fewinstancesareuponrecordofanyacquittaltakingplacewhenthechargewaswitchcraft。ThedischargeoffourteenpersonsbytheParliamentofParis，intheyear1589，isalmostasolitaryexampleofareturntoreason。Fourteenpersons，condemnedtodeathforwitchcraft，appealedagainstthejudgmenttotheParliamentofParis，whichforpoliticalreasonshadbeenexiledtoTours。TheParliamentnamedfourcommissioners，PierrePigray，theKing’ssurgeon，andMessieursLeroi，Renard，andFalaiseau，theKing’sphysicians，tovisitandexaminethesewitches，andseewhethertheyhadthemarkofthedeviluponthem。Pigray，whorelatesthecircumstanceinhisworkonSurgery，bookvii，chapterthetenth，saysthevisitwasmadeinpresenceoftwocounsellorsofthecourt。Thewitcheswereallstrippednaked，andthephysiciansexaminedtheirbodiesverydiligently，prickingtheminallthemarkstheycouldfind，toseewhethertheywereinsensibletopain，whichwasalwaysconsideredacertainproofofguilt。Theywere，however，verysensibleofthepricking，andsomeofthemcalledoutverylustilywhenthepinsweredrivenintothem。“Wefoundthem，“continuesPierrePigray，“tobeverypoor，stupidpeople，andsomeoftheminsane；manyofthemwerequiteindifferentaboutlife，andoneortwoofthemdesireddeathasarelieffortheirsufferings。Ouropinionwas，thattheystoodmoreinneedofmedicinethanofpunishment，andsowereportedtotheParliament。Theircasewas，thereupon，takenintofurtherconsideration，andtheParliament，aftermaturecounselamongstallthemembers，orderedthepoorcreaturestobesenttotheirhomes，withoutinflictinganypunishmentuponthem。“
SuchwasthedreadfulstateofItaly，Germany，andFrance，duringthesixteenthcentury，whichwasfarfrombeingtheworstcrisisofthepopularmadnesswithregardtowitchcraft。LetusseewhatwasthestateofEnglandduringthesameperiod。TheReformation，whichinitsprogresshadrootedoutsomanyerrors，stoppedshortatthis，thegreatesterrorofall。LutherandCalvinwereasfirmbelieversinwitchcraftasPopeInnocenthimself，andtheirfollowersshowedthemselvesmorezealouspersecutorsthantheRomanists。Dr。
Hutchinson，inhisworkonWitchcraft，assertsthatthemaniamanifesteditselflaterinEngland，andragedwithlessvirulencethanontheContinent。Thefirstassertiononlyistrue；butthoughthepersecutionbeganlaterbothinEnglandandScotland，itsprogresswasasfearfulaselsewhere。
ItwasnotuntilmorethanfiftyyearsaftertheissuingoftheBullofInnocentVIII。thattheLegislatureofEnglandthoughtfittomakeanymoresevereenactmentsagainstsorcerythanthosealreadyinoperation。Thestatuteof1541wasthefirstthatspecifiedtheparticularcrimeofwitchcraft。Atamuchearlierperiod，manypersonshadsuffereddeathforsorceryinadditiontootheroffences；butnoexecutionstookplaceforattendingthewitches’sabbath，raisingtempests，afflictingcattlewithbarrenness，andallthefantastictrumperyoftheContinent。Twostatuteswerepassedin1551；thefirst，relatingtofalseprophecies，causedmainly，nodoubt，bytheimpositionsofElizabethBarton，theHolyMaidofKent，in1534，andthesecondagainstconjuration，witchcraft，andsorcery。Buteventhisenactmentdidnotconsiderwitchcraftaspenalinitself，andonlycondemnedtodeaththosewhobymeansofspells，incantations，orcontractswiththedevil，attemptedthelivesoftheirneighbours。ThestatuteofElizabeth，in1562，atlastrecognizedwitchcraftasacrimeofthehighestmagnitude，whetherexertedornottotheinjuryofthelives，limbs，andpossessionsofthecommunity。Fromthatdate，thepersecutionmaybefairlysaidtohavecommencedinEngland。Itreacheditsclimaxintheearlypartoftheseventeenthcentury，whichwasthehottestperiodofthemaniaalloverEurope。
AfewcasesofwitchpersecutioninthesixteenthcenturywillenablethereadertoformamoreaccurateideaoftheprogressofthisgreaterrorthanifheplungedatonceintothatbusyperiodofitshistorywhenMatthewHopkinsandhiscoadjutorsexercisedtheirinfernalcalling。SeveralinstancesoccurinEnglandduringthelatteryearsofthereignofElizabeth。Atthistimethepublicmindhadbecomeprettyfamiliarwiththedetailsofthecrime。BishopJewell，inhissermonsbeforeHerMajesty，usedconstantlytoconcludethembyaferventprayerthatshemightbepreservedfromwitches。Upononeoccasion，in1598，hiswordswere，“ItmaypleaseyourGracetounderstandthatwitchesandsorcerers，withintheselastfouryears，aremarvellouslyincreasedwithinthisyourGrace’srealm。YourGrace’ssubjectspineawayevenuntothedeath；theircolourfadeth——