Therearesomanywondrousappearancesinnature，forwhichscienceandphilosophycannot，evennow，account，thatitisnotsurprisingthat，whennaturallawswerestilllessunderstood，menshouldhaveattributedtosupernaturalagencyeveryappearancewhichtheycouldnototherwiseexplain。Themeresttyronowunderstandsvariousphenomenawhichthewisestofoldcouldnotfathom。Theschoolboyknowswhy，uponhighmountains，thereshould，oncertainoccasions，appearthreeorfoursunsinthefirmamentatonce；andwhythefigureofatravellerupononeeminenceshouldbereproduced，inverted，andofagiganticstature，uponanother。Weallknowthestrangeprankswhichimaginationcanplayincertaindiseases——thatthehypochondriaccanseevisionsandspectres，andthattherehavebeencasesinwhichmenwereperfectlypersuadedthattheywereteapots。Sciencehaslifteduptheveil，androlledawayallthefantastichorrorsinwhichourforefathersshroudedtheseandsimilarcases。Themanwhonowimagineshimselfawolf，issenttothehospital，insteadoftothestake，asinthedaysofthewitchmania；
　　andearth，air，andseaareunpeopledofthegrotesquespiritsthatwereoncebelievedtohauntthem。
　　BeforeenteringfurtherintothehistoryofWitchcraft，itmaybeaswellifweconsidertheabsurdimpersonationoftheevilprincipleformedbythemonksintheirlegends。Wemustmakeacquaintancewiththeprimummobile，andunderstandwhatsortofapersonageitwas，whogavethewitches，inexchangefortheirsouls，thepowertotormenttheirfellow-creatures。Thepopularnotionofthedevilwas，thathewasalarge，ill-formed，hairysprite，withhorns，alongtail，clovenfeet，anddragon’swings。Inthisshapehewasconstantlybroughtonthestagebythemonksintheirearly“miracles“and“mysteries。“Intheserepresentationshewasanimportantpersonage，andansweredthepurposeoftheclowninthemodernpantomime。Thegreatfunforthepeoplewastoseehimwellbelabouredbythesaintswithclubsorcudgels，andtohearhimhowlwithpainashelimpedoff，maimedbytheblowofsomevigorousanchorite。St。Dunstangenerallyservedhimtheglorioustrickforwhichheisrenowned——catchingholdofhisnosewithapairofred-hotpincers，till“Rocksanddistantdellsresoundedwithhiscries。“
　　Someofthesaintsspatinhisface，tohisverygreatannoyance；andotherschoppedpiecesoffhistail，which，however，alwaysgrewonagain。Thiswaspayinghiminhisowncoin，andamusedthepopulacemightily；fortheyallrememberedthescurvytrickshehadplayedthemandtheirforefathers。Itwasbelievedthatheendeavouredtotrippeopleup，bylayinghislonginvisibletailintheirway，andgivingitasuddenwhiskwhentheirlegswereoverit；——thatheusedtogetdrunk，andswearlikeatrooper，andbesomischievousinhiscupsastoraisetempestsandearthquakes，todestroythefruitsoftheearthandthebarnsandhomesteadsoftruebelievers；——thatheusedtoruninvisiblespitsintopeoplebywayofamusinghimselfinthelongwinterevenings，andtoproceedtotavernsandregalehimselfwiththebest，offeringinpaymentpiecesofgoldwhich，onthedawnofthefollowingmorning，invariablyturnedintoslates。Sometimes，disguisedasalargedrake，heusedtolurkamongthebulrushes，andfrightenthewearytravelleroutofhiswitsbyhisawfulquack。ThereaderwillrememberthelinesofBurnsinhisaddresstothe“De’il，“whichsowellexpressthepopularnotiononthispoint——
　　“Aedreary，windy，winternight，Thestarsshotdownwi’sklentinlight，Wi’you，mysel，IgotafrightAyontthelough；
　　Ye，likearash-bush，stoodinsightWi’wavingsough。
　　“Thecudgelinmynievedidshake，Eachbristledhairstoodlikeastake，Whenwi’aneldritchstour，’quaick！quaick！’
　　AmongthespringsAwayesquatter’d，likeadrake，Onwhistlingwings。“
　　Inallthestoriescirculatedandbelievedabouthim，hewasrepresentedasanugly，petty，mischievousspirit，whorejoicedinplayingoffallmanneroffantastictricksuponpoorhumanity。Miltonseemstohavebeenthefirstwhosucceededingivinganybutaludicrousdescriptionofhim。Thesublimepridewhichisthequintessenceofevil，wasunconceivedbeforehistime。Allotherlimnersmadehimmerelygrotesque，butMiltonmadehimawful。Inthisthemonksshowedthemselvesbutmiserableromancers；fortheirobjectundoubtedlywastorepresentthefiendasterribleaspossible:buttherewasnothinggrandabouttheirSatan；onthecontrary，hewasalowmeandevil，whomitwaseasytocircumventandfinefuntoplaytrickswith。But，asiswellandeloquentlyremarkedbyamodernwriter，[SeearticleonDemonology，inthesixthvolumeofthe“ForeignQuarterlyReview。“]thesubjecthasalsoitsseriousside。
　　AnIndiandeity，withitswilddistortedshapeandgrotesqueattitude，appearsmerelyridiculouswhenseparatedfromitsaccessoriesandviewedbydaylightinamuseum；butrestoreittothedarknessofitsownhideoustemple，bringbacktoourrecollectionthevictimsthathavebleduponitsaltar，orbeencrushedbeneathitsear，andoursenseoftheridiculoussubsidesintoaversionandhorror。So，whilethesuperstitiousdreamsofformertimesareregardedasmerespeculativeinsanities，wemaybeforamomentamusedwiththewildincoherencesofthepatients；but，whenwereflect，thatoutofthesehideousmisconceptionsoftheprincipleofevilarosethebeliefinwitchcraft——thatthiswasnodeadfaith，butoneoperatingonthewholebeingofsociety，urgingonthewisestandthemildesttodeedsofmurder，orcrueltiesscarcelylessthanmurder——thatthelearnedandthebeautiful，youngandold，maleandfemale，weredevotedbyitsinfluencetothestakeandthescaffold——everyfeelingdisappears，exceptthatofastonishmentthatsuchthingscouldbe，andhumiliationatthethoughtthatthedelusionwasaslastingasitwasuniversal。
　　Besidesthischiefpersonage，therewasaninfinitenumberofinferiordemons，whoplayedconspicuouspartsinthecreedofwitchcraft。ThepagesofBekker，Leloyer，Bodin，Delrio，andDeLancreaboundwithdescriptionsofthequalitiesoftheseimpsandthefunctionswhichwereassignedthem。Fromtheseauthors，threeofwhomwerecommissionersforthetrialofwitches，andwhowrotefromtheconfessionsmadebythesupposedcriminalsandtheevidencedeliveredagainstthem，andfromthemorerecentworkofM。JulesGarinet，thefollowingsummaryofthecreedhasbeen，withgreatpains，extracted。
　　Thestudentwhoisdesirousofknowingmore，isreferredtotheworksinquestion；hewillfindenoughineveryleaftomakehisbloodcurdlewithshameandhorror:butthepurityofthesepagesshallnotbesoiledbyanythingsoineffablyhumiliatinganddisgustingasacompleteexpositionofthem；whatishereculledwillbeasufficientsampleofthepopularbelief，andthereaderwouldbutlosetimewhoshouldseekinthewritingsoftheDemonologistsformoreampledetails。Hewillgainnothingbyliftingtheveilwhichcoverstheirunutterableobscenities，unless，likeSterne，hewishestogatherfreshevidenceof“whatabeastmanis。“Inthatcase，hewillfindplentytheretoconvincehimthatthebeastwouldbelibelledbythecomparison。
　　Itwasthoughtthattheearthswarmedwithmillionsofdemonsofbothsexes，manyofwhom，likethehumanrace，tracedtheirlineageuptoAdam，who，afterthefall，wasledastraybydevils，assumingtheformsofbeautifulwomentodeceivehim。Thesedemons“increasedandmultiplied，“amongthemselves，withthemostextraordinaryrapidity。
　　Theirbodieswereofthethinair，andtheycouldpassthoughthehardestsubstanceswiththegreatestease。Theyhadnofixedresidenceorabidingplace，butweretossedtoandfrointheimmensityofspace。Whenthrowntogetheringreatmultitudes，theyexcitedwhirlwindsintheairandtempestsinthewaters，andtookdelightindestroyingthebeautyofnatureandthemonumentsoftheindustryofman。Althoughtheyincreasedamongthemselveslikeordinarycreatures，theirnumbersweredailyaugmentedbythesoulsofwickedmen——ofchildrenstill-born——ofwomenwhodiedinchildbed，andofpersonskilledinduels。Thewholeairwassupposedtobefullofthem，andmanyunfortunatemenandwomendrewthembythousandsintotheirmouthsandnostrilsateveryinspiration；andthedemons，lodgingintheirbowelsorotherpartsoftheirbodies，tormentedthemwithpainsanddiseasesofeverykind，andsentthemfrightfuldreams。St。
　　GregoryofNicerelatesastoryofanunwhoforgottosayherbenedicite，andmakethesignofthecross，beforeshesatdowntosupper，andwho，inconsequence，swallowedademonconcealedamongtheleavesofalettuce。Mostpersonssaidthenumberofthesedemonswassogreatthattheycouldnotbecounted，butWierusassertedthattheyamountedtonomorethansevenmillions，fourhundredandfivethousand，ninehundred，andtwenty-six；andthattheyweredividedintoseventy-twocompaniesorbattalions，toeachofwhichtherewasaprinceorcaptain。Theycouldassumeanyshapetheypleased。Whentheyweremale，theywerecalledincubi；andwhenfemale，succubi。Theysometimesmadethemselveshideous；andatothertimes，theyassumedshapesofsuchtranscendantloveliness，thatmortaleyesneversawbeautytocompetewiththeirs。
　　Althoughthedevilandhislegionscouldappeartomankindatanytime，itwasgenerallyunderstoodthathepreferredthenightbetweenFridayandSaturday。IfSatanhimselfappearedinhumanshape，hewasneverperfectly，andinallrespects，likeaman。Hewaseithertooblackortoowhite——toolargeortoosmall，orsomeofhislimbswereoutofproportiontotherestofhisbody。Mostcommonlyhisfeetweredeformed；andhewasobligedtocurlupandconcealhistallinsomepartofhishabiliments；for，takewhatshapehewould，hecouldnotgetridofthatencumbrance。Hesometimeschangedhimselfintoatreeorariver；andupononeoccasionhetransformedhimselfintoabarrister，aswelearnfromWierus，bookiv，chapterix。InthereignofPhilippeleBel，heappearedtoamonkintheshapeofadarkman，ridingatallblackhorse——thenasafriar——afterwardsasanass，andfinallyasacoach-wheel。Instancesarenotrareinwhichbothheandhisinferiordemonshavetakentheformofhandsomeyoungmen；
　　and，successfullyconcealingtheirtails，havemarriedbeautifulyoungwomen，whohavehadchildrenbythem。Suchchildrenwereeasilyrecognizablebytheircontinualshrieking——bytheirrequiringfivenursestosucklethem，andbytheirnevergrowingfat。
　　Allthesedemonswereatthecommandofanyindividual，whowouldgiveuphisimmortalsoultotheprinceofevilfortheprivilegeofenjoyingtheirservicesforastatedperiod。Thewizardorwitchcouldsendthemtoexecutethemostdifficultmissions:whateverthewitchcommandedwasperformed，exceptitwasagoodaction，inwhichcasetheorderwasdisobeyed，andevilworkeduponherselfinstead。
　　Atintervals，accordingtothepleasureofSatan，therewasageneralmeetingofthedemonsandallthewitches。ThismeetingwascalledtheSabbath，fromitstakingplaceontheSaturdayorimmediatelyaftermidnightonFridays。TheseSabbathsweresometimesheldforonedistrict，sometimesforanother，andonceatleast，everyyear，itwasheldontheBrocken，oramongotherhighmountains，asageneralsabbathofthefiendsforthewholeofChristendom。
　　Thedevilgenerallychoseaplacewherefourroadsmet，asthesceneofthisassembly，orifthatwasnotconvenient，theneighbourhoodofalake。Uponthisspotnothingwouldeverafterwardsgrow，asthehotfeetofthedemonsandwitchesburnttheprincipleoffecundityfromtheearth，andrendereditbarrenforever。WhenordershadbeenonceissuedforthemeetingoftheSabbath，allthewizardsandwitcheswhofailedtoattenditwerelashedbydemonswitharodmadeofserpentsorscorpions，asapunishmentfortheirinattentionorwantofpunctuality。