Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. In the selection of the cases which we have laid before the public, we have made it our study to select those that differed most in their general features from one another; and we fondly hope that the remarks which we have made on them, will not be considered too liberal for the present generation. Freedom of inquiry is making rapid strides among us, and the thick mists of ignorance are gradually withdrawing themselves from our moral horizon. When they are completely dissipated, our descendants, when reading the histories of, to them, long past superstitions, will lift their hands with wonder and regret at the wicked ness of their fathers, and thank their good fortune that they live in a time when such fooleries and cruelties have no place among men. That such a time may soon arrive, must certainly be the sincere wish of every right thinking man.