Aman，namedThomasIreland，deposed，thathearingseveraltimesagreatnoiseofcatscryingandscreamingabouthishouse，hewentoutandfrightenedthemaway，andtheyallrantowardsthecottageofJaneWenham。OneofthemhesworepositivelyhadafaceverylikeJaneWenham’s。Anotherman，namedBurville，gavesimilarevidence，andsworethathehadoftenseenacatwithJaneWenham’sface。UpononeoccasionhewasinAnnThorne’schamber，whenseveralcatscamein，andamongthemthecatabovestated。Thiswitnesswouldhavefavouredthecourtwithamuchlongerstatement，butwasstoppedbythejudge，whosaidhehadheardquiteenough。
Theprisoner，inherdefence，saidnothing，butthat“shewasaclearwoman。“Thelearnedjudgethensummedup，leavingittothejurytodeterminewhethersuchevidenceastheyhadheardwassufficienttotakeawaytheprisoner’slifeupontheindictment。Afteralongdeliberationtheybroughtintheirverdict，thatshewasguiltyupontheevidence。TheJudgethenaskedthemwhethertheyfoundherguiltyupontheindictmentofconversingwiththedevilintheshapeofacat？Thesapientforemanverygravelyanswered，“Wefindherguiltyofthat。“Thelearnedjudgethenveryreluctantlyproceededtopasssentenceofdeath；but，byhisperseveringexertions，apardonwasatlastobtained，andthewretchedoldwomanwassetatliberty。Intheyear1716，awomanandherdaughter，-thelatteronlynineyearsofage，——werehangedatHuntingdonforsellingtheirsoulstothedevil，andraisingastormbypullingofftheirstockingsandmakingalatherofsoap。ThisappearstohavebeenthelastjudicialexecutioninEngland。Fromthattimetotheyear1736，thepopulaceraisedatintervalstheoldcry，andmorethanonceendangeredthelivesofpoorwomenbydraggingthemthroughpondsonsuspicion；butthephilosophyofthosewho，fromtheirposition，soonerorlatergivethetonetotheopinionsandmoralsofthepoor，wassilentlyworkingacurefortheevil。Thefearofwitchesceasedtobeepidemic，andbecameindividual，lingeringonlyinmindsletteredbyinveterateprejudiceorbrutalizingsuperstition。Intheyear1736，thepenalstatuteofJamesI。wasfinallyblottedfromthestatutebook，andsufferednolongertodisgracetheadvancingintelligenceofthecountry。
Pretenderstowitchcraft，fortune-tellers，conjurors，andalltheirtrain，wereliableonlytothecommonpunishmentofroguesandimpostors——imprisonmentandthepillory。
InScotland，thedelusionalsoassumedthesamephases，andwasgraduallyextinguishedinthelightofcivilization。AsinEnglandtheprogressofimprovementwasslow。Uptotheyear1665，littleornodiminutionofthemaniawasperceptible。In1643，theGeneralAssemblyrecommendedthatthePrivyCouncilshouldinstituteastandingcommission，composedofany“understandinggentlemenormagistrates，“
totrythewitches，whowerestatedtohaveincreasedenormouslyoflateyears。In1649，anactwaspassed，confirmatoryoftheoriginalstatuteofQueenMary，explainingsomepointsofthelatterwhichweredoubtful，andenactingseverepenalties，notonlyagainstwitchesthemselves，butagainstallwhocovenantedwiththem，orsoughtbytheirmeanstopryintothesecretsoffuturity，orcauseanyeviltothelife，lands，orlimbsoftheirneighbours。Forthenexttenyears，thepopularmadnessuponthissubjectwasperhapsmorefuriousthanever；upwardsoffourthousandpersonssufferedforthecrimeduringthatinterval。Thiswastheconsequenceoftheactofparliamentandtheunparalleledseverityofthemagistrates；thelatterfrequentlycomplainedthatfortwowitchestheyburnedoneday，thereweretentoburnthenext:theyneverthoughtthattheythemselveswerethecauseoftheincrease。Inasinglecircuit，heldatGlasgow，Ayr，andStirling，in1659，seventeenunhappycreatureswereburnedbyjudicialsentencefortraffickingwithSatan。Inoneday，November7，1661，