Читать книгу The Discovery of Witchcraft. Facts, Fiction & Conspiracy Theories Behind the Medieval Witch Hunt онлайн

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What follie it were for witches to enter into such desperate perill, and to endure such intollerable tortures for no gaine or commoditie, and how it comes to passe that witches are overthrowne by their confessions.

But these old women being daunted with authoritie, circumvented with guile, constrained by force, compelled by feare, induced by error, and deceived by ignorance, doo fall into such rash credulitie, and so are brought unto these absurd confessions. Whose error of mind and blindnes of will dependeth upon the disease and infirmitie of nature: and therefore their actions in that case are the more to be borne withall; bicause they, being destitute of reason, can have no consent. For, ¹⁸⁴ Delictum sine consensu non potest committi, neque injuria sine animo injuriandi; that is, There can be no sinne without consent, nor injurie committed without a mind to doo wrong. Yet the lawe saith further, that A purpose reteined in mind, dooth nothing ¹⁸⁵ to the privat or publike hurt of anie man; and much more that an impossible purpose is unpunishable. ¹⁸⁶ Sanæ mentis voluntas, voluntas rei possibilis est; A sound mind willeth nothing but that which is possible.