I have not aimed at giving a history of the witch mania--indeed, a scientific history of witchcraft, one that will make plain the nature of the various factors involved, has yet to be written. I have only dwelt upon it for the purpose of enforcing the lesson of how materially such an epidemic must have contributed to give permanence to religious belief in general. It is certain that such an epidemic could not occur save in a society saturated with supernaturalism. It is equally certain that once such an epidemic occurs it must in turn strengthen the tendency towards supernaturalistic beliefs. Thanks to the long reign of the religious idea, and to the overwhelming influence of the Church, the people of Europe were prepared for such an outbreak. And it should be clear that the prevalence of such beliefs, even though they may be afterwards discarded, favours the perpetuation of religious belief as a whole. The particular form of a belief that is prevalent for a time may disappear, but the temper of mind induced by its reign remains. And absurd as the belief in witches capering through the air on broomsticks, changing themselves into black cats, raising storms, and causing sickness--absurd though all this may be, it yet serves to keep alive the temper of mind on which supernaturalism lives. FOOTNOTES: [187] Cited by Bloch, _Sexual Life of our Time_, p. 120. Michelet has also dealt with this matter in his vivid and picturesque work, _The Sorceress_. [188] A lengthy account of this work is given by Ennemoser in his _History of Magic_, vol. ii. [189] _Rise and Influence of Rationalism_, i. pp. 3-6. [190] H. Williams, _The Superstitions of Witchcraft_, p. 214. [191] T. Wright, _Narratives of Sorcery and Magic_. [192] Michelet, _Life of Luther_, chap. vi. [193] _History of Civilisation_, chap. xix. [194] Dalyell, _Darker Superstitions of Scotland_, p. 623. [195] Dalyell, p. 628. [196] Pitcairn's _Criminal Trials_, vol. iii. [197] _Religio Medici_, pt. i. sec. 30. [198] _True Intellectual System_, ii. p. 650. [199] _Commentaries_, Stephen's Edition, i. p. 238. [200] _Journal_, 1768. CHAPTER ELEVEN SUMMARY & CONCLUSION