 His volume became an exhaustive encyclopædia of contemporary beliefs about witchcraft, spirits, alchemy, magic, and legerdemain, as well as attracting widespread attention to his scepticism on witchcraft.William Shakespeare drew from his study of Scot's book hints for his picture of the witches in "Macbeth", and Thomas Middleton in his play of "The Witch" likewise was indebted to this source.Through bibliographies, one may trace modern grimoires to this work.