from the sick and from those who had lost valuables, made
her at the same time a successful beggar. Those whom she importuned were
afraid to refuse her. But she was in constant peril. If she resented ill
treatment, if she gave in ill wishes as much as she took, she was sure
to hear from it before a stern justice of the peace. It can hardly be
doubted that a large proportion, after the Restoration as in every other
period, of those finally hanged for witchcraft, had in fact made claims
to skill in magic arts. Without question some of them had even traded on
the fear they inspired. Not a few of the wretched creatures fetched to
York castle to be tried were "inchanters."

Very often, indeed, a woman who was nothing more than a midwife, with
some little knowledge of medicine perhaps, would easily be classed by
the public among the regular witch doctors and so come to have a bad
name. Whether she lived up to her name or not--and the temptation to do
so would be great--she would from that time be subject to suspicion, and
might at length become a prey to the justice of the peace. Mrs. Pepper
was no more than a midwife who made also certain simple medical
examinations, but when one of her patients was "strangely handled" she
was taken to court.[9] Margaret Stothard was probably, so far as we can
piece together her story, a woman who had been successful in calming
fretful children and had so gained for herself a reputation as a witch.
Doubtless she had acquired in time a few of the charmer's tricks that
enhanced her reputation and increased her practice. This was all very
well until one of her patients happened to die. Then she was carried to
Newcastle and would probably have suffered death, had it not been for a
wise judge.[10]

These are typical cases. The would-be healer of the sick ran a risk, and
it was not always alone from failure to cure. If a witch doctor found
himself unable to bring relief to a patient, it was easy to suggest that
some other witch doctor--and such were usually women--was bewitching the
patient. There are many instances, and they are not confined to the
particular period with which we are dealing, in which one "good witch"
started the run on the other's reputation. Even the regular physician
may sometimes have yielded to the temptation to crush competition.

Of course, when all the cases are considered, only a very small part of
the "good witches" ever fell into the clutches of the law. The law
pres