Thomas Ady
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Thomas Ady (fl. 17th century) was an English physician and humanist about whom little is known other than that he was the author of three sceptical books on witchcraft and witch-hunting. His first and most well know work, Candle in the Dark: Or, A Treatise Concerning the Nature of Witches & Witchcraft, was used unsuccessfully by rev. George Burroughs in his defense during the Salem witch trials.[1] Ady's second book, published in 1661, was A Perfect Discovery of Witches; his third, published in 1676, was The Doctrine of Devils.
Ady's Candle in the Dark is thought to be the origin of the nursery rhyme "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John".[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ George Knowles, "Thomas Ady," accessed 7 January 2007.
- ^ "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Nursery Rhyme Lyrics, Origins and History " accessed 7 January 2007.
[edit] External links
- Candle in the Dark, A Perfect Discovery of Witches and The Doctrine of Devils – full text of Ady's books.
- Biography by George Knowles.
- The Advent of Modern Thought in Popular Literature from The Cambridge History of English and American Literature.
- Discussion on the JREF forum.
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