But it will be said by some; As for those absurd and popish writers, they are not in all their allegations, touching these matters, to be credited. But I assure you, that even all sorts of writers heerein (for the most part) the very doctors of the church to the schoolemen, protestants and papists, learned and unlearned, poets and historiographers, Jewes, Christians, or Gentiles agree in these impossible and ridiculous matters. Yea and these writers, out of whome I gather most absurdities, are of the best credit and authoritie of all writers in this matter. The reason is, bicause it was never throughlie looked into; but everie fable credited; and the word (Witch) named so often in scripture.
They that have seene further of the inquisitors orders and customes, saie also; that There is no waie in the world for these poore women to escape the inquisitors hands, and so consequentlie burning: but to gild their hands with monie, wherby oftentimes they take pitie upon them, and deliver them, as sufficientlie purged. For they have authoritie to exchange the punishment of the bodie with the punishment of the pursse, applieng the same to the office of their inquisition: whereby they reape such profit, as a number of these seelie women paie them yeerelie pensions, to the end they may not be punished againe.
♦The onelie way for witches to avoid the inquisitors hands.♦
_The opinion of Cornelius Agrippa concerning witches, of his pleading for a poore woman accused of witchcraft, and how he convinced the inquisitors._
_Cornelius Agrippa_ saith, that while he was in _Italie_, manie inquisitors in the dutchie of _Millen_ troubled divers most honest & noble matrones, privilie wringing much monie from them, untill their knaverie was detected. Further he saith, that being an advocate or councellor in the Commonwelth of _Maestright_ in _Brabant_, he had sore contention with an inquisitor, who through unjust accusations drew a poore woman of the countrie into his butcherie, and to an unfit place; not so much to examine hir, as to torment hir. Whom when _C. Agrippa_ had undertaken to defend, declaring that in the things doone, there was no proofe, no signe or token that could cause hir to be tormented; the inquisitor stoutlie denieng it, said; One thing there is, which is proofe and matter sufficient: for hir mother was in times past burned for a witch. Now when _Agrippa_ replied, affirming that this article was impertinent, and ought to be refused by the judge, as being the deed of another; alledging to the inquisitor, reasons and lawe for the same: he replied againe that this was true, bicause they used to sacrifice their children to the divell, as soone as they were borne; and also bicause they usuallie conceived by spirits transformed into mans shape, and that thereby witchcraft was naturallie ingraffed into this child, as a disease that commeth by inheritance.