in　the　case　of　Finicella；　was　the　stake；　　and　yet　a　compromise　with　fanaticism　was　sometimes　practicable。　　According　to　the　laws　of　Perugia；　for　example；　a　witch　could　settle　the　　affair　by　paying　down　400　pounds。　The　matter　was　not　then　treated　with　　the　seriousness　and　consistency　of　later　times。　In　the　territories　of　　the　Church？　at　Norcia　（Nursia）；　the　home　of　St。　Benedict　in　the　upper　　Apennines；　there　was　a　perfect　nest　of　witches　and　sorcerers；　and　no　　secret　was　made　of　it。　It　is　spoken　of　in　one　of　the　most　remarkable　　letters　of　Aeneas　Sylvius；　belonging　to　his　earlier　period。　He　writes　　to　his　brother：　'The　bearer　of　this　came　to　me　to　ask　if　I　knew　of　a　　Mount　of　Venus　in　Italy；　for　in　such　a　place　magical　arts　were　taught；　　and　his　master；　a　Saxon　and　a　great　astronomer；　was　anxious　to　learn　　them。　I　told　him　that　I　knew　of　a　Porto　Venere　not　far　from　Carrara；　on　　the　rocky　coast　of　Liguria；　where　I　spent　three　nights　on　the　way　to　　Basle；　I　also　found　that　there　was　a　mountain　called　Eryx；　in　Sicily；　　which　was　dedicated　to　Venus；　but　I　did　not　know　whether　magic　was　　taught　here。　But　it　came　into　my　mind　while　talking；　that　in　Umbria；　in　　the　old　Duchy　（Spoleto）？　near　the　town　of　Nursia；　there　is　a　cave　　beneath　a　steep　rock；　in　which　water　flows。　There；　as　I　remember　to　　have　heard；　are　witches　（striges）；　demons；　and　nightly　shades；　and　he　　that　has　the　courage　can　see　and　speak　to　ghosts　（spiritus）；　and　learn　　magical　arts。　I　have　not　seen　it；　nor　taken　any　trouble　about　it；　for　　that　which　is　learned　with　sin　is　better　not　learned　at　all。'　He　　nevertheless　names　his　informant；　and　begs　his　brother　to　take　the　　bearer　of　the　letter　to　him；　should　he　be　still　alive。　Aeneas　goes　far　　enough　here　in　his　politeness　to　a　man　of　position；　but　personally　he　　was　not　only　freer　from　superstition　than　his　contemporaries；　but　he　　also　stood　a　test　on　the　subject　which　not　every　educated　man　of　our　　own　day　could　endure。　At　the　time　of　the　Council　of　Basle；　when　he　lay　　sick　of　the　fever　for　seventy…five　days　at　Milan；　he　could　never　be　　persuaded　to　listen　to　the　magic　doctors；　though　a　man　was　brought　to　　his　bedside　who　a　short　time　before　had　marvelously　cured　2；000　　soldiers　of　fever　in　the　camp　of　Piccinino。　While　still　an　invalid；　　Aeneas　rode　over　the　mountains　to　Basle；　and　got　well　on　the　journey。
  We　learn　something　more　about　the　neighborhood　of　Norcia　through　the　　necromancer　who　tried　to　get　Benvenuto　Cellini　into　his　power。　A　new　　book　of　magic　was　to　be　consecrated；　and　the　best　place　for　the　　ceremony　was　among　the　mountains　in　that　district。　The　master　of　the　　magician　had　once；　it　is　true；　done　the　same　thing　near　the　abbey　of　　Farfa；　but　had　there　found　difficulties　which　did　not　present　　themselves　at　Norcia；　further；　the　peasants　in　the　latter　neighborhood　　were　trustworthy　people　who　had　had　practice　in　the　matter；　and　who　　could　afford　considerable　help　in　case　of　need。　The　expedition　did　not　　take　place；　else　Benvenuto　would　probably　have　been　able　to　tell　us　　something　of　the　impostor's　assistants。　The　whole　neighborhood　was　then　　proverbial。　Aretino　says　somewhere　of　an　enchanted　well；　'there　dwell　　the　sisters　of　the　sibyl　of　Norcia　and　the　aunt　of　the　Fata　Gloriana。'　　And　about　the　same　time　Trissino　could　still　celebrate　the　place　in　his　　great　epic　with　all　the　resources　of　poetry　and　allegory　as　the　home　of　　authentic　prophecy。
  After　the　notorious　Bull　of　Innocent　VIII　（1484）；　witchcraft　and　the　　persecution　of　witches　grew　into　a　great　and　revolting　system。　The　　chief　representatives　of　this　system　of　persecution　were　German　　Dominicans；　and　Germany　and；　curiously　enough；　those　parts　of　Italy　　nearest　Germany　were　the　countries　most　afflicted　by　this　plague。　The　　bulls　and　injunctions　of　the　Popes　themselves　refer；　for　example；　to　　the　Dominican　Province　of　Lombardy；　to　Cremona；　to　the　dioceses　of　　Brescia　and　Bergamo。　We　learn　from　Sprenger's　famous　theoretico…　practical　guide；　the　'Malleus　Maleficarum；'　that　forty…one　witches　were　　burnt　at　Como　in　the　first　year　after　the　publication　of　the　bull；　　crowds　of　Italian　women　took　refuge　in　the　territory　of　the　Archduke　　Sigismund；　where　they　believed　themselves　to　be　still　safe。　Witchcraft　　ended　by　taking　firm　root　in　a　few　unlucky　Alpine　valleys；　especially　　in　the　Val　Camonica；　the　system　of　persecution　had　succeeded　in　　permanently　infecting　with　the　delusion　those　populations　which　were　in　　any　way　predisposed　for　it。　This　essentially　German　form　of　witchcraft　　is　what　we　should　think　of　when　reading　the　stories　and　novels　of　Milan　　or　Bologna。　That　it　did　not　make　further　progress　in　Italy　is　probably　　due　to　the　fact　that　here　a　highly　developed　'stregheria'　was　already　　in　existence；　resting　on　a　different　set　of　ideas。　The　Italian　witch　　practiced　a　trade；　and　needed　for　it　money　and；　above　all；　sense。　We　　find　nothing　about　her　of　the　hysterical　dreams　of　the　Northern　witch；　　of　marvelous　journeys　through　the　air；　of　Incubus　and　Succubus；　the　　business　of　the　'strega'　was　to　provide　for　other　people's　pleasures。　　If　she　was　credited　with　the　power　of　assuming　different　shapes；　or　of　　transporting　herself　suddenly　to　distant　places；　she　was　so　far　content　　to　accept　this　reputation；　as　her　influence　was　thereby　increased；　on　　the　other　hand；　it　was　perilous　for　her　when　the　fear　of　her　malice　and　　vengeance；　and　especially　of　her　power　for　enchanting　children；　cattle；　　and　crops；　became　general。　Inquisitors　and　magistrates　were　then　most　　thoroughly　in　accord　with　popular　wishes　if　they　burnt　her。
  By　far　the　most　important　field　for　the　activity　of　the　'strega'　lay；　　as　has　been　said；　in　love…affairs；　and　included　the　stirring　up　of　love　　and　of　hatred；　the　producing　of　abortion；　the　pretended　murder　of　the　　unfaithful　man　or　woman　by　magical　arts；　and　even　the　manufacture　of　　poisons。　Owing　to　the　unwillingness　of　many　persons　to　have　to　do　with　　these　women；　class　of　occasional　practitioners　arose　who　secretly　　learned　from　them　some　one　or　other　of　their　arts；　and　then　used　this　　knowledge　on　their　own　account。　The　Roman　prostitutes；　for　example；　　tried　to　enhance　their　personal　attractions　by　charms　of　another　　description　in　the　style　of　the　Horatian　Canidia。　Aretino　may　not　only　　have　known；　but　have　also　told　the　truth　about　them　in　this　particular。　　He　gives　a　list　of　the　loathsome　messes　which　were　to　be　found　in　their　　boxeshair；　skulls；　ribs；　teeth；　dead　men's　eyes；　human　skin；　the　　navels　of　little　children；　the　soles　of　shoes　and　pieces　of　clothing　　from　tombs。　They　even　went　themselves　to　the　graveyard　and　fetched　bits　　of　rotten　flesh；　which　they　slyly　gave　their　lovers　to　eatwith　more　　that　is　still　worse。　Pieces　of　the　hair　and　nails　of　the　lover　were　　boiled　in　oil　stolen　from　the　ever…burning　lamps　in　the　church。　The　　most　innocuous　of　their　charms　was　to　make　a　heart　of　glowing　ashes；　　and　then　to　pierce　it　while　singing：　'Prima　che'l　fuoco　spenghi；　　Fa　ch'a　mia　porta　venghi；　　Tal　ti　punga　mio　amore　　Quale　io　fo　questo　cuore。'
  There　were　other　charms　practiced　by　moonshine；　with　drawings　on　the　　ground；　and　figures　of　wax　or　bronze；　which　doubtless　represented　the　　lover；　and　were　treated　according　to　circumstances。
  These　things　were　so　customary　that　a　woman　who；　without　youth　and　　beauty；　nevertheless　exercised　a　powerful　charm　on　men；　naturally　　became　suspected　of　witchcraft。　The　mother　of　Sanga；　secretary　to　　Clement　VII；　poisoned　her　son's　mistress；　who　was　a　woman　of　this　kind。　　Unfortunately　the　son　died　too；　as　well　as　a　party　of　friends　who　had　　eaten　of　the　poisoned　salad。
  Next　comes；　not　as　helper；　but　as　competitor　to　the　witch；　the　magician　　or　enchanter'incantatore'who　was　still　more　familiar　with　the　most　　perilous　business　of　the　craft。　Sometimes　he　was　as　much　or　more　of　an　　astrologer　than　of　a　magician；　he　probably　often　gave　himself　out　as　an　　astrologer　in　order　not　to　be　prosecuted　as　a　magician；　and　a　certain　　astrology　was　essential　in　order　to　find　out　the　favourable　hour　for　a　　magical　process。　But　since　many　spirits　are　good　or　indifferent；　the　　magician　could　sometimes　maintain　a　very　tolerable　reputation；　and　　Sixtus　IV；　in　the　year　1474；　had　to　proceed　expressly　against　some　　Bolognese　Carmelites；　who　asserted　in　the　pulpit　that　there　was　no　harm　　in　seeking　information　from　the　demons。　Very　many　people　believed　in　　the　possibility　of　the　thing　itself；　an　indirect　proof　of　this　lies　in　　the　fact　that　the　most　pious　men　believed　that　by　prayer　they　could　　obtain　visions　of　good　spirits。　Savonarola's　mind　was　filled　with　these　　things；　the　Florentine　Platonists　speak　of　a　mystic　union　with　God；　and　　Marcellus　Palingenius　gives　us　to　understand　clearly　enough　that　he　had　　to　do　with　consecrated　spirits。　The　same　writer　is　convinced　of　the　　existence　of　a　whole　hierarchy　of　bad　demons；　who　have　their　seat　from　　the　moon　downwards；　and　are　ever　on　the　watch　to　do　some　mischief　to　　nature　and　human　life。　He　even　tells　of　his　own　personal　acquaintance　　with　some　of　them；　and　as　the　scope　of　the　present　work　does　not　allow　　of　a　systematic　exposition　of　the　then　prevalent　belief　in　spirits；　the　　narrative　of　Palingenius　may　be　given　as　one　instance　out　of　many。
  At　San　Silvestro；