TwentyyearslaterafarmorestrikingcaseoccurredatLoudun，inwesternFrance，whereaconventofUrsulinenunswas“afflictedbydemons。”
Theconventwasfilledmainlywithladiesofnoblebirth，who，nothavingsufficientdowertosecurehusbands，had，accordingtothecommonmethodofthetime，beenmadenuns。
Itisnotdifficulttounderstandthatsuchanimprisonmentofamultitudeofwomenofdifferentageswouldproducesomewoefuleffects。AnyreaderofManzoni’sPromessiSposi，withitswonderfulportrayalofthefeelingsanddoingsofanobleladykeptinaconventagainstherwill，mayhavesomeideaoftherageanddespairwhichmusthaveinspiredsuchassemblagesinwhichpride，pauperism，andtheattemptedsuppressionoftheinstinctsofhumanitywroughtafearfulwork。
WhatthisworkwasmaybeseenthroughouttheMiddleAges；butitisespeciallyinthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturiesthatwefinditfrequentlytakingshapeinoutburstsofdiabolicpossession。[393]
[393]Onmonasteriesascentresof“possession“andhystericalepidemics，seeFiguier，LeMerveilleux，p。40andfollowing；alsoCalmeil，Langin，Kirchhoff，Maudsley，andothers。OnsimilarresultsfromexcitementatProtestantmeetingsinScotlandandcampmeetingsinEnglandandAmerica，seeHecker’sEssay，concludingchapters。
InthiscaseatLoudun，theusualevidencesofSatanicinfluenceappeared。Oneafteranotheroftheinmatesfellintoconvulsions：someshowedphysicalstrengthapparentlysupernatural；someakeennessofperceptionquiteassurprising；
manyhowledforthblasphemiesandobscenities。
Neartheconventdweltapriest——UrbainGrandier——notedforhisbrilliancyasawriterandpreacher，butcarelessinhiswayofliving。Severalofthenunshadevidentlyconceivedapassionforhim，andintheirwildrageanddespairdweltuponhisname。
Inthesamecity，too，weresundryecclesiasticsandlaymenwithwhomGrandierhadfallenintopettyneighbourhoodquarrels，andsomeofthesemenheldthemaincontroloftheconvent。
Outofthismixtureof“possession“withintheconventandmalignitywithoutitcameachargethatGrandierhadbewitchedtheyoungwomen。
TheBishopofPoictierstookupthematter。Atrialwasheld，anditwasnotedthat，wheneverGrandierappeared，the“possessed“screamed，shrieked，andshowedeverysignofdiabolicinfluence。Grandierfoughtdesperately，andappealedtotheArchbishopofBordeaux，DeSourdis。Thearchbishoporderedamorecarefulexamination，and，onseparatingthenunsfromeachotherandfromcertainmonkswhohadbeenbitterlyhostiletoGrandier，suchglaringdiscrepancieswerefoundintheirtestimonythatthewholeaccusationwasbroughttonaught。
ButtheenemiesofSatanandofGrandierdidnotrest。ThroughtheireffortsCardinalRichelieu，whoappearstohavehadanoldgrudgeagainstGrandier，sentarepresentative，Laubardemont，tomakeanotherinvestigation。Mostfrightfulsceneswerenowenacted：thewholeconventresoundedmoreloudlythaneverwithshrieks，groans，howling，andcursing，untilfinallyGrandier，thoughevenintheagonyoftortureherefusedtoconfessthecrimesthathisenemiessuggested，washangedandburned。
Fromthiscentretheepidemicspread：multitudesofwomenandmenwereaffectedbyitinvariousconvents；severalofthegreatcitiesofthesouthandwestofFrancecameunderthesameinfluence；the“possession“wentonforseveralyearslongerandthengraduallydiedout，thoughscatteredcaseshaveoccurredfromthatdaytothis。[394]
[394]AmongthemanystatementsofGrandier’scase，oneofthebestinEnglishmaybefoundinTrollope’sSketchesfromFrenchHistory，London，1878。SeealsoBazin，LouisXIII。
AfewyearslaterwehaveanevenmorestrikingexampleamongtheFrenchProtestants。TheHuguenots，whohadtakenrefugeinthemountainsoftheCevennestoescapepersecution，beingpressedmoreandmorebythecrueltiesofLouisXIV，begantoshowsignsofahighdegreeofreligiousexaltation。Assembledastheywereforworshipinwildanddesertplaces，anepidemicbrokeoutamongthem，ascribedbythemtotheAlmighty，butbytheiropponentstoSatan。Men，women，andchildrenpreachedandprophesied。Largeassemblieswereseizedwithtrembling。Someunderwentthemostterribletortureswithoutshowinganysignsofsuffering。MarshaldeVilliers，whowassentagainstthem，declaredthathesawatowninwhichallthewomenandgirls，withoutexception，werepossessedofthedevil，andranleapingandscreamingthroughthestreets。Caseslikethis，inexplicabletothescienceofthetime，gaverenewedstrengthtothetheologicalview。[395]
[395]SeeBersot，MesmeretlaMagnetismeanimal，thirdedition，Paris，1864，pp。95etseq。
TowardtheendofthesamecenturysimilarmanifestationsbegantoappearonalargescaleinAmerica。
ThelifeoftheearlycolonistsinNewEnglandwassuchastogiverapidgrowthtothegermsofthedoctrineofpossessionbroughtfromthemothercountry。Surroundedbythedarkpineforests；havingastheirneighboursIndians，whoweremorethansuspectedofbeingchildrenofSatan；harassedbywildbeastsapparentlysentbythepowersofeviltotormenttheelect；withnovariedliteraturetowhileawaythelongwinterevenings；
withfewamusementssaveneighbourhoodquarrels；dwellingintentlyoneverytextofScripturewhichsupportedtheirgloomytheology，andadoptingitsmostliteralinterpretation，itisnotstrangethattheyrapidlydevelopedideasregardingthedarkersideofnature。[396]
[396]FortheideathatAmericabeforethePilgimshadbeenespeciallygivenovertoSatan，seetheliteratureoftheearlyPuritanperiod，andespeciallythepoetryofWigglesworth，treatedinTylor’sHistoryofAmericanLiterature，vol。ii，p。25
etseq。
Thisfearofwitchcraftreceivedapowerfulstimulusfromthetreatisesoflearnedmen。Suchworks，comingfromEurope，whichwasatthattimefilledwiththesuperstition，actedpowerfullyuponconscientiouspreachers，andwerebroughtbythemtobearuponthepeopleatlarge。Naturally，then，throughoutthelatterhalfoftheseventeenthcenturywefindscatteredcasesofdiabolicpossession。AtBoston，Springfield，Hartford，Groton，andothertowns，casesoccurred，andhereandtherewehearofdeath-sentences。
Inthelastquarteroftheseventeenthcenturythefruitoftheseideasbegantoripen。Intheyear1684IncreaseMatherpublishedhisbook，RemarkableProvidences，layingstressupondiabolicpossessionandwitchcraft。Thisbook，havingbeensentovertoEngland，exercisedaninfluencethere，andcamebackwiththeapprovalofnolessamanthanRichardBaxter：bythisitspowerathomewasincreased。
In1688apoorfamilyinBostonwasafflictedbydemons：fourchildren，theeldestthirteenyearsofage，beganleapingandbarkinglikedogsorpurringlikecats，andcomplainingofbeingpricked，pinched，andcut；and，tohelpthematter，anoldIrishwomanwastriedandexecuted。
Allthisbeliefmighthavepassedawaylikeatroubleddreamhaditnotbecomeincarnateinastrongman。ThismanwasCottonMather，thesonofIncreaseMather。Deeplyreligious，possessedofexcellentabilities，agreatscholar，anxioustopromotethewelfareofhisflockinthisworldandinthenext，hewasfarinadvanceofecclesiasticsgenerallyonnearlyallthemainquestionsbetweenscienceandtheology。HecameoutofhisearliersuperstitionregardingthedivineoriginoftheHebrewpunctuation；heopposedtheoldtheologicidearegardingthetakingofinterestformoney；hefavouredinoculationasapreventiveofsmallpoxwhenamultitudeofclergymenandlaymenopposedit；heacceptedtheNewtonianastronomydespitetheoutcriesagainstits“atheistictendency“；hetookgroundagainstthetime-honoureddogmathatcometsare“signsandwonders。”Hehad，indeed，someofthedefectsofhisqualities，andamongthempedanticvanity，prideofopinion，andloveofpower；buthewasforhistimeremarkablyliberalandundoubtedlysincere。Hehadthrownoffalargepartofhisfather’stheology，butonepartofithecouldnotthrowoff：hewasoneofthebestbiblicalscholarsofhistime，andhecouldnotbreakawayfromthefactthatthesacredScripturesexplicitlyrecognisewitchcraftanddemoniacalpossessionasrealities，andenjoinagainstwitchcraftthepenaltyofdeath。Thereforeitwasthatin1689hepublishedhisMemorableProvidencesrelatingtoWitchcraftsandPossessions。Thebook，accordingtoitstitle-page，was“recommendedbytheMinistersofBostonandCharleston。”anditsstoriessoonbecamethefamiliarreadingofmen，women，andchildrenthroughoutNewEngland。
Outofallthesecausesthusbroughttobearuponpublicopinionbeganin1692anewoutbreakofpossession，whichisoneofthemostinstructiveinhistory。TheRev。SamuelParriswastheministerofthechurchinSalem，andnopopeeverhadhigherideasofhisowninfallibility，nobishopagreaterloveofceremony，noinquisitoragreaterpassionforpryingandspying。[397]
[397]Forcuriousexamplesofthis，seeUpham’sHistoryofSalemWitchcraft，vol。i。
BeforelongMr。Parrishadmuchuponhishands。Manyofhishardy，independentparishionersdislikedhisways。Quarrelsarose。Someoftheleadingmenofthecongregationwerepittedagainsthim。Thepreviousminister，GeorgeBurroughs，hadleftthegermsoftroublesandquarrels，andtothesewerenowaddednewcomplicationsarisingfromtheassumptionsofParris。Therewereinnumerablewranglingsandlawsuits；infact，alltheessentialcausesforSatanicinterferencewhichwesawatworkinandaboutthemonasteryatLoudun，andespeciallytheturmoilofapettyvillagewherethereisnointellectualactivity，andwheremenandwomenfindtheirchiefsubstituteforitinsquabbles，religious，legal，political，social，andpersonal。
InthedarkenedatmospherethuschargedwiththegermsofdiseaseitwassuddenlydiscoveredthattwoyounggirlsinthefamilyofMr。Parriswerepossessedofdevils：theycomplainedofbeingpinched，pricked，andcut，fellintostrangespasmsandmadestrangespeeches——showingthesignsofdiabolicpossessionhandeddowninfiresidelegendsordweltuponinpopularwitchliterature——andespeciallysuchashadlatelybeendescribedbyCottonMatherinhisbookonMemorableProvidences。Thetwogirls，havingbeenbroughtbyMr。Parrisandotherstotellwhohadbewitchedthem，firstchargedanoldIndianwoman，andthepooroldIndianhusbandwasledtojoininthecharge。ThisatonceaffordednewscopefortheactivityofMr。Parris。
Magnifyinghisoffice，heimmediatelybeganmakingagreatstirinSalemandinthecountryroundabout。Twomagistratesweresummoned。Withthemcameacrowd，andacourtwasheldatthemeeting-house。Thesceneswhichthentookplacewouldhavebeentherichestoffarceshadtheynotledtoeventssotragical。
Thepossessedwentintospasmsattheapproachofthosechargedwithwitchcraft，andwhenthepooroldmenandwomenattemptedtoattesttheirinnocencetheywereoverwhelmedwithoutcriesbythepossessed，quotationsofScripturebytheministers，anddenunciationsbythemob。Oneespecially——AnnPutnam，achildoftwelveyears——showedgreatprecocityandplayedastrikingpartintheperformances。Themaniaspreadtootherchildren；
andtwoorthreemarriedwomenalso，seeingthegreatattentionpaidtotheafflicted，andinfluencedbythatepidemicofmorbidimitationwhichsciencenowrecognisesinallsuchcases，soonbecamesimilarlyafflicted，andintheirturnmadechargesagainstvariouspersons。TheIndianwomanwasfloggedbyhermaster，Mr。Parris，untilsheconfessedrelationswithSatan；
andotherswereforcedordeludedintoconfession。Thesehystericalconfessions，theresultsofunbearabletorture，orthereminiscencesofdreams，whichhadbeenpromptedbythewitchlegendsandsermonsoftheperiod，embracedsuchfactsasflyingthroughtheairtowitchgatherings，partakingofwitchsacraments，signingabookpresentedbythedevil，andsubmittingtoSatanicbaptism。Thepossessedhadbegunwithchargingtheirpossessionuponpoorandvagrantoldwomen，buterelong，emboldenedbytheirsuccess，theyattackedhighergame，struckatsomeoftheforemostpeopleoftheregion，anddidnotceaseuntilseveralofthesewerecondemnedtodeath，andeveryman，woman，andchildbroughtunderareignofterror。Manyfledoutright，andoneoftheforemostcitizensofSalemwentconstantlyarmed，andkeptoneofhishorsessaddledinthestabletofleeifbroughtunderaccusation。Thehystericalingenuityofthepossessedwomengrewwiththeirsuccess。Theyinsistedthattheysawdevilspromptingtheaccusedtodefendthemselvesincourt。Didoneoftheaccusedclaspherhandsindespair，thepossessedclaspedtheirs；didtheaccused，inappealingtoHeaven，makeanygesture，thepossessedsimultaneouslyimitatedit；didtheaccusedinwearinessdropherhead，thepossesseddroppedtheirs，anddeclaredthatthewitchwastryingtobreaktheirnecks。Thecourt-roomresoundedwithgroans，shrieks，prayers，andcurses；judges，jury，andpeoplewereaghast，andeventheaccusedweresometimesthusledtobelieveintheirownguilt。