William Godwin (1756-1836), an outstanding English philosopher, writer and public figure, who worked during the period when the Enlightenment was replaced by romanticism, reflected in his writings all the most significant ideas, values, and problems of this era. “Saint-Leon. A Tale of the Sixteenth Century" (1799) is his most complex work of art, combining the genre features of a Gothic, historical, socio-psychological and detective novel. The main character of the story is Count Reginald Saint-Leon, rich and noble, one day he loses all his fortune at the card table. On the advice of his meek and caring wife, he flees to Switzerland, where he finds refuge in a dilapidated hut on the shores of Lake Constance. One day he receives an old man burdened with years, who soon dies, having previously revealed to the count the secret of the “stone of wisdom” and the elixir of life. This secret returns Saint-Leon's wealth, and the secret of eternal youth ultimately becomes a source of grief and mental anguish for him. Taking on the appearance of a young man, the main character turns out to be a rival in the love of his own son, visiting his daughters who do not recognize him. In Madrid, for practicing black magic, he falls into the hands of the Inquisition, in whose dungeon he languishes for twelve long years. The monstrous wealth and supernatural power acquired by Saint-Leon create numerous enemies for him against his own will and push him to commit serious crimes, increasingly alienating him from people.