Delriocitesthistoshowtheextremeequityofthecommissioners。
Theyneverburnedanybodytillheconfessed；andifonecourseoftorturewouldnotsuffice，theirpatiencewasnotexhausted，andtheytriedhimagainandagain，eventothetwentiethtime！Wellmayweexclaim，whensuchatrocitieshavebeencommittedinthenameofreligion，“Quellion，queltigreegaleencruaute，Uneinjustefureurqu’armelapiete？“
ThetrialoftheunhappyUrbainGrandier，thecurateofLoudun，forbewitchinganumberofgirlsintheconventoftheUrsulinesinthattown，was，likethatoftheMarechaled’Ancre，anaccusationresortedtobyhisenemiestoruinoneagainstwhomnootherchargecouldbebroughtsoreadily。Thisnotedaffair，whichkeptFranceincommotionformonths，andthetruecharacterofwhichwasknownevenatthattime，meritsnomorethanapassingnoticeinthisplace。Itdidnotspringfromtheepidemicdreadofsorcerythensoprevalent，butwascarriedonbywretchedintriguers，whohadsworntohavethelifeoftheirfoe。Suchachargecouldnotberefutedin1634:theaccusedcouldnot，asBodinusexpressesit，“makethemaliceoftheprosecutorsmoreclearthanthesun；“andhisowndenial，howeverintelligible，honest，andstraightforward，washeldasnothinginrefutationofthetestimonyofthecrazywomenwhoimaginedthemselvesbewitched。Themoreabsurdandcontradictorytheirassertions，thestrongertheargumentemployedbyhisenemiesthatthedevilwasinthem。Hewasburnedalive，undercircumstancesofgreatcruelty。[A
verygraphicaccountoftheexecutionofthisunfortunategentlemanistobefoundintheexcellentromanceofM。AlfreddeVigny，entitled“CinqMars；“butifthereaderwishesforafullandaccuratedetailofallthecircumstancesofoneofthemostextraordinarytrialsuponrecord，heisreferredtoaworkpublishedanonymously，atAmsterdam，in1693，entitled“HistoiredesDiablesdeLoudun，oudelaPossessiondesReligieusesUrsulines，etdelaCondemnationetduSuppliced’UrbainGrandier。“]
AsingularinstanceoftheepidemicfearofwitchcraftoccurredatLille，in1639。Apious，butnotverysanelady，namedAntoinetteBourignon，foundedaschool，orhospice，inthatcity。Oneday，onenteringtheschool-room，sheimaginedthatshesawagreatnumberoflittleblackangelsflyingabouttheheadsofthechildren。Ingreatalarm，shetoldherpupilsofwhatshehadseen，warningthemtobewareofthedevil，whoseimpswerehoveringaboutthem。Thefoolishwomancontinueddailytorepeatthesamestory，andSatanandhispowerbecametheonlysubjectofconversation，notonlybetweenthegirlsthemselves，butbetweenthemandtheirinstructors。Oneofthematthistimeranawayfromtheschool。Onbeingbroughtbackandinterrogated，shesaidshehadnotrunaway，buthadbeencarriedawaybythedevil——shewasawitch，andhadbeenonesincetheageofseven。Someotherlittlegirlsintheschoolwentintofitsatthisannouncement，and，ontheirrecovery，confessedthattheyalsowerewitches。Atlast，thewholeofthem，tothenumberoffifty，workeduponeachother’simaginationstosuchadegreethattheyalsoconfessedthattheywerewitches——thattheyattendedtheDomdaniel，ormeetingofthefiends——thattheycouldridethroughtheaironbroom-sticks，feastoninfants’flesh，orcreepthroughakey-hole。
ThecitizensofLillewereastoundedatthesedisclosures。Theclergyhastenedtoinvestigatethematter；manyofthem，totheircredit，openlyexpressedtheiropinionthatthewholeaffairwasanimposture:notsothemajority——theystrenuouslyinsistedthattheconfessionsofthechildrenwerevalid，andthatitwasnecessarytomakeanexamplebyburningthemallforwitches。Thepoorparents，alarmedfortheiroffspring，imploredtheexaminingCapuchinswithtearsintheireyestosavetheiryounglives，insistingthattheywerebewitched，andnotbewitching。Thisopinionalsogainedgroundinthetown。AntoinetteBourignon，whohadputtheseabsurdnotionsintotheheadsofthechildren，wasaccusedofwitchcraft，andexaminedbeforethecouncil。Thecircumstancesofthecaseseemedsounfavourabletowardsherthatshewouldnotstayforasecondexamination。Disguisingherselfasshebestcould，shehastenedoutofLilleandescapedpursuit。Ifshehadremainedfourhourslonger，shewouldhavebeenburnedbyjudicialsentence，asawitchandaheretic。
Itistobehopedthat，wherevershewent，shelearnedthedangeroftamperingwithyouthfulminds，andwasneveragainentrustedwiththemanagementofchildren。
TheDukeofBrunswickandtheElectorofMenzwerestruckwiththegreatcrueltyexercisedinthetortureofsuspectedpersons，andconvincedatthesametimethatnorighteousjudgewouldconsideraconfessionextortedbypain，andcontradictoryinitself，assufficientevidencetojustifytheexecutionofanyaccusedperson。ItisrelatedoftheDukeofBrunswickthatheinvitedtwolearnedJesuitstohishouse，whowereknowntoentertainstrongopinionsuponthesubjectofwitchcraft，withaviewofshowingthemthecrueltyandabsurdityofsuchpractises。Awomanlayinthedungeonofthecityaccusedofwitchcraft，andtheDuke，havinggivenpreviousinstructionstotheofficiatingtorturers，wentwiththetwoJesuitstohearherconfession。Byaseriesofartfulleadingquestions，thepoorcreature，intheextremityofheranguish，wasinducedtoconfessthatshehadoftenattendedthesabbathofthefiendsupontheBrocken——thatshehadseentwoJesuitsthere，whohadmadethemselvesnotorious，evenamongwitches，fortheirabominations——thatshehadseenthemassumetheformofgoats，wolves，andotheranimals；andthatmanynotedwitcheshadbornethemfive，six，andsevenchildrenatabirth，whohadheadsliketoadsandlegslikespiders。BeingaskediftheJesuitswerefarfromher，sherepliedthattheywereintheroombesideher。TheDukeofBrunswickledhisastoundedfriendsaway，andexplainedthestratagem。Thiswasconvincingprooftobothofthemthatthousandsofpersonshadsufferedunjustly；theyknewtheirowninnocence，andshudderedtothinkwhattheirfatemighthavebeen，ifanenemy，insteadofafriend，hadputsuchaconfessionintothemouthofacriminal。OneoftheseJesuitswasFrederickSpee，theauthorofthe“CautioCriminalis，“publishedin1631。Thiswork，exposingthehorrorsofthewitchtrials，hadamostsalutaryeffectinGermany:Schonbrunn，ArchbishopandElectorofMenz，abolishedthetortureentirelywithinhisdominions，andhisexamplewasimitatedbytheDukeofBrunswickandotherpotentates。Thenumberofsupposedwitchesimmediatelydiminished，andtheviolenceofthemaniabegantosubside。TheElectorofBrandenburgissuedarescript，in1654，withrespecttothecaseofAnnaofEllerbrock，asupposedwitch，forbiddingtheuseoftorture，andstigmatizingtheswimmingofwitchesasanunjust，cruel，anddeceitfultest。
Thiswasthebeginningofthedawnafterthelong-protracteddarkness。Thetribunalsnolongercondemnedwitchestoexecutionbyhundredsinayear。Wurzburg，thegrandtheatreoftheburnings，burnedbutone，where，fortyyearspreviously，ithadburnedthreescore。From1660to1670，theelectoralchambersinallpartsofGermanyconstantlycommutedthesentenceofdeathpassedbytheprovincialtribunalsintoimprisonmentforlife，orburningonthecheek。
Atruerphilosophyhadgraduallydisabusedthepublicmind。
Learnedmenfreedthemselvesfromthetrammelsofadebasingsuperstition，andgovernments，bothcivilandecclesiastical，repressedthepopulardelusiontheyhadsolongencouraged。TheParliamentofNormandycondemnedanumberofwomentodeath，intheyear1670，ontheoldchargeofridingonbroomstickstotheDomdaniel；butLouisXIV。commutedthesentenceintobanishmentforlife。TheParliamentremonstrated，andsenttheKingthefollowingremarkablerequest。Thereaderwill，perhaps，begladtoseethisdocumentatlength。Itisofimportance，asthelasteffortofalegislativeassemblytoupholdthisgreaterror；andtheargumentstheyused，andtheinstancestheyquoted，areinthehighestdegreecurious。ItreflectshonouruponthememoryofLouisXIV。thathewasnotswayedbyit。
“REQUESTOFTHEPARLIAMENTOFROUENTOTHEKING，IN1670。
“SIRE，“EMBOLDENEDbytheauthoritywhichyourMajestyhascommittedintoourhandsintheprovinceofNormandy，totryandpunishoffences，andmoreparticularlythoseoffencesofthenatureofwitchcraft，whichtendtothedestructionofreligionandtheruinofnations，we，yourParliament，remonstratehumblywithyourMajestyuponcertaincasesofthiskindwhichhavebeenlatelybroughtbeforeus。WecannotpermittheletteraddressedbyyourMajesty’scommandtotheAttorney-Generalofthisdistrict，forthereprieveofcertainpersonscondemnedtodeathforwitchcraft，andforthestayingofproceedingsinseveralothercases，toremainunnoticed，andwithoutremarkingupontheconsequenceswhichmayensue。ThereisalsoaletterfromyourSecretaryofState，declaringyourMajesty’sintentiontocommutethepunishmentofthesecriminalsintooneofperpetualbanishment，andtosubmittotheopinionoftheProcureur-General，andofthemostlearnedmembersoftheParliamentofParis，whether，inthematterofwitchcraft，thejurisprudenceoftheParliamentofRouenistobefollowedinpreferencetothatoftheParliamentofParis，andoftheotherparliamentsofthekingdomwhichjudgedifferently。
“AlthoughbytheordinancesoftheKingsyourpredecessors，Parliamentshavebeenforbiddentopayanyattentiontolettresdecachet；we，nevertheless，fromtheknowledgewhichwehave，incommonwiththewholekingdom，ofthecarebestowedbyyourMajestyforthegoodofyoursubjects，andfromthesubmissionandobediencetoyourcommandmentswhichwehavealwaysmanifested，havestayedallproceedings，inconformitytoyourorders；hopingthatyourMajesty，consideringtheimportanceofthecrimeofwitchcraft，andtheconsequenceslikelytoensuefromitsimpunity，willbegraciouslypleasedtograntusoncemoreyourpermissiontocontinuethetrials，andexecutejudgmentuponthosefoundguilty。Andas，sincewereceivedtheletterofyourSecretaryofState，wehavealsobeenmadeacquaintedwiththedeterminationofyourMajesty，notonlytocommutethesentenceofdeathpasseduponthesewitchesintooneofperpetualbanishmentfromtheprovince，buttore-establishtheminthepossessionoftheirgoodsandchattels，andoftheirgoodfameandcharacter，yourParliamenthavethoughtittheirduty，onoccasionofthesecrimes，thegreatestwhichmencancommit，tomakeyouacquaintedwiththegeneralanduniformfeelingsofthepeopleofthisprovincewithregardtothem；itbeing，moreover，aquestioninwhichareconcernedthegloryofGodandthereliefofyoursufferingsubjects，whogroanundertheirfearsfromthethreatsandmenacesofthissortofpersons，andwhofeeltheeffectsofthemeverydayinthemortalandextraordinarymaladieswhichattackthem，andthesurprisingdamageandlossoftheirpossessions。
“YourMajestyknowswellthatthereisnocrimesoopposedtothecommandsofGodaswitchcraft，whichdestroystheveryfoundationofreligion，anddrawsstrangeabominationsafterit。Itisforthisreason，Sire，thattheScripturespronouncethepunishmentofdeathagainstoffenders，andthatthechurchandtheholyfathershavefulminatedtheiranathemas，andthatcanonicaldecisionshaveoneandalldecreedthemostseverepunishments，todeterfromthiscrime；andthattheChurchofFrance，animatedbythepietyoftheKingsyourpredecessors，hasexpressedsogreatahorroratit，that，notjudgingthepunishmentofperpetualimprisonment，thehighestithasthepowertoinflict，sufficientlysevere，ithasleftsuchcriminalstobedealtwithbythesecularpower。
“Ithasbeenthegeneralfeelingofallnationsthatsuchcriminalsoughttobecondemnedtodeath，andalltheancientswereofthesameopinion。Thelawofthe“TwelveTables，“whichwastheprincipaloftheRomanlaws，ordainsthesamepunishment。Alljurisconsultsagreedinit，aswellastheconstitutionsoftheEmperors，andmoreespeciallythoseofConstantineandTheodosius，who，enlightenedbytheGospel，notonlyrenewedthesamepunishment，butalsodeprived，expressly，allpersonsfoundguiltyofwitchcraftoftherightofappeal，anddeclaredthemtobeunworthyofaprince’smercy。AndCharlesVIII，Sire，inspiredbythesamesentiments，passedthatbeautifulandsevereordinancecettebelleetsevereordonnance，whichenjoinedthejudgestopunishwitchesaccordingtotheexigenciesofthecase，underapenaltyofbeingthemselvesfinedorimprisoned，ordismissedfromtheiroffice；anddecreed，atthesametime，thatallpersonswhorefusedtodenounceawitch，shouldbepunishedasaccomplices；andthatall，onthecontrary，whogaveevidenceagainstone，shouldberewarded。