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. Necromancy is the art of revealing future events by a pretended communication with the dead. There is a theory that this impious superstition and imposture had its origin at a very early period in the land of Egypt, and had been thence propagated like many other arts in every nation which ancient history has made us acquainted with. Of its early existence we have complete evidence from the writings of Moses, where it is severely condemned as an abomination to the Lord. It appears to be one of the whoredoms to which Ezekiel represents his countrymen as having brought with them from Egypt, and continued to practise till they were carried captives into Babylon.

Lives of the Necromancers / William Godwin.

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.

Reproduction of the original.