1593 · A Dialogue concerning Witches
George Gifford · 1593
A Dialogue concerning Witches
George Gifford, the Puritan preacher of Maldon in Essex, wrote this lively dialogue in 1593, in the county that saw more witch trials than any other in England. Samuel, who believes his cattle and household are bewitched, talks it over with his friend Daniel, his wife, a schoolmaster and a neighbour. Gifford does not doubt that witches and the Devil exist, but he argues that the Devil deceives the accusers as much as the witches, that seeking help from cunning men is itself a sin, that afflictions come by God's providence, and that juries condemn the innocent on suspicion and gossip. The text follows the EEBO-TCP transcription of the 1593 edition, in its original spelling.
Contents
- 1.Title page66 w.
- 2.Dedication to Robert Clarke, Baron of the Exchequer718 w.
- 3.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 1 of 84,270 w.
- 4.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 2 of 84,111 w.
- 5.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 3 of 84,140 w.
- 6.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 4 of 84,042 w.
- 7.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 5 of 83,954 w.
- 8.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 6 of 84,117 w.
- 9.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 7 of 84,023 w.
- 10.A dialogue concerning witches and witchcrafts, part 8 of 83,806 w.