or doubting the sincerity of their explanation. Stearne tells us
that the keeping the witches separate is "also to the end that Godly
Divines might discourse with them." "For if any of their society come to
them to discourse with them, they will never confesse."[86] Here,
indeed, is a clue to many confessions. Several men arrayed against one
solitary and weak woman could break her resolution and get from her very
much what they pleased.

As for starving the witches and keeping them from sleep, Stearne
maintained that these things were done by them only at first. Hopkins
bore the same testimony. "After they had beat their heads together in
the Gaole, and after this use was not allowed of by the Judges and other
Magistrates, it was never since used, which is a yeare and a halfe
since."[87] In other words, the two men had given up the practice
because the parliamentary commission had compelled them to do so.

The confessions must be received with great caution, Hopkins himself
declared.[88] It is so easy to put words into the witch's mouth. "You
have foure Imps, have you not? She answers affirmatively. 'Yes'.... 'Are
not their names so and so'? 'Yes,' saith she. 'Did you not send such an
Impe to kill my child'? 'Yes,' saith she." This sort of thing has been
too often done, asserted the virtuous witchfinder. He earnestly did
desire that "all Magistrates and Jurors would, a little more than ever
they did, examine witnesses about the interrogated confessions." What a
cautious, circumspect man was this famous witchfinder! The confessions,
he wrote, in which confidence may be placed are when the woman, without
any "hard usages or questions put to her, doth of her owne accord
declare what was the occasion of the Devil's appearing to her."[89]

The swimming test had been employed by both men in the earlier stages of
their work. "That hath been used," wrote Stearne, "and I durst not goe
about to cleere my selfe of it, because formerly I used it, but it was
at such time of the yeare as when none tooke any harme by it, neither
did I ever doe it but upon their owne request."[90] A thoughtful man was
this Stearne! Latterly he had given up the test--since "Judge Corbolt"
stopped it[91]--and he had come to believe that it was a way of
"distrusting of God's providence."

It can be seen that the men who had conducted the witch crusade were
able to present a consistent philosophy of their conduct. It was, of
course, a philosophy constru