THE DARK AGES 41 



and so startling that we envy the readers who were 

 fortunate enough to believe them. It is from 

 Bodin that we learn of the witch cats who in 1566 

 assembled in such numbers in the forests near 

 Vernon that they terrorized the neighbourhood, 

 and no man ventured to assail them. After a time 

 they became so bold that they attacked a party of 

 labourers, returning at nightfall from their work. 

 The men, seeing themselves thus horribly beset, 

 fought with desperation for their lives ; and, though 

 covered with wounds, managed to escape, having 

 killed one of the cats, and injured a number of 

 others. This battle proved the undoing of the 

 witches, for the next morning a dozen women of 

 Vernon were found bleeding and mutilated in their 

 beds ; and, being brought promptly to trial, made 

 full confessions, denouncing half their neighbours 

 in the country-side. 



Bodin is also responsible for the statement that 

 the heretical Waldenses, when hard pushed by the 

 royal troops, summoned to their aid a demon cat, 

 under whose leadership and direction they again 

 and again escaped unwhipt of justice. This is es- 

 pecially worth hearing, because it seems to be one 

 of the few instances in which any practical assist- 

 ance was lent by the Powers of Darkness. No- 

 thing is more striking than the supreme impotence 

 of sorcerers and sacrilegists, when summoned to 



