Note 221 — Chapter VI · - THE MAGIC ARTS
Reading edition
See Sprenger, pp. 492-3. Innocent VIII gave a great impetus to persecution of witches in 1485 by his bull, Summis desiderantes, in which all the malignant powers of the witch were enumerated. It was this bull that gave authority to Jacob Sprenger, the author of Malleus Maleficarum. It was supplemented by others of a similar character issued by Julius II and Alexander VI.