eatro Critico_), dared to raise his
voice, however feeble, in its behalf.

The cessation of legal procedure against witches was negative
rather than positive: the enactments in the statute-books were
left unrepealed, and so seemed not to altogether discountenance a
still somewhat doubtful prejudice. It was so late as in the ninth
year of the reign of George II., 1736, that the Witch Act of 1604
was formally and finally repealed. By a tardy exertion of sense
and justice the Legislature then enacted that, for the future, no
prosecutions should be instituted on account of witchcraft,
sorcery, conjuration, enchantment, &c., against any person or
persons. Unfortunately for the credit of civilisation, it would
be easy to enumerate a long list of _illegal_ murders both before
and since 1736. One or two of the most remarkable cases plainly
evincing, as Scott thinks, that the witch-creed 'is only asleep,
and might in remote corners be again awakened to deeds of blood,'
are too significant not to be briefly referred to. In 1712 Jane
Wenham, a poor woman belonging to the village of Walkern, in the
county of Hertford, was solemnly found guilty by the jury on the
evidence of sixteen witnesses, of whom three were clergymen;
Judge Powell presiding. She was condemned to death as a witch in
the usual manner; but was reprieved on the representation of the
judge. She had been commonly known in the neighbourhood of her
home as a malicious witch, who took great pleasure in afflicting
farmers' cattle and in effecting similar mischief. The incumbent
of Walkern, the Rev. Mr. Gardiner, fully shared the prejudice of
his parishioners; and, far from attempting to dispel, he entirely
concurred with, their suspicions. A warrant was obtained from the
magistrate, Sir Henry Chauncy, for the arrest of the accused: and
she was brought before that local official; depositions were
taken, and she was searched for 'marks.' The vicar of Ardley, a
neighbouring village, tested her guilt or innocence with the
Lord's Prayer, which was repeated incorrectly: by threats and
other means he forced the confession that she was indeed an agent
of the devil, and had had intercourse with him.

But, even in the middle of the eighteenth century, witches were
occasionally tried and condemned by judicial tribunals. In the
year 1749, Maria or Emma Renata, a nun in the convent of
Unterzell, near Wuerzburg, was condemned by the spiritual, and
executed by the civil, power. B