The Hammer of Witches

...twenty questions The text continues from the previous page's numbering of judicial questions.. The first is introductory to all subsequent questions: how witches maleficae; specifically female sorcerers who use harmful magic and those who favor, harbor, or defend them are subject to both ecclesiastical and civil judgment, so that the Inquisitors of heretical depravity The formal title for Church officials tasked with rooting out heresy. may be unburdened from their investigation. Finally, regarding the method of beginning a trial:

The First Question: What is the competent method for a judge to begin a legal process of the faith against witches.
The Second Question: Concerning the number of witnesses.
The Third Question: How often they may be examined.
The Fourth Question: Concerning the condition and status of the witnesses.
The Fifth Question: Whether mortal enemies are permitted to testify.

Regarding the second part—how such a process is to be continued—is the Sixth Question: And first, how witnesses are to be summoned and interrogated. Second, how general interrogatories are proposed for the first act of witchcraft. Third, how particular interrogatories are handled.
The Seventh Question: Various doubts regarding the negative responses of witches are clarified, including when one can be incarcerated and when a woman is to be considered clearly convicted in the heresy of witchcraft; this constitutes the second act.
The Eighth Question: How she is to be seized and incarcerated; this will be the third act.
The Ninth Question: Whether the names of those providing evidence original: "deponentium"; the witnesses or accusers. are to be revealed to her after her arrest; this is the fourth act.
The Tenth Question: How defenses are to be granted along with the appointment of an advocate advocatus; a legal counsel or lawyer; this is the fifth act.
The Eleventh Question: What the advocate shall do when the names of the witnesses are not published to him; the sixth act.
The Twelfth Question: A further clarification on how mortal enmity between the accused and the witnesses is to be investigated; this is the seventh act of the judge.
The Thirteenth Question: What the judge shall do when the accused wishes to recuse him; the eighth act.
The Fourteenth Question: Concerning those things a judge must observe before the place of imprisonment and torture, and that he should not be quick to subject a witch to torture original: "tormentis" on account of the spell of silence original: "maleficium taciturnitatis"; a belief that witches used magic to prevent themselves from confessing even under extreme pain.; the ninth act.
The Fifteenth Question: Concerning the manner of sentencing the accused to questioning In this legal context, "questioning" is often a euphemism for interrogation under torture., and how the first method is to be

conducted.
The Sixteenth Question: How the questioning is to be continued. And concerning the signs by which a witch is recognized, and how they are to be shaved It was common practice to shave the hair of the accused to search for "the Devil's mark.". And concerning various precautions against the spell of silence; this is the eleventh act of the judge.
The Seventeenth Question: Concerning the timing and the second method of interrogation, and the extreme precautions to be observed by the judge.

Regarding the twenty modes of sentencing original: "sententiandi"; the formal passing of judgment., the First Question is: Whether they can be sentenced upon the examination and judgment of red-hot iron original: "candentis ferri"; an ancient form of trial by ordeal which the authors generally discourage. when they appeal to it.
The Second: Concerning those things which a judge must generally observe regarding both interlocutory and definitive sentences.
The Third: In how many ways a judge can hold the accused as suspected, and upon which suspicions he can pass sentence.
The Fourth: How sentence is to be passed upon a person who has been accused but is found entirely innocent.
The Fifth: How it is to be passed upon one who is accused and generally defamed original: "diffamatam"; meaning she has a poor reputation in the community for witchcraft..
The Sixth: How upon one who is accused and defamed, but is to be subjected to questioning and torture in some measure.
The Seventh: How upon one lightly suspected of that heresy.
The Eighth: How upon one vehemently suspected.
The Ninth: How upon one violently suspected.
The Tenth: How sentence is to be passed upon one who is both defamed and suspected together and commonly.
The Eleventh: How upon one who has confessed to that heresy but is not relapsed A "relapsed" heretic was one who fell back into error after a previous penance; these were usually executed. and is penitent.
The Twelfth: How upon one who has confessed the heresy and is penitent but is probably relapsed.
The Thirteenth: How upon one who has confessed and is impenitent, but not actually relapsed.
The Fourteenth: How upon one who has confessed the heresy and is impenitent and certainly relapsed.
The Fifteenth: How upon one who has not confessed, but is convicted of heresy by legitimate witnesses and other judicial means.
The Sixteenth: How upon one who is convicted but is a fugitive or absents herself contumaciously.
The Seventeenth...