set to inquire by cristallomantia whether the King had many more days. In 1541 Lord Hungerford was beheaded “for procuring certain persons to conspire that they might know how long the King’s Grace should live,” and in the same year an act was passed against all who “have used and occupied wichecrafts, inchauntmentes, and sorceries to the distruccion of their neighbours persones and goodes.” Archbishop Cranmer, too, in his Articles of Visitation, 1549, has the following: “Item, you shall inquire, whether you know any that use charms, sorcery, enchantments, witchcraft, southsaying, or any like crafts, invented by the Devil.”
Although, of course, there had been in former years one or two special cases, it may fairly be said that it was not until the reign of Queen Elizabeth that the prosecution of witches became general in England, and that witchcraft in itself was regarded as a capital offence. Very soon after the accession of the new Queen a Bill directed against witchcraft was drafted, and in 1563 this measure passed on to the statute-book and became English law. The earlier accusations had for the most part been brought against persons of condition and quality; and, as we have remarked, some political bias was generally to be suspected. But now humbler game was started, and the crusade was directed in full fury against those who were old and obscure, who were owl-blasted, indigent, and wretched. In a letter dated November 2nd, 1559, John Jewel, who had been conducting a visitation of the western counties, writes: “The number of witches and sorceresses had everywhere become enormous.” Trials and executions soon began to succeed
