""Modest Inquiry Into the Nature of Witchcraft"" is a book written by John Hale, a Puritan minister from Beverly, Massachusetts, in 1697. The book is an account of the Salem witch trials, which took place in 1692, and serves as a defense of Hale's role in the trials. The book is divided into three parts, with the first part containing a detailed description of the events leading up to the trials, including the accusations made against the accused...