
The Discovery of Witches: - In Answer to severall QUERIES, LATELY - Delivered to the Judges of Assize for the County of NORFOLK. And now published By MATTHEW HOPKINS, Witch-finder, FOR The Benefit of the whole KINGDOME. - M. DC. XLVII.
Querie 1.
Querie 2.
Quer. 3.
Quer. 4.
Quer. 5.
Quer. 6.
Quer. 7.
Quer. 8.
Quer. 9.
A stark, first‑hand account from the height of England’s witch‑hunt era, this work lays out the frantic questions hurled at a self‑styled witch‑finder and his unapologetic replies. Written in the urgent, polemical prose of the 1640s, it details his alleged encounters with witches, their secret gatherings, and the bizarre familiars they summon. The vivid, almost theatrical descriptions pull listeners into a world where superstition, law, and personal ambition collide.
Beyond the sensational tales, the text offers a rare glimpse into the legal and religious mindset that drove communities to hunt for witches. Listeners will hear the raw language of the time, the chilling logic used to justify arrests, and the everyday fears that fueled the frenzy. This document illuminates a turbulent chapter of history, prompting reflection on how fear can shape justice and belief.
Language
en
Duration
~21 minutes (20K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-11-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

d. 1647
A self-styled "Witchfinder General," he became one of the most notorious figures of England’s 17th-century witch hunts. His short, brutal career in East Anglia left a dark mark on the history of fear, superstition, and civil war.
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