DEE, John, Edited etc. by Meric Casaubon.

A True And Faithful Relation Of What Passed For Many Years Between Dr. John Dee .... and Some Spirits ....

London: D. Maxwell for T. Garthwait, 1659. First Edition. Hardcover. Folio. (approx. 13 3/8 x 9 inches) (ii - frontis) (lxxviii) (vi:plates) + 1 - 256, 353 - 448 [i.e. 352pp] + 1 - 45 (i)pp. Contemporary blind-stamped leather boards; raised bands, elaborate gilt tooling to spine, and red leather title-label, with gilt titling. Marbled endpapers. Frontispiece with six engraved portraits in compartments, title page printed in red and black, fold-out chart, and two diagrams in-text. Some decorated initials, head and tail pieces. A landmark work in the Western Magical / Hermetic Tradition, and one of the most remarkable magical records ever written. The work was assembled from Dee's diaries and writings some fifty years after his death by Meric Casaubon. It records the conversations which Dee and his assistant Edward Kelly claimed to have held with various angels, the methods they used to summon them, and an exploration of the angelic language termed Enochian (on account of The Book of Enoch). It is the foundation work of the Enochian Magic, which was so important to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley. As with all copies the pagination jumps from p. 256 to 353 due to a printer's flaw, but there is no loss of text. Wing D811, Caillet, 2878. The volume has been carefully collated and is complete, including the frontispiece and diagrams, which are sometimes lacking. Binding restored: approx. 75% of the original backstrip has been laid down, as have the original leather boards. The original leather is obviously worn and chipped, but has a pleasant antique look to it, and the binding is firm and solid thanks to a skilled restoration. Later marbled endpapers (in contemporary style) with an early owner's note about Dee tipped onto the front pastedown. Lengthy early owner's inscription to first blank, the first four leaves are quite frayed and chipped around the edges, some old repairs to title-page which is darkened. Small hole (the size of a cigarette end) to B4 slightly affecting text, and another (smaller) to ii5 and Eee 3 & 4. Enoch table repaired in margin. A few contemporary annotations and minor ink marks in margins, occasional modest discoloration to pages. Page edges creased and rounded at points, with some chipping to margins, particularly the last dozen leaves which show considerable wear. The final leaf is very worn and chipped with some loss to text. Still a solid, complete, original and attractive copy in about VG antiquarian condition. Item #55680

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