Pascal said, "Even when we struggle desperately to overcome obstacles and attain peace, peace itself becomes unbearable."
In 1659, when word spread that a female Quaker preacher was to be executed, many people in Boston rushed to watch, only for the bridge they crossed to collapse with a crash under the weight.
The Puritans had no theaters. In 1642, Parliament had passed an act closing London's playhouses, and they did not reopen until Charles II returned.
When Bishop was tried, the principle of natural justice had not yet taken shape. Or rather, the theory of natural law was still governed by the principle of divine origins.
Bishop defended herself not on the principle of natural justice, but according to military regulations. Yet the law at the time did not require proof that she had harmed someone with witchcraft; proving that witchcraft had been performed was enough for conviction.
There was no such term as "motive" at the time. Or, as Sir Bacon put it, witches were forever plotting revenge—was that not enough reason to believe she had harmed someone?
Criminal motives often arose from provocation. A fish boiled in plain water would naturally be bland, but if it were marinated in spices and then roasted, it would greatly stimulate one's appetite.
Self-control had to be cultivated, but besides criminal motives, there were also "justifying motives."
Batman had an enemy called Two-Faced Man, who would rationalize his own crimes.
Motives could sometimes affect conviction and sentencing. For example, self-defense incurred no punishment at all.
Grindelwald, meanwhile, told the French wizards that they had started the war to stop Muggles from destroying the Earth.
With that justification, they no longer needed to suppress themselves.
West Africa had a spice called Grains of Paradise. There was a specimen in the Jardin des Plantes.