Richard answered in the negative.

“It is very singular, and I wonder you have not noticed it,” pursued Nicholas; “but the question of reputed witchcraft in Mother Demdike has some chance of being speedily settled; for Master Potts, the little London lawyer, who goes with us to Pendle Forest to-morrow, is about to have her arrested and examined before a magistrate.”

“Indeed!” exclaimed Richard, “this must be prevented.”

“Why so?” exclaimed Nicholas, in surprise.

“Because the prejudice existing against her is sure to convict and destroy her,” replied Richard.  “Her great age, infirmities, and poverty, will be proofs against her.  How can she, or any old enfeebled creature like her, whose decrepitude and misery should move compassion rather than excite fear—­how can such a person defend herself against charges easily made, and impossible to refute?  I do not deny the possibility of witchcraft, even in our own days, though I think it of very unlikely occurrence; but I would determinately resist giving credit to any tales told by the superstitious vulgar, who, naturally prone to cruelty, have so many motives for revenging imaginary wrongs.  It is placing a dreadful weapon in their hands, of which they have cunning enough to know the use, but neither mercy nor justice enough to restrain them from using it.  Better let one guilty person escape, than many innocent perish.  So many undefined charges have been brought against Mother Demdike, that at last they have fixed a stigma on her name, and made her an object of dread and suspicion.  She is endowed with mysterious power, which would have no effect if not believed in; and now must be burned because she is called a witch, and is doting and vain enough to accept the title.”

“There is something in a witch difficult, nay, almost impossible to describe,” said Nicholas, “but you cannot be mistaken about her.  By her general ill course of life, by repeated acts of mischief, and by threats, followed by the consequences menaced, she becomes known.  There is much mystery in the matter, not permitted human knowledge entirely to penetrate; but, as we know from the Scriptures that the sin of witchcraft did exist, and as we have no evidence that it has ceased, so it is fair to conclude, that there may be practisers of the dark offence in our own days, and such I hold to be Mother Demdike and Mother Chattox.  Rival potentates in evil, they contend which shall do most mischief, but it must be admitted the former bears away the bell.”

“If all the ill attributed to her were really caused by her machinations, this might be correct,” replied Richard, “but it only shows her to be more calumniated than the other.  In a word, cousin Nicholas, I look upon them as two poor old creatures, who, persuaded they really possess the supernatural power accorded to them by the vulgar, strive to act up to their parts, and are mainly assisted in doing so by the credulity and fears of their audience.”