The author presents a comprehensive historical review of alchemy, magic, and witchcraft across Great Britain, focusing on England and Scotland. The narrative opens by tracing the origins of alchemy in Europe, detailing its transmission from Arabia to Christendom, and examining the absurd formulas and false promises used by alchemists to deceive their contemporaries. Following this introduction, the first book is devoted to famous English magicians and alchemists, notably Roger Bacon and Dr. John Dee, separating historical facts from surrounding legends.
The author recounts Dee's collaboration with the notorious medium Edward Kelly, their travels through Europe, and their experiments in spiritualism and metal transmutation. Later chapters explore other notable quacks, astrologers, and impostors, including Dr. Forman and William Lilly, highlighting their influence during turbulent historical periods.
The second book shifts focus to the history of witchcraft, examining early English beliefs, seventeenth-century trials, and the eventual decline of witch persecution. Detailed accounts are provided for several remarkable trials, presenting original evidence and confessions that reveal the moral and intellectual atmosphere of the times. The volume concludes with an exhaustive overview of the literature surrounding witchcraft, offering a conscientious study of how these delusions gripped society for centuries.
