Scot, Reginald

Scot, Reginald, was the younger son of John Scot of Scotshall, near Smeethe, Kent, England, and was born in the first half of the 16th century. He studied at Oxford, and upon his return home devoted himself exclusively to learned pursuits. His famous work, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, was published in 1584. and is designed to combat the prevalent belief on the subject. It called forth the Daemonology of James I, who informs us that he wrote it "chiefly against the damnable opinions of Wierus and Scot, the latter of whom is not ashamed in public print to deny there can be such a thing as witchcraft." Scot's work passed through three editions and was translated into French and German. It was ordered to be burned by the common hangman, and copies of it are now extremely rare. He published A Perfect Platform of a Hop Garden (1576). His death occurred in 1599.