Item is a collection of writing on witchcraft by Ambrosian monk Francesco Maria Guazzo, which was originally published in 1608. Contents of the work includes:
Preface to the reader -- Editor's introduction -- Foreword -- The first book. The nature and extent of the force of imagination ; Of artificial magic ; Whether this magic can produce true effects ; That witches effect their marvels with the help of the devil ; The men of old accredited witches with marvelous deeds ; Of the witches' pact with the devil ; By their terrible deeds and imprecations witches produce rain and hail, etc. ; The power of witches over external things ; Whether the devil and truly enrich his subjects ; Whether witches can by their art create any living thing ; Whether there truly are incubus and succubus devils; and whether children can be generated by copulation with them ; Whether witches are really transported from place to place to their nightly assemblies ; Whether witches can transmute bodies from one form to another ; Whether witches have power to make beasts talk ; Whether the devil can make men insensible to torture ; Whether by witchcraft and devil's work the sexes can be interchanged ; Whether the spirits of the dead can appear to men ; Of apparitions of demons, or spectres ; That cacodemons exercise their magic powers of their own will.
The second book. Dealing with the various kinds of witchcraft, and certain other matters which should be known. Of soporific spells ; Witches use human corpses for the murder of men ; Of Witches' Poisons ; Of tying the points ; Of incendiary witchcraft ; The devil wishes to perpetuate the race of witches ; Of the various ways by which witches vent their spite upon the human race ; Of the different diseases brought by demons ; Why God permits the devil so to busy himself with witchcraft ; The laws observed by witches in causing and in curing sickness ; Witches use something of religion in healing sickness ; Threatening or beating witches is the best method of removing the spells cast by them ; After the many blasphemies committed by witches, the demon at last tries to induce them to kill themselves with their own hands ; Upon those who have once fallen into his power the devil keeps a tenacious grip, even when they stand tortured before their judges, or in holy places, or wherever they may be ; A summary in a few words of all the crimes of witches ; The devil deceives and seduces by means of false revelations or apparitions ; Of the appeal to God ; Of the trial by single combat ; Of vulgar purgation by fire ; Of superstitious folk.
The third book. Treating of the divine remedies for those who are bewitched, and of other certain matters. Whether it is lawful to remove a spell in order to heal one that is bewitched ; How to distinguish demoniacs and those who are simply bewitched ; Recent examples of the mercy of God and tyrrany of the devil ; Of divine and supernatural remedies.