Compendium of Witches (Compendium Maleficarum)

...to discolor, defile, and infect that most gentle and Divine [soul], washed in the precious blood of Christ; and to have the power to reduce freedom into slavery. The author refers to the spiritual state of the soul after baptism. For this reason, it ought to be close to the heart of each one of us to be mindful of his The Devil's malice; for he prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour original: "tamquam leo rugiens, quærens quem deuoret" — a reference to 1 Peter 5:8. And although he brandishes and turns the enemy's sword against his own very heart, he nevertheless leaves nothing untried, nothing unventured.

Indeed, if he recognizes souls that are weak and fearful, he uses force; if he finds them undaunted and steadfast, he puts on the fox to deceive, because he possesses a thousand arts of harming. He employs innumerable methods, superstitious and curious arts In this context, "curious" refers to forbidden occult knowledge or magic, so that he may lead the souls of mortals away from God and draw them toward his foolish fabrications; all of which he wondrously brings about through fascinations and sortilege Divination or fortune-telling by drawing lots. Therefore, it is well established that his malice of this kind—disseminated for many centuries now by himself and through his members to the destruction of both bodies and souls—is evident through the works of Magi Sorcerers or magicians, Maleficae Witches who perform harmful magic, Sortiarii Fortune-tellers or diviners, and Sagae Wise-women or female diviners, often used synonymously with witches, a specimen of which the present volume displays, from the observation of which the truth shall sprout forth.

However, so that everyone may be able to look out for themselves, let them read and reread this sequence, to which I have given the name Compendium Maleficarum original: "Compendium Maleficarum" — A Manual of Witches. And just as there are diverse arts of harming made evident through examples, there are also diverse remedies contrary to them, so that once the "against" is known, the "for" may be applied. If therefore, Reader, there shall be anything into which