a herd of swine and plunged over a steep place into the
sea.

It must not be supposed that exorcism was a result of belief in
witchcraft. It was as old as the Christian church. It was still made use
of by the Roman church and, indeed, by certain Protestant groups. And
just at this time the Roman church found it a most important instrument
in the struggle against the reformed religions. In England Romanism was
waging a losing war, and had need of all the miracles that it could
claim in order to reestablish its waning credit. The hunted priests who
were being driven out by Whitgift were not unwilling to resort to a
practice which they hoped would regain for them the allegiance of the
common people. During the years 1585-1586 they had conducted what they
considered marvellous works of exorcism in Catholic households of
Buckinghamshire and Middlesex.[1] Great efforts had been made to keep
news of these seances from reaching the ears of the government, but
accounts of them had gained wide circulation and came to the privy
council. That body was of course stimulated to greater activity against
the Catholics.[2]

As a phase of a suppressed form of religion the matter might never have
assumed any significance. Had not a third-rate Puritan clergyman, John
Darrel, almost by accident hit upon the use of exorcism, the story of
its use would be hardly worth telling.[3] When this young minister was
not more than twenty, but already, as he says, reckoned "a man of hope,"
he was asked to cure a seventeen-year-old girl at Mansfield in
Nottingham, Katherine Wright.[4] Her disease called for simple medical
treatment. That was not Darrel's plan of operation. She had an evil
spirit, he declared. From four o'clock in the morning until noon he
prayed over her spirit. He either set going of his own initiative the
opinion that possessed persons could point out witches, or he quickly
availed himself of such a belief already existing. The evil spirit, he
declared, could recognize and even name the witch that had sent it as
well as the witch's confederates. All of this was no doubt suggested to
the possessed girl and she was soon induced to name the witch that
troubled her. This was Margaret Roper, a woman with whom she was upon
bad terms. Margaret Roper was at once taken into custody by the
constable. She happened to be brought before a justice of the peace
possessing more than usual discrimination. He not only discharged
her,[5] but threatene