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，

......

购买会员看全站小说，或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载，搜索"Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions",免费读到尾