Goodwin Wharton

the long version

Goodwin Wharton is the story of a quest - the attempt of a seventeenth-century aristocrat to transmute arcane knowledge into wealth, power, and salvation. Its protagonist, Goodwin Wharton (1653-1704), attempting to recoup his losses in engineering, deep-sea diving, and alchemy, formed an allianced with Mary Tomson Boucher Lawrence Parish - spiritualist, physician, biologist, and uniquely gifted confidence woman. Together, with occasional help from three MPs, they sought for spirit-guarded treasures, entrance to the lowland kingdom of the fairies, success in alchemy, and angelic guidance for diving expeditions. Meanwhile, Mary became Goodwin's mistress, and Goodwin acquired great spiritual gifts - visions, audible revelations, ordinations, an infallible inner voice - and the love of three queens of England. -- Book Jacket.