I have added a chapter on the ‘Literature of Witchcraft,’ which, I hope, is tolerably exhaustive, and now offer the whole as an effort to present, in a popular and readable form, the result of careful and conscientious study extending over many years.

I believe that the details, notwithstanding the reticence imposed upon me by considerations of delicacy and decorum, will surprise the reader, and that he will readily admit the profound interest attaching to them, morally and intellectually. The second is devoted to an historical review of witchcraft in Great Britain, and an examination into the most remarkable Witch-Trials, in which I have endeavoured to bring out their peculiar features, presenting much of the evidence adduced, and in some cases the so-called confessions of the victims, in the original language. I have confined myself to a sketch of their progress in England, and to a narrative of the lives of our principal magicians. It has not been my purpose, in the present volume, to attempt a general history of magic and alchemy, or a scientific inquiry into their psychological aspects. They have been studied by ‘adepts,’ and by critics, as realities and as delusions and almost the last word would seem to have been said by Science-though not on the side of the adepts, who still continue to dream of the Hermetic philosophy, to lose themselves in fanciful pictures, theurgic and occult, and to write about the mysteries of magic with a simplicity of faith which we may wonder at, but are bound to respect. Alchemy, Magic, Witchcraft-how exhaustively they have been investigated will appear from the list of authorities which I have drawn up for the reader’s convenience. I fear that many minds will have to devote all their energies to the work, if it is ever to be brought to completion and, indeed, it may plausibly be argued that its completion would be an impossibility, since every generation adds something to the melancholy record-‘pulveris exigui parva munera.’ However this may be, little more remains to be said on the subjects which I have here considered from the standpoint of a sympathetic though incredulous observer. The following pages may be regarded as a contribution towards that ‘History of Human Error’ which was undertaken by Mr.

Witchcraft In England In The 17th Century The Last Of The English Magicians: William Lillyġ. Magic And Imposture - A Couple Of Knavesĥ. Roger Bacon: The True And The LegendaryĤ. This online edition was created and published by Global Grey on the 25th February 2023.ġ.

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