The Ordines Descendens of John Dee.
London: Privately Printed, 2007. First Edition - First Issue. Softcover. Large quarto (12ins x 8.5ins), xviii + 79pp. (text printed and paginated on one side only). Printed paper wrappers. Tables, diagrams, etc. The first edition limited to 200 individually numbered copies, the first 40 copies of which were printed on 120 gsm pure cotton paper bound in grey matt card covers. This is one of those 40, being copy no. 36. A grimoire purportedly based on material prepared by John Dee. The grimoire is presented as the long-lost counterpart to Dee's well-known Enochian material: for the 'Ordines Descendens' deals with Demonic rather than Angelic forces. According to the prefaratory material, the text itself is that of a previously unknown work by Dee, a printed version of which had been produced for Sir Francis Dashwood (of Hellfire Club fame) in the eighteenth century by one Jeremiah Hobbs. Whilst the editors argue that the work is an authentic part of the Dee canon, it must be observed that there are no references to the work in any of the standard Dee scholarship, and no copies of the 'privately-printed edition' can be traced (in classic grimoire fashion, the copy from which the text is said to have been taken has apparently vanished). The reviews of this we have seen were positive, and suggest that even if it is not by Dee whoever wrote the work and was deeply acquainted with the Enochian work and writings of Dee and did a very good job of it. If one sets aside the possibility of some vanished ancient printing, this is the true first issue of the first edition - it was reprinted in hardcover three years later (2010). Appears unread, thus in near Fine condition. Oversized book, additional shipping may apply. Item #61209
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