The Canon. An Exposition of the Pagan Mystery Perpetuated in the Cabala as the Rule of All the Arts.
London: Elkin Mathews, 1897. First Edition. Hardcover. Large Octavo., [2] [xvi] + 404 pp. Original grey/blue boards with white cloth spine and paper title label. Aleister Crowley recommended it to his students as a book worthy of 'serious study', describing it as 'The best text-book of applied Qabalah,' and it is also regarded as one of the foundation works in the modern esoteric study of 'Sacred Geometry.' From the collection of English bibliophile and Aleister Crowley scholar Nicholas Bishop-Culpeper (1942-2011), with his book-label on the front pastedown. Affixed to the verso of the rear endpaper are two typed invoices, signed, from John Watkins of Watkins Bookshop of London dated Jan. 1947 regarding the offer and purchase of this volume along with a copy of "Konx om Pax" by Aleister Crowley. Spine darkened and discoloured, with closed two inch split in cloth on rear hinge and a few tiny chips. Boards slightly darkened with a few very small marks, corners and spine ends a little chafed, page edges darkened, endpapers unevenly browned and foxed, a number of pages roughly opened and thus are a bit ragged at fore-edge, most pages at rear unopened. Bookshop sticker (Watkins), hinges cracked but holding firm. Overall a VG copy of a fragile and important volume rarely found thus. Item #58509
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