The eleventh Chapter. _The opinion of Cornelius Agrippa concerning witches, of his pleading for a poore woman accused of witchcraft, and how he convinced the inquisitors._ _Cornelius Agrippa_ saith, that while he was in _Italie_, manie inquisitors in the dutchie of _Millen_ troubled divers most honest & noble matrones, privilie wringing much monie from them, untill their knaverie was detected. Further he saith, that being an advocate or councellor in the Commonwelth of _Maestright_ in _Brabant_, he had sore contention with an inquisitor, who through unjust accusations drew a poore woman of the countrie into his butcherie, and to an unfit place; not so much to examine hir, as to torment hir. Whom when _C. Agrippa_ had undertaken to defend, declaring that in the things doone, there was no proofe, no signe or token that could cause hir to be tormented; the inquisitor stoutlie denieng it, said; One thing there is, which is proofe and matter sufficient: for hir mother was in times past burned for a witch. Now when _Agrippa_ replied, affirming that this article was impertinent, and ought to be refused by the judge, as being the deed of another; alledging to the inquisitor, reasons and lawe for the same: he replied againe that this was true, bicause they used to sacrifice their children to the divell, as soone as they were borne; and also bicause they usuallie conceived by spirits transformed into mans shape, and that thereby witchcraft was naturallie ingraffed into this child, as a disease that commeth by inheritance.