476 THE SUFFOLK WITCHES. 



history of the temptation of our Lord; the demoniacs of 

 several symptoms cured by our Lord and his apostles ; the 

 procession of the evil spirit, and his return with seven other 

 spirits ; the vision of the fall of Satan from heaven like light- 

 ning, by our Saviour; the several assertings of it by the 

 gospel and apostolical epistles ; the prince of the power of the 

 air, the spirit ruling in the children of disobedience; the 

 kingdom of Satan ; principalities and powers in high places ; 

 and more frequently yet in the Apocalypse. It is also con- 

 firmed to us by daily experience of the power and energy of 

 these evil spirits in witches and by them.' 



The lord chief-baron is no waverer; his mind is pretty 

 well made up. That he should have come to believe in the 

 general existence of witches, has been cited by some modern 

 writers as a proof of intellectual weakness. But for that 

 matter, I have myself heard an English judge, belonging to 

 one of the superior courts, affirm in society that the published 

 evidence brought against witches is, when taken intrinsically, 

 equal to the best evidence he ever knew deposed in a court 

 of law. 



The matters of fact constantly sworn to in those old witch- 

 trials often by many witnesses seemingly independent of 

 one another are most extraordinary. Having exorcised the 

 belief in witchcraft, one of two .general explanations must be 

 taken falsehood or collusion. If the former, the concession 

 that such a depth and power of lying should have been pos- 

 sible is calculated to throw a doubt on all judicial evidence. 

 If the latter, then the organising power needful to such ela- 

 borate collusion would be extraordinary in people of high 

 mental qualities and large attainments. Exercised by com- 

 monplace illiterate people, it seems miraculous. 



What can be more precise and circumstantial than the 

 following evidence, sworn to by Dorothy Durent ? who de- 

 posed, that about the 10th of March, nono Caroli Secundi, 

 she having a special occasion to go from home, and having 



