incantation
a spell, a magic formula
pulping of books
destruction of books
austere
bare, plain, earnest
discord
disharmonious noise, though also disagreement or conflict
congealed
frozen, paralyzed
Philo-Sophia
a play on the word "philosophia", Latin for philosophy
daimonion
a personal protective spirit in Ancient Greece
leafing through
flipping or browsing through
duress
pressure, force, control
paroxysms
seizures, spasms
malignant
destructive, mean-spirited
gullible
naive, very trusting and easy to fool
Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza, a prominent Dutch philosopher leading the way to the Enlightenment
Leonidas
King of Sparta who died fighting the invading Persian army
perspicacious
clever, observant, sharp-thinking
exude
to give off, to discharge, to leak out
sycophantic
grovelling, subservient
paradisal
wonderful, like a paradise
