On Witches and Female Soothsayers

They were unable to know original: "cognoscere," a legal euphemism for sexual intercourse one another, asserting that this had happened to them through witchcraft original: "maleficio".

Sigmundus Many people say many things.

Ulricus Indeed, the Church laws original: "canones" agree on this, asserting that through witchcraft it can happen that a man who is not naturally "cold" original: "frigidus," meaning naturally impotent is rendered unfit for sexual union. Therefore, in the decretals collections of papal law, we have a specific title "On the Cold and the Bewitched." Whence even Pope Hylmarus likely referring to Hincmar of Reims, often cited in the Decretum of Gratian says in chapter Si per sortiarias, case 33, question 1:

If through sorceresses and the arts of witchcraft—by the hidden and never unjust judgment of God permitting it, and the Devil preparing the way—sexual union does not follow, those to whom these things happen must be exhorted to make a pure confession of all their sins to God and a priest with a contrite heart and a spirit of humility, etc.

Behold, for the text says that with the Devil preparing the way, union does not follow. And although the Canon Law should be enough for deciding this doubt—because the constitutions of the Canons ought to be approved by everyone, as is said in the first chapter on Constitutions—nevertheless, the Doctors of the Church affirm the same thing. Whence the Blessed Thomas St. Thomas Aquinas says in the fourth book of his Commentary on the Sentences, distinction 33:

Through witchcraft, a man can be made impotent toward one woman and not toward another.

Likewise, Lord Hostiensis Henricus de Segusio, a famous 13th-century canonist said in his Summa, book 4, rubric 17, "On the Cold and the Bewitched":

Sometimes men are bewitched so that they are rendered impotent toward all women except one through sorcery. Sometimes they are even bewitched so that they cannot know their wife, but can know all other women.

A most elegant argument from nature

Sigmundus These things move my mind because they are wonders; for since sexual union is given to us by nature, it is certainly admirable how the Devil can impede the course of nature without our knowing.

Ulricus Indeed, I, Ulricus, was a patron and advocate of cases in the Court of Constance for eighteen years, just as I am today, and I have had many such cases of "coldness" and witchcraft in my practice, where women accused their husbands before a judge of impotence in union.

Sigmundus What, then, was decreed in such cases?