All the American colonies had laws against witchcraft similar to those in England at the ume. and from the first there were occasional trials and executions on that charge. The great Salem witchcraft delusion, with its attendant tragedies, occurred near the close of the 17th century and was largely due to excitement caused by the teachings and writings of Cotton Mather, the noted Puritan divine, who was a strong believer in the superstition. The Salem witch frenzy broke out in the family of one Samuel Parris, a minister, but for whose insti gation the delusion, with its accompanying sac rifice of innocent lives, could not have obtained the headway it did. A company of girls sud denly began to act mysteriously, bark like dogs, and scream at something unseen. An old In dian servant was accused of bewitching them. The excitement spread and impeachments multi plied. A special court was formed accused, and as a result the jails rapidly and many were condemned to death. It was unsafe to express a doubt of a prisoner's guilt Fifty-five persons suffered torture. and 20 were executed before the delusion ended. Witches were supposed to be able, with the assistance of the devil, not only to foretell events, but to produce mice and vermin, to deprive men and animals, by touching them or merely breathing on them, of their natural powers, and to afflict them with diseases, to raise storms, etc., to change themselves Into cats and other beasts, etc. General assemblies of witches, called °Witches Sabbaths' were held yearly, or oftener, at which they appeared entirely naked, and besmeared with an ointment made from the bodies of unbaptized infants. To these meet ings they were supposed to ride from reat distances on broomsticks, pokers, goats, or dogs, the devil taking the chair under form of a goat. Here they did homage to their master, and offered him sacrifices of young children, etc., and practised all sorts of license
till code-crowing. Neophytes were introduced to the devil at these meetings, and received his mark on their bodies, in token that they had sold their souls to him. As before remarked, the belief in witchcraft still prevails in many parts of the world, and in some countries where pretended sorcerers exert a powerful influence, lives are often sacrificed as a result of their practices and in order that they may continue their nefarious work.
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