destroyed wasted consumed pined or lamed in his or her bodie, or any parte therof; then… shall suffer pains of deathe as a Felon or Felons, and shall loose the priviledge and benefit of Cleargie and Sanctuarie" (An Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft and dealing with evil and wicked spirits // http://www.witchtrials.co.uk/actl604.html).
Яков предуведомлял своих читателей, что не стал подробно описывать многообразные колдовские практики и ход следствия по конкретным делам, предлагая желающим изучить эти вопросы обратиться непосредственно к «Демономании колдунов»: "…and who likes to be curious in these thinges, he may reade, if he will here of their practises, BODINVS Dæmonomanie, collected with greater diligence, then written with judgement, together with their confessions, that have bene at this time apprehened" (James I, King of England. Op. cit. P. XV).
Общее построение «Демонологии» было описано уже в предисловнии: Ibid. P. XII–XIII. Форма диалога, которую избрал для своего сочинения король, также широко использовалась в демонологических трактатах континентальной Европы, например, в «Муравейнике» Иоганна Нидера, в «Защитнике дам» Мартина Ле Франка и в «Диалоге об опровержении магических искусств» Симфорьена Шампье.
James I, King of England. Op. cit. P. XIV, 8, 24, 50–51, 75, 77.
Ibid. P. 56–58.
Как заявлял Яков ужё в предисловии, причиной, по которой он взялся за перо, было желание доказать реальность колдовства и необходимость бороться с ним самыми жестокими мерами: "The fearefull aboundinge at this time in this countrie, of these detestable slaves of the Devill, the Witches or enchaunters, hath moved me (beloved reader) to dispatch in post, this following treatise of mine, not in any wise (as I protest) to serve for a shew of my learning and ingine, but onely (mooved of conscience) to preasse thereby, so farre as I can, to resolve the doubting harts of many; both that such assaultes of Sathan are most certainly practized, and that the instrumentes thereof, merits most severly to be punished" (Ibid. P. XI).
"What can be the cause that there are twentie women given to that craft, where ther is one man? The reason is easie, for as that sexe is frailer then man is, so is it easier to be intrapped in these grosse snares of the Devill, as was over well proved to be true, by the Serpents deceiving of Eva at the beginning, which makes him the homelier with that sexe sensine" (Ibid. P. 43–44).
"There are principallie two sortes, whereunto all the partes of that unhappie arte are redacted; whereof the one is called Magie or Nécromancie, the other Sorcerie or Witchcraft" (Ibid. P. 7).
"Surelie, the difference vulgare put betwixt them, is verrie merrie, and in a maner true; for they say, that the Witches ar servantes onelie, and slaves to the Devil; but the Necromanciers are his maisters and commanders" (Ibid. P. 9).
"So they who ignorantly proves these practicques, which I cal the devilles rudiments, unknowing them to be baites, casten out by him, for trapping such as God will permit to fall in his hands. This kinde of folkes I saie, no doubt, ar to be judged the best of, in respect they use no invocation nor help of him (by their knowledge at least) in these turnes, and so have never entred themselves in Sathans service" (Ibid. P. 15).
"…and as they deceive their schollers in this, so do they, in imprinting in them the opinion that there are so manie Princes, Dukes, and Kinges amongst them, everie one commanding fewer or mo Legions, and impyring in divers artes, and quarters of the earth" (Ibid. P. 21). См. также: Ibid. P. 75–76.
"Secondlie it is plaine, where wicked Pharaohs wise-men imitated ane number of Moses miracles, to harden the tyrants heart there by. Thirdly, said not Samuell to Saull, that disobedience is as the sinne of Witch-craft?" (Ibid. P. 5). "…so by diverse waies use they their practises, answering to these meanes, which first the Devill, used as instrumentes in them; though al tending to one end: To wit, the enlargeing of Sathans tyrannie, and crossing of the propagation of the Kingdome of CHRIST, so farre as lyeth in the possibilitie, either of the one or other sorte, or of the Devill their Master" (Ibid. P. 34).
"...all these wise men of Pharaoh were Magicians of art: As likewise it appeares wel that the Pythonisse, with whom Saul consulted, was of that same profession: and so was Simon Magus. But yee omitted to speake of the Lawe of God, wherein are all Magicians, Divines, Enchanters, Sorcerers, Witches, and whatsover of that kinde that consultes with the Devill, plainelie prohibited, and alike threatned against. And besides that, she who had the Spirite of Python, in the Actes, whose Spirite was put to silence by the Apostle, coulde be no other thing but a verie Sorcerer or Witch" (Ibid. P. 29). См. также: Ibid. P. 22, 26, 28.
"So all the rest falling away from God, are given over in the handes of the Devill that enemie, to beare his Image: and being once so given over, the greatest and the grossest impietie, is the pleasantest, and most delytefull unto them" (Ibid. P. 6).
"If they be but apprehended and deteined by anie private person, upon other private respectes, their power no doubt either in escaping, or in doing hurte, is no lesse nor ever it was before. But if on the other parte, their apprehending and detention be by the lawfull Magistrate, upon the
