health after her nephew Pierre Perrier had threatened Clauda Gaillard, who was suspected of having cast the spell upon her. Jacques Bocquet, one of the great witches of his time, told Françoise Secretain that she would heal Loyse Maillat, into whose body she had sent five devils, if she gave her some bread which she had had from Loyse’s house and had kept for three days. I have seen another woman who healed several kinds of sickness by her prayers; but I noticed that all these prayers were full of superstition and impiety. For example, if a horse had been stung, she would say certain words in the form of a prayer, and would plant in the ground a nail which she would not draw out again; but what virtue could there be in a nail so planted? Vair, de Incant. I. 4.I find that the Romans, who were as superstitious as any nation in the world, when they wished to drive away the plague used to fix a nail into a stone on the right-hand side of the temple of Jupiter, and that they did the same as a remedy against charms and when any faction arose between the citizens. Wier, de praestig. IV. 9.There are also others who, in order to prevail over their enemies in battle, drive a nail into a tree.
When this woman of whom I speak wished to still a storm or tempest, she first came out of her house muttering I know not what between her teeth, and then went forward little by little, never taking the least step backward; for, she said, she must not do so on pain of her life. Then she gave to some poor person a just alms, that is to say, as much bread as the poor person could eat at one meal; and to Satan she gave the largest pine in the neighbouring forest. In thus sacrificing to Satan she did neither more nor less than
