Lives of the Necromancers

"If we would know man in all his subtleties, we must deviate into the world of miracles and sorcery...It is here that man is most astonishing."

"We spurn impatiently against the narrow limits...fixed to our aspirings, and endeavour by a multiplicity of ways to accomplish [what is] beyond the power of man."

"There is something particularly soothing to the fancy of an erratic mind...of being conversant with a race of beings...which is unperceived by ordinary mortals."

"The obscurity of the oracles was of inexpressible service to the cause of superstition."

"Numa met the goddess Egeria from time to time in a cave; and by her was instructed in the institutions he should give to the Romans."

"Man is every where man, possessed of the same faculties, stimulated by the same passions...with similar hopes and fears, aspirations and alarms."

"Every valley had its fairies; and every hill its giants. No solitary dwelling...was without its ghosts; and no church-yard...could be crossed with impunity."

Godwin surveys the history of papal sorcery and finishes his discussion of European contacts with the Middle East during the Crusading era.

Learned late medieval Europeans "divided [into] Dominicans and Franciscans. And all that was most illustrious in intellect at this period belonged" to them.

Our author shifts from criticizing witches to sympathizing with them in their life and death struggles against ignorance and power.

Godwin surveys the history and legend of Germany's Dr. Faustus, the gloomy figure said to have sold his soul to the devil for earthly pleasure and power.

In the dwindling years of widespread belief in the occult, there appeared an ever starker difference between true believers and mere hucksters.

King James' personal vendetta against witches directly inspired England's bloodiest persecutionist, Matthew Hopkins, who in turn inspired New England readers.

Godwin takes us from Sweden to Massachusetts to conclude his discussion of the persecutionists. Modern technologies call his conclusions into question.