op was burned at Salem in 1692.

At the lowest, we have all the notes of sorcery as our rude
ancestors knew it, in this modern affair. Two hundred years
earlier, Thorel would have been burned, and G., too, probably, for
the Maire of Cideville swore that before the disturbances, and three
weeks after G. was let out of prison, Thorel had warned him of the
trouble which G. would bring on the cure. Meanwhile the evidence
shows no conscious malignity on the part of the two boys. They at
first took very little notice of the raps, attributing the noises to
mice. Not till the sounds increased, and showed intelligence, as by
drumming tunes, did the lads concern themselves, much about the
matter. At no time (it seems) did they ask to be sent home, and, of
course, to be relieved from their lessons and sent home would be
their motive, if they practised a fraud. We may admit that, from
rural tradition, the boys might have learned what the customary
phenomena are, knocks, raps, moving tables, heavy objects sailing
tranquilly about a room. It would be less easy for them to produce
these phenomena, nor did the people of all classes who flocked to
Cideville detect any imposture.

A land surveyor swore that the raps went on when he had placed the
boy in an attitude which made fraud (in his opinion) impossible. A
gentleman M. de B. 'took all possible precautions' but,
nevertheless, was entertained by 'a noise which performed the tunes
demanded'. He could discover no cause of the noise. M. Huet,
touching a table with his finger, received responsive raps, which
answered questions, 'at the very place where I struck, and beneath
my finger. I cannot explain the fact, which, I am convinced, was
not caused by the child, nor by any one in the house.' M. Cheval
saw things fly about, he slept in the boy's room, and his pillow
flew from under his head. He lay down between the children, holding
their hands, and placing his feet on theirs, when the coverlet of
the bed arose, and floated away. The Marquis de Mirville had a
number of answers by raps, which staggered him very much, but the
force was quite feeble when he asked for portions of Italian music.
Madame de St. Victor felt herself pushed, and her clothes pulled in
the cure's house, when no one was near her. She also saw furniture
behave in a fantastic manner, and M. Raoul Robert de St. Victor had
many such experiences. M. Paul de St. Victor was not present. A
desk sailed alon