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Lives of the Necromancers William Godwin Lives of the Necromancers Table of Contents Lives of the Necromancers.................................................................................................................................1 William Godwin......................................................................................................................................1 PREFACE...............................................................................................................................................4 LIVES OF THE NECROMANCERS..................................................................................................................7 AMBITIOUS NATURE OF MAN..........................................................................................................9 HIS DESIRE TO PENETRATE INTO FUTURITY............................................................................10 DIVINATION.......................................................................................................................................10 AUGURY..............................................................................................................................................10 CHIROMANCY....................................................................................................................................10 PHYSIOGNOMY.................................................................................................................................10 INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS.....................................................................................................10 CASTING OF LOTS.............................................................................................................................11 ASTROLOGY.......................................................................................................................................11 ORACLES.............................................................................................................................................11 DELPHI.................................................................................................................................................12 THE DESIRE TO COMMAND AND CONTROL FUTURE EVENTS.............................................13 COMMERCE WITH THE INVISIBLE WORLD................................................................................13 SORCERY AND ENCHANTMENT...................................................................................................13 WITCHCRAFT.....................................................................................................................................14 COMPACTS WITH THE DEVIL........................................................................................................14 IMPS......................................................................................................................................................15 TALISMANS AND AMULETS...........................................................................................................15 NECROMANCY...................................................................................................................................15 ALCHEMY...........................................................................................................................................16 FAIRIES................................................................................................................................................17 ROSICRUCIANS..................................................................................................................................18 SYLPHS AND GNOMES, SALAMANDERS AND UNDINES........................................................18 EXAMPLES OF NECROMANCY AND WITCHCRAFT FROM THE BIBLE...............................19 THE MAGI, OR WISE MEN OF THE EAST.....................................................................................21 EGYPT..................................................................................................................................................22 STATUE OF MEMNON......................................................................................................................23 TEMPLE OF JUPITER AMMON: ITS ORACLES.............................................................................23 CHALDEA AND BABYLON..............................................................................................................24 ZOROASTER.......................................................................................................................................24 GREECE............................................................................................................................................................24 DEITIES OF GREECE.........................................................................................................................25 DEMIGODS..........................................................................................................................................26 DAEDALUS.........................................................................................................................................27 THE ARGONAUTS..............................................................................................................................27 MEDEA.................................................................................................................................................28 CIRCE...................................................................................................................................................28 ORPHEUS.............................................................................................................................................29 AMPHION............................................................................................................................................30 TIRESIAS.............................................................................................................................................30 ABARIS................................................................................................................................................30 PYTHAGORAS....................................................................................................................................31 EPIMENIDES.......................................................................................................................................35 EMPEDOCLES.....................................................................................................................................36 i Lives of the Necromancers Table of Contents Lives of the Necromancers ARISTEAS............................................................................................................................................37 HERMOTIMUS....................................................................................................................................37 THE MOTHER OF DEMARATUS, KING OF SPARTA...................................................................37 ORACLES.............................................................................................................................................37 INVASION OF XERXES INTO GREECE..........................................................................................39 DEMOCRITUS.....................................................................................................................................40 SOCRATES...........................................................................................................................................41 ROME................................................................................................................................................................42 VIRGIL.................................................................................................................................................42 POLYDORUS.......................................................................................................................................42 DIDO.....................................................................................................................................................42 ROMULUS...........................................................................................................................................43 NUMA...................................................................................................................................................43 TULLUS HOSTILIUS..........................................................................................................................44 ACCIUS NAVIUS................................................................................................................................44 SERVIUS TULLIUS.............................................................................................................................44 THE SORCERESS OF VIRGIL...........................................................................................................45 CANIDIA..............................................................................................................................................45 ERICHTHO...........................................................................................................................................47 SERTORIUS.........................................................................................................................................50 CASTING OUT DEVILS.....................................................................................................................52 SIMON MAGUS...................................................................................................................................52 ELYMAS, THE SORCERER...............................................................................................................53 NERO....................................................................................................................................................53 VESPASIAN.........................................................................................................................................53 APOLLONIUS OF TYANA.................................................................................................................54 APULEIUS............................................................................................................................................56 ALEXANDER THE PAPHLAGONIAN.............................................................................................56 REVOLUTION PRODUCED IN THE HISTORY OF NECROMANCY AND WITCHCRAFT UPON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIANITY..............................................................................................57 MAGICAL CONSULTATIONS RESPECTING THE LIFE OF THE EMPEROR............................58 HISTORY OF NECROMANCY IN THE EAST.............................................................................................59 GENERAL SILENCE OF THE EAST RESPECTING INDIVIDUAL NECROMANCERS.............61 ROCAIL................................................................................................................................................62 HAKEM, OTHERWISE MOCANNA..................................................................................................62 ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS.......................................................................................63 PERSIAN TALES.................................................................................................................................64 STORY OF A GOULE.........................................................................................................................66 ARABIAN NIGHTS.............................................................................................................................67 RESEMBLANCE OF THE TALES OF THE EAST AND OF EUROPE...........................................67 CAUSES OF HUMAN CREDULITY..................................................................................................67 DARK AGES OF EUROPE.................................................................................................................68 MERLIN................................................................................................................................................70 ST. DUNSTAN.....................................................................................................................................72 COMMUNICATION OF EUROPE AND THE SARACENS.............................................................74 GERBERT, POPE SILVESTER II.......................................................................................................75 BENEDICT THE NINTH.....................................................................................................................75 ii Lives of the Necromancers Table of Contents Lives of the Necromancers GREGORY THE SEVENTH................................................................................................................76 DUFF, KING OF SCOTLAND............................................................................................................77 MACBETH...........................................................................................................................................78 VIRGIL.................................................................................................................................................80 ROBERT OF LINCOLN.......................................................................................................................81 MICHAEL SCOT..................................................................................................................................81 THE DEAN OF BADAJOZ..................................................................................................................82 MIRACLE OF THE TUB OF WATER................................................................................................82 INSTITUTION OF FRIARS.................................................................................................................83 ALBERTUS MAGNUS........................................................................................................................83 ROGER BACON..................................................................................................................................84 THOMAS AQUINAS...........................................................................................................................85 PETER OF APONO..............................................................................................................................85 ENGLISH LAW OF HIGH TREASON...............................................................................................86 ZIITO.....................................................................................................................................................87 TRANSMUTATION OF METALS.....................................................................................................88 ARTEPHIUS.........................................................................................................................................89 RAYMOND LULLI..............................................................................................................................89 ARNOLD OF VILLENEUVE..............................................................................................................90 ENGLISH LAWS RESPECTING TRANSMUTATION.....................................................................90 REVIVAL OF LETTERS....................................................................................................................90 JOAN OF ARC.....................................................................................................................................91 ELEANOR COBHAM, DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER....................................................................93 RICHARD III........................................................................................................................................94 SANGUINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST WITCHCRAFT.........................................................95 SAVONAROLA...................................................................................................................................98 TRITHEMIUS.....................................................................................................................................100 LUTHER.............................................................................................................................................101 CORNELIUS AGRIPPA....................................................................................................................102 FAUSTUS...........................................................................................................................................104 SABELLICUS.....................................................................................................................................112 PARACELSUS....................................................................................................................................113 CARDAN............................................................................................................................................114 QUACKS, WHO IN COOL BLOOD UNDERTOOK TO OVERREACH MANKIND...................114 BENVENUTO CELLINI....................................................................................................................115 NOSTRADAMUS..............................................................................................................................117 DOCTOR DEE....................................................................................................................................117 EARL OF DERBY..............................................................................................................................124 KING JAMES'S VOYAGE TO NORWAY.......................................................................................125 JOHN FIAN........................................................................................................................................126 KING JAMES'S DEMONOLOGY.....................................................................................................127 STATUTE, 1 JAMES I.......................................................................................................................127 FORMAN AND OTHERS..................................................................................................................127 LATEST IDEAS OF JAMES ON THE SUBJECT............................................................................129 LANCASHIRE WITCHES.................................................................................................................129 LADY DAVIES..................................................................................................................................130 EDWARD FAIRFAX.........................................................................................................................131 iii Lives of the Necromancers Table of Contents Lives of the Necromancers DOCTOR LAMB................................................................................................................................131 URBAIN GRANDIER........................................................................................................................131 ASTROLOGY.....................................................................................................................................132 WILLIAM LILLY...............................................................................................................................133 MATTHEW HOPKINS......................................................................................................................135 CROMWEL........................................................................................................................................136 DOROTHY MATELEY.....................................................................................................................137 WITCHES HANGED BY SIR MATTHEW HALE..........................................................................138 WITCHCRAFT IN SWEDEN............................................................................................................140 WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND...............................................................................................141 CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................143 FOOTNOTES.....................................................................................................................................144 iv Lives of the Necromancers William Godwin This page copyright © 2002 Blackmask Online. http://www.blackmask.com • PREFACE. • LIVES OF THE NECROMANCERS • AMBITIOUS NATURE OF MAN • HIS DESIRE TO PENETRATE INTO FUTURITY. • DIVINATION. • AUGURY. • CHIROMANCY. • PHYSIOGNOMY. • INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS. • CASTING OF LOTS. • ASTROLOGY. • ORACLES. • DELPHI. • THE DESIRE TO COMMAND AND CONTROL FUTURE EVENTS. • COMMERCE WITH THE INVISIBLE WORLD. • SORCERY AND ENCHANTMENT. • WITCHCRAFT. • COMPACTS WITH THE DEVIL. • IMPS. • TALISMANS AND AMULETS. • NECROMANCY. • ALCHEMY. • FAIRIES. • ROSICRUCIANS. • SYLPHS AND GNOMES, SALAMANDERS AND UNDINES. • EXAMPLES OF NECROMANCY AND WITCHCRAFT FROM THE BIBLE. • THE MAGI, OR WISE MEN OF THE EAST. • EGYPT. • STATUE OF MEMNON. • TEMPLE OF JUPITER AMMON: ITS ORACLES. • CHALDEA AND BABYLON. • ZOROASTER. • GREECE. • DEITIES OF GREECE. • DEMIGODS. • DAEDALUS. • THE ARGONAUTS. • MEDEA. • CIRCE. Lives of the Necromancers 1 Lives of the Necromancers • ORPHEUS. • AMPHION. • TIRESIAS. • ABARIS. • PYTHAGORAS. • EPIMENIDES. • EMPEDOCLES. • ARISTEAS. • HERMOTIMUS. • THE MOTHER OF DEMARATUS, KING OF SPARTA. • ORACLES. • INVASION OF XERXES INTO GREECE. • DEMOCRITUS. • SOCRATES. • ROME. • VIRGIL. • POLYDORUS. • DIDO. • ROMULUS. • NUMA. • TULLUS HOSTILIUS. • ACCIUS NAVIUS. • SERVIUS TULLIUS. • THE SORCERESS OF VIRGIL. • CANIDIA. • ERICHTHO. • SERTORIUS. • CASTING OUT DEVILS. • SIMON MAGUS. • ELYMAS, THE SORCERER. • NERO. • VESPASIAN. • APOLLONIUS OF TYANA. • APULEIUS. • ALEXANDER THE PAPHLAGONIAN. • REVOLUTION PRODUCED IN THE HISTORY OF NECROMANCY AND WITCHCRAFT UPON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIANITY. • MAGICAL CONSULTATIONS RESPECTING THE LIFE OF THE EMPEROR. • HISTORY OF NECROMANCY IN THE EAST. • GENERAL SILENCE OF THE EAST RESPECTING INDIVIDUAL NECROMANCERS. • ROCAIL. • HAKEM, OTHERWISE MOCANNA. • ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS. • PERSIAN TALES. • STORY OF A GOULE. Lives of the Necromancers 2 Lives of the Necromancers • ARABIAN NIGHTS. • RESEMBLANCE OF THE TALES OF THE EAST AND OF EUROPE. • CAUSES OF HUMAN CREDULITY. • DARK AGES OF EUROPE • MERLIN. • ST. DUNSTAN. • COMMUNICATION OF EUROPE AND THE SARACENS • GERBERT, POPE SILVESTER II. • BENEDICT THE NINTH. • GREGORY THE SEVENTH. • DUFF, KING OF SCOTLAND. • MACBETH. • VIRGIL. • ROBERT OF LINCOLN. • MICHAEL SCOT. • THE DEAN OF BADAJOZ. • MIRACLE OF THE TUB OF WATER. • INSTITUTION OF FRIARS. • ALBERTUS MAGNUS. • ROGER BACON. • THOMAS AQUINAS. • PETER OF APONO. • ENGLISH LAW OF HIGH TREASON. • ZIITO. • TRANSMUTATION OF METALS. • ARTEPHIUS. • RAYMOND LULLI. • ARNOLD OF VILLENEUVE. • ENGLISH LAWS RESPECTING TRANSMUTATION. • REVIVAL OF LETTERS. • JOAN OF ARC. • ELEANOR COBHAM, DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER. • RICHARD III. • SANGUINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST WITCHCRAFT. • SAVONAROLA. • TRITHEMIUS. • LUTHER. • CORNELIUS AGRIPPA. • FAUSTUS. • SABELLICUS. • PARACELSUS • CARDAN. • QUACKS, WHO IN COOL BLOOD UNDERTOOK TO OVERREACH MANKIND. • BENVENUTO CELLINI. • NOSTRADAMUS. • DOCTOR DEE. • EARL OF DERBY. • KING JAMES'S VOYAGE TO NORWAY. • JOHN FIAN. • KING JAMES'S DEMONOLOGY. • STATUTE, 1 JAMES I. Lives of the Necromancers 3 Lives of the Necromancers • FORMAN AND OTHERS. • LATEST IDEAS OF JAMES ON THE SUBJECT. • LANCASHIRE WITCHES. • LADY DAVIES. • EDWARD FAIRFAX. • DOCTOR LAMB. • URBAIN GRANDIER. • ASTROLOGY. • WILLIAM LILLY. • MATTHEW HOPKINS. • CROMWEL. • DOROTHY MATELEY. • WITCHES HANGED BY SIR MATTHEW HALE. • WITCHCRAFT IN SWEDEN. • WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND. • CONCLUSION. • FOOTNOTES Wendy Crockett, Carlo Traverso, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at http://gallica.bnf.fr. [Transcriber's Note: Footnotes have been numbered sequentially and moved to the end of the text.] LIVES OF THE NECROMANCERS: OR AN ACCOUNT OF THE MOST EMINENT PERSONS IN SUCCESSIVE AGES, WHO HAVE CLAIMED FOR THEMSELVES, OR TO WHOM HAS BEEN IMPUTED BY OTHERS, THE EXERCISE OF MAGICAL POWER. BY WILLIAM GODWIN. LONDON Frederick J Mason, 444, West Strand 1834 PREFACE. The main purpose of this book is to exhibit a fair delineation of the credulity of the human mind. Such an exhibition cannot fail to be productive of the most salutary lessons. PREFACE. 4 Lives of the Necromancers One view of the subject will teach us a useful pride in the abundance of our faculties. Without pride man is in reality of little value. It is pride that stimulates us to all our great undertakings. Without pride, and the secret persuasion of extraordinary talents, what man would take up the pen with a view to produce an important work, whether of imagination and poetry, or of profound science, or of acute and subtle reasoning and intellectual anatomy? It is pride in this sense that makes the great general and the consummate legislator, that animates us to tasks the most laborious, and causes us to shrink from no difficulty, and to be confounded and overwhelmed with no obstacle that can be interposed in our path. Nothing can be more striking than the contrast between man and the inferior animals. The latter live only for the day, and see for the most part only what is immediately before them. But man lives in the past and the future. He reasons upon and improves by the past; he records the acts of a long series of generations: and he looks into future time, lays down plans which he shall be months and years in bringing to maturity, and contrives machines and delineates systems of education and government, which may gradually add to the accommodations of all, and raise the species generally into a nobler and more honourable character than our ancestors were capable of sustaining. Man looks through nature, and is able to reduce its parts into a great whole. He classes the beings which are found in it, both animate and inanimate, delineates and describes them, investigates their properties, and records their capacities, their good and evil qualities, their dangers and their uses. Nor does he only see all that is; but he also images all that is not. He takes to pieces the substances that are, and combines their parts into new arrangements. He peoples all the elements from the world of his imagination. It is here that he is most extraordinary and wonderful. The record of what actually is, and has happened in the series of human events, is perhaps the smallest part of human history. If we would know man in all his subtleties, we must deviate into the world of miracles and sorcery. To know the things that are not, and cannot be, but have been imagined and believed, is the most curious chapter in the annals of man. To observe the actual results of these imaginary phenomena, and the crimes and cruelties they have caused us to commit, is one of the most instructive studies in which we can possibly be engaged. It is here that man is most astonishing, and that we contemplate with most admiration the discursive and unbounded nature of his faculties. But, if a recollection of the examples of the credulity of the human mind may in one view supply nourishment to our pride, it still more obviously tends to teach us sobriety and humiliation. Man in his genuine and direct sphere is the disciple of reason; it is by this faculty that he draws inferences, exerts his prudence, and displays the ingenuity of machinery, and the subtlety of system both in natural and moral philosophy. Yet what so irrational as man? Not contented with making use of the powers we possess, for the purpose of conducing to our accommodation and well being, we with a daring spirit inquire into the invisible causes of what we see, and people all nature with Gods “of every shape and size” and angels, with principalities and powers, with beneficent beings who “take charge concerning us lest at any time we dash our foot against a stone,” and with devils who are perpetually on the watch to perplex us and do us injury. And, having familiarised our minds with the conceptions of these beings, we immediately aspire to hold communion with them. We represent to ourselves God, as “walking in the garden with us in the cool of the day,” and teach ourselves “not to forget to entertain strangers, lest by so doing we should repel angels unawares.” No sooner are we, even in a slight degree, acquainted with the laws of nature, than we frame to ourselves the idea, by the aid of some invisible ally, of suspending their operation, of calling out meteors in the sky, of commanding storms and tempests, of arresting the motion of the heavenly bodies, of producing miraculous cures upon the bodies of our fellow−men, or afflicting them with disease and death, of calling up the deceased from the silence of the grave, and compelling them to disclose “the secrets of the world unknown.” PREFACE. 5

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