[Rarebooks] FS: Salem Witchcraft, Calef vs. Mather

[Back Creek Books]

Greetings All,

For your consideration:
~
(No. 6997 )  Calef, Robert; Cotton Mather; and Samuel P. Fowler. SALEM
WITCHCRAFT; COMPRISING MORE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD COLLECTED BY
ROBERT CALEF; AND WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD, BY COTTON MATHER: TOGETHER
WITH NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS BY SAMUEL P. FOWLER.
Salem: H. P. Ives and A. A. Smith, 1861. First thus, Full cloth, Octavo, 450
pages. Good.
      First edition of this combined reprint of two classic volumes on the
Salem Witchcraft crisis of 1692. Cotton Mather, respected Puritan minister
from Boston, believed in the direct influence of the devil upon the physical
world and was an active consultant to the judges in the trials. His "Wonders
of the Invisible World," published in 1693, was the first history of the
trials and is basically a justification of them. Robert Calef was a Boston
merchant, Baptist, and Mather contemporary. His "More Wonders of the
Invisible World" is a direct rebuttal of Mather's book and the religious
hysteria that he believed led to the witch trials. Such was the influence of
Mather, however, that no American publisher would print Calef's work. It was
first published in London in 1700. When a copy came to the attention of
Increase Mather, president of Harvard, it was publicly burned in the college
yard. Calef's book thus holds the unique distinction of being the first and
last book to be publicly burned at Harvard. Calef describes John Hathorne,
one of the primary judges during the trials and Nathaniel Hawthorne's great
grandfather, as one of the more ruthless interrogators of the accused. Notes
and appendix by Samuel P. Fowler. Bound in original brown cloth over boards
with gilt spine title and blind stamped borders on both boards. Rubs at
extremities, chipping to cloth along heel of spine and half of head of
spine, cloth split along 1 1/2" of upper joint near heel of spine. Gilt
title on spine legible but somewhat dull. Damage to front pastedown in a few
square inch area, possibly from erasure, along with a smeared substance
which has offset to front free endpaper. Prior owner name penned on front
pastedown. Small patch of adhesive residue on rear pastedown. Text lightly
browned. Hinges remain sound. A respectable copy of this important book on
the Salem tragedy.    $150.00
See photo: http://www.backcreekbooks.com/bookphotos/6997.jpg

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Thank you for your interest.

Best regards,

Rock Toews
Back Creek Books
Post Office Box 3540, Annapolis, MD 21403, U.S.A.
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