Daemonologie
by King James VI. and I. It is customary nowadays to sneer at the writings of this royal author, and as Horace Walpole remarks, his majesty really has more critics than readers; while it should be borne in mind that in his own day the king's books were greatly admired, winning the encomiums of Bacon, Izaak Walton, and numerous equally eminent men of letters. In general, however, it was Basilicon Doron which elicited their homage, and compared to this last the king's study of demonology is but a mediocre performance. Published in 1597, it is couched "in forme of ane dialogue," the speakers being Philomathes and Epistemon; and the former, being very incredulous as regards all kinds of magic, asks Epistemon to enlighten him. Thereupon many famous acts of witchcraft are adduced, but, when Philomathes requests to be told precisely why the black art should be considered iniquitous, his interlocutor fails conspicuously to give a satisfactory answer. He merely inveighs against the practice in question, and accordingly there is something distinctly trite in the subsequent pages, wherein Epistemon is represented as being converted to the other speaker's point of view, and declaring loudly that all sorcerers and the like ought to be put to death according to the Law of God, the civill and imperiall Law, and municipall Law of all Christian Nations." 66