(Encarta, James I (of England)).
"The introduction of the subject of Scottish witchcraft into the texture of these political disputes was coincidental rather than inevitable. Although much ink has been spilt on the subject of James's apparent lifelong obsession with witchcraft and demonology, recent research has stressed how comparatively uninterested he was in such matters before the witchcraft trials."" In his earlier years, he demonstrated none the hatred towards witches that he showed in the later years of his rule of Scotland. When arrived in England, he still showed almost no interest in the matter at all. Despite its influence on the writing of Shakespeare's Macbeth, James was nothing more than intellectually interested in the subject. (Fraser, pg. 57-59).
"However, there was a middle period, critical years in which James shivered in his royal shoes at the mention of witches, and finally wrote his own tract on the subject, the Demonologie of 1597."" The witchcraft trials of North Berwick suggested to the king that a plot of his assassination might have been brewing. It was only once James was informed of this threat to his personal safety that he became interested in the issue of witchcraft. (Fraser, pg. 57-59).
As a result of his interest in the trials, James summoned a two of the alleged witches to his throne for questioning, and was fearfully impressed by what he heard. They supposedly repeated to him secrets only he alone should have known such as things he whispered to the queen on the night of their wedding. (Fraser, pg. 57-59).
Already immensely awed by the witches' abilities, the king now discovered that Francis Bothwell was reputed to have ordered the demise of the king by witchcraft. By his word, many witches were seen cursing wax images of James and casting potions to the sea to raise deadly storms during his journeys. (Fraser, pg. 57-59).
King James conducted a trial against the earl and three of his alleged witch accomplices.
