ample of most who have written before me. And although I have never in this book departed from the strictest standards of moderation, I would yet have it plainly known that I am a sworn enemy to witches, and that I shall never spare them, for their execrable abominations, and for the countless numbers of them which are seen to increase every day so that it seems that we are now in the time of Antichrist, since, among the signs that are given of his arrival, this is one of the chief, namely, that witchcraft shall then be rife throughout the world.
And truly it would be well that special Judges were appointed to cut off this Hydra’s heads effectively so that they may not grow again. For the Ordinaries are so busy with their normal duties that they cannot give to witches the time they would like to give, and which such a matter requires. But let us come to our Examen.
