On Popular Illuftons. 57 



(Iratus, and the fathers of the church. But at 

 that time, the opinion was fo completely exploded 

 among the faculty, that he did not provoke a 

 fingle antagonift. 



The number of thofe who have been facrificed 

 to this delufion cannot perhaps be afcertained; 

 by Dr. Hutchinfon's colledlion of fa6ts it appears, 

 that, at certain times, many vidlims have fallen 

 together, and it is a remark not peculiar to him, 

 that the condemnation of one witch has always 

 led to the difcovery of others. The lateft phrenzy 

 of this kind, was that in New England, about 

 1692, when, fays Hutchinfon, iht imfrijonment and 

 execution of witches made as great a calamity there as 

 a plague or a war. The accufers became fo daring,' 

 that neither civil nor religious authority would 

 have proved a fecurity againtt their attacks, if 

 all the profecutions had not been fuddenly drop- 

 ped, and the prifoners fet at liberty. So far did 

 thofe wretches proceed in abfurdity, that a dog 

 was accufed of throwing perfons into fits, by 

 looking at them*. 



One Parris, a minifter at Salem, was at the 

 bottom of this horrible bufinefs, but it is worth 

 while to obferve, as a key to the difpofitions of 

 the people, who fubmitted to fo grofs and fatal 

 an impofition, that they believed the Indians to 

 be magicians; and Mr. Cotton Mather imputed 



• Hutchinfon, p. 107. 



the 



