'Cautio Criminalis' Or A Book On Witch Trials (Studies in Early Modern German History) [Paperback]

Friedrich Spee (Author), Marcus Hellyer (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Studies in Early Modern German History | Publication Date: June 22, 2003

In 1631, at the epicenter of the worst excesses of the European witch-hunts, Friedrich Spee, a Jesuit priest, published the Cautio Criminalis, a book speaking out against the trials that were sending thousands of innocent people to gruesome deaths. Spee, who had himself ministered to women accused of witchcraft in Germany, had witnessed firsthand the twisted logic and brutal torture used by judges and inquisitors. Combined, these harsh prosecutorial measures led inevitably not only to a confession but to denunciations of supposed accomplices, spreading the circle of torture and execution ever wider.

Driven by his priestly charge of enacting Christian charity, or love, Spee sought to expose the flawed arguments and methods used by the witch-hunters. His logic is relentless as he reveals the contradictions inherent in their arguments, showing there is no way for an innocent person to prove her innocence. And, he questions, if the condemned witches truly are guilty, how could the testimony of these servants and allies of Satan be reliable? Spee's insistence that suspects, no matter how heinous the crimes of which they are accused, possess certain inalienable rights is a timeless reminder for the present day.

The Cautio Criminalis is one of the most important and moving works in the history of witch trials and a revealing documentation of one man's unexpected humanity in a brutal age. Marcus Hellyer's accessible translation from the Latin makes it available to English-speaking audiences for the first time.

Studies in Early Modern German History

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marcus Hellyer is the Dibner Fund Assistant Professor for the History of Science at Brandeis University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press (June 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813921821
• ISBN-13: 978-0813921822
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,129,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful! Undeservedly Obscure, June 1, 2005

By 

J. W. Kennedy "in statu uiae et meriti" (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 'Cautio Criminalis' Or A Book On Witch Trials (Studies in Early Modern German History) (Paperback)

Written by a Jesuit priest and teacher of moral theology in Rinteln, Germany, the year 1631. Witch trials had reached almost epidemic proportions; madness and burnings were going on everywhere. Friedrich Spee dared to speak out against the injustice he had personally witnessed as a confessor ministering to accused witches in prison. He used the ruse of having the publisher take his manuscript and publish it "without the author's knowledge" to get it past the review of his superiors in the Jesuit order. A second edition was published the following year by a printer thought by historians to be fictitious. It was met with disapproval by the authorities and was recommended to be put on the Papal list of banned books, but it never was. All of this is from the translator's informative introduction.
The book itself is a monument of rational thought in a world seemingly gone mad. It is addressed to "the princes of Germany" though Spee pessimistically states that he doubts those who should read it, ever will. His plea for justice, mercy, and basic human rights is nothing short of brilliant and has much to offer to us today. Many of the principles and ideals which are the Constitutional foundation of the American judicial system are expressed here. Hellyer's English translation sparkles, bringing Spee's relentless logic, passion, and occasional biting sarcasm into an immensely readable form for modern audiences.
Spee makes no attempt to refute the existence of witchcraft. He admits that it is a horrible crime which should be punished severely. However, he must bring to the princes' attention that trials are being conducted in such a way that innocent people are being burned. "Out of fifty" he says, "I doubt that five, or even TWO are guilty." Point by point, question by question, he demolishes every argument used to justify the arbitrary and brutal practices of judges and Inquisitors. He demonstrates clearly from a Biblical standpoint, from the authority of learned doctors of theology and law, and from the perspective of natural law and simple common sense, that trials conducted in this manner CANNOT continue, since putting innocents to death is a great sin and places the princes themselves in moral danger.
I can't adequately express how enjoyable, uplifting, and inspiring this book is. Definitely a must-have for anybody interested in history, witchcraft / witch trials, law, religion, and human rights.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humanitarian classic made available in English, June 28, 2003

By 

Charles Cushing (Burlington, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 'Cautio Criminalis' Or A Book On Witch Trials (Studies in Early Modern German History) (Hardcover)

The Cautio Criminalis is a classic in the literature on witchcraft. It is both intensely logical and passionately involved with correcting the injustices of the witch trials. Marcus Hellyer has produced a highly readable translation which transmits both the clarity and the passion of the original. He has also included an introduction on the work which reflects the current state of historical knowledge. This book belongs to the classics of the struggle for human rights; it ranks with Johann Weyer and Beccaria. Hellyer also indicates, at the end of the introduction, that this is not only a historical question; where crimes that we consider heinous are concerned, we are only too ready to abridge the rights of the accused. The appearance of this book is more than welcome.