360 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



punishment, to give information of all persons suspected of witch- 

 craft. 



Two or three witnesses are sufficient to prove guilt. In case so 

 many do not present themselves, the judge may find and summon them 

 and force them to tell the truth under oath. The qualifications neces- 

 sary for witnesses to possess will appear from the statement that the 

 excommunicate, accomplices, outlawed, runaway and dissolute wo- 

 men, are irreproachable witnesses in cases where the faith is involved. 

 A witch is allowed to testify against a witch, wife against husband, 

 husband against wife, children against parents, and so on ; but, if the 

 testimonies of accomplices or relatives are to the advantage of the ac- 

 cused, then they are of no validity, /or blood is of cotirse thicker than 

 water, and one raven does not willingly pick out the eyes of another. 



An accused may have an advocate, but " The Witch-hammer " adds: 

 " If the counselor defends his suspected client too warmly, it is right 

 and reasonable that he should be considered as far more criminal than 

 the sorcerer or the witch herself ; that is to say, as the protector of 

 witches and heretics he is more dangerous than the sorcerer. He 

 should be looked upon with suspicion in the same degree as he makes a 

 zealous defense." " The Witch-hammer " then informs the judge of five 

 " honest and apostolic tricks " by means of which the accused and their 

 lawyer may be confused. The quality of the questions put to the ac- 

 cused may be appreciated from the following examples : " Do you 

 know that people hold you to be a witch ? Why have you been ob- 

 served upon the precincts of N. N. ? Why have you touched N. N.'s 

 child (or cow) ? How did it happen that the child (or the cow) soon 

 after fell sick ? What was your business outside of your house when 

 the storm broke forth ? How can you explain that your cow yields 

 three times as much milk as the cows of others ? " 



Before the trial of a person accused of sorcery, he was put on the 

 rack in order that his mind might be inclined to confession. The 

 " worst witches " were those who allowed themselves to be torn asun- 

 der, limb by limb, and their endurance is explained by the supposition 

 that "the devil hardens them against their tortures." If confession 

 was not wrung from the witch the first day, the torture was to be coti- 

 tiniied the second and third day. The civil law forbade the repeating 

 of the torture. Hence the following formula used by the judge : " We 

 ordain that the torture shall be continued (not repeated) to-morrow." 

 The second day the instruments of torture were exhibited, and the ac- 

 cused was adjured, by all holy names, if innocent, to pour forth imme- 

 diately abundant tears ; but, if guilty, no tears at all. 



If tears should flow, the judge was directed to see that it be not 

 saliva, or other fluid ; and the witch was led into the court-room back- 

 ward, that the judge might see her before she saw him. Otherwise he 

 might be moved to criminal compassion by her enchantment. 



It was still further provided that the limbs of the accused should 



