the treasure seekers.[33]

It was usually in the less serious diseases[34] that these cunning folk
were consulted. They were called upon often indeed--if one fragmentary
evidence may be trusted--to diagnose the diseases and to account for the
deaths of domestic animals.[35] It may very easily be that it was from
the necessity of explaining the deaths of animals that the practitioners
of magic began to talk about witchcraft and to throw out a hint that
some witch was at the back of the matter. It would be in line with
their own pretensions. Were they not good witches? Was it not their
province to overcome the machinations of the black witches, that is,
witches who wrought evil rather than good? The disease of an animal was
hard to prescribe for. A sick horse would hardly respond to the waving
of hands and a jumble of strange words. The animal was, in all
probability, bewitched.

At any rate, whether in this particular manner or not, it became shortly
the duty of the cunning women to recognize the signs of witchcraft, to
prescribe for it, and if possible to detect the witch. In many cases the
practitioner wisely enough refused to name any one, but described the
appearance of the guilty party and set forth a series of operations by
which to expose her machinations. If certain herbs were plucked and
treated in certain ways, if such and such words were said, the guilty
party would appear at the door. At other times the wise woman gave a
perfectly recognizable description of the guilty one and offered
remedies that would nullify her maleficent influences. No doubt the
party indicated as the witch was very often another of the "good
witches," perhaps a rival. Throughout the records of the superstition
are scattered examples of wise women upon whom suspicion suddenly
lighted, and who were arraigned and sent to the gallows. Beyond question
the suspicion began often with the ill words of a neighbor,[36] perhaps
of a competitor, words that started an attack upon the woman's
reputation that she was unable to repel.

It is not to be supposed that the art of cunning was confined to the
female sex. Throughout the reign of Elizabeth, the realm was alive with
men who were pretenders to knowledge of mysteries. So closely was the
occupation allied to that of the physician that no such strict line as
now exists between reputable physicians and quack doctors separated the
"good witches" from the regular practicers of medicine. It was so