Soefficaciousisfaithinthecureofanymalady，thatthepatientactuallyfeltmuchbetterafterathreeweeks’courseofthisprescription。Thenotablecharmwhichthequackhadgivenwasafterwardsopened，andfoundtobeapieceofparchment，coveredwithsomecabalisticcharactersandsignsoftheplanets。
Thenext-doorneighbourswereingreatalarmthatthewitch-doctorwould，onthesolicitationoftherecoveringpatient，employsomemeanstopunishthemfortheirpretendedwitchcraft。Toescapetheinfliction，theyfeedanothercunningman，inNottinghamshire，whotoldthemofasimilarcharm，whichwouldpreservethemfromallthemaliceoftheirenemies。Thewriterconcludesbysayingthat，“thedoctor，notlongafterhehadbeenthusconsulted，wrotetosaythathehaddiscoveredthathispatientwasnotafflictedbySatan，ashehadimagined，butbyGod，andwouldcontinue，moreorless，inthesamestatetillhislife’send。“
AnimpostorcarriedonasimilartradeintheneighbourhoodofTunbridgeWells，abouttheyear1830。Hehadbeeninpracticeforseveralyears，andchargedenormousfeesforhisadvice。Thisfellowpretendedtobetheseventhsonofaseventhson，andtobeendowedinconsequencewithmiraculouspowersforthecureofalldiseases，butespeciallyofthoseresultingfromwitchcraft。Itwasnotonlythepoorwhoemployedhim，butladieswhorodeintheircarriages。Hewasoftensentforfromadistanceofsixtyorseventymilesbythesepeople，whopaidallhisexpensestoandfro，besidesrewardinghimhandsomely。Hewasabouteightyyearsofage，andhisextremelyvenerableappearanceaidedhisimpositioninnoslightdegree。HisnamewasOkey，orOakley。
InFrance，thesuperstitionatthisdayisevenmoreprevalentthanitisinEngland。Garinet，inhishistoryofMagicandSorceryinthatcountry，citesupwardsoftwentyinstanceswhichoccurredbetweentheyears1805and1818。Inthelatteryear，nolessthanthreetribunalswereoccupiedwithtrialsoriginatinginthishumiliatingbelief:weshallciteonlyoneofthem。JulianDesbourdes，agedfifty-three，amason，andinhabitantofthevillageofThilouze，nearBordeaux，wastakensuddenlyill，inthemonthofJanuary1818。Ashedidnotknowhowtoaccountforhismalady，hesuspectedatlastthathewasbewitched。Hecommunicatedthissuspiciontohisson-in-law，Bridier，andtheybothwenttoconsultasortofidiot，namedBaudouin，whopassedforaconjuror，orwhite-witch。ThismantoldthemthatDesbourdeswascertainlybewitched，andofferedtoaccompanythemtothehouseofanoldman，namedRenard，who，hesaid，wasundoubtedlythecriminal。Onthenightofthe23rdofJanuaryallthreeproceededstealthilytothedwellingofRenard，andaccusedhimofafflictingpersonswithdiseases，bytheaidofthedevil。
Desbourdesfellonhisknees，andearnestlyentreatedtoberestoredtohisformerhealth，promisingthathewouldtakenomeasuresagainsthimfortheevilhehaddone。Theoldmandeniedinthestrongesttermsthathewasawizard；andwhenDesbourdesstillpressedhimtoremovethespellfromhim，hesaidheknewnothingaboutthespell，andrefusedtoremoveit。TheidiotBaudouin，thewhite-witch，nowinterfered，andtoldhiscompanionsthatnoreliefforthemaladycouldeverbeprocureduntiltheoldmanconfessedhisguilt。Toforcehimtoconfessiontheylightedsomesticksofsulphur，whichtheyhadbroughtwiththemforthepurpose，andplacedthemundertheoldman’snose。Inafewmoments，hefelldownsuffocatedandapparentlylifeless。Theywereallgreatlyalarmed；andthinkingthattheyhadkilledthe。man，theycarriedhimoutandthrewhimintoaneighbouringpond，hopingtomakeitappearthathehadfalleninaccidentally。Thepond，however，wasnotverydeep，andthecoolnessofthewaterrevivingtheoldman，heopenedhiseyesandsatup。
DesbourdesandBridier，whowerestillwaitingonthebank，werenowmorealarmedthanbefore，lestheshouldrecoverandinformagainstthem。They，therefore，wadedintothepond——seizedtheirvictimbythehairofthehead——beathimseverely，andthenheldhimunderwatertillhewasdrowned。
Theywereallthreeapprehendedonthechargeofmurderafewdaysafterwards。DesbourdesandBridierwerefoundguiltyofaggravatedmanslaughteronly，andsentencedtobeburntontheback，andtoworkinthegalleysforlife。Thewhite-witchBaudouinwasacquitted，onthegroundofinsanity。
M。GarinetfurtherinformsusthatFrance，atthetimehewrote1818，wasoverrunbyaraceoffellows，whomadeatradeofcastingoutdevilsandfindingoutwitches。Headds，also，thatmanyofthepriestsintheruraldistrictsencouragedthesuperstitionoftheirparishioners，byresortingfrequentlytoexorcisms，wheneveranyfoolishpersonstookitintotheirheadsthataspellhadbeenthrownoverthem。Herecommended，asaremedyfortheevil，thatalltheseexorcists，whetherlayorclerical，shouldbesenttothegalleys，andthatthenumberofwitcheswouldthenverysensiblydiminish。
ManyotherinstancesofthislingeringbeliefmightbecitedbothinFranceandGreatBritain，andindeedineveryothercountryinEurope。Sodeeplyrootedaresomeerrorsthatagescannotremovethem。
Thepoisonoustreethatonceovershadowedtheland，maybecutdownbythesturdyeffortsofsagesandphilosophers——thesunmayshineclearlyuponspotswherevenemousthingsoncenestledinsecurityandshade；butstilltheentangledrootsarestretchedbeneaththesurface，andmaybefoundbythosewhodig。Anotherking，likeJamesI，mightmakethemvegetateagain；and，moremischievousstill，anotherpope，likeInnocentVIII，mightraisethedecayingrootstostrengthandverdure。Still，itisconsolingtothink，thatthedeliriumhaspassedaway；thattheragingmadnesshasgivenplacetoamilderfolly；andthatwemaynowcountbyunitsthevotariesofasuperstitionwhich，informerages，numbereditsvictimsbytensofthousands，anditsvotariesbymillions。
THESLOWPOISONERS。
Pescara——Thelikewasneverreadof。
Stephano——Inmyjudgment，Toallthatshallbuthearit，’twillappearAmostimpossiblefable。
Pescara——Troth，I’lltellyou，AndbrieflyasIcan，bywhatdegreesTheyfellintothismadness。
DukeofMilan。
Theatrocioussystemofpoisoning，bypoisonssoslowintheiroperation，astomakethevictimappear，toordinaryobservers，asifdyingfromagradualdecayofnature，hasbeenpractisedinallages。
ThosewhoarecuriousinthemattermayrefertoBeckmannonSecretPoisons，inhis“HistoryofInventions，“inwhichhehascollectedseveralinstancesofitfromtheGreekandRomanwriters。Earlyinthesixteenthcenturythecrimeseemstohavegraduallyincreased，till，intheseventeenth，itspreadoverEuropelikeapestilence。Itwasoftenexercisedbypretendedwitchesandsorcerers，andfinallybecameabranchofeducationamongstallwholaidanyclaimtomagicalandsupernaturalarts。Inthetwenty-firstyearofHenryVIII。anactwaspassed，renderingithigh-treason:thosefoundguiltyofit，weretobeboiledtodeath。
Oneofthefirstinpointofdate，andhardlysecondtoanyinpointofatrocity，isthemurderbythismeansofSirThomasOverbury，whichdisgracedthecourtofJamesI，intheyear1613。Aslightsketchofitwillbeafittingintroductiontothehistoryofthepoisoningmania，whichwassoprevalentinFranceandItalyfiftyyearslater。
RobertKerr，aScottishyouth，wasearlytakennoticeofbyJamesI，andloadedwithhonours，fornootherreasonthattheworldcouldeverdiscoverthanthebeautyofhisperson。James，eveninhisownday，wassuspectedofbeingaddictedtothemostabominableofalloffences，andthemoreweexaminehishistorynow，thestrongerthesuspicionbecomes。Howeverthatmaybe，thehandsomeKerr，lendinghissmoothcheek，eveninpublic，tothedisgustingkissesofhisroyalmaster，roserapidlyinfavour。Intheyear1613，hewasmadeLordHighTreasurerofScotland，andcreatedanEnglishpeer，bythestyleandtitleofViscountRochester。Stillfurtherhonourswereinstoreforhim。
Inthisrapidpromotionhehadnotbeenwithoutafriend。SirThomasOverbury，theKing’ssecretary-whoappears，fromsomethreatsinhisownletters，tohavebeennobetterthanapandertothevicesoftheKing，andprivytohisdangeroussecrets——exertedallhisbackstairinfluencetoforwardthepromotionofKerr，bywhomhewas，doubtless，repaidinsomewayorother。Overburydidnotconfinehisfriendshiptothis，iffriendshipevercouldexistbetweentwosuchmen，butactedthepartofanentremetteur，andassistedRochestertocarryonanadulterousintriguewiththeLadyFrancesHoward，thewifeoftheEarlofEssex。Thiswomanwasapersonofviolentpassions，andlosttoallsenseofshame。Herhusbandwasinherway，andtobefreedfromhim，sheinstitutedproceedingsforadivorce，ongroundswhichawomanofanymodestyordelicacyoffeelingwoulddieratherthanavow。Herscandaloussuitwassuccessful，andwasnosoonerdecidedthanpreparations，onascaleofthegreatestmagnificence，weremadeforhermarriagewithLordRochester。
SirThomasOverbury，whohadwillinglyassistedhispatrontointriguewiththeCountessofEssex，seemstohaveimaginedthathismarriagewithsovileawomanmightretardhisadvancement；heaccordinglyemployedallhisinfluencetodissuadehimfromit。ButRochesterwasbentonthematch，andhispassionswereasviolentasthoseoftheCountess。Ononeoccasion，whenOverburyandtheViscountwerewalkinginthegalleryofWhitehall，Overburywasoverheardtosay，“Well，myLord，ifyoudomarrythatbasewoman，youwillutterlyruinyourhonourandyourself。Youshallneverdoitwithmyadviceorconsent；and，ifyoudo，youhadbestlooktostandfast。“Rochesterflungfromhiminarage，exclaimingwithanoath，“Iwillbeevenwithyouforthis。“Thesewordswerethedeath-warrantoftheunfortunateOverbury。HehadmortallywoundedtheprideofRochesterininsinuatingthatbyhisOverbury’smeanshemightbeloweredintheKing’sfavour；andhehadendeavouredtocurbtheburningpassionsofaheartless，dissolute，andrecklessman。
Overbury’simprudentremonstranceswerereportedtotheCountess；
andfromthatmoment，shealsovowedthemostdeadlyvengeanceagainsthim。Withafiendishhypocrisy，however，theybothconcealedtheirintentions，andOverbury，atthesolicitationofRochester，wasappointedambassadortothecourtofRussia。Thisapparentfavourwasbutthefirststepinadeepanddeadlyplot。Rochester，pretendingtobewarmlyattachedtotheinterestsofOverbury，advisedhimtorefusetheembassy，which，hesaid，wasbutatricktogethimoutoftheway。Hepromised，atthesametime，tostandbetweenhimandanyevilconsequenceswhichmightresultfromhisrefusal。Overburyfellintothesnare，anddeclinedtheembassy。James，offended，immediatelyorderedhiscommittaltotheTower。
Hewasnowinsafecustody，andhisenemieshadopportunitytocommencetheworkofvengeance。ThefirstthingRochesterdidwastoprocure，byhisinfluenceatcourt，thedismissaloftheLieutenantoftheTower，andtheappointmentofSirJervisElwes，oneofhiscreatures，tothevacantpost。Thismanwasbutoneinstrument，andanotherbeingnecessary，wasfoundinRichardWeston，afellowwhohadformerlybeenshopmantoadruggist。Hewasinstalledintheofficeofunder-keeper，andassuchhadthedirectcustodyofOverbury。Sofar，allwasfavourabletothedesignsoftheconspirators。
Inthemeantime，theinsidiousRochesterwrotethemostfriendlyletterstoOverbury，requestinghimtobearhisill-fortunepatiently，andpromisingthathisimprisonmentshouldnotbeoflongduration；