Alene; whome we mett withalle
in Poles, and toke hym with us unto his chamber, wheare we founde
fygures sett to calke the nativetie off the kynge, and a jugementt
gevyne off his deathe, wheroff this folyshe wreche thoughte hymselfe so
sure thatt he and his conselars the papistes bruted it all over. The
kynge laye att Hamtone courte the same tyme, and me lord protector at
the Syone; unto whome I caryed this Alen, with his bokes off
conejuracyons, cearkles, and many thynges beloungynge to thatt dyvlyshe
art, wiche he affyrmed before me lorde was a lawfulle cyens [science],
for the statute agaynst souche was repealed. 'Thow folyshe knave! (sayde
me lorde) yff thou and all thatt be off thy cyens telle me what I shalle
do to-morow, I wylle geve the alle thatt I have'; commaundynge me to
cary hym unto the Tower." Alen was examined about his science and it was
discovered that he was "a very unlearned asse, and a sorcerer, for the
wiche he was worthye hangynge, sayde Mr. Recorde." He was however kept
in the Tower "about the space off a yere, and then by frendshipe
delyvered. So scapithe alwayes the weked."[19]

But the wicked were not long to escape. The beginning of Elizabeth's
reign saw a serious and successful effort to put on the statute-book
definite and severe penalties for conjuration, sorcery, witchcraft, and
related crimes. The question was taken up in the very first year of the
new reign and a bill was draughted.[20] It was not, however, until 1563
that the statute was finally passed. It was then enacted that those who
"shall use, practise, or exercise any Witchecrafte, Enchantment, Charme
or Sorcerie, whereby any person shall happen to bee killed or destroyed,
... their Concellors and Aidours, ... shall suffer paynes of Deathe as a
Felon or Felons." It was further declared that those by whose practices
any person was wasted, consumed, or lamed, should suffer for the first
offence one year's imprisonment and should be put in the pillory four
times. For the second offence death was the penalty. It was further
provided that those who by witchcraft presumed to discover treasure or
to find stolen property or to "provoke any person to unlawfull love"
should suffer a year's imprisonment and four appearances in the pillory.

With this law the history of the prosecution of witchcraft in England as
a secular crime may well begin. The question naturally arises, What was
the occasion of this law? How did it happen that just at t