he Collection of Relations_; the first
part intended as a philosophical inquiry into witchcraft, and the power of
the devil "to assume a mortal shape:" the latter containing what he
considered a multitude of well-authenticated modern instances.

[Illustration: SIR MATTHEW HALE.]

But though progress was made, it was slow. In 1664, the venerable Sir
Matthew Hale condemned two women, named Amy Duny and Rose Cullender, to
the stake at St. Edmondsbury, upon evidence the most ridiculous. These two
old women, whose ugliness gave their neighbours the first idea that they
were witches, went to a shop to purchase herrings, and were refused.
Indignant at the prejudice against them, they were not sparing of their
abuse. Shortly afterward, the daughter of the herring-dealer fell sick,
and a cry was raised that she was bewitched by the old women who had been
refused the herrings. This girl was subject to epileptic fits. To discover
the guilt of Amy Duny and Rose Cullender, the girl's eyes were blinded
closely with a shawl, and the witches were commanded to touch her. They
did so, and she was immediately seized with a fit. Upon this evidence they
were sent to prison. The girl was afterwards touched by an indifferent
person, and the force of her imagination was so great, that, thinking it
was again the witches, she fell down in a violent fit as before. This,
however, was not received in favour of the accused.

The following extract, from the published reports of the trial, will shew
the sort of evidence which was received:

"Samuel Pacey, of Leystoff (a good, sober man), being sworn, said that, on
Thursday the 10th of October last, his younger daughter, Deborah, about
nine years old, was suddenly taken so lame that she could not stand on her
legs, and so continued till the 17th of the same month, when the child
desired to be carried to a bank on the east side of the house, looking
towards the sea; and, while she was sitting there, Amy Duny came to this
examinant's house to buy some herrings, but was denied. Then she came
twice more, but, being as often denied, she went away discontented and
grumbling. At this instant of time, the child was taken with terrible
fits, complaining of a pain in her stomach, as if she was pricked with
pins, shrieking out with a voice like a whelp, and thus continued till the
30th of the same month. This examinant further saith, that Amy Duny,
having long had the reputation of a witch, and his child having