TheresainSpain，St。MaryAlacoqueinFrance，andLouiseLateauinBelgium，aretypical。Butmorefrequentlysuchcasesshockedpublicfeeling，andweretreatedwithespecialrigour：typicalofthisisthecaseofSimonMarin，whoinhisinsanitybelievedhimselftobetheSonofGod，andwasonthataccountburnedaliveatParisandhisashesscatteredtothewinds。[370]
[370]Astothefrequencyamongtheinsaneofthisformofbelief，seeCalmeil，vol。ii，p。257；alsoMaudsley，PathologyofMind，pp。201，202，and418-424；alsoRambaud，HistoiredelaCivilisationenFrance，vol。ii，p。110。Forthepeculiarabberationsofthesaintsabovenamedandotherecstatics，seeMaudsley，asabove，pp。71，72，and149，150。Maudsley’schaptersonthisandcognatesubjectsarecertainlyamongthemostvaluablecontributionstomodernthought。Foradiscussionofthemostrecentcase，seeWarlomont，LouiseLateau，Paris，1875。
Theprofundityoftheologiansandjuristsconstantlydevelopednewtheoriesastothemodesofdiabolicentranceintothe“possessed。”OnesuchtheorywasthatSatancouldbetakenintothemouthwithone’sfood——perhapsintheformofaninsectswallowedonaleafofsalad，andthiswassanctioned，aswehaveseen，bynolessinfallibleanauthoritythanGregorytheGreat，PopeandSaint——AnothertheorywasthatSatanenteredthebodywhenthemouthwasopenedtobreathe，andtherearewell-authenticatedcasesofdoctorsanddivineswho，whencastingoutevilspirits，tookespecialcarelesttheimpmightjumpintotheirownmouthsfromthemouthofthepatient。Anothertheorywasthatthedevilenteredhumanbeingsduringsleep；andatacomparativelyrecentperiodaKingofSpainwaswonttosleepbetweentwomonks，tokeepoffthedevil。[371]
[371]Astothedevil’senteringintothemouthwhileeating，seeCalmeil，asabove，vol。ii，pp。105，106。AstothedreadofDr。
Bordelesttheevilspirit，whenexorcised，mightenterhisownbody，seeTuke，asabove，p。28。AstotheKingofSpain，seethenotedchapterinBuckle’sHistoryofCivilizationinEngland。
Themonasterieswerefrequentsourcesofthatformofmentaldiseasewhichwassupposedtobecausedbybewitchment。Fromtheearliestperioditisevidentthatmonasticlifetendedtodevelopinsanity。SuchcasesasthatofSt。Anthonyaretypicalofitseffectsuponthestrongestminds；butitwasespeciallytheconventsforwomenthatbecamethegreatbreeding-bedsofthisdisease。Amongthelargenumbersofwomenandgirlsthusassembled——manyofthemforcedintomonasticseclusionagainsttheirwill，forthereasonthattheirfamiliescouldgivethemnodower——subjectedtotheunsatisfiedlongings，suspicions，bickerings，pettyjealousies，envies，andhatreds，soinevitableinconventlife——mentaldiseasewasnotunlikelytobedevelopedatanymoment。Hystericalexcitementinnunneriestookshapessometimescomical，butmoregenerallytragical。Noteworthyisitthatthelastplaceswhereexecutionsforwitchcrafttookplaceweremainlyintheneighbourhoodofgreatnunneries；andthelastfamousvictim，ofthemyriadsexecutedinGermanyforthisimaginarycrime，wasSisterAnnaRenataSinger，sub-prioressofanunnerynearWurzburg。[372]
[372]Amongthemultitudeofauthoritiesonthispoint，seeKirchhoff，asabove，p。337；andforamoststrikingpictureofthisdarksideofconventlife，drawn，indeed，byadevotedRomanCatholic，seeManzoni’sPromessiSposi。OnAnnaRenatathereisastrikingessaybythelateJohannesScherr，inhisHammerschlageundHistorien。Onthegeneralsubjectofhysteriathusdeveloped，seethewritingsofCarpenterandTuke；andastoitsnaturaldevelopmentinnunneries，seeMaudsley，ResponsibilityinMentalDisease，p。9。EspecialattentionwillbepaidtothisinthechapteronDiabolismandHysteria。
ThesamethingwasseenamongyoungwomenexposedtosundryfanaticalProtestantpreachers。Insanity，bothtemporaryandpermanent，wasthusfrequentlydevelopedamongtheHuguenotsofFrance，andhasbeenthusproducedinAmerica，fromthedaysoftheSalempersecutiondowntothe“campmeetings“ofthepresenttime。[373]
[373]Thisbranchofthesubjectwillbediscussedmoreatlengthinafuturechapter。
Atvarioustimes，fromthedaysofSt。AgobardofLyonsintheninthcenturytoPomponatiusinthesixteenth，protestsorsuggestions，moreorlesstimid，hadbeenmadebythoughtfulmenagainstthissystem。Medicinehadmadesomeadvancetowardabetterview，butthetheologicaltorrenthadgenerallyoverwhelmedallwhosupportedascientifictreatment。Atlast，towardtheendofthesixteenthcentury，twomenmadeabeginningofamuchmoreseriousattackuponthisvenerablesuperstition。
Therevivaloflearning，andtheimpulsetothoughtonmaterialmattersgivenduringthe“ageofdiscovery。”undoubtedlyproducedanatmospherewhichmadetheworkofthesemenpossible。Intheyear1563，inthemidstofdemonstrationsofdemoniacalpossessionbythemosteminenttheologiansandjudges，whosatintheirrobesandlookedwise，whilewomen，shrieking，praying，andblaspheming，wereputtothetorture，amanarosewhodaredtoprotesteffectivelythatsomeofthepersonsthuschargedmightbesimplyinsane；andthismanwasJohnWier，ofCleves。
Hisprotestdoesnotatthisdaystrikeusasparticularlybold。
Inhisbooks，DePraestigiisDaemonumandDeLamiis，hedidhisbestnottooffendreligiousortheologicalsusceptibilities；
buthefeltobligedtocallattentiontothemingledfraudanddelusionofthosewhoclaimedtobebewitched，andtopointoutthatitwasoftennottheiraccusers，buttheallegedwitchesthemselves，whowerereallyailing，andtourgethatthesebebroughtfirstofalltoaphysician。
Hisbookwasatonceattackedbythemosteminenttheologians。
Oneofthegreatestlaymenofhistime，JeanBodin，alsowrotewithespecialpoweragainstit，andbyaplentifuluseofscripturaltextsgainedtoallappearanceacompletevictory：
thissuperstitionseemedthusfasteneduponEuropeforathousandyearsmore。Butdoubtwasintheair，and，aboutaquarterofacenturyafterthepublicationofWier’sbooktherewerepublishedinFrancetheessaysofamanbynomeanssonoble，butoffargreatergenius——MicheldeMontaigne。ThegeneralscepticismwhichhisworkpromotedamongtheFrenchpeopledidmuchtoproduceanatmosphereinwhichthebeliefinwitchcraftanddemoniacalpossessionmustinevitablywither。Butthisprocess，thoughreal，washidden，andthevictorystillseemedonthetheologicalside。
Thedevelopmentofthenewtruthanditsstruggleagainsttheolderrorstillwenton。InHolland，BalthazarBekkerwrotehisbookagainsttheworstformsofthesuperstition，andattemptedtohelpthescientificsidebyatextfromtheSecondEpistleofSt。Peter，showingthatthedevilshadbeenconfinedbytheAlmighty，andthereforecouldnotbedoingonearththeworkwhichwasimputedtothem。ButBekker’sProtestantbrethrendrovehimfromhispulpit，andhenarrowlyescapedwithhislife。
Thelaststrugglesofagreatsuperstitionareveryfrequentlytheworst。Soitprovedinthiscase。Inthefirsthalfoftheseventeenthcenturythecrueltiesarisingfromtheolddoctrineweremorenumerousandseverethaneverbefore。InSpain，Sweden，Italy，and，aboveall，inGermany，weseeconstanteffortstosuppresstheevolutionofthenewtruth。
Butinthemidstofallthisreactionaryrageglimpsesofrightreasonbegantoappear。Itissignificantthatatthisverytime，whentheoldsuperstitionwasapparentlyeverywheretriumphant，thedeclarationbyPouletthatheandhisbrotherandhiscousinhad，bysmearingthemselveswithointment，changedthemselvesintowolvesanddevouredchildren，broughtnoseverepunishmentuponthem。Thejudgessenthimtoamad-house。Moreandmore，inspiteoffranticeffortsfromthepulpittosavethesuperstition，greatwritersandjurists，especiallyinFrance，begantohaveglimpsesofthetruthandcouragetoupholdit。
Malebranchespokeagainstthedelusion；SeguierledtheFrenchcourtstoannulseveraldecreescondemningsorcerers；thegreatchancellor，D’Aguesseau，declaredtotheParliamentofParisthat，iftheywishedtostopsorcery，theymuststoptalkingaboutit——thatsorcerersaremoretobepitiedthanblamed。[374]
[374]SeeEsquirol，DesMaladiesmentales，vol。i，pp。488，489；
vol。ii，p。529。
Butjustatthistime，astheeighteenthcenturywasapproaching，thetheologicalcurrentwasstrengthenedbyagreatecclesiastic——thegreatesttheologianthatFrancehasproduced，whoseinfluenceuponreligionanduponthemindofLouisXIVwasenormous——Bossuet，BishopofMeaux。TherehadbeenreasontoexpectthatBossuetwouldatleastdosomethingtomitigatethesuperstition；forhiswritingsshowthat，inmuchwhichbeforehisdayhadbeenascribedtodiabolicpossession，hesawsimplelunacy。Unfortunately，thesameadherencetotheliteralinterpretationofScripturewhichledhimtoopposeeveryotherscientifictruthdevelopedinhistime，ledhimalsotoattackthis：hedeliveredandpublishedtwogreatsermons，which，whileshowingsomeprogressintheformofhisbelief，showednonethelessthatthefundamentalideaofdiabolicpossessionwasstilltobetenaciouslyheld。Whatthisideawasmaybeseeninonetypicalstatement：hedeclaredthat“asingledevilcouldturntheearthroundaseasilyasweturnamarble。”[375]
[375]Seethetwosermons，SurlesDemonswhicharevirtuallybuttwoversionsofthesamesermon，inBousset’sworks，editionof1845，vol。iii，p。236etseq。；alsoDziewicki，inTheNineteenthCentury，asabove。OnBousset’sresistancetootherscientifictruths，especiallyinastronomy，geology，andpoliticaleconomy，seeotherchaptersinthiswork。
III。THEFINALSTRUGGLEANDVICTORYOFSCIENCE——
PINELANDTUKE。
Thetheologicalcurrent，thusre-enforced，seemedtobecomeagainirresistible；butitwasonlysoinappearance。Inspiteofit，Frenchscepticismcontinuedtodevelop；signsofquietchangeamongthemassofthinkingmenwereappearingmoreandmore；andin1672cameoneofgreatsignificance，for，theParliamentofRouenhavingdoomedfourteensorcererstobeburned，theirexecutionwasdelayedfortwoyears，evidentlyonaccountofscepticismamongofficials；andatlengththegreatministerofLouisXIV，Colbert，issuedanedictcheckingsuchtrials，andorderingtheconvictedtobetreatedformadness。
Victoryseemednowtoinclinetothestandardofscience，andin1725nolessapersonagethanSt。Andre，acourtphysician，daredtopublishaworkvirtuallyshowing“demoniacalpossession“
tobelunacy。
TheFrenchphilosophy，fromthetimeofitsearlydevelopmentintheeighteenthcenturyunderMontesquieuandVoltaire，naturallystrengthenedthemovement；theresultsofpost-mortemexaminationsofthebrainsofthe“possessed“confirmedit；andin1768weseeittakeforminadeclarationbytheParliamentofParis，thatpossessedpersonsweretobeconsideredassimplydiseased。Still，theoldbelieflingeredon，itslifeflickeringupfromtimetotimeinthosepartsofFrancemostunderecclesiasticalcontrol，untilintheselastyearsofthenineteenthcenturyablowhasbeengivenitbytheresearchesofCharcotandhiscompeerswhichwillprobablysoonextinguishit。
OneevidenceofSatanicintercoursewithmankindespecially，onwhichformanygenerationstheologianshadlaidpeculiarstress，andforwhichtheyhadcondemnedscoresoflittlegirlsandhundredsofoldwomentoamostcrueldeath，wasfoundtobenothingmorethanoneofthemanyresultsofhysteria。[376]
[376]ForColbert’sinfluence，seeDagron，p。8；alsoRambaud，asabove，vol。ii，p。155。ForSt。Andre，seeLacroix，asabove，pp。189，190。ForCharcot’sresearchesintothediseasenowknownasMeteorismushystericus，butwhichwasformerlyregardedintheecclesiasticalcourtsasanevidenceofpregnancythroughrelationswithSatan，seeSnell，HexenprocesseunGeistesstorung，Munchen，1891，chaps。xiiandxiii。