The Discoverie of Witchcraft

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Scot, Reginald, 1538?-1599

Contributor:

Nicholson, Brinsley, 1824-1892

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Discoverie of Witchcraft" by Reginald Scot is a critical treatise on witchcraft and superstition written in the late 16th century. The work presents a robust argument against the belief in witchcraft, exposing the absurdities and injustices surrounding witch hunts of the time. It aims to debunk myths surrounding witches, conjurers, and magical practices, advocating for rational thought and compassion towards those wrongfully accused. The opening of the text introduces the author's intentions, emphasizing the need for awareness regarding the rampant misconceptions and atrocities committed in the name of witchcraft during the Elizabethan era. Scot contemplates the historical context of witch trials, asserting that many alleged witches were merely vulnerable individuals misrepresented by societal norms and fears. He argues for a re-evaluation of these beliefs, positioning his work as a rational and moral inquiry into the tragic consequences of superstition and ignorance. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by David Starner, Robert Tonsing, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Notes:

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Discoverie_of_Witchcraft

Reading ease score: 61.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2019-11-22