First Separate Edition, “To be sold by private treaty”. Quarto, Quarter bound in dark blue morocco leather with raised bands on spine, light blue textured cloth over beveled boards, printed title label on front panel, handmade Italian patterned endpapers. 98 pp., some Illustrations. Issued in a numbered limited edition of 120 copies. Book is in fine condition.

Published by Society for Esoteric Endeavour

Comments:

First published 1665 as an appendix to Third Edition of Reginald Scot’s DISCOVERIE OF WITCHCRAFT, this text has none of Scot’s scepticism but is written by a practitioner for practitioners. This exceedingly rare volume consists of two books, with Book I being ‘Conjuration for Magicians and the More Learned Sort of Conjurers’ and Book II being ‘A Discourse Concerning the Nature and Substance of Devils and Spirits’. Book I describes in detail magical circles, fumigations and fire, magical garments and utensils, the raising and exorcising of spirits, and “How to obtain the familiarity of the Genius or Good Angel, and cause him to appear.”Book II describes the good and evil Daemon or Genii, astral spirits, infernal spirits, “the nature, force and forms of charms, periapts, amulets, pentacles, conjurations, ceremonies, etc.,” and “divers ancient spells, charms, incantations, and exorcisms.”