The discovery of witches : a study of Master Matthew Hopkins, commonly call'd Witch finder generall / by the Rev. Montague Summers, together with a reprint of The discovery of witches from the rare original of 1647.

  • Summers, Montague, 1880-1948.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The discovery of witches : a study of Master Matthew Hopkins, commonly call'd Witch finder generall / by the Rev. Montague Summers, together with a reprint of The discovery of witches from the rare original of 1647. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    always resided there. Mr. Rivett replied to these inquiries in the following letter : “ Sir, In Answer to your Request concerning Mr. Lowes, my Father was always of the Opinion, that Mr. Lowes suffered wrongfully, and hath often said that he did believe he was no more a Wizzard than he was. I have heard it from them that watched with him, that they kept him awake several Nights together, and run him backwards and forwards about the Room, until he was out of Breath : Then they rested him a little, and then ran him again : And thus they did for several Days and Nights together, till he was weary of his Life, and was scarce sensible of what he said or did. They swam him at Lramlingham, but that was no true Rule to try him by ; for they put in honest People at the same Time, and they swam as well as he.55 We here find that at least three of Matthew Hopkins’ favourite methods of detecting witches won scant credence even in his own day, and their utility was being pretty severely criticized. Hopkins, indeed, is at some pains to defend them in his own pamphlet, where he rather labori¬ ously vindicates his accustomed practice in these matters. The process of watching is thus described by John Gaule in his Select Cases of Conscience Touching Witches : <c Having taken the suspected Witch, shee is placed in the middle of a room upon a stool or table, crosse-legg’d, or in some other uneasie posture, to which if she submits not she is then bound with cords ; there is she watcht and kept with¬ out meat or sleep for the space of 24 hours. ... A little hole is likewise made in the door for the Impe to come in at; and lest it might come in some less discernible shape, they that watch are taught to be ever and anon sweeping