CENTURY X. 4.91 



cautioned, men may not too rashly believe the con 

 fessions of witches, nor yet the evidence against them. 

 For the witches themselves are imaginative, and be 

 lieve oft-times they do that which they do not : and 

 people are credulous in that point, and ready to im 

 pute accidents and natural operations to witchcraft. 

 It is worthy tbe observing, that both in ancient and 

 late times, as in the Thessalian witches, and the 

 meetings of witches that have been recorded by so 

 many late confessions, the great wonders which they 

 tell, of carrying in the air, transforming themselves 

 into other bodies, &c. are still reported to be wrought, 

 not by incantations or ceremonies, but by ointments, 

 and anointing themselves all over. This may justly 

 move a man to think that these fables are the effects 

 of imagination : for it is certain that ointments do 

 all, if they be laid on any thing thick, by stopping of 

 the pores, shut in the vapours, and send them to the 

 head extremely. And for the particular ingredients 

 of those magical ointments, it is like they are opiate 

 and soporiferous. For anointing of the forehead, 

 neck, feet, back -bone, we know, is used for procuring 

 dead sleeps : and if any man say that this effect would 

 be better done by inward potions ; answer may be 

 made, that the medicines which go to the ointments 

 are so strong, that if they were used inwards, they 

 would kill those that use them : and therefore they 

 work potently, though outwards. 



We will divide the several kinds of the operations 

 by transmission of spirits and imaginations, which 

 will give no small light to the experiments that 



