64 On Popular lilufions. 



the criminal had little to hope, even from the 

 deficiency of proof, and the boafted authority of 

 thofe public trials vanifhes on a clofe examina- 

 .tion. But demonologifts think the fads com- 

 pletely eftabliflied by the concurrent teftimony 

 of witneffes, and by the confeflions of witches, 

 obtained without the application of torture. The 

 "witnefles muft be divided into two clafles, thofe 

 who were themfelves deceived, and thofe who 

 deceived others. Of the firft, I have pointed 

 out examples in the New England affair, and 

 fome curious inftances may be found in the 

 ftory of the Nottingham boy*; thus, one of the 

 witneffes depofed " that he had feen the boy 

 ** turn his face diredly backward, not moving 

 '* his body j and that his eyes were as large as 

 *' bead's eyes ; and that his tongue would be 

 " thruft out of his mouth to the bignefs of a 

 ** calf's tongue." Mark now, how all thefe 

 wonderful circumftances difappear, on his crofs- 

 examination : " my meaning was," fays he, 

 " that he turned his face a good way toward 

 " his fhoulder, and that his eyes were fomewhat 

 "goggling; and by reafon that it was candle- 

 " light when I faw his tongue thruft out, 

 ** and by reafon of my conceit of the firangenefs of 

 " Somers's troubles, it feemed fomewhat bigger 

 " than, if he had been well, 1 fhould have 



• Hutchinfon, p. 242. 



" thought 



