LETTERS ON
182
"
Know you this by the way, that heretofore Robin Goodfellow and Hobgoblin were as terrible, and also as credible to the people, as hags and witches be now ; and, in time to come, a witch will be as
mnch
derided
and condemned, and as clearly perceived, as the illusion and knavery of Robin Goodfellow, upon whom there have gone as many and as credible tales as witchcraft, hath not pleased the translators of the Bible spirits by the name of Robin Goodfellow, as
saving that to call
it
they have diviners, soothsayers, poisoners, and cozeners, In the same tone Reginald
* by the name of witches."
Scot addresses the reader in the preface
solemn
suit to
you
"
To make
a
that are partial readers to set aside
good part my writings, and with upon my book, were labour lost and time ill employed for I should no more prevail herein, than if a hundred years since I should have en-
partiality, to take in
indifferent eyes to look
;
treated your predecessors to believe that
Robin Good-
and ancient bull-beggar, had been but a cozening merchant, and no devil indeed. But Robin Goodfellow ceaseth now to be much feared, and Popery
fellow, that great
is
sufficiently discovered, nevertheless witches'
and conjurers' cozenage are yet effectual." seems clearly to prove, that the belief in
charms
This passage
Robin Goodwas now out of date, fellow and his fairy companions while that as to witchcraft, as was afterwards but too well shown, kept its ground against argument " to shed more blood." controversy, and survived
We
and
are then to take leave of this fascinating article
of the popular creed, having in
it
so
Eeginald Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft,
much book
vii.
of interest chap,
ii.