A poet and an opponent of trials for witchcraft, Spee was born at Kaiserswerth on the Rhine, 25 February, 1591; died at Trier 7 August, 1635. On finishing his early education at Cologne, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1610, and, after prolonged studies was ordained priest in 1622. He became professor at the University of Paderborn in 1624; and was preacher at Paderborn, Cologne, and Hildesheim. His principal work, through which he obtained a well-deserved and world-wide reputation, is the Cautio Criminalis. It is an arraignment of trial for witchcraft, based upon his own awful experiences, principally in Westphalia. This work was first printed in 1631 at Rinteln without Spee's name or permission, although he was doubtlessly widely known as its author. The Belmont Abby copy was printed the following year in Frankfurt, also anonymously. Spee describes in vivid language and with cutting sarcasm the horrible abuses in the prevailing legal proceedings, particularly the inhuman use of the rack. He demands measures of reform, such as a new German imperial law on the subject, liability to damages on the part of the judges, etc., which, if they had been conscientiously carried out, would have quickly put an end to the persecution of witches. Generations passed before witch burning ceased; but at all events Cautio Criminalis brought about its abolition in a number of places, and led the way to its gradual suppression.[CE]