But James, "our English Solomon," "imported by his book all
that were flying about Europe, to plague the country, which was
sufficiently plagued already in such a sovereign." This sapient ruler,
who, it is said, "taught divinity like a king, and made laws like a
priest," in the first year of his reign made it felony to suckle imps,
&c. This statute, which was repealed March 24th, 1736, describes
offences declared felonious, thus:--
"One that shall use, practise, or exercise any invocation or conjuration
of any evil or wicked spirit, or consult, covenant with, entertain or
employ, feed or reward, any evil or wicked spirit, to or for any intent
or purpose; or take up any dead man, woman, or child, out of his, her,
or their grave, or any other place where the dead body resteth; or the
skin, bone, or other part of any dead person, to be employed or used in
any manner of witchcraft, sorcery, charm, or enchantment; or shall
practise or exercise any witchcraft, &c., whereby any person shall be
killed, destroyed, wasted, consumed, pined, or lamed in his or her body,
or any part thereof: such offenders, duly and lawfully convicted and
attainted, shall suffer death.
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