenburned，andareaheapofashes！“Upontheseoccasionshewasneveroffended。HewouldgiveordersthatthesportsoftheDomdanielshouldcease，andproducingillusoryfiresthatdidnotburn，heencouragedthemtowalkthrough，assuringthemthatthefireslightedbytheexecutionergavenomorepainthanthose。Theywouldthenaskhim，wheretheirfriendswere，sincetheyhadnotsuffered；towhichthe“FatherofLies“invariablyreplied，thattheywerehappyinafarcountry，andcouldseeandhearallthatwasthenpassing；andthat，iftheycalledbynamethosetheywishedtoconversewith，theymightheartheirvoicesinreply。Satanthenimitatedthevoicesofthedefunctwitchessosuccessfully，thattheywerealldeceived。Havingansweredallobjections，theorgiesrecommenced，andlastedtillthecockcrew。
　　Del’Ancrewasalsoveryzealousinthetrialofunhappymonomaniacsforthecrimeoflycanthropy。Severalwhowerearrestedconfessed，withoutbeingtortured，thattheywereweir-wolves，andthat，atnight，theyrushedoutamongtheflocksandherds，killinganddevouring。OneyoungmanatBesancon，withthefullconsciousnessoftheawfulfatethatawaitedhim，voluntarilygavehimselfuptothecommissionerEspaignel，andconfessedthathewastheservantofastrongfiend，whowasknownbythenameof“LordoftheForests。“Byhispower，hewastransformedintothelikenessofawolf。The“LordoftheForests“assumedthesameshape，butwasmuchlarger，fiercer，andstronger。Theyprowledaboutthepasturestogetheratmidnight，stranglingthewatch-dogsthatdefendedthefolds，andkillingmoresheepthantheycoulddevour。Hefelt，hesaid，afiercepleasureintheseexcursions，andhowledinexcessofjoyashetorewithhisfangsthewarmfleshofthesheepasunder。Thisyouthwasnotaloneinthishorridconfession；manyothersvoluntarilyownedthattheywereweir-wolves，andmanymorewereforcedbytorturetomakethesameavowal。Suchcriminalswerethoughttobetooatrocioustobehangedfirst，andthenburned:theyweregenerallysentencedtobeburnedalive，andtheirashestobescatteredtothewinds。Graveandlearneddoctorsofdivinityopenlysustainedthepossibilityofthesetransformations，relyingmainlyuponthehistoryofNebuchadnezzar。
　　Theycouldnotimaginewhy，ifhehadbeenanox，modernmencouldnotbecomewolves，byDivinepermissionandthepowerofthedevil。Theyalsocontendedthat，ifmenshouldconfess，itwasevidenceenough，iftherehadbeennoother。Delriomentionsthatonegentlemanaccusedoflycanthropywasputtothetorturenolessthantwentytimes，butstillhewouldnotconfess。Anintoxicatingdraughtwasthengivenhim，andunderitsinfluenceheconfessedthathewasaweir-wolf。