[1] Under Innocent III, 1215.

[2] Diabolus enim et alii dæmones a Deo quidem natura creati sunt boni, sed ipsi per se facti sunt mali.

[3] Bossuet says that the writings of Suarez contain the whole of Scholastic Philosophy.

[4] Since it contradicts a definite (certa) theological conclusion or truth clearly consequent upon two premises, of which one is an article of faith (de fide), the other naturally certain.

[5] Which explains much of the trifling and silliness in Spiritism; the idle answers given through the mediums of the influences at work.

[6] Josephus, Antiquities, XIX. 8. 2.

[7] Suetonius, Caligula, XXII. Here ample details of Caligula’s worship may be read.

[8] Epigrammatum, V. 8. 1. See also IX. 4, et sæpius.

[9] ... id agens ne quis Romæ deus nisi Heliogabalus coleretur.... Nec Romanas tantum extinguere uoluit religiones, sed per orbem terræ unum studens ut Heliogabalus deus unus ubique coleretur. Ælius Lampridius, Antoninus Heliogabalus, 3; 6.

[10] Even the Christian (Arian) Constantius II suffered himself to be addressed as “Nostra Æternitas.”

[11] Now commemorated on 14 September, the Feast of the Exaltation of Holy Cross. Shortly after the Restoration of the Cross to Jerusalem, the wood was cut up (perhaps for greater safety) into small fragments which were distributed throughout the Christian world.

[12] Didymus, De Trinitate, III. xli.

[13] Epiphanius, Hær., xlviii. 11.

[14] Annales de la Propagation de la Foi, VII (1834), p. 84.

[15] D. C. J. Ibbetson, Outlines of Punjaub Ethnography, Calcutta. 1883. p. 123.

[16] ... vous n’avez pas eu honte de vous agenouiller devant votre Belzebuth, que vous avez adoré. J. B. Cannaert, Olim procès des Sorcières en Belgique, Gand, 1847.

[17] Ie me remets de tout poinct en ton pouuoir & entre tes mains, ne recognois autre Dieu: si bien que tu es mon Dieu.

[18] On dit au Diable nous vous recognoissons pour nostre maistre, nostre Dieu, nostre Createur.

[19] John Hutchinson, History of the Province of Massachusett’s Bay, 1828, II. p. 31.

[20] Satan luy comma̅da de le prier soir & matin, auant qu’elle s’addonat à faire autre œuure.

[21] Wonderful Discoverie of Elizabeth Sawyer, London, 1621.

[22] Rev. F. G. Lee, More Glimpses of the World Unseen, 1878, p. 12.

[23] Potest [diabolus] eludere sensus et facere ut appareat caput abcisum, De Religione, l. 2, c. 16, n. 13, t. 13, p. 578.

[24] Huc. Voyage dans la Tartarie, le Thibet et la Chine, I, ix, p. 308. The author remarks: Ces cérémonies horribles se renouvellent assez souvent dans les grandes lamaseries de la Tartarie et du Thibet. Nous ne pensons nullement qu’on puisse mettre toujours sur le compte de la superchérie des faits de ce genre: car d’après tout ce que nous avons vu et entendu parmi les nations idolâtres, nous sommes persuadé que le démon y joue un grand rôle. (These horrible ceremonies frequently occur in the larger lamaseries of Tartary and Tibet. I am very certain that we cannot always ascribe happenings of this sort to mere juggling or trickery; for, after all that I have seen and heard among heathen people, I am confident that the powers of evil are very largely concerned therein.)

[25] I use this term rather than the more popular “Spiritualism.” Spiritism obtains in Italy, France and Germany. “Spiritualism” is correctly a technical name for the doctrine which denies that the contents of the universe are limited to matter and the properties and operations of matter.

[26] For fuller, and, indeed, conclusive details see Godfrey Raupert’s Modern Spiritism, London, 1904; and Monsignor Benson’s Spiritualism, Dublin Review, October, 1909, and reprinted by the Catholic Truth Society.

[27] Prognosticare is a late word. Strictly to prognosticate is to deduce from actual signs, to prophesy is to foretell the future without any such sign or token.

[28] The Camisards were agreeably satirized by D’Urfey in his comedy The Modern Prophets; or, New Wit for a Husband, produced at Drury Lane, 5 May, 1709, (Tatler, 11), and printed quarto, 1709, (no date). One of the principal characters is “Marrogn, A Knavish French Camizar and Priest,” created by Bowen. This is a portrait of Elie Marion. In his preface D’Urfey speaks of “the abominable Impostures of those craz’d Enthusiasts” whom he lashes. The play had been composed in 1708, but production was postponed owing to the death of the Prince Consort, 28 October of that year. Swift, Predictions for the Year 1708, has: “June. This month will be distinguished at home, by the utter dispersing of those ridiculous deluded enthusiasts, commonly called the prophets; occasioned chiefly by seeing the time come, when many of their prophecies should be fulfilled, and then finding themselves deceived by contrary events.”

[29] See also Fléchier’s Récit fidèle in Lettres choisies, Lyons, 1715; and Brueys’ Histoire du fanatisme de notre temps, Montpellier, 1713.

[30] Après que Dieu a parlé de sa propre bouche des magiciens et sorciers, qui est l’incredule qui on peut justement douter?

[31] In the fourteenth century bas-reliefs on cathedrals frequently represent men kneeling down before the Devil, worshipping him, and devoting themselves to him as his servants. Martonne, Piété au Moyen Âge, p. 137.

[32] George Ives, A History of Penal Methods, p. 75. His admirable and documented chapter II, “The Witch Trials,” should be carefully read.

[33] Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church.

[34] Matthew Paris, Chronica Maiora.

[35] J. P. Kirsch.

[36] All these quotations are from W. H. Lecky, History of Rationalism in Europe, c. 1.

[37] Rev. Peter Lorimer, D.D.

[38] First published by Isidore Liseux, 1875. p. 21. XIII. Ludovico Maria Sinistrari, Minorite, was born at Ameno (Novara) 26 February, 1622. He was Consultor to the Supreme Tribunal of the Holy Office; Vicar-general of the Archbishop of Avignon, and Theologian Advisory to the Archbishop of Milan. He is described as “omnium scientiarum uir.” He died 6 March, 1701.

[39] L’Incredulité et Mescreance du Sortilege, Paris, 1622, p. 38.

[40] Subscriptio autem sæpissime peragitur proprio sanguine.... Sic Augustæ referebat Joseph Egmund Schultz, se anno 1671. d. 15. Maji sanguine proprio tinctum manuscriptum, in membrana, nomine picto, obuolutoque muccinio, in media nocte, cum hora undecima & duodecima agebatur, in compitum iecisse, atque pactum sic corroborasse.... Sic de infausto illo Fausto Widmannus refert, proprio sanguine ex leuiter uulnerato pollice emisso illum se totum diabolo adscripsisse, Deoque repudium misisse. De Sagis, Christian Stridtheckh, Lipsiæ, 1691. (XXII).

[41] See Götz, De subscriptionibus sanguine humano firmatis, Lübeck, 1724. Also Scheible, Die Sage vom Faust. Stuttgart, 1847. So far as I am aware this point has been neglected by writers on Witchcraft.

[42] Ne fœdora quidem incruenta sunt: sauciant se, qui paciscuntur, exemtumque sanguinem, ubi permiscuere, degustant. Id putant mansuræ fidei pignus certissimum.

[43] ... uel quia Deus non permittit, uel propter alias rationes nobis occultas. De Superstitione, VIII. i. 13.

[44] Tunc autem propria culpa diuinationis iam commissa est ab homine, etiamsi effectus desideratas non fuerit subsecutus. (For the sin of divination is actually committed by the sinner and that willingly, although he obtain not the desired effect of his action.) Idem.

[45] Theologia moralis, l. iii. n. 28. Monendi sunt se teneri 1. Pactum expressum, si quod habent cum dæmone, aut commercium abiurare et dissoluere; 2. Libros suos, schedas, ligaturas, aliaque instrumenta artis comburere; 3. Comburere chirographum, si habeat: si iuro solus dæmon id habeat, non necessario cogendus est ut reddat, quia pactum sufficienter soluitur per pœnitentiam; 4. Damna illata resarcire.

[46] Bollandists, 4 February.

[47] Breuiarium Romanum, Paris Autumnalis, 26 September, lectio iii. of Matins. Upon this history Calderon has founded his great drama El Magico Prodigioso.

[48] Bollandists, 14 May. Breuiarium iuxta S. Ordinis Prædicatorum. 14 May. In Nocturno, Lectiones ii, iij. Touron Histoire des hommes illustres de l’ordre de Saint Dominique. (Paris, 1743.)

[49] Discoverie of Witchcraft, Book III.

[50] Examination of Joane Williford, London, 1643.

[51] John Davenport, Witches of Huntingdon, London, 1646.

[52] Glanvill, Sadducismus Triumphatus.

[53] Antoinette Bourignon, La Vie exterieure, Amsterdam, 1683.

[54] Delrio. Disquisitiones magicæ, l. v. sect. 4. t. 2. Non eadem est forma signi; aliquando est simile leporis uestigio, aliquando bufonis pedi, aliquando araneæ, uel catello, uel gliri.

[55] Idem. In uirorum enim corpore sæpe uisitur sub palpebris, sub labiis, sub axillis, in humeris, in sede ima: feminis etiam, in mammis uel muliebribus locis.

[56] ... le Diable leur fait quelque marque comme avec une aleine de fer en quelque partie du corps.

[57] Newes from Scotland, London. (1592.) Roxburgh Club reprint, 1816.

[58] Abbreviate of the Justiciary Record.

[59] Nous, medecins et chirurgiens soussignés, suivant le commandement à nous fait par messire Anthoine de Thoron, sieur de Thoron, conseiller du roy en sa cour de parlement, avons visité messire L. Gaufridy au corps duquel avons remarqué trois petites marques peu differentes en couleur du reste du cuir. L’une en sa cuisse sénestre sur le milieu et en la partie inferieure, en laquelle ayant enforcé une aiguille environ deux travers de doigts n’a senti aucune douleur, ni de la place n’est sorti point de sang ni autre humidité.

La seconde est en la region des lombes en la partie droite, un poulce près de l’épine du dos et quatre doigts au-dessus les muscles de la fesse, en laquelle nous avons enfoncé l’aiguille trois travers de doigts, la laissons comme avions fait à la première plantée en cette partie quelque espace de temps, sans toutefois que le dit Gaufridy ait senti aucune douleur et que sang ni humeur quelconque en soit sorti.

La troisième est vers la région du cœur. Laquelle, au commencement qu’on mit l’aiguille parut comme les autres sans sentiment; mais à mesure que l’on enfonçait fort avant, il dit sentir quelque douleur; ne sortant toutefois aucune humidité, et l’ayant visité le lendemain au matin, n’avons reconnu aux parties piquées ni tumeur, ni rougeur. A cause de quoi nous disons telles marques insensibles en rendant point d’humidité étant piquées, ne pouvoir arriver par aucune maladie du cuir précédante, et tel faisons notre rapport ce 10 mars, 1611. Fontaine, Grassy, médecins; Mérindol, Bontemps, chirurgiens.

So great was the importance attached to the discovery of a witch-mark upon the body of the accused that when the above medico-legal report was read in court, Father Sebastian Michaelis, a learned Dominican, who was acting as consultor in the case, horror-struck, involuntarily exclaimed: “Good sooth, were we at Avignon this man would be executed to-morrow!” Gaufridi confessed: “J’advoue que les dites marques sont faites pour protestation qu’on sera toujours bon et fidèle serviteur du diable toute la vie.” (I confess that these marks were made as a sign that I shall be a good and faithful servant to the Devil all my life long.)

[60] Pitcairn, Records of Justiciary. In 1663 Kincaid was thrown into jail, where he lay nine weeks for “pricking” without a magistrate’s warrant. He was only released owing to his great age and on condition that he would “prick” no more.

[61] This shaving of the head and body was the usual procedure before the search for the devil-mark. We find it recorded in nearly every case. Generally a barber was called in to perform the operation: e.g. the trials of Gaufridi and Grandier, where the details are very ample.

[62] The Wardlaw Manuscript, p. 446. Scottish History Society publication, Edinburgh.

[63] The Witch-Cult in Western Europe, p. 86.

[64] Angelica in Love for Love (1695), II, mocking her superstitious old uncle, Foresight, and the Nurse, cries: “Look to it, Nurse; I can bring Witness that you have a great unnatural Teat under your Left Arm, and he another; and that you Suckle a young Devil in the shape of a Tabby-Cat by turns, I can.”

[65] The most wonderfull ... storie of a ... Witch named Alse Gooderidge. London. 1597.

[66] Goodcole’s Wonderfull Discoverie of Elizabeth Sawyer, London, 1621. There is an allusion in Ford and Dekker’s drama, IV:

[67] W. B. Gerish. The Devil’s Delusions, Bishops Stortford, 1914.

[68] Prodigious and Tragicall Histories, London, 1652.

[69] W. B. Gerish, Relation of Mary Hall of Gadsden, 1912.

[70] T. B. Howell, State Trials, London, 1816.

[71] Cotton Mather, Wonders of the Invisible World.