Weiser Antiquarian Books Catalog # 17.
Witchcraft.
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Welcome to this, the seventeenth of our on-line catalogs. This catalog presents an interesting selection of rare, used, and out-of-print books on the subject of Witchcraft, with an emphasis on works relating to the witch-panics of medieval and post- medieval Europe (and later North-America) and on the twentieth century 'wiccan' or 'neo-pagan' revival.
Amongst the volumes listed are a number of early works from either side of the debate over the reality of witchcraft, most of which were written either in support of or, in opposition to, the persecution of the alleged witches and the now-infamous witchcraft trials. The books include an extremely rare copy of what is arguably one of the most sinister books of the time, Henry Boguet's, Discours des Sorciers (1610). Boguet (1550-1619), was a notorious judge who is said to have personally pronounced or confirmed the death sentence on over six hundred 'witches,' and his Discours des Sorciers became one of the text books of French witch-hunters. Just as influential, though infinitely less malignant, was Sadducismus Triumphatus: Or, A full and plain Evidence, Concerning Witches and Apparitions ... , here represented by a copy of the Fourth Edition (1726). The book's author, Joseph Glanvil, wrote the volume in reaction to a growing skepticism about the reality of witchcraft, and attempted to provide scientific and philosophical evidence of it existence. Several of the works to which Glanvil took exception are also presented, notably Reginald Scot's, The Discovery Of Witchcraft. (Third Impression, 1665) and John Webster's, The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft (First Edition, 1677) Both works contain considerable source material on the alleged witchcraft practices whose existence they doubted, with Scot's including the text of an unusual manuscript on methods of infernal conjuration.
In spite of the circulation of such refutations the 'witch-panic' re-surfaced in colonial New England - most famously in Salem, Massachusetts - and the third section of the catalog comprises a selection of important studies of the American witch persecutions. Perhaps the scarcest of the works presented in this section is a First Edition of Charles W. Upham's, Salem Witchcraft. With an Account of Salem Village and A History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects. (1867) in the extremely scarce four volume issue, which was limited to 100 numbered sets. There are also a number of other important histories, including a First Edition of Kittredge's, Witchcraft in Old and New England, (1928) and a three-volume set of the reprint edition of Lea's Materials Toward A History Of Witchcraft (1957) , as well as some rather charming local works such as M. V. B. Perley's A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Illustrated by a Verbatim Report of Mrs. Elizabeth Howe's Trial. (1911) .
The fourth section of the catalog focuses on books relating to the twentieth century 'wiccan' or 'neo-pagan' revival. Included are First Editions of two works by Charles Leland that arguably provided the initial impetus for the movement, his Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune-Telling. Illustrated by Numerous Incantations, Specimens of Medical Magic, Anecdotes and Tales, (1891) and Aradia. or The Gospel of the Witches of Italy (1899) . It was of course Leland who first publicly promoted the idea that witchcraft was a survival of an ancient, pre-Christian religion, an idea refined by Margaret Murray in her important if controversial bookThe Witch-Cult In Western Europe (1921) . Murray's work was a great influence on later witchcraft revivalists like Gerald Gardner and Alex Saunders, and she contributed an Introduction to Gardner's Witchcraft Today , several different editions of which are offered for sale, along with other works by members of Gardner's circle.
One of Gardner's better-known acquaintances was the New Zealand born artist, Rosaleen Norton (1917-1979), with whom he enjoyed a lively correspondence. Norton gained considerable notoriety in Australia on account of her outrageous lifestyle, outspokenness and the obviously occult and erotic aspects of her artworks, and her work is now starting to attract enthusiastic attention in Australia and internationally. Dubbed 'the Witch of Kings Cross' (Sydney, Australia), Norton was vilified by the popular press during her lifetime, and was the subject of numerous prosecutions, achieving the dubious honour of being the only woman artist to be charged with 'exhibiting obscene articles' in Victoria, the only artist in Australia to have had a book of her works prosecuted for obscenity (Sydney 1952), and the only Australian artist to have had works destroyed by judicial order (again on grounds of their alleged obscenity). Norton is the subject of the fifth section of this catalog, which includes a number of books containing reproductions of her unusual and challenging artworks. Amongst these are two issues of the Second Edition of The Art of Rosaleen Norton , with poems by her then-lover Gavin Greenlees, and The Occult Visions of Rosaleen Norton ,an illustrated catalog with essay which accompanied the exhibition of her works held in Sydney in 2000.
Our next catalog, Number 18, will again be devoted to works on Aleister Crowley and his circle. It should be out early in June, 2007. Future catalogs will be devoted to Austin Osman Spare, Spiritualism, Mythology, Theosophy, Magic, Grimoires, and other of our specialties, and there will of course be more of our specialist lists on Aleister Crowley. If you would like to be notified by email when we post a new catalog on-line, please send an email with 'subscribe' in the subject line to books@weiserantiquarian.com You can have your name removed from the list at any time, simply by asking, and of course we will not re-supply your details to anyone.
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Contents of this Catalog:
Witchcraft in pre-Nineteenth Century Britain.
The European Witch Hunts.
The New England Witch Panic.
The Witchcraft Revival: Nineteenth & Twentieth Centuries.
Rosaleen Norton.
Miscellany.
About This Catalog & How To Purchase From It.
W. H. Davenport Adams, Witch, Warlock, and Magician. Historical Sketches of Magic and Witchcraft in England and Scotland. London: Chatto & Windus, 1889. First edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. viii + 428 pp. Blue cloth with gilt title and author to spine, gilt Hexagram design on front cover. Written from the viewpoint of a 'sympathetic, though incredulous, observer.' Approx. half the book is devoted to 'The English Magicians': Bacon, Dee, Lilly, etc., and the other half to the history of Witchcraft in England and Scotland. A trifle canted, boards chafed, darkened at spine and edges with a discolored patch a little larger than a thumb-print to the to rear cover just running into spine. Rear internal hinge cracked but holding firm. Still a sound and internally clean better than Good copy. Scarce. (32505) Please check our website for current availability.
W. Harrison Ainsworth, The Lancashire Witches, a Romance of Pendle Forest. AND Auriol, or The Elixir of Life (Two titles in one volume). London: George Routledge and Sons, nd [late 19th century]. New Edition. Hardcover. small 8vo. x + 480 pp & 238 pp. Half red morocco w/ marbled boards and endpapers, gilt title and intricate filigree design to spine, raised bands, marbled page edges. A volume from "The Novels and Romances of W. Harrison Ainsworth" collection. The novels were first published in collected form by Routledge in a 17 volume set, then republished in this "new edition" in eight volumes. This is the third volume of the 'new edition' and contains two complete works, The Lancashire Witches, a Romance of Pendle Forest. AND Auriol, or The Elixir of Life. At some stage the volume has been neatly rebacked, retaining the original boards and highly decorated spine. Edges lightly rubbed, previous owner's name in pencil, paper slightly browned with very light scattered foxing. Overall a tight and clean VG + copy. (18522) Please check our website for current availability.
John Gregorson Campbell, Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland Tales and Traditions collected entirely from Oral Sources. Glasgow, Scotland: James MacLehose, 1902. First edition. Hardcover. 8vo. xii & 314 pp & (i-colophon). Original dark blue cloth with gilt title and author to spine. A classic collection of material on "witchcraft, second sight, hobgoblins, and other kindred subjects', collected entirely from oral tradition. Lower spine and corners bumped and lightly rubbed, spine very slightly cocked, a few light spots to cloth, uneven browning to end papers, otherwise contents quite bright and unmarked. A tight and clean VG+ copy. Scarce. (20327) Please check our website for current availability.
John Gregorson Campbell, Witchcraft and Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland Tales and Traditions collected entirely from Oral Sources. East Ardsley, UK: EP Publishing Limited, 1974. Facsimile Reprint. Hardcover, 8vo, xii+ 314 pp. Original red papered boards with gilt title, etc. to spine, index. A reprint of the collection of Scottish occult lore originally published in 1902. Light bumping to spine ends, top edge lightly foxed, small separation between upper part of gatherings at pp 70-71, rear free endpaper stuck to fixed endpaper. Lengthy gift inscription on front endpaper, otherwise a very sound and unmarked copy. Still a VG+ copy in VG+ dust jacket. (Striking pictorial dust jacket very lightly rubbed, inner flaps lightly browned, price clipped). (26196) Please check our website for current availability.
C. L'Estrange Ewen, Witchcraft And Demonianism. A Concise Account Derived From Sworn Depositions And Confessions Obtained In The Courts Of England And Wales. London: Frederick Muller Ltd., 1970. Facsimile reproduction of the 1933 edition. Hardcover. 8vo. 496 pp. Original green faux leather with gilt titling etc. to spine, gilt demon on upper board, frontis, b&w illustrations, appendices and index. A serious, scholarly study of alleged witchcraft in England and Wales - concentrating particularly on the seventeenth century. Composed largely of accounts drawn from the original trials. Corners lightly bumped and rubbed, a few very light scratches to boards, page edges dusty, otherwise bright and unmarked. Near Fine condition. No dust jacket. (1138) Please check our website for current availability.
Edward Fairfax, (Biographical Introduction by William Grainge). Daemonologia: A Discourse On Witchcraft As It Was Acted In The Family Of Mr. Edward Fairfax, Of Fuyston, In The County Of York, In The Year 1621 .... ; New York: Barnes And Noble, 1971. First American edition, facsimile of the 1882 edition. Hardcover. 8vo. 190 pp. Blue cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, printed endpapers. A strange and poignant document. In it, the author, Edward Fairfax, laid forth in sincere and eloquent prose, his painfully misguided belief that his neighbours had attacked his children with witchcraft, killing his daughter Anne. The case was tried at court, and the defendants acquitted. Fairfax's account circulated in manuscript, and was eventually published in two small editions in the late nineteenth century. This book is a facsimile of the better of these. Page edges lightly foxed, otherwise Fine condition in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket a bit darkened at edges and spine, lightly rubbed at upper edge). (1260) Please check our website for current availability.
Christina Hole, Witchcraft In England. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1947. First American edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 168 pp. Blue cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, frontis, illustrated by Mervyn Peake, biblio and index. A study of the history and beliefs about witchcraft in England by the well-known folk-lorist Chrisitna Hole. Generously illustrated and with a dustjacket design by Mervyn Peake. Boards lightly chafed, bumping spine ends and corners, othewise a sound and unmarked VG + copy in VG dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly edgeworn, missing a sliver at the head of the spine, and with some small chips, browning at edges, not price clipped, now in mylar). (1269) Please check our website for current availability.
Thomas Potts, (Edited and introduced by G. B. Harrison). The Trial of the Lancaster Witches 1612 [The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster]. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 1971. Reprint. Hardcover. large 8vo. xlvi + 188 pp. Original deep red faux leather with gilt title, etc. to spine. The Lancaster Witch trials of 1612 were especially significant as one of the earliest sources into the alleged activities of covens in England. The whole of the original arraignement and trial, together with the findings were published in 1613 under the title 'The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster. ' The present volume is a facsimile reprint of a 1929 edition which contained the whole of 'The Wonderfull Discoverie' along with a scholarly Introduction by G. B. Harrison. Lower spine lightly bruised, tiny nick to lower edges, otherwise a sound and unmarked Near Fine copy in VG dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed at edges with a few tiny chips and short tears, not clipped). (1257) Please check our website for current availability.
Montague Summers, The Discovery of Witches. A Study of Master Matthew Hopkins commonly call'd Witch Finder Generall by the Rev. Montague Summers, together with a Reprint of The Discovery of Witches from it's rare original of 1647. London: Cayme Press , 1928. First Edition Thus. Softcover. large 8vo. 64 pp. Original black wrappers with printed paper title plate to upper cover, frontis and b&w illlustrations. Cayme Press Pamphlet no. 7. Striking contemporary (?) bookplate of Neville Main, depicting a cowled reaper-like figure embracing a voluptuous naked girl, on front pastedown. Very light rubbing and chipping to edges of wrappers. Blind seal of the Atlantis Bookshop, London on front free end paper.. A bit of very light scattered foxing. Still, VG+ condition. (32423) Please check our website for current availability.
Henry Boguet, Discours des Sorciers avec Six Advis en Faict de Sorcelerie, et une Instruction Pour un Juge en Semblable Matière: Par Henry Boguet Dolanois, grand Juge en la terre S.Oyan de Joux, dicte de S. Claude au Compte de Bourgongne. Lyon:: Pierre Rigaud, 1610. Troisieme Edition. Hardcover. 8vo. (4 1/2" x 6 1/2") Contemporary limp vellum wrappers, with title hand letter on spine in brown ink. (xxiv) + 552 pages (Discours) + (vi) + 1 - 93pp (Six Advis) + (i-iii) 32pp (Instruction pour un Juge) + (liv)(Table des Matieres-Discours) + (vi )(Table des Matieres- Instruction) Wood-cut on title page. Fresh endpapers. One of the most notorious of the early witch-hunting text. The author of the work, Henri Boguet (1550-1619), was a respected judge and the President of the Tribunal in St Claude in the Jura region of France. He gained a reputation for the cruelty and zeal of his persecutions, and is personally said to have pronounced or confirmed the death sentence on over six hundred 'witches.' His Discours des Sorciers became one of the standard text books of witch-hunting in France. The book contains a significant amount of witch lore, much obtained under torture, with much on the Sabbat and the sexual relations that allegedly took place between witches and their demonic masters - a subject which seemed to hold a particular fascination for Boguet. The work is also famous as one of the earliest published sources on werewolves - based on Boguet's first hand observations. Vellum wrappers somewhat bowed and quite darkened. Handlettering on spine just legible. Contemporary owner's name on title page, and a couple of small, neat annotations in the margins. Corners of some leaves folded or rounded, a little light browning and a few faint, old damp-marks to some pages, but otherwise the pages are fresh and supple, the type clearly legible. A VG+ copy of a rare and important work. (32511) Please check our website for current availability.
Robin Briggs, Witches & Neighbors. The Social And Cultural Context Of European Witchcraft. New York: Viking, 1996. First American Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. xviii + 456 pp. Black cloth spine with black papered boards, gilt titling, b&w illustrations, notes, list of further reading, index. An important and meticulously researched modern study that stresses the importance of the local contexts at the time of the witch hunts. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. (13373) Please check our website for current availability.
Francesco Maria Guazzo, (Edited With Notes by The Rev. Montague Summers, Translated BY E.A. Ashwin). Compendium Maleficarum Collected In 3 Books From Many Sources by Brother Fransesco Maria Guazzo Of The Order Of S. Ambrose Ad Nemus; Showing The Inquitous And Execrable Operations Of Witches Against The Human Race, And The Divine Remedies By Which They May Be Frustrated... New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1970. Facsimile Reprint Of The John Rodker 1929 Edition. Hardcover. 4to. xxii + 206 pp. Black faux leather spine and red boards, gilt titling etc to spine, b&w illustrations. Very light rubbing to edges, page edges foxed, a bit of light scattered foxing to early pages, otherwise a sound and bright Near fine copy in VG - dust jacket. (Printed paper dust jacket rubbed at edges with a bit of light surface soil) (31856) Please check our website for current availability.Please check our website for current availability.
Francesco Maria Guazzo, and Nicholas Remy, (Translated by E.A. Ashwin. Edited with Introduction by Rev. Montague Summers). Demonolatry and Compendium Maleficarum. (Two Volumes). Secaucus, NJ: University Books, 1974. Reprint. Hardcovers. sm 4to. Two volumes. xliv + 188 pp & xxii + 206 pp. Blue cloth with gilt titles, etc. to spines, b&w illustrations, double-column printing. A matching reprint set of Montague Summer's edition of these two early witch-hunter's guidebooks. Just a hint of shelf rubbing and dust, otherwise tight and clean Near Fine copies in VG dust jackets. (Dust jacket lightly chafed with a few tiny chips and short tears, not price clipped, now in mylar). (1237) Please check our website for current availability.
Alexandre Herculano, (translated by John C. Branner). History of the Origin and Establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal. California: Stanford University , 1926. First edition. Softcover. sm 4to. (10 x 7 inches) 189-636 pp. [448 pp total] Original printed wrappers, frontis portrait, map, index. Stanford University Publications University Series. History, Economics, And Political Science. Volume 1, No. 2. A serious academic study. Lacks final leaf of Index - otherwise complete. Wrappers a bit browned at edges, light overall rubbing to edges and spine, spine darkened and creased, some tiny chips at spine ends and corners, upper corner bumped creating light diagonal crease to text block, endpapers lightly browned. Still a sound and unmarked VG copy. Protected by plastic cover. (1531) Please check our website for current availability.
Alan C. Kors, & Edward Peters (Edit and Introduce). Witchcraft In Europe 1100-1700. A Documentary History. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1973. First UK Edition. Hardcover. 4to. viii & 382 pp. Original brown cloth with black titling to spine, b&w illustrations, printed end papers, index of illustrations. An important collection of materials and documents on the history of witchcraft, many of which were here published for the first time in English. Corners and spine ends very lightly rubbed, page edges a bit dusty, small light adhesive mark to front endpaper, otherwise a tight and unmarked VG+ copy in Good dust jacket. (Dust jacket rubbed at edges, a few tears and chips otherwise is clean and intact). (32496) Please check our website for current availability.
Heinrich Kramer, and James Sprenger, Translated etc. by Montague Summers. Malleus Maleficarum. London: John Rodker, 1928. First edition thus; Hardcover. small folio. xlvi + 278 pp. Original red parchment spine, and beige cloth boards, with gilt device stamped in center of top board, and gilt title to spine, frontis. Printed on Dutch paper especially made for this edition. Edition limited to 1275 numbered copies - this being copy no. 506. (D'Arch Smith B16) "The most infamous text in the witch-hunters canon, this is the first English translation of the 1489 Cologne edition of what became the standard reference work for the inquisitors and judges of the witch trials. Contains an enormous collection of - often highly dubious - witch lore and myth." Cloth slightly darkened at edges, corners and spine ends bumped and lightly rubbed, endpapers toned and page edges darkened. Otherwise a tight, bright and unmarked VG+ copy in what remains of the scarce dust jacket. (Dust jacket lacking most of rear panel and midpoint of spine, printed front panel and both inner flaps present, upper portion of front panel darkened). (32517) Please check our website for current availability.
Heinrich Kramer, and James Sprenger, Translated etc. by Montague Summers. Malleus Maleficarum. London: The Pushkin Press, 1951. Facsimile reprint. Hardcover. 8vo. xxii + 278 pp. Original deep red cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine, double column text, frontis. A reprint of the 1928 Rodkers / Summers edition of this classic of witch-hunting. Spine ends and corners lightly bumped and rubbed, a few faint spots to cloth, paper lightly browned, otherwise a sound and bright VG+ copy in Good only dust jacket. (Although at first glance the jacket appears ok - especially as it is now behind mylar - a closer inspection reveals numerous tape repairs, rubs and creases, and has also been lightly trimmed at the edges - presumably to remove chips.). (32492) Please check our website for current availability.
Jules Michelet, Translated by A. R. Allinson. Satanism and Witchcraft. A Study in Medieval Superstition. New York, NY: The Citadel Press, 1939. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. small 8vo. xx + 332 pp. Original rust cloth with black title, etc. to spine, epilogue, notes and elucidations, biblio. Michelet's work has attained the status of a minor classic of popular literature on the subject. About half the volume is devoted to a well-researched and scathing examination of the witch-panic. Spine ends and corners lightly rubbed, page lightly browned, otherwise a Near fine copy in light chafed dust jacket. (Dust jacket not price clipped). (22830) Please check our website for current availability.
E. William Monter, Witchcraft in France and Switzerland. The Borderlands During the Reformation. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1976. First edition. Hardcover, 8 vo, 232 pp. Black cloth, silver title, etc. to spine, b&w illustrations, appendices and index. A study, based largely on documents, of witchcraft in the 'Jura' region of the French-Swiss border, where a number of different types of witchcraft were practised - and persecuted. A hint of shelfwear and dust, a tiny bit of white offset from dust jacket onto lower board edge, black endpapers slightly faded, otherwise sound and unmarked. Near fine in Near fine dust jacket. (Dust jacket very lightly chafed with a hint of rubbing to edges). (1363) Please check our website for current availability.
Docteur Georges Raviart, Sorcières et Possédées. la démonomanie dans le Nord de la France. Lille, France: Emile Raoust, 1936. Limited edition. Softcover. large 8vo, 60 pp. Original printed wrappers, French text, b&w illustrations. Edition limited to 230 copies. A psychological study of the witchcraft hysteria in Northern France in the seventeenth century. Covers lightly rubbed, creased and marked. Front , some loss to spine ends, endpapers browned. Internals bright and unmarked with many uncut pages. Overall VG. Scarce. (7094) Please check our website for current availability.
Nicolas Remy, Translated by E. A. Ashwin, edited etc by Montague Summers. Demonolatry. London: John Rodker, 1930. First Edition thus . Hardcover. Small quarto. xliv + 188pp. Saffron spine with light beige cloth boards. Limited edition of 1275 copies, this copy being no. 802. Fore- & bottom-edges uncut. An important late sixteenth century text on witchcraft "drawn from the capital trials of 900 persons, more or less, who within the last fifteen years have in Lorraine paid the penalty of death for the crime of witchcraft" by Nicholas Remy, 'Privy Councillor to the Most Serene Duke of Lorraine, and Public Advocate to his Duchy.' Along with the better-known Malleus Maleficarum one of the core works on witch hunting. This edition formed Volume IV of Rodker's 'The Church and Witchcraft' series. [D'Arch Smith B22] Lower edges a bit darkened, and corners lightly bumped, slight chafing to spine ends, neat previous owner's name, contents unmarked and bright. Overall a tight and internally bright VG+ copy in the scarce dust jacket. (Dust jacket is quite darkened overall, with chafing to edges and panels, some short closed tears - still complete). (32499) Please check our website for current availability.
Dr. Wilhelm Gottlieb Soldan, Geschichte der Hexenprocesse. Aus den Quellen dargestellt. Stuttgart und Tübingen: J. G. Cotta , 1843. Hardcover. 8vo. 512 pp. Half leather with marbled boards, paper label to cover with title in mansucript. A serious German-language study of the European witch-hunts. Text in Gothic script. Boards quite chafed and well worn at all edges, spine chipped at head and lacking a sliver from tail. Remains of shelf label to lower spine, otherwise no ownership markings. Lacking front free endpaper and half-title page. Occasional light spotting and browning to paper, page edges browned, but text is unmarked and internals bright. Overall a sound copy in better than Good condition. Scarce. (5802) Please check our website for current availability.
Per Sörlin, "Wicked Arts" Witchcraft & Magic Trials in Southern Sweden, 1635-1754 Cultures, Beliefs, and Traditions. Medieval and Early Modern Peoples. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1999. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. viii + 240 pp. Original mauve cloth with gray titling, etc. to spine, blind rules, trial index, appendix, sources and references, index. A serious study of the witchcraft trials in eighteenth century Sweden. NEW, thus in Fine in fine dust jacket. (17914) Please check our website for current availability.
D. P. Walker, Unclean Spirits. Possession and Exorcism in France and England In The Late Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries. Philadelphia, PA: University Of Pennsylvania, 1981. First edition. Hardcover, 8vo, 116pp, index. Original brown cloth with gilt title etc to spine. "This account of cases of demonic possession in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries is based on contemporary eye-witness descriptions of exorcisims." Small nick to upper edge of front board, upper corners lightly bumped, otherwise a sound and unmarked copy. Near fine in Near fine dust jacket. (Printed dust jacket lightly creased at upper edges, now covered in mylar). (26265) Please check our website for current availability.
George Lincoln Burr, (Editor). Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases 1648-1706 New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 1975. Facsimile reprint. Hardcover. 8vo, xiv + 466 pp. Original navy cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, index. A significant collection of narratives and testimonies from the New England witchcraft trials. The volume was originally published in 1928. Original Narratives of Early American History series. Just a hint of shelf rubbing and dust. Near fine condition. No dust jacket - if called for. (22438) Please check our website for current availability.
Robert Calef, & Cotton Mather. The Wonders of the Invisible World, Displayed in Five Parts Part I. - An Acount of the Sufferings of Margaret Rule, Written by the Rev. Cotton Mather. Part II. - Several Letters to the Author etc and his reply relating to Witchcraft. Part III - The Differences Between the Inhabitants of Salem Village, and Mr. Parris, their Minister, in New-England. Part IV - Letters of a Gentleman uninterested, endeavoring to prove the received Opinions about Witchcraft to be orthodox. With short essays to their answers. Part V. - A short historical Account of matters of fact in that affair. Boston, MA: T[imothy] Bedlington, 1828. New Edition. Hardcover. 16mo. xvi + 17-334 pp. Original gilt decorated tree calf, gilt titling to leather spine label. Boards chafed at corners and spine, front hinge and spine have an old rather crude reinforcement. Plate noting the gift of the book to Stillwater Public Library circa 1903 on front end paper, otherwise no library marks. Endpapers browned with a bit of adhesive residue on front free endpaper. Occasional light browning and spotting to text, otherwise clean and unmarked. Overall a G + copy. (32519) Please check our website for current availability.
Chadwick Hansen, Witchcraft at Salem. New York, NY: George Braziller, 1970. Sixth Printing. Hardcover. 8vo. xx + 252 pp. Red cloth with silver and black title, etc. to spine, colored top edge, b&w illustrations, notes, biblio. and index. A reappraisal of the Salem witchcraft panic, in which the author allows that a form of witchcraft - albeit of the folk-magic of the time - may have been practiced, and emphasizes the importance of examining the events in light of beliefs of the time. Light bruising to spine ends and rubbing to lower edge, endpapers browned, otherwise a sound and unmarked VG copy in VG- dust jacket. (Dust jacket slightly browned at edges, rubbed, price clipped) (1230) Please check our website for current availability.
George Lyman Kittredge, Witchcraft in Old and New England. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1928. First edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 642 pp. Original maroon cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine, blind rules, top edge gilt, notes and index. The First Edition of this classic study. Corners and spine ends very lightly bumped and rubbed, paper lightly browned, otherwise a tight, bright and unmarked Near fine copy. No dust jacket. (15267) Please check our website for current availability.
Henry Charles Lea, Arranged and Edited By Arthur C. Howland. Introduction by George Lincoln Burr. Materials Toward A History Of Witchcraft (Three Volumes). New York, NY: Thomas Yoseloff, 1957. Reprint. Hardcovers. 8vos. Three volumes. xliv + 434 pp & 602 pp & 510 pp. Original plum cloth with silver titles, etc. to spines. Originally published in an edition of 300 sets, this is effectively the first trade edition of this comprehensive and essential work. Complete and unexpurgated. Spines slightly faded, light bumping to upper spines with a bit of chafing, previous owner's name in pen to each volume, otherwise a sound and unmarked VG+ set in original slipcase. (Cardboard slipcase with printed paper label a bit rubbed and edges with some slipping to lower seams, overall near VG) (2111) Please check our website for current availability.
Cotton Mather, With Increase Mather. The Wonders of the Invisible World. Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New England To which is added a Farther Account of the Tryals of the New England Witches. London: John Russell Smith, 1862. Hardcover. small 8vo. xvi + 292 pp. Decorated maroon cloth, gilt titling and rules to spine, frontis portrait of Cotton Mather. Corners and lower edge rubbed and lightly bumped. Cheap paper somewhat browned with some light chipping to edges. A discrete attractive bookplate on front pastedown. Overall a sound, pleasant, clean VG+ copy. (16070) Please check our website for current availability.
M. V. B. Perley, A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Illustrated by a Verbatim Report of Mrs. Elizabeth Howe's Trial. Salem, MA: M.V.B. Perley, 1911. Souvenir Edition. Hardcover. small 8vo. 76 pp. Original pale green cloth with black titling to spine and upper board, vignette, frontis, map and half tone illustrations. A pleasantly produced and illustrated popular account. Edges, corners and spine ends lightly chafed. Paper lightly browned, previous owner's name. Otherwise a sound and unmarked VG+ copy. Scarce. (5533) Please check our website for current availability.
John M. Taylor, (Edited by Henry R. Stiles). The Witchcraft Delusion In Colonial Connecticut (1647 - 1697). New York: The Grafton Press, 1908. First edition. Hardcover. small 8vo. xvi+ 174 pp. Grafton Historical Series. The author presents original materials from the period: colonial records, trial documents and transcripts, etc. as part of a new analysis of this painful interlude in American history. Original green cloth with gilt title and author to spine, top edge gilt, frontis with printed tissue guard. Very light rubbing and bumping to spine ends and corners, bright and clean inside. Near Fine condition. (1506) Please check our website for current availability.
Charles W. Upham, Salem Witchcraft. With an Account of Salem Village and A History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects. (4 Volumes) Volume I, Parts I and II and Volume II, Parts I and II. Boston, MA: Wiggin & Lunt, 1867. First Edition. Hardcovers. 8vo. Two volumes in Four. Vol. I: xlii + 216 pp & 217-470 pp. Vol II: 272 pp & 273-554 pp. Original plum cloth with gilt titling to spines, beveled edges, frontispieces with tissue guards, fold-out map of Salem Village of 1692, b&w illustrations and plates, appendix and index. Title page in red and black. The best issue of the first edition of this classic work on the Salem Witch-panic limited to 100 numbered sets, this set being no. 96. This four volume first issue is so scarce that many authorities are unaware of its existence and cite the two volume 'trade edition' as the first. Boards lightly chafed, with a few light scratches and some slight fading. Vol. I, part II and Vol. II, part II expertly rebacked retaining original boards and spines. Spines lightly faded, corners and spine ends bumped and a bit rubbed, with a few tiny chips. Some related contemporary newspaper clippings loosely inserted. Also some early sale records for this and similar titles have been written in elegant manuscript or clipped from catalogs and pasted onto blank sheets which have been loosely inserted. Some endpapers unevenly browned. Light even browning to margins, but internals generally bright and unmarked. Overall a sound VG set. Very scarce in this edition. (32509) Please check our website for current availability.
Charles W. Upham, Salem Witchcraft. With an Account of Salem Village and A History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects (2 Volumes). New York, NY: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1976. Fifth printing. Hardcovers. 8vo. Two volumes. xlii + 470pp & 554pp. Grey cloth with silver and red titling to spine, colored top edge, fold-out map, b&w illustrations. A modern two volume reprint of Upham's classic study of the Salem Witchcraft trials. Just a hint of rubbing to edges of boards, slight bleed of top edge color to upper pages, otherwise sound and unmarked VG + set in VG dust jackets. (Dust jackets rubbed and lightly chipped at edges, panels lightly chafed, price clipped) (2109) Please check our website for current availability.
Hendrik Van Loon and Hildegarde Hawthorne, contribute "Witches and Witch-Finders" and "The Witch Panic in Salem" to The Mentor. June, 1923 (Vol. 11, No. 5). Springfield, OH: Crowell Publishing Company, 1923. First Edition. Softcover. 4to. 58 pp. Periodical. Original printed stapled wrappers. This issue includes "Witches and Witch-Finders" by Hendrik Van Loon and "The Witch Panic in Salem" by Hildegarde Hawthorne, the granddaughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both essays generously illustrated, the latter with many interesting pictures of the Salem witch sites as they were at the time. Covers lightly rubbed with a few light spots, otherwise sound and unmarked. VG+ condition. (7286) Please check our website for current availability.
Lois Bourne, Witches Amongst Us. An Autobiography. Middlesex, UK: Satellite Books, 1979. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 192 pp. Black cloth with gilt titling to spine, frontis. The autobiography of a life-long witch who is said to have been a friend of Gardner's and member of his North London coven. A hint of shelf dust and rubbing otherwise tight and clean Near Fine copy in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed, not clipped). (32483) Please check our website for current availability.
Janet and Stewart Farrar, Eight Sabbats for Witches. and Rites for Birth, Marriage and Death. London: Robert Hale, 1985. Reprint. Hardcover. 8vo. 192 pp. Original brown cloth with silver title, etc. to spine, b&w line illustrations by Stewart Farrar, photographs by Stewart Farrar and Ian David, biblio and index. Just a hint of rubbing to lower edges, light shelf dust otherwise Fine condition in lightly rubbed Near Fine dust jacket. (19910) Please check our website for current availability.
Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Witches' Goddess. The Feminine Principle of Divinity. London: Robert Hale, 1987. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 320 pp. Original blue cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, b&w line illustrations by Stewart Farrar, photographs by Stewart Farrar, biblio and index. A work by the late Stewart Farrar, and his wife Janet, both stalwarts of the Alexandrian tradition of witchcraft. Light bump to fore-edge of upper board. Previous owner's name on front endpaper, light foxing to top edge. Otherwise Near fine condition in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed at edges, some foxing to inner flaps). (32489) Please check our website for current availability.
Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Witches' God. Lord of the Dance. London: Robert Hale, 1989. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 278 pp. Original red cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, b&w line illustrations by Stewart Farrar, photographs by Stewart Farrar, biblio and index. Light bump to lower corners, previous owner's bookplate on front free endpaper. Light foxing to top edge. Otherwise Near fine condition in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed at edges). (32490) Please check our website for current availability.
Gerald B. Gardner, (Introduction by Dr. Margaret Murray). Witchcraft Today. London: Rider and Company, 1956. Second Impression. Hardcover. 8vo. 164 pp. Original red cloth with black title and rules to spine, b/w photos. Notes & Biblio. Lower edge small bump on rear board, pages lightly toned, otherwise sound and bright. Near fine condition in Near fine dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed at edges, price clipped, now in protective plastic). (26162) Please check our website for current availability.
Gerald B. Gardner, Introduction by Dr. Margaret Murray. Witchcraft Today. New York: The Citadel Press, 1955. First American edition. Hardcover. 8vo. 164 pp. Green pebbled cloth boards with black title, etc. to spine. Illustrated with b&w photographs, notes and biblio. The first US Edition of this landmark work in the modern Witchcraft revival. Cloth slightly faded at edges (as common), light uneven browning to endpapers, otherwise a tight, clean copy. Near fine condition in VG + dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed at extremities with very light chipping at spine ends, inner flaps slightly discolored, not price clipped). (32504) Please check our website for current availability.
Gerald B. Gardner, Introduction by Leo Martello, Foreword by Patricia Crowther. Witchcraft Today and The Meaning of Witchcraft (Two vols. & CD). North Carolina: Mercury Publishing , 1999. Limited edition. Softcovers. 8vo. Two volumes & CD. 158 pp & 286 pp & Compact Disc. Well illustrated, includes much additional material by Crowthers, Leo Martello, Raymond Buckland, etc. Compact Disc includes a rare interview with Gardner himself, plus audio of a witchcraft ritual. Still (mostly) in publisher's shrink wrap. Thus, fine condition. (11454) Please check our website for current availability.
Migene Gonzalez-Wippler, The Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies, and Magic. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1978. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 376 pp. Black cloth with purple title, etc. to spine, b&w illustrations and photos, index. A broad ranging work which served as an introduction to the occult for many in the late seventies and eighties. Upper corners bumped, lower edges lightly rubbed, top edge dusty. Light discolored patch on inner margins at lower edge of front endpapers, pages lightly thumbed. Overall a sound and unmarked VG+ copy in VG dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed at edges with some tiny chips at corners and spine ends, not price clipped). (32512) Please check our website for current availability.
Ralph Harvey, The Last Bastion The Suppression and Re-Emergence of Witchcraft, the Old Religion. Plymouth, UK: Zambezi Publishing Ltd., 2005. First Edition. Softcover, 8vo, 302 pp + 6 pp Publisher's catalog, b&w illustrations. Signed by the author on the title page. A history of witchcraft with a particular focus on the Sussex region, by Ralph Harvey, well known as one of the leading Wiccan High Priest's in England. NEW book in fine condition but for a light bump to upper corner. (18754) Please check our website for current availability.
Pennethorne Hughes, Witchcraft. London: Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd., 1952. First edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. viii + 220 pp. Original black cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, b&w illustrations, biblio and index. An interesting if tendentious history. It was supposedly in response to what he perceived as misrepresentations of 'the craft' in this book that Gerald Gardner published his 'Witchcraft Today' two years later. Just a hint of rubbing and bumps to lower edges and corners, paper lightly browned, otherwise a sound and bright Near fine copy in VG dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly chafed at extremities, not price clipped). (25837) Please check our website for current availability.
June Johns, King of the Witches. The World Of Alex Sanders. London: Peter Davies, 1969. First Edition. Hardcover, 8vo, viii + 182pp. Purple cloth with gilt titling etc to spine, b&w illustrations, Photographs by Jack Smith, appendices. A biography of Alex Sanders, one-time 'King of the Witches' in Britain, and well known as the head of one of the largest groups of covens in Europe. Includes an interview with Sanders. Light rubbing to edges, page edges dusty and slightly foxed, otherwise a sound and unmarked VG+ copy in G+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket price clipped, light rubbing to edges, a few tiny chips and short tears, upper edges of both panels discolored, price clipped). (31669) Please check our website for current availability.
Aidan A. Kelly, Crafting the Art of Magic A History of Modern Witchcraft, 1939-1964 Book 1. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1991. First edition. Softcover. large 8vo. xxiv + 190 pp + 4 pp of adverts. b&w illustrations, bibliography. "A history of the development of modern Witchcraft during the later lifetime of Gerald Gardner... from 1939 to his death in 1964.... describes Gardner's activities in building this religion.. also present The Book of Shadows as it stood in the years 1949, 1953, 1957 and 1961." Unused copy in Fine condition. Quite scarce. (14055) Please check our website for current availability.
Charles G. Leland, Aradia. or The Gospel of the Witches of Italy. London: David Nutt, 1899. First Edition. Hardcover. small 8vo. xviii + 133 pp + 3 pp publisher's catalog. Original olive cloth with gilt title to spine and white printed title etc to front cover, top edge gilt, appendix. Leland's Aradia is often cited as the starting point of the twentieth century witchcraft revival. It comprises a translation of an Italian manuscript, the 'Vangelo' (or witches' 'Gospel' of the title) and an account of the history, beliefs, rituals and practices of an ancient witchcraft tradition that Leland claimed had survived clandestinely in Tuscany throughout the centuries. The central figure of the cult was Goddess Aradia, who according to the tradition came to earth to teach witchcraft to the peasantry as a defense against their oppressors. Leland's Aradia came to be a major influence on the development of modern wiccan and neo-pagan thought, and is said to have been extensively used by Gerald Gardner. Gilt on spine dulled, edges lightly rubbed, corners bumped, a few light spots and barely-noticeable bubbles to the cloth. Very light toning to endpapers, otherwise internally fresh and unmarked. Overall this copy is VG+ (32421) Please check our website for current availability.
James R. Lewis, (Editor). Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1996. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. vi + 424 pp. Illustrated papered boards, b&w illustrations, index. A collection of scholarly essays on many different aspects of contemporary neo-paganism. Seventeen essays divided into six broad catagories: The Goddess and the Witches Worldview, Magic and Rituals, History, Ethics, Christianity and Neo-Paganism, Literature Reviews. Light rubbing to spine ends and corners otherwise Fine condition. Scarce in hardcover. (11518) Please check our website for current availability.
T. M. Luhrmann, Persuasions of the Witch's Craft. Ritual Magic in Contemporary England. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo, xii + 382 pp. Original black cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine, b&w illustrations, bibio and index. A study of witchcraft and other occult and neo-pagan movements in modern Britain. Combines the critical perceptions of an anthropologist, with genuine sympathy and enthusisam. Just a hint of rubbing and shelf dust otherwise Fine in lightly rubbed Near Fine dust jacket. (1328) Please check our website for current availability.
Margaret Alice Murray, The God of the Witches. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd., nd [circa 1934]. Reprint. Hardcover. large 8vo, xii + 214 pp. Original black cloth, silver title, etc. to spine, b&w illustrations, references, index. An early reprint of Murray's second controversial study of European witchcraft. Light rubbing to spine and extremities, a few very light spots to cloth, pages edges dusty with light spot to lower edge, end papers toned and paper lightly browned. Still a sound better than VG copy. No dust jacket. (13364) Please check our website for current availability.
Margaret Alice Murray, The God of the Witches. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1952. First American Edition. Hardcover. 8vo. 212 pp. Black cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine, color frontis, b&w illustrations, references and index. Spine ends lightly bruised, previous owner's name in pen, copyright details blacked out - as common. Else a Near fine copy in VG - dust jacket. (Dust jacket rubbed at edges, lightly chipped at spine ends). (24346) Please check our website for current availability.
Margaret Alice Murray, The Witch-Cult In Western Europe. A Study In Anthropology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1921. First Edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 303 pp. Original green cloth with gilt titling to spine, list of the Names of Witches, index. The First Edition of Murray's influential work, in which she first expressed her theories that witchcraft was actually a survival of an ancient neolithic religion that continued into the Middle Ages despite attempts by the Christian Church to suppress it. Lower spine, corners and edges lightly bumped , upper edge lightly rubbed. Very light foxing to endpapers with just a few stray spots to text. Otherwise a bright and unmarked VG+ copy in VG dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly browned and rubbed at edges, spine darkened, not clipped). (32422) Please check our website for current availability.
Austin Osman Spare, The Witches' Sabbath [&] Axiomata. London: Fulgur, 1992. First Edition. Hardcover, Large Quarto, xii + 20pp & x + 22pp. Original black cloth with gilt designs. Talismanic bookmark that was issued with the book loosely inserted. This cloth bound issue limited to 956 numbered copies, though according to Spare's bibliographer, Clive Harper, nearly 700 of these were accidentally destroyed before release making it much scarcer than its stated limitation. Two complete previously unpublished texts by Spare bound back to back - ie each starts at a different end of the book, with each finishing in the middle. Each text has its own color frontis and numerous black and white illustrations. Spare claimed to have been introduced to Witchcraft in his youth by a mysterious "Mrs. Patterson," and to have attended many Sabbaths. 'The Witches' Sabbath' is his short, highly sexually charged account of the Sabbath, its meaning and practice, along with an 'Evocation,' 'Affirmation,' and 'Prayers' of Communion and Adoration. Black paper dustjacket a trifle marked - as almost inevitable - otherwise Fine in Fine dustjacket. (32525) Please check our website for current availability.
Rosaleen Norton, & Gavin Greenlees, (Introduction by Nevill Drury). The Art of Rosaleen Norton. Sydney, Australia: Walter Glover, 1982. Second edition, expanded . Hardcover, Quarto 80pp. Color and black and white illustrations. Edition limited to 1000 copies. A book of occult-inspired artist Rosaleen Norton's drawings, with poems by Norton and her lover Gavin Greenlees. The original 1952 edition was banned in the USA on the grounds of obscenity, and had a restricted circulation in Australia, with a court ruling that some of the plates had to be 'blacked out' before copies could legally be sold. This edition reproduces all the material in the original, along with new introductions and additional color plates. Includes the original publisher's prospectus for the book (a single sheet printed on both sides). Fine in fine dust jacket. (19833) Please check our website for current availability.
Rosaleen Norton, & Gavin Greenlees, The Art of Rosaleen Norton. Sydney, Australia: Walter Glover, 1982. Leather bound limited issue of second expanded edition. Hardcover, Quarto 80pp, Bright red full leather binding, with gilt titling on front board and down spine. In original ivory slip case, with title and Norton design blindstamped into front panel. Colour and b/w illustrations. Leather bound 'edition-de-luxe' limited to 50 numbered copies signed by the publisher. This copy not signed or numbered - apparently an 'Out-of-Series' copy that escaped. There is a thin faint, indented line down the leather of the front cover - parallel with the spine and about three quarters of an inch in from it. It is possibly a flaw in the leather made during the binding process - and might explain why this copy was left out-of-series. It is quite light, and wouldn't bother many people, however if you are fastidious this is not the copy for you. Otherwise Fine in Fine slipcase. (32516) Please check our website for current availability.
Keith Richmond, The Occult Visions of Rosaleen Norton. Sydney, Australia: Oceania Lodge O. T. O. & Kings Cross Arts Guild, 2000. First edition, Signed. Softcover. Quarto stapled booklet. Original printed card covers. 20pp Signed by the author. The catalogue published to accompany the exhibition of Norton's art held at Sydney in 2000. It includes a biographical essay with previously unpublished information, as well as photographs of her and her artwork, nine of which are reproduced in color. Fine Condition. (19039) Please check our website for current availability.
Rosaleen Norton, (Edited and with an Introduction by Keith Richmond). Three Macabre Stories. Francestown, N.H.: Typographeum Press , 1996. Limited Edition. Hardcover. 8vo. 46pp. Decorated cloth boards with paper title label on spine and small 'devil's head' device from a sketch by Norton gilt stamped onto upper board. Frontispiece photograph of a previously-unpublished photograph of a girlish Norton. Hand printed & bound in an edition of 150 copies. This copy signed by the editor on title page. Three Lovecraftian stories written by the of occult-inspired artist when still in her teens. They were originally published in the Australian newspaper Smith's Weekly during the 1930s and were virtually unprocurable until this first edition in book-form was published. Hint of marking to the cloth, otherwise Fine. (No dustjacket issued) (21359) Please check our website for current availability.
John Beaumont, An Historical, Physiological and Theological Treatise of Spirits, Apparitions, Witchcrafts, and other Magical Practices Containing an Account of the Genii or Familiar Spirits, both Good and Bad .. . London: D. Browne et al, 1705. First edition. Hardcover, 8vo, (xvi) 400 pp. Original (?) 18th century calf with sympathetic later reback retaining boards, raised bands, gilt rules and titling and to spine. Marbled endpapers, frontispiece. The full title is 'An Historical, Physiological and Theological Treatise of Spirits, Apparitions, Witchcrafts, and other Magical Practices Containing an Account of the Genii or Familiar Spirits, both Good and Bad, that are said to attend Men in this Life; and what sensible Perceptions some Persons have had of them; (particularly the Author's own Experience for many Years.) Also of Appearances of Spirits after Death; Divine Dreams, Divination, Second Sighted Persons, etc. Likewise the Power of Witches, and the reality of other Magical Operations, clearly asserted. With a Refutation of Dr. Bekker's "World bewitch'd"; and other Authors that have opposed the Belief of them.' The author's personal belief in spirits and other ethereal beings which he perceived around him clearly influenced the composition of this work - which he drew from a wide variety of earlier sources. "John Beaumont (died 1731) practised surgery in Somersetshire and was elected F.R.S. as a result of his descriptions of exotic plants and underground caverns. His interests soon took him to the occult, resulting in this book that is amusing, gossipy, anecdotal, and grotesque. (The author's personal experiences with the spirits are rendered less unsettling when he hints that strong and frequent drink may have played a role in generating these encounters.)" Early Devon and Exeter Library plate on front endpaper, and neat stamps on verso of title page and on final text page. No other institutional markings. [Contemporary] previous owner has copied changes from errata neatly into appropriate page margins, neatly striking through the corrections listed on the Errata page as each change was accomplished. Boards lightly chafed with some rubbing to edges and corners. Light foxing to end papers and a few contemporary margin marks - otherwise text is remarkably bright and fresh. Overall VG+. Scarce. (14948) Please check our website for current availability.
Joseph Glanvil, Sadducismus Triumphatus: Or, A full and plain Evidence, Concerning Witches and Apparitions ... London: Printed for A. Bettesworth, and J. Batley, 1726. Fourth edition with Additions. Hardcover. 8vo. x + 500 pp + 4 pp of adverts. Recently bound in full leather with raised bands and gilt rules, gilt title and author to leather spine labels. Each of the two parts has its own engraved frontispiece, one additional full page plate and various illustrations in-text. The full title is 'Sadducismus Triumphatus: Or, A full and plain Evidence, Concerning Witches and Apparitions. In Two Parts. The First Treating of their Possibility. The Second of their Real Existence. The Advantage whereof, the Reader may understand out of Dr. H. More's Account prefixed hereunto. Also, two Authentick, but wonderful stories of certain Swedish Witches. Done into English by Dr. Horneck. With some account of Mr. Glanvil's Life and Writings.' Glanvil wrote Saddicismus Triumphatus as a refutation of works by skeptics such as John Webster, and in it sought to 'put the belief in apparitions and witchcraft on an unshakeable basis of science and philosophy.' The book attracted considerable attention with Kittredge further observing that 'No other English work on the subject had a more powerful influence.' Binding sound with virtually no signs of wear. Recent marbled endpapers. A few pages roughly opened with light chipping at edges and upper corners, some scattered light damp marks to the first and last few leaves, faint blue mark to lower corner and outer edges of a few pages - perhaps offset from a desk blotter (not affecting text). Still, internals are generaly quite bright and clean. Overall a tight and attractive VG+ copy. (32514) Please check our website for current availability.
Michael Harrison, (Foreword by Colin Wilson). The Roots Of Witchcraft. Secaucus, New Jersey: The Citadel Press, 1974. First American edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 278 pp. Quarter white cloth w/ black papered boards, red title, etc. to spine, title page vignette, b&w illustrations, biblio and index. As the title suggests the author seeks to trace and examine the very beginnings of the phenomenon that became known as witchcraft. Like Murray he sees it as the offspring of an ancient fertility cult, but narrows his focus, even speculating as to the origin of the 'language of the witches.' Boards lightly chafed, spine ends and corners, page edges dusty. Otherwise Near fine condition in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket rubbed at edges with a few tiny tears, not price clipped). (1258) Please check our website for current availability.
Francis Hutchinson, An Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft. ..... London: R. Knaplock, 1720. Second Edition. Hardcover, 8vo, xxvi (ii) 336 pp. Original paneled calf with decorative blindstamping to boards, gilt titling to spine label, raised bands. The full title is An Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft. With Observations upon Matters of Fact. Tending to clear the Texts of the Sacred Scriptures, and confute the vulgar Errors about the Point. And Also Two Sermons: One in Proof of the Christian Religion; The other concerning the Good and Evil Angels.' Spine chafed resulting in some loss - particularly from the raised bands, upper spine and upper gutter. Corners and edges rubbed. Page edges and endpapers unevenly darkened, armorial bookplate and previous owner's names in pen. Paper bright with just a few stray spots. Unmarked. Overall VG. (32515) Please check our website for current availability.
Malcolm MacCleod, History of Witches. The Majesty of Darkness Discovered, in a series of Tremendous Tales, Mysterious, Interesting, and Entertaining, of Apparitions, Witches, Augurs, Magicians, Dreams, Visions, and Revelations, in Confirmation of a Future State and the Superintendency of a Divine Providence, by the Agency of Spirits and Angels. New York: James Oram, 1802. Hardcover. small 8vo. ii + 88 pp. Modern cloth with gilt titling to spine. An unusal New York -published collection of accounts of hauntings, witches, the supernatural etc. Obviously meant to shock and entertain. Light rubbing to edges and chafing to boards, a few light spots to cloth, fresh end papers with a few modern pencil notes, bookplate. One inch tear to inside lower margin of title page, paper repair to lower edge of title page. Neat paper repair to outer margins of a few text pages. Paper evenly browned with moderate scattered foxing and spotting, half inch wormhole to lower fore-edge (not affecting text). Overall a tight and unmarked near-VG copy. Quite scarce. (32520) Please check our website for current availability.
Geoffrey Parrinder, Witchcraft: European And African. London: Faber and Faber, 1963. Second edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 214 pp. Purple cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine, biblio and index. A revised edition of Parrinder's "critical yet sympathetic survey," of witchcraft in its European, American and African contexts. The author is not persuaded by the Murray school of that that witchcraft was historically a pagan cult, and offers another, less comfortable explanation. Spine ends slightly faded, page edges dusty, otherwise Near fine condition in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed with a few tiny tears). (1390) Please check our website for current availability.
Elliot Rose, A Razor for a Goat. Problems in the History of Witchcraft and Diabolism. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1962. First edition. Hardcover. large 8vo, viii + 258 pp. Black cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, frontis, appendix, biblio and index. Concentrates on the idea that witcchraft is a religion, and examines whether this religion is some form of pagan survival, or a debased form of Christianity (or reaction to it). Just a hint of shelf rubbing and dust, endpapers toned, pencil notes on front end paper, otherwise a sound and bright Near Fine copy in VG dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly creased at lower edges, spine sunned, not price clipped). (24345) Please check our website for current availability.
Arne Runeberg, Witches, Demons And Fertility Magic. Analysis Of Their Significance And Mutual Relations In West - European Folk Religion. Helsingfors: Academic Bookstore etc., 1947. First edition. Softcover. Large 8 vo. 273 pp. Original printed wrappers with title, etc. printed in black to upper cover and spine, errata sheet tipped in at front, index. Societas Scientiarum Fennica. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum XIV. 4. An interesting study in four parts: I: The Historical Development of Western European Wtichcraft, II: Western European Witchcraft Compared With Non-European Parallel Phenomena, Part III Witches and Other Demoniacal Beings in West-European Folk Beleif, Part IV Witchcraft and Popular Magic, Part V. Seasonal Festivals and Witches' Sabbaths. Appendix. Pyschoanalytic Interpretation of European Bronze Age Religion. Covers slightly darkened at margins and spine, chipped at lower spine, edges rubbed with some chipping and tears at outer edge, previous owner's name excised from top edge of title page, internally clean with a few roughly opened pages, but most pages uncut at top edge. Overall quite a nice copy. VG+ condition. (32506) Please check our website for current availability.
Montague Summers, A Popular History Of Witchcraft. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd., 1937. First edition. Hardcover. Small 8vo. xvi + 276 pp. Original mustard cloth, green title, etc. to spine, frontis, b&w illustrations, index. Cloth slightly darkened, corners lightly bumped. Light foxing to page edges (only), endpapers toned, contemporary owner's name on front endpaper. Overall a sound and clean VG+ copy. No dust jacket. (32420) Please check our website for current availability.
Montague Summers, The History of Witchcraft and Demonology. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd., 1926. First edition. Hardcover. Large 8vo. xvi + 354 pp + 16 pp publisher's catalog. Original navy blue cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine, gilt device to upper board, b&w illustrations, bibliography and index. Corners and spine ends lightly bruised, page edges a trifle dusty. Otherwise a tight and bright Near Fine copy. (No dust jacket). (12860) Please check our website for current availability.
Montague Summers, Witchcraft And Black Magic. London: Rider & Co., 1958. Third edition. Hardcover. large 8vo. 228 pp. Original black cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine, b&w illustrations, index. Light shelf dust, otherwise a remarkably bright copy. Near fine in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly chafed at spine ends and corners, not clipped). (20041) Please check our website for current availability.
John Webster, The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft Wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of Deceivers and Impostors, and Divers persons under a passive Delusion of Melancholy and Fancy. But that there is a Corporeal League made betwixt the Devil and the Witch, Or that he sucks on the Witches Body, has Carnal Copulation, or that Witches are turned into Cats, Dogs, raise Tempests, or the like, is utterly denied and disproved. Wherein also is handled, the Existence of Angels and Spirits, the truth of Apparitions, the Nature of Astral and Sydereal Spirits, the force of Charms, and Philters; with other abstruse matters. London: J.M., 1677. First edition. Hardcover, Folio (14" x 9"), [xii]+346+[iv]pp. Contemporary (?) paneled polished calf boards, rebacked with period-style leather spine, with raised bands, blind stamped decorations, and gilt stamped leather title-label. Written in reaction to the more hysterical accounts of witchcraft at the time, 'The Displaying of the Supposed Witchcraft' was a forceful rejection of what Webster perceived as popular credulity on the subject. He was, however, by no means a thorough skeptic, and spoke reverently of "that secret and sublime art of the transmutation of metals," and clearly had a strong belief in 'natural magick' and its proponents, describing Agrippa and Fludd, respectively, as "that great philosopher and master of natural and lawful Magick," and "a person of much learning and great sincerity." Thus Ferguson commented that "Though a declared skeptic about witchcraft, he was in love with astrology, alchemy, Rosicrucianism, and mysticism," further observing that whilst 'The Displaying of the Supposed Witchcraft' was 'a well reasoned and sensible attack on that misbelief, it did not stem the tide of popular superstition and cruelty, while odium was heaped on the author by Glanvill and Henry More.' (Bibliotheca Chemica, 532). Caillet 11366. This copy lacks the imprimatur leaf which preceded the title page (and which was therefore often considered dispensable by thoughtless bookbinders) but is otherwise complete. There is tiny worm trail through the final five leaves affecting about a half dozen words and some light water staining to the margins: mainly to those of the preliminaries and last few leaves, although also in a few other places. Still this scarcely detracts from what is over all a very good copy, stoutly bound, printed on thick paper with good dark impressions of the type, and retaining very generous margins. (25875) Please check our website for current availability.
Thomas Wright, Narratives of Sorcery and Magic. From the Most Authentic Sources. (Two Volumes). London: Richard Bentley, 1851. First edition. Hardcovers, 8vo, two volumes. xii+ 350 pp & 342 pp, Original blind stamped red cloth w/ gilt titles, etc. to spines, blind rules. An entertaining history of witchcraft and sorcery in the West from the middle ages through the seventeenth century. Chapters on Sorcery in Germany in the fifteenth century: the Malleus Maleficarum, Witchcraft in Scotland in the sixteenth century, King James and the Witches of Lothian, the witches of Warboys, the poetry of witchcraft, Witchcraft in France in the Sixteenth Century, Lancashire witches, the Inquisition, and witchcraft in America, Sweden, etc. as well as references to John Dee and alchemy. Rather tightly rebacked with the defective original spines laid down over fresh cloth fresh end papers. Corners and spine ends rubbed with light fraying, matchstick sized spot to upper board of first volume, paper lightly browned, a few pages roughly opened, many uncut pages. Small tear and thumbnail sized chip on fore-edge of title page of volume I, title pages of both volumes have old paper reinforcement to rear. Overall a sound and unmarked VG set. Scarce. (16052) Please check our website for current availability.