"During many ages
there were witches. The Bible said so. The Bible commanded
that they should not be allowed to live. Therefore the
Church, after doing its duty in but a lazy and indolent
way for 800 years, gathered up its halters, thumbscrews,
and firebrands, and set about its holy work in earnest.
She worked hard at it night and day during nine centuries
and imprisoned, tortured, hanged, and burned whole hordes
and armies of witches, and washed the Christian world
clean with their foul blood. Then it was discovered that
there was no such thing as witches, and never had been.
One does not know whether to laugh or to cry.