Penalties--Less severe than in secular Courts 197 Rationalistic Treatment in Portuguese Inquisition 202 Prosecuted as a Reality in Spain, to the last 203 Increase in the Number of Cases 204 Belief remains undiminished to the present time 205 CHAPTER IX--WITCHCRAFT. Distinctive Character of Witchcraft--The Sabbat 206 Origin in the 14th Century--Rapid Development in the 15th 207 Genesis of Belief in the Sabbat--The _Canon Episcopi_ 208 Discussion as to Delusion or Reality--Witch-Burnings 209 Congregation of 1526 deliberates on the Subject 212 Witch Epidemics--Active Persecution 214 The Suprema restrains the Zeal of the Tribunals 216 Enlightened Instructions 219 Auto-suggestive Hypnotism of confessed Witches 220 Conflict with secular Courts over Jurisdiction 222 Lenient Punishment 223 Retrogression--The Logroño Auto of 1610 225 Revulsion of Feeling--Pedro de Valencia 228 Alonso de Salazar Frias commissioned to investigate 230 His rationalistic Report 231 Instructions of 1614 virtually put an end to Persecution 235 Persistent Belief--Torreblanca 239 Witchcraft Epidemics disappear 240 Witchcraft in the Roman Inquisition 242 The Witchcraft Craze throughout Europe 246 CHAPTER X--POLITICAL ACTIVITY. Assertion that the Inquisition was a political Instrument 248 No Trace of its Agency in the Development of Absolutism 249 Rarely called upon for extraneous Service 251 Case of Antonio Pérez 253 Assassination of Juan de Escobedo 254 Pérez replaced by Granvelle--is imprisoned--escapes to Saragossa--is condemned in Madrid 255 Futile Attempts to prosecute him before the Justicia of Aragon 258 The Inquisition called in and prosecutes him for Blasphemy 258 He is surrendered to the Tribunal--the City rises and rescues him 259 Philip's Army occupies Saragossa--Pérez escapes to France--Execution of the Justicia Lanuza 263 Prosecutions by the Inquisition in opposition to the policy of Philip II--Auto de fe of October 20, 1592 267 Córtes of Tarazona in 1592 curtail the Liberties of Aragon 269