An Historical, Physiological and Theological Treatise of Spirits, Apparitions, Witchcrafts, and other Magical Practices. Containing An Account of the Genii or Familiar Spirits, both Good and Bad, that are said to attend Men in this Life; and what sensible Perceptions some Persons have had of them: (particularly the Author's own Experience for many Years.) Also of Appearances of Spirits after Death; Divine Dreams, Divinations, Second Sighted Persons, &. Likewise the Power of Witches, and the reality of other Magical Operations, clearly asserted. With a Refutation of Dr. Bekker's World bewitch'd; and other Authors that have opposed the Belief of them.

BEAUMONT, John (died 1731).

London: Printed for D. Browne, J. Taylor, R. Smith, F. Coggan, and T. Browne, 1705. [Occult] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[16] 400. With a wood engraved frontispiece by Michael Vandergucht. Later brown full calf, gilt titles and tooling to spine. Text heavily toned and lightly spotted throughout. Annotations in ink and pencil to margins and some larger ones (c. 1700-1800s) to rear page of text. Armorial bookplate of the Deburghs to front blank. Library stamp of Adam G.N. Moore (Massachusetts) to front pastedown. Small numeric stamp to lower textblock edge. Binding near fine, a few gentle scuffs. Very good. A treatise on the supernatural with a focus on genii (spirits) and demons. Includes 'personal' accounts of well-known occult phenomena such as poltergeists and crossroad rituals. The book also features Beaumont's rebuttal against the arguments made in Balthasar Bekker's 'De Betoverde Weereld' (1691), a compelling Cartesian text denouncing the supernatural, especially witchcraft. Indeed, the Witchcraft Act of 1735 was introduced in England not long after the publication of Beaumont's book, showing that widespread belief in the supernatural was on the decline. Item #76199

Price: £2,500.00