Lives of the Necromancers | Page 3

of that sort, that, while we act our part, and
endeavour to do justice to the sentiments which are put down for us, we
begin to believe we are the thing we would represent.
To shew however the modes in which the delusion acts upon the person
through whom it operates, is not properly the scope of this book. Here
and there I have suggested hints to this purpose, which the curious
reader may follow to their furthest extent, and discover how with
perfect good faith the artist may bring himself to swallow the grossest
impossibilities. But the work I have written is not a treatise of natural

magic. It rather proposes to display the immense wealth of the faculty
of imagination, and to shew the extravagances of which the man may
be guilty who surrenders himself to its guidance.
It is fit however that the reader should bear in mind, that what is put
down in this book is but a small part and scantling of the acts of sorcery
and witchcraft which have existed in human society. They have been
found in all ages and countries. The torrid zone and the frozen north
have neither of them escaped from a fruitful harvest of this sort of
offspring. In ages of ignorance they have been especially at home; and
the races of men that have left no records behind them to tell almost
that they existed, have been most of all rife in deeds of darkness, and
those marvellous incidents which especially astonish the spectator, and
throw back the infant reason of man into those shades and that
obscurity from which it had so recently endeavoured to escape.
I wind up for the present my literary labours with the production of this
book. Nor let any reader imagine that I here put into his hands a mere
work of idle recreation. It will be found pregnant with deeper uses. The
wildest extravagances of human fancy, the most deplorable perversion
of human faculties, and the most horrible distortions of jurisprudence,
may occasionally afford us a salutary lesson. I love in the foremost
place to contemplate man in all his honours and in all the exaltation of
wisdom and virtue; but it will also be occasionally of service to us to
look into his obliquities, and distinctly to remark how great and
portentous have been his absurdities and his follies.
May 29, 1834.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
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 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 MACANNA ARABIAN NIGHTS'
ENTERTAINMENTS PERSIAN TALES STORY OF A GOULE
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 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