This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for. Like almost all men of learning, he spent a good deal of time pondering the invisible world, especially since he had himself encountered a witch in his parish not long before. That woman, however, turned into a mere pest under his searching scrutiny, and the child she had been allegedly afflicting recovered her normal behavior after Hale had given her his kindness and a few days of rest in his own house.
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 1. In this explanation by the narrator, we learn that Reverend John Hale is proud of his specialist knowledge in the field of witchcraft. He has been called to Salem by Reverend Parris to investigate his daughter’s illness. In his own parish of Beverly he encountered accusations of witchcraft. But he determined that the "witch" was merely a "pest" and the child allegedly afflicted by witchcraft recovered after a few days rest.