
Produced by Wendy Crockett, Carlo Traverso, Charles Franks
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
PREFACE.
LIVES OF THE NECROMANCERS
AMBITIOUS NATURE OF MAN
HIS DESIRE TO PENETRATE INTO FUTURITY.
DIVINATION.
AUGURY.
CHIROMANCY.
PHYSIOGNOMY.
Delve into a sweeping portrait of those who have dared to claim, or have been accused of claiming, control over the unseen forces of the world. Drawing from centuries‑old accounts, the work catalogues the lives of self‑styled necromancers, court astrologers, and occult philosophers, revealing the social standing, ambitions, and personal quirks that propelled them into the public eye. Along the way it reflects on the human desire for mastery over nature, showing how pride and curiosity have repeatedly driven people toward the mysterious and the forbidden.
Beyond mere biography, the narrative uses these stories as a lens to examine the broader currents of belief, skepticism, and the limits of reason. It asks what compels societies to both revere and revile those who promise to bend fate, and how such figures have shaped politics, art, and everyday superstition. Listeners will come away with a richer understanding of how the allure of sorcery has threaded through history, illuminating both the brilliance and the folly of the human mind.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (634K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-12-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1756–1836
A fierce political thinker and gifted storyteller, he helped shape radical debate in Britain with bold arguments about reason, freedom, and justice. He is still widely remembered for Political Justice and the novel Caleb Williams, as well as for his connection to the remarkable literary family around Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley.
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