It was by a train of observations and experience like this, that James
was prompted seven years after to compose and publish his Dialogues
on Demonology in Three Books. In the Preface to this book he says,
"The fearfull abounding at this time in this countrey, of these
detestable slaves of the Diuel, the Witches or enchaunters, hath moved
me (beloued Reader) to dispatch in post this following Treatise of
mine, not in any wise (as I protest) to serue for a shew of my
learning and ingine, but onely (moued of conscience) to preasse
thereby, so farre as I can, to resolue the doubting hearts of many,
both that such assaults of Satan are most certainely practised, and
that the instruments thereof merits most seuerely to be punished."
In the course of the treatise he affirms, "that barnes, or wiues,
or neuer so diffamed persons, may serue for sufficient witnesses and
proofes in such trialls; for who but Witches can be prooves, and so
witnesses of the doings of Witches?" [213] But, lest innocent persons
should be accused, and suffer falsely, he tells us, "There are two
other good helps that may be used for their trial: the one is, the
finding of their marke [a mark that the devil was supposed to impress
upon some part of their persons], and the trying the insensibleness
thereof: the other is their fleeting on the water: for, as in a secret
murther, if the dead carkasse be at any time thereafter handled by
the murtherer, it will gush out of bloud, as if the bloud were crying
to the heauen for revenge of the murtherer, God hauing appointed that
secret supernaturall signe, for triall of that secret unnaturall
crime, so it appears that God hath appointed (for a supernaturall
signe of the monstrous impietie of Witches) that the water shall
refuse to receive them in her bosome, that haue shaken off them the
sacred water of Baptisme, and wilfully refused the benefite thereof:
No, not so much as their eyes are able to shed teares (threaten and
torture them as ye please) while first they repent (God not permitting
them to dissemble their obstinacie in so horrible a crime.)" [214]