Letters on Demonology and WitchcraftExcerpt: ...to traditional respect, the fathers of the Roman Church were in policy reluctant to abandon such impressive spots, or to represent them as exclusively the rendezvous of witches or of evil spirits. On the contrary, by assigning the virtues of the spring or the beauty of the tree to the guardianship of some saint, they acquired, as it were, for the defence of their own doctrine, a frontier fortress which they wrested from the enemy, and which it was at least needless to dismantle, if it could be conveniently garrisoned and defended. Thus the Church secured possession of many beautiful pieces of scenery, as Mr. Whitfield is said to have grudged to the devil the monopoly of all the fine tunes. It is true that this policy was not uniformly observed. The story of the celebrated Jeanne d'Arc, called the Maid of Orleans, preserves the memory of such a custom, which was in that case turned to the prejudice of the poor woman who observed it. It is well known that this unfortunate female fell into the hands of the English, after having, by her courage and enthusiasm manifested on many important occasions, revived the drooping courage of the French, and inspired them with the hope of once more freeing their country. The English vulgar regarded her as a sorceress-the French as an inspired heroine; while the wise on both sides considered her as neither the one nor the other, but a tool used by the celebrated Dunois to play the part which he assigned her. The Duke of Bedford, when the ill-starred Jeanne fell into his hands, took away her life in order to stigmatize her memory with sorcery and to destroy the reputation she had acquired among the French. The mean recurrence to such a charge against such a person had no more success than it deserved, although Jeanne was condemned both by the Parliament of Bordeux and the University of Paris. Her indictment accused her of having frequented an ancient oak-tree, and a fountain arising under it, called the Fated or... |
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accused afflicted ancient Anne Robinson answer apparition appeared believe Bessie brought called Calvinists cause character charge charms Christian Church confession court credulity crime death deities Demonology demons desire devil divine duergar Eildon hills Elfland elves England evidence evil executed existence eyes fairies faith familiar spirits fancy gentleman ghost guilty hand heathen Highland human imagination imposture instance Isobel Isobel Gowdie Jane Wenham judges King Lady Lancre Lord manner Margaret Barclay Matthew Hopkins mind minister mortals murder nature neighbours observed occasion opinion party patient persons phantom poor possession practised pretended prosecution punishment Queen Reginald Scot remarkable respecting Robin Goodfellow Satan says Scotland Scottish seems sense singular sorcery species spectre spirits story suffered supernatural superstition supposed tale terror Thome Reid tion told took torture trial truth usual witchcraft witches Witchfinder witness wizard woman word worship