The Discovery of Witches

By: Matthew Hopkins

Narrated by: Brandon Wright

Matthew Hopkins (c. 1620-1647) was an English witch-hunter whose career flourished during the English Civil War. Claiming to hold the office of Witchfinder General, his witch-hunts were mainly restricted to East Anglia. Hopkins is believed to have been responsible for the executions of 300 alleged witches between the years 1644 and 1646. This short but interesting pamphlet consists of a series of questions directed at Hopkins by county magistrates, and Hopkins’ answers, in which tries to justify his murderous deeds. The county magistrates wished to know how Hopkins determined who is a witch, what a witch does, how a witch is tortured to extract a confession and the like. Their questions reveal a skeptical view of his activities.

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