, 1898-08-03

fifteenth century was
One of the Worst Witch. prosecuting Periods.
Two inquiSltOrS let loose in France and
Italy caused terrible havoc in q few years.
one of hem named Cumanns. commenced
his exploltS in 1855. la the small county of
Bnlen he had forty-twO women burned as
witches in a short period. The other inQui-
sltor. named AliIat, commenced in Piedmont
with u master stroke. He burned $50 male
and female sol cerers in one immense auto do
is. The next wear 200 fresh victims we're
about to oe given TO lie DANES, but the
people reyolted, expelled the inquiSitNr and
delivered the poor wretches. IN 1889 Pop1
Innocent WILL, the infaIible head Of an
infalIihle church, excited to emulation by tho
noble deeds of these Two woI thies, issued
A PnpAl Bull,
by which he invited Those and other inquisi-
tors to redOuble their energies. The Oou-
sequences Of this Bull were terrible, and
pyres were everywhere kindled. Spain,
France, Italy, Germany we're f~earfully rA-
v8gsd. In 1924, in tue little town of Cim1,
no less thm ZOO persons were burned on
account Of witohcruft. A fapous man OF this
time, named Toreno, burned !, 200 "witches."
Another lnquisitor burned 900, another 900,
and q fourth 900. II 1872, the year Of the
Massacre of St. Bartholomew. q mischisvOus
imbecile, named Bodin, wrote a tissue Of
absurdltles under the title of demonology,
asserting that the number Of sOrcerels in
France acknowledged by one poor wretch
who was executed, was 800, 900, and that
there would be no happiness for the country
till they were extermiuated In 1858, two
months before the assassination Of Henry III,
thA Pa Rjamouk oF poris h.,I IN k-v eOrku mr.
sons OF both sexes form lily accused Of having
intimate relations with demons. Happily,
the Parliament Contained
A few Enli htened Men,
who Came to the conclusion that the prisoners
were suffering from Authorizations and re-
CURED a dose OF helIeuore rather than the
stake. Unfortunately, twenty year" later
fresh accusations Of sOroery desolAted
France, and if Henry Nv. had listened to the
witch. finders threo.fourths Of his subjects
would have been roasted. At about tho
same period $500 parsons were burned FOX
WltChcrsft In four years i'll the little .Electo-
rate of Trevis, in the Netherlands 1900, and
in Switzerland $500. 1t is to the eternal
credit OF Louis XIV, who has not much to
hs credit. that no discouraged matchmaking
and contribute | largely to. give the deluSiOl
in France it's doath-blow.
Witohcraft in England.
This horrible superstition was late in
making itself felt i'll England, but when it
did infect our country it was not less deadly
in it's effects than in other countries. In 1862
the LIE 5~islature formally recognized and in.
terdicted magic and witohoraft. In 1893 90.
Cured rhe well.known aud disgraoeful ira
gedy Of the witches of Warbois, which ended
in the public murder of q whole family upon
no better evidence than the rawlings Of q de-.
lirious girl. Under that royal imbecile,
James L., witch-huuting dOurished exceed.
lngIy. During the century which his reign
adorned no fewer than 10000 persons are
sail to have been put TO death in England
for witchclaft. In the last forty years oil
:hp sixteenth century the executions were
estimated at IT 900. In 1884 the madness
may be saii to have reached its highest pitch,
for i'll that year occurred the celebrated cases
Of the Lancashire witches, III which eight IN
noceut persons were deprived of their lives
by the incoherent falsehoods OF q mischlev0us
utcI,In. In 1854 s the infamous Matthew
Hopkins WAS able to eatn a. comfortable sub.
slstence by the profession of the wltohhnder
which lie exercised, not, Indeed, without oooa-
sional suspicion, but still with general sue
CESS. When we turn up our eyes in horror
at the witch smellerS" of Benin and Asian
tee, it is Christening to recall that q little
over two centuries ago III Christian England
witch. smelling" was IL popular and lucrative
profession. At length
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