A belief so universal as that in witchcraft must clearly be founded upon positive phenomena. It will not serve our purpose to discuss what yet unknown supernormal powers might be attained under special conditions, or how much more there may be to discover beyond X-rays and wireless telegraphy. For while old ideas as to imps and devils, brooms and black cats, were manifestly ridiculous, and although the abnormal powers, whatever they may have been, could work no rescue in the hour of need, there may be many things in heaven and earth undreamed of in our present state of knowledge. But ordinary witch cases appear to have been resolvable into the examination of— (_a_) Hysterical subjects—sometimes crowds of them—who might imagine anything and accuse anybody, including themselves. Such people were (and are) often given to swallowing needles and other things, some of which found their way through the body and emerged from all parts of it.[573] This would have been considered strong evidence of diabolical agency. Many of these would be subject to epilepsy, catalepsy—accompanied sometimes by that strange insensibility to pain[574] which is a well-marked symptom in hysteria, and which was remarked on by the torturers—and to obscure nerve diseases generally. (_b_) “Wise women,”[575] midwives, doctors good and bad, who may, according to the custom of the times in which, as among savages, magic[576] and medicine were inextricably mingled, have resorted to charms[577] (as are still employed by old women to cure warts), and sometimes, doubtless, to preparing and administering actual poisons;[578] and who, whenever anything remarkable occurred, were always liable to be accused of having in some way trafficked with the all-explaining devil.[579] They sometimes claimed to possess the powers of witches, and tried to gain support or protection from being feared, deceiving others and often themselves as well.[580] (_c_) Private enemies,[581] whom an accusation of witchcraft,[582] or of any of the little group of offences[583] which were always supposed to be closely allied with it,[584] was the readiest way to ruin.[585] (_d_) People accused for the sake of gain by means of deliberate plots and conspiracies. Feigning to be bewitched, and naming some (known to be) innocent person as the cause of the mischief, was a mean crime that was by no means uncommon, and many flagrant instances are given of it by early criticisers.[586] (_e_) The main body of the victims.[587] Old women who had outlived family and friends, who were helpless and solitary,[588] ugly from age, unclean from infirmities, eccentric in wisdom, crazy with delusions, palsied in limbs, or wandering in mind.[589] All these, or nearly half the old folks in the land, were always liable to accusation on account of their misfortunes.[590] They were the wretched scapegoats of those times, on whom was laid whatever might befall, from epileptic fits to summer hail.[591]