[Rarebooks] Offering: Agrippa's Fourth Book of Magical Philosophy, 1665

[Michael John Thompson]

A 17th CENTURY ENGLISH MAGICAL GRIMOIRE


AGRIPPA, Henry Cornelius [ Heinrich Cornelius Von Nettesheim, 1486-1535]; 
ABANO, Peter de [Petrus de Abano, ca. 1250-ca. 1315] ; CREMONENSIS, Gerard 
[Gherardo da Cremona, 1113 or 14 – 1187]; VILLINGANUS, Geo 
Pictorius  [Georg Pictorius, ca. 1500-1569]; TURNER, Robert [c. 1620 – 1665?].

HIS FOURTH BOOK OF OCCULT PHILOSOPHY. Of Geomancie. Magical Elements of 
Peter de Abano. Astronomical Geomancie. The Nature of Spirits. Arbatel of 
Magick. The Species or several Kindes of Magick. Translated into English by 
Robert Turner, Philo-Med.

London: Printed by J.C. for Tho. Rooks, at the Lamb and Ink-bottle at the 
East-end of S. Pauls. 1665.

Small quarto (7 x 5 inches), contemporary calf paneled in blind. 206 [211] 
pp.,  numerous woodcut illustrations in the text (of magick circles, 
characters of the spirits, geomantic layouts, etc). Margins of some pages 
trimmed a little closely affecting the title words of THE PREFACE only; 
title page neatly laid down on period paper. Neat owner’s initials on title 
page (H.B., with a small cross) and another owner’s name on the front free 
endpaper (Thos Stonwell, Surgeon, 1871). Thumb-sized burn mark on pp. 
197-198, small marginal tear pp 199-200. pp 201-206 are not present but are 
here reproduced in manuscript in an antique hand, extending the text 
another 11 pages (hence 211, not 206 as called for). Some browning to text; 
older booksellers ticket (Watkins) on front endpaper. Spine panel quite 
rough and the spine leather weak, remains of older gilt rules, holding 
still quite solidly on the cords. Overall, a very good copy.

The first edition of Agrippa’s fourth book appeared in Latin circa 1565, it 
was denounced as spurious almost immediately. The first edition in English 
was translated by Robert Turner and published in 1655, this is the second 
edition of 1665. This book quotes from and expands on certain themes in 
Agrippa's Third Book of occult philosophy, to create a more concise and 
practical synopsis of the techniques for summoning spirits. The attribution 
of this text as spurious has recently been challenged by Stephen Skinner 
who asserts the attribution to Agrippa. The present text is in fact six 
separate books in one: The first two (OF GEOMANCY and OF OCCULT PHILOSOPHY 
OR OF MAGICAL CEREMONIES THE FOURTH BOOK) are by Agrippa, OF MAGICAL 
CEREMONIES is Agrippa’s most concise formulae of how to perform an 
invocation, with basically step-by-step instructions. Also included is the 
HEPTAMERON: OR MAGICAL ELEMENTS of Peter de Albano; the ISAGOGE: AN 
INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE OF THE NATURE OF SUCH SPIRITS AS ARE EXERCISED IN 
THE SUBLUNARY BOUNDS; THEIR ORIGINAL NAMES, OFFICES, ILLUSIONS, POWER, 
PROPHESIES, MIRACLES; AND HOW THEY MAY BE EXPELLED AND DRIVEN AWAY by Geo 
Pictorius Villinganus, Dr. in Physick; OF ASTRONOMICAL GEOMANCY by Gerard 
Cremonensis and OF THE MAGICK OF THE ANCIENTS by Arbatel (ARBATEL OF MAGICK).

A major collection of Grimoires, considered a milestone in Western magick, 
cited and reprinted numerous times (and indeed in print today). The first 
English edition of 1655 appears to be commoner than this second edition, 
which appears to have only one holding in OCLC (Princeton), although the 
British Library seems to have a copy as well. No copies of the 1665 FOURTH 
BOOK have been at auction in the last 25 years, and one copy only of the 
first edition (bound up with the 1651 edition of THREE BOOKS OF OCCULT 
PHILOSOPHY, Christies, 1998, $13,000).

$4,750.00 USD

Terms: as usual

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