n.
"Will Your Highness only consider that the one does not exclude the
other. Through the veritable belief in God and the grace of God which
accompanied this, the art of the witches was restricted and their hand
enfeebled, scarcely however had Sylvanus, Neuser and Erastus tainted
the land with their secret blasphemies, than the Almighty withdrew his
countenance, and then the allies of Satan had free play. Or is it not
then a fact, that immediately after the disclosure of the heresy, the
magic arts came to the fore?" The Kurfuerst shrugged his shoulders
contemptuously. "If Your Grace does not believe me or the Church
Council, the Juristical Faculties of Heidelberg or Tuebingen might be
called upon for a legal opinion."

"Go to the Devil with your Faculties," roared out the old gentleman,
"who every year send hundreds to the stake for the Judas reward of
twelve golden gulden. Where do you think the bones of Luther and Calvin
would be to-day, if the Kurfuerst of Saxony and the Honorable Council of
the town of Geneva had requested the legal opinion of the University
Jurists? Under heaven I know of no more venal people than those who
live by their legal opinions."

"Then I can only think of the witch's test."

"What sort of test is that?"

"Let the young woman be thrown into the Neckar, should she rise to the
top she is clearly a witch. Should she sink, then is she innocent and
escapes prosecution."

"And if she drowns or dies of fright, do you bring her back to life
again," asked the Kurfuerst with an angry look.

"Then is nothing to be done," said the Magistrate surlily.

"If the herb picking woman was found with devilish vermin," said the
Kurfuerst, "sitting near the Holtermann or by the Linsenteich at a time
of night when people are usually asleep, you can try her and execute
her, but Erastus' daughter is to be set free to-day I tell you."

"Would Your Grace only condescend to take into His high consideration,
what an evil impression would be produced, if the old witch were tried
for being at night on the Kreuzweg, and the young woman known to be
guilty of the same crime were set at liberty?"

The Kurfuerst once more approached so close to the Amtmann that that
worthy again withdrew behind his arm-chair. "I know you, Herr Amtmann,"
he said peremptorily. "I know of your amours in Ladenburg and Mosbach.
You are lusting to proceed against a well made woman, to cut the hair
from her body and do anything else which