Manyparentscorroboratedapartofthisevidence，statingthattheirchildrenhadrepeatedlytoldthemthattheyhadbeencarriedawayinthenighttoBlockula，wherethedevilhadbeatenthemblackandblue。Theyhadseenthemarksinthemorning，buttheysoondisappeared。Onelittlegirlwasexamined，whosworepositivelythatshewascarriedthroughtheairbythewitches，andwhenatagreatheightsheutteredtheholynameofJesus。Sheimmediatelyfelltotheground，andmadeagreatholeinherside。“Thedevil，however，pickedherup，healedherside，andcarriedherawaytoBlockula。“Sheadded，andhermotherconfirmedherstatement，thatshehadtillthatday“anexceedinggreatpaininherside。“Thiswasaclencher，andthenailofconvictionwasdrivenhometotheheartsofthejudges。
　　TheplacecalledBlockula，whithertheywerecarried，wasalargehouse，withagatetoit，“inadelicatemeadow，whereoftheycouldseenoend。“Therewasaverylongtableinit，atwhichthewitchessatdown；andinotherrooms“therewereverylovelyanddelicatebedsforthemtosleepupon。“
　　Afteranumberofceremonieshadbeenperformed，bywhichtheyboundthemselves，bodyandsoul，totheserviceofAntecessor，theysatdowntoafeast，composedofbroth，madeofcolwortsandbacon，oatmeal，breadandbutter，milkandcheese。Thedevilalwaystookthechair，andsometimesplayedtothemontheharporthefiddle，whiletheywereeating。Afterdinnertheydancedinaring，sometimesnaked，andsometimesintheirclothes，cursingandswearingallthetime。
　　Someofthewomenaddedparticularstoohorribleandtooobsceneforrepetition。
　　Oncethedevilpretendedtobedead，thathemightseewhetherhispeopleregrettedhim。Theyinstantlysetupaloudwail，andweptthreetearseachforhim，atwhichhewassopleased，thathejumpedupamongthem，andhuggedinhisarmsthosewhohadbeenmostobstreperousintheirsorrow。
　　Suchweretheprincipaldetailsgivenbythechildren，andcorroboratedbytheconfessionsofthefull-grownwitches。Anythingmoreabsurdwasneverbeforestatedinacourtofjustice。Manyoftheaccusedcontradictedthemselvesmostpalpably；butthecommissionersgavenoheedtodiscrepancies。Oneofthem，theparsonofthedistrict，stated，inthecourseoftheinquiry，thatonaparticularnight，whichhementioned，hehadbeenafflictedwithaheadachsoagonizing，thathecouldnotaccountforitotherwisethanbysupposinghewasbewitched。Infact，hethoughtascoreofwitchesmusthavebeendancingonthecrownofhishead。Thisannouncementexcitedgreathorroramongthepiousdamesoftheauditory，wholoudlyexpressedtheirwonderthatthedevilshouldhavepowertohurtsogoodaman。Onepoorwitch，wholayintheveryjawsofdeath，confessedthatsheknewtoowellthecauseoftheminister’sheadach。
　　Thedevilhadsentherwithasledgehammerandalargenail，todriveintothegoodman’sskull。Shehadhammeredatitforsometime，buttheskullwassoenormouslythick，thatshemadenoimpressionuponit。Everyhandwasheldupinastonishment。ThepiousministerblessedGodthathisskullwassosolid，andhebecamerenownedforhisthickheadallthedaysofhislife。Whetherthewitchintendedajokedoesnotappear，butshewaslookeduponasacriminalmorethanusuallyatrocious。Seventypersonswerecondemnedtodeathonthesesoawfulyetsoridiculousconfessions。Twenty-threeofthemwereburnedtogether，inonefire，inthevillageofMohra，inthepresenceofthousandsofdelightedspectators。Onthefollowingdayfifteenchildrenweremurderedinthesamemanner；offeredupinsacrificetothebloodyMolochofsuperstition。Theremainingthirty-twowereexecutedattheneighbouringtownofFahluna。Besidesthese，fifty-sixchildrenwerefoundguiltyofwitchcraftinaminordegree，andsentencedtovariouspunishments，suchasrunningthegauntlet，imprisonment，andpublicwhippingonceaweekforatwelvemonth。
　　Longaftertheoccurrenceofthiscase，itwascitedasoneofthemostconvincingproofsuponrecordoftheprevalenceofwitchcraft。
　　Whenmenwishtoconstructorsupportatheory，howtheytorturefactsintotheirservice！Thelyingwhimsiesofafewsickchildren，encouragedbyfoolishparents，anddrawnoutbysuperstitiousneighbours，weresufficienttosetacountryinaflame。If，insteadofcommissionersasdeeplysunkinthesloughofignoranceasthepeopletheyweresentamongst，therehadbeendeputedafewmenfirmincourageandclearinunderstanding，howdifferentwouldhavebeentheresult！Someofthepoorchildrenwhowereburnedwouldhavebeensenttoaninfirmary；otherswouldhavebeenwellflogged；thecredulityoftheparentswouldhavebeenlaughedat，andthelivesofseventypersonsspared。ThebeliefinwitchcraftremainsinSwedentothisday；but，happily，theannalsofthatcountrypresentnomoresuchinstancesoflamentableaberrationofintellectastheonejustcited。
　　InNewEngland，aboutthesametime，thecolonistswerescaredbysimilarstoriesoftheanticsofthedevil。Allatonceafearseizeduponthemultitude，andsupposedcriminalswerearresteddayafterdayinsuchnumbers，thattheprisonswerefoundtoosmalltocontainthem。Agirl，namedGoodwin，thedaughterofamason，whowashypochondriacandsubjecttofits，imaginedthatanoldIrishwoman，namedGlover，hadbewitchedher。Hertwobrothers，inwhoseconstitutionstherewasapparentlyapredispositiontosimilarfits，wentoffinthesameway，cryingoutthatthedevilandDameGloverweretormentingthem。Attimestheirjointsweresostiffthattheycouldnotbemoved，whileatothers，saidtheneighbours，theyweresoflexible，thatthebonesappearedsoftenedintosinews。Thesupposedwitchwasseized，and，asshecouldnotrepeattheLord’sPrayerwithoutmakingamistakeinit，shewascondemnedandexecuted。
　　Butthepopularexcitementwasnotallayed。Onevictimwasnotenough:thepeoplewaitedagapefornewdisclosures。Suddenlytwohystericgirlsinanotherfamilyfellintofitsdaily，andthecryofwitchcraftresoundedfromoneendofthecolonytotheother。Thefeelingofsuffocationinthethroat，socommonincasesofhysteria，wassaidbythepatientstobecausedbythedevilhimself，whohadstuckballsinthewindpipetochokethem。Theyfelttheprickingofthornsineverypartofthebody，andoneofthemvomitedneedles。Thecaseofthesegirls，whowerethedaughterandnieceofaMr。Parris，theministerofaCalvinistchapel，excitedsomuchattention，thatalltheweakwomeninthecolonybegantofancythemselvessimilarlyafflicted。Themoretheybroodedonit，themoreconvincedtheybecame。Thecontagionofthismentaldiseasewasasgreatasifithadbeenapestilence。Oneaftertheotherthewomenfaintedaway，asserting，ontheirrecovery，thattheyhadseenthespectresofwitches。Wheretherewerethreeorfourgirlsinafamily，theysoworked，eachuponthediseasedimaginationoftheother，thattheyfellintofitsfiveorsixtimesinaday。Somerelatedthatthedevilhimselfappearedtothem，bearinginhishandaparchmentroll，andpromisingthatiftheywouldsignanagreementtransferringtohimtheirimmortalsouls，theyshouldbeimmediatelyrelievedfromfitsandalltheillsoftheflesh。Othersassertedthattheysawwitchesonly，whomadethemsimilarpromises，threateningthattheyshouldneverbefreefromachesandpainstilltheyhadagreedtobecomethedevil’s。Whentheyrefused，thewitchespinched，orbit，orprickedthemwithlongpinsandneedles。Morethantwohundredpersonsnamedbythesemischievousvisionaries，werethrownintoprison。Theywereofallagesandconditionsoflife，andmanyofthemofexemplarycharacter。Nolessthannineteenwerecondemnedandexecutedbeforereasonreturnedtothemindsofthecolonists。Themosthorriblepartofthislamentablehistoryis，thatamongthevictimstherewasalittlechildonlyfiveyearsold。Somewomensworethattheyhadseenitrepeatedlyincompanywiththedevil，andthatithadbittenthemoftenwithitslittleteeth，forrefusingtosignacompactwiththeEvilOne。Itcanhardlyincreaseourfeelingsofdisgustandabhorrencewhenwelearnthatthisinsanecommunityactuallytriedandexecutedadogforthesameoffence！
　　Oneman，namedCory，stoutlyrefusedtopleadtothepreposterousindictmentagainsthim。Aswasthepracticeinsucheases，hewaspressedtodeath。ItistoldoftheSheriffofNewEngland，whosuperintendedtheexecution，thatwhenthisunhappymanthrustouthistongueinhismortalagony，heseizedholdofacane，andcrammeditbackagainintothemouth。Ifevertherewereafiendinhumanform，itwasthisSheriff；aman，who，ifthetruthwereknown，perhapsplumedhimselfuponhispiety——thoughthewasdoingGodgoodservice，and“Hopedtomeritheavenbymakingearthahell！“
　　Arguingstillinthefirmbeliefofwitchcraft，thebereavedpeoplebegantoinquire，whentheysawtheirdearestfriendssnatchedawayfromthembythesewide-spreadingaccusations，whetherthewholeproceedingswerenotcarriedonbytheagencyofthedevil。Mightnotthegreatenemyhaveputfalsetestimonyintothemouthsofthewitnesses，ormightnotthewitnessesbewitchesthemselves？Everymanwhowasindangeroflosinghiswife，hischild，orhissister，embracedthisdoctrinewithavidity。Therevulsionwasassuddenasthefirstfrenzy。Allatonce，thecolonistswereconvincedoftheirerror。Thejudgesputastoptotheprosecutions，evenofthosewhohadconfessedtheirguilt。Thelatterwerenosooneratlibertythantheyretractedalltheyhadsaid，andthegreaternumberhardlyrememberedtheavowalswhichagonyhadextortedfromthem。Eightpersons，whohadbeentriedandcondemned，weresetfree；andgraduallygirlsceasedtohavefitsandtotalkofthepersecutionsofthedevil。Thejudgewhohadcondemnedthefirstcriminalexecutedonthischarge，wassosmittenwithsorrowandhumiliationathisfolly，thathesetaparttheanniversaryofthatdayasoneofsolemnpenitenceandfasting。Hestillclungtothebeliefinwitchcraft；
　　nonewlighthadbrokeninuponhimonthatsubject，but，happilyforthecommunity，thedelusionhadtakenamercifulturn。Thewholecolonysharedthefeeling；thejurorsonthedifferenttrialsopenlyexpressedtheirpenitenceinthechurches；andthosewhohadsufferedwereregardedasthevictims，andnottheaccomplicesofSatan。
　　ItisrelatedthattheIndiantribesinNewEnglandweresorelypuzzledattheinfatuationofthesettlers，andthoughtthemeitheraraceinferiorto，ormoresinfulthantheFrenchcolonistsinthevicinity，amongstwhom，astheyremarked，“theGreatSpiritsentnowitches。“
　　ReturningagaintothecontinentofEurope，wefindthat，aftertheyear1680，menbecamestillwiseruponthissubject。Fortwentyyearsthepopulacewerelefttotheirbelief，butgovernmentsingeneralgaveitnoalimentintheshapeofexecutions。TheedictofLouisXIV。gaveablowtothesuperstition，fromwhichitneverrecovered。ThelastexecutionintheProtestantcantonsofSwitzerlandwasatGeneva，in1652。ThevariouspotentatesofGermany，althoughtheycouldnotstaythetrials，invariablycommutedthesentenceintoimprisonment，inallcaseswherethepretendedwitchwasaccusedofpurewitchcraft，unconnectedwithanyothercrime。Intheyear1701，Thomasius，thelearnedprofessorattheUniversityofHalle，deliveredhisinauguralthesis，“DeCrimineMagiae，“whichstruckanotherblowatthefallingmonsterofpopularerror。Butafaithsostrongasthatinwitchcraftwasnottobeeradicatedatonce:theargumentsoflearnedmendidnotpenetratetothevillagesandhamlets，butstilltheyachievedgreatthings；theyrenderedthebeliefanunworkingfaith，andpreventedthesupplyofvictims，onwhichforsomanyagesithadbattenedandgrownstrong。
　　Oncemorethedelusionbrokeout；likeawildbeastwoundedtothedeath，itcollectedallitsremainingenergiesforthefinalconvulsion，whichwastoshowhowmightyithadoncebeen。Germany，whichhadnursedthefrightfulerrorinitscradle，tendeditonitsdeath-bed，andWurzburg，thesceneofsomanymurdersonthesamepretext，wasdestinedtobethesceneofthelast。Thatitmightlosenoportionofitsbadrenown，thelastmurderwasasatrociousasthefirst。ThiscaseoffersagreatresemblancetothatofthewitchesofMohraandNewEngland，exceptinthenumberofitsvictims。Ithappenedsolateastheyear1749，totheastonishmentanddisgustoftherestofEurope。