The True Story vs. Myth of Witchcraft. William Godwin

indifferent whether they made any real advances in the discovery of truth.

      Arnold of Villeneuve.

Arnold of Villeneuve, who lived about the same time, was a man of eminent attainments. He made a great proficiency in Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic. He devoted himself in a high degree to astrology, and was so confident in his art, as to venture to predict that the end of the world would occur in a few years; but he lived to witness the fallaciousness of his prophecy. He had much reputation as a physician. He appears to have been a bold thinker. He maintained that deeds of charity were of more avail than the sacrifice of the mass, and that no one would be damned hereafter, but such as were proved to afford an example of immoral conduct. Like all the men of these times who were distinguished by the profoundness of their studies, he was accused of magic. For this, or upon a charge of heresy, he was brought under the prosecution of the inquisition. But he was alarmed by the fate of Peter of Apono, and by recantation or some other mode of prudent contrivance was fortunate enough to escape. He is one of the persons to whom the writing of the book, De Tribus Impostoribus, Of the Three Impostors (Moses, Jesus Christ and Mahomet) was imputed! ¹⁸⁴

      English Laws Respecting Transmutation.

So great an alarm was conceived about this time respecting the art of transmutation, that an act of parliament was passed in the fifth year of Henry IV, 1404, which lord Coke states as the shortest of our statutes, determining that the making of gold or silver shall be deemed felony. This law is said to have resulted from the fear at that time entertained by the houses of lords and commons, lest the executive power, finding itself by these means enabled to increase the revenue of the crown to any degree it pleased, should disdain to ask aid from the legislature; and in consequence should degenerate into tyranny and arbitrary power. ¹⁸⁵

George Ripley, of Ripley in the county of York, is mentioned, towards the latter part of the fifteenth century, as having discovered the philosopher’s stone, and by its means contributed one hundred thousand pounds to the knights of Rhodes, the better to enable them to carry on their war against the Turks. ¹⁸⁶

About this time however the tide appears to have turned, and the alarm respecting the multiplication of the precious metals so greatly to have abated, that patents were issued in the thirty-fifth year of Henry VI, for the encouragement of such as were disposed to seek the universal medicine, and to endeavour the transmutation of inferior metals into gold. ¹⁸⁷

151. William of Malmesbury, Lib. II, c. 10.

152. William of Malmesbury, Lib. II, c. 10.

153. Naudé, Apologie des Grands Hommes Accusés de Magie. Malmesbury, ubi supra.

154. Naudé, Apologie des Grands Hommes Accusés de Magie, chap. 19.

155. Mornay, Mysterium Iniquitalis, p. 258. Coeffeteau, Reponse à ditto, p. 274.

156. Ibid.

157. Hollinshed, History of Scotland, p. 206, 207.

158. Ibid. p. 207, 208.

159. Hollinshed, History of Scotland, p. 243, 244.

160. Hollinshed, History of Scotland, p. 244, 245.

161. Hollinshed, History of Scotland, p. 246.

162. Ibid, p. 248, 249.

163. Hollinshed, History of Scotland, p. 249.

164. Ibid.

165. Hollinshed, History of Scotland, p. 251.

166. Naudé.

167. Godwin, Praesulibus, art. Gronthead.

168. Naudé c. 18.

169. Johannes de Becka, apud Trithemii Chronica, ann. 1254.

170. Freind, History of Physick, Vol. II, p. 234 to 239.

171. Bacon, Epist. ad Clement. IV.

172. Ubi supra.

173. See page 261.

174. Naudé, Cap. 17.

175. Ibid.

176. Commentaries, Book IV. chap. vi.

177. Life of Chaucer, c. xviii.

178. Wotton, Reflections on Learning, Chap. X.

179. See above, p. 29.

180. Biographic Universelle.

181. Naudé.

182. Moreri.

183. Enfield, History of Philosophy, Book VIII, chapter i.

184. Moreri.

185. Watson, Chemical Essays, Vol. I.