A Compleat System of Magick

About this book

How does a magician acquire a reputation for commanding spirits, and what happens when a frightened public believes it? An eighteenth-century writer investigates the 'black art' from ancient wonders to ingenious frauds.

Traditionally associated with Daniel Defoe, A Compleat System of Magick moves through famous magicians, alleged supernatural dealings and the uncertain border between occult philosophy and imposture. Its scepticism can be as entertaining as the stories it records. The old spelling and period assumptions are part of the experience: this is magic viewed from the argumentative, credulous and curious world of the early 1700s.