the role and the
importance of various actors in the drama and as to sundry minor
matters, the writer has found himself forced to divergence of view. He
recognizes nevertheless the importance of Professor Kittredge's
contribution to the study of the whole subject and acknowledges his own
indebtedness to the essay for suggestion and guidance.

The author cannot hope that the work here presented is final.
Unfortunately there is still hidden away in England an unexplored mass
of local records. Some of them no doubt contain accounts of witch
trials. I have used chiefly such printed and manuscript materials as
were accessible in London and Oxford. Some day perhaps I may find time
to go the rounds of the English counties and search the masses of gaol
delivery records and municipal archives. From the really small amount of
new material on the subject brought to light by the Historical
Manuscripts Commission and by the publication of many municipal records,
it seems improbable that such a search would uncover so many unlisted
trials as seriously to modify the narrative. Nevertheless until such a
search is made no history of the subject has the right to be counted
final. Mr. Charles W. Wallace, the student of Shakespeare, tells me that
in turning over the multitudinous records of the Star Chamber he found a
few witch cases. Professor Kittredge believes that there is still a
great deal of such material to be turned up in private collections and
local archives. Any information on this matter which any student of
English local history can give me will be gratefully received.

I wish to express my thanks for reading parts of the manuscript to
William Savage Johnson of Kansas University and to Miss Ada Comstock of
the University of Minnesota. For general assistance and advice on the
subject I am under obligations to Professor Wilbur C. Abbott and to
Professor George Burton Adams of Yale University. It is quite impossible
to say how very much I owe to Professor George L. Burr of Cornell. From
cover to cover the book, since the award to it of the Adams Prize, has
profited from his painstaking criticism and wise suggestion.

W. N.

Minneapolis, _October 10, 1911_.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Preface v

CHAPTER I.

The Beginnings of Engl