The discovery of witchcraft proving that the compacts and contracts of witches with devils and all infernal spirits or familiars are but erroneous novelties and imaginary conceptions : also discovering, how far their power extendeth in killing, tormenting, consuming, or curing the bodies of men, women, children, or animals by charms, philtres, periapts, pentacles, curses, and conjurations : wherein likewise the unchristian practices and inhumane dealings of searchers and witch-tryers upon aged, melancholly, and superstitious people, in extorting confessions by terrors and tortures, and in devising false marks and symptoms, are notably detected ... : in sixteen books / by Reginald Scot ... ; whereunto is added an excellent Discourse of the nature and substance of devils and spirits, in two books : the first by the aforesaid author, the second now added in this third edition ... conducing to the compleating of the whole work, with nine chapters at the beginning of the fifteenth [sic] book of The discovery.

Another way to find out a Thief that hath stoln any thing from you.

GO to the Sea-side, and gather as many pebles as you suspect persons for that matter; carry them home, and throw them into the fire, and bury them under the threshold, where the parties are like to come over. There let them lie three days, and then before sun-rising take them away. Then set a Porrenger full of wa∣ter in a circle, wherein must be made crosses every way, as many as can stand in it; upon the which must be written, Christ overcometh, Christ reigneth, Christ commandeth. The Porrenger also must be signed with a Cross, and a form of Conjuration must be pronounced. Then each stone must be thrown into the water, in the name of the suspected. And when you put in the stone of him that is guilty, the stone will make the water boil, as though glowing iron were put thereinto. Which is a meer knack of legierdemain, and to be accomplished di∣vers wayes.