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IN ASTROLOGOS CONIECTORES LIBRI QUINQUE
1615ST20812Rome: Bartolomeo Zannetti 1615. Second Edition. 222 x 160 mm. 8 3/4 x 6 1/2". 12 p.l. 304 pp. 12 leaves. <br/> Very pleasing 17th century calf covers with a floral roll border surrounding a semis of fleurs-de-lys raised bands spine gilt in compartments with a double rule enclosing five fleurs-de-lys lettered in gilt marbled paper pastedowns all edges gilt old expert repairs at the top of joints. Attractive woodcut head- and tailpieces throughout historiated initials and two woodcut astrological charts in the text. Front pastedown with morocco book label of Stanislas de Guaita; rear flyleaf with his inked inscription: "Collationné. Complet - à Nancy. ce 27 Xbre 1895. - Guaita." Stanislas de Guaita et sa bibliothèque occulte 15 this copy; Caillet I 291; Graesse I 127; USTC 4022052. See also Thorndike VI pp. 202-04. A bit of rubbing at corners other light wear to the binding inconsequential foxing here and there isolated quires slightly darkened but an excellent copy--crisp and clean internally in a solid decorative binding still shining with gilt.<br/> <br/> In a lovely early binding this is a notorious 19th century occultist's copy of a scarce 17th century refutation of astrology. Our author Jesuit scholar Alessandro de Angelis 1559-1620 taught logic natural history metaphysics and theology at the Collegio Romano eventually serving as prefect of studies from 1611-17. De Angelis' only known publication the "Astologos" systematically picks apart common astrological beliefs on both metaphysical and theological grounds. First printed in Lyon the work appears here in a second edition issued the same year; both seem to be rare as we were able to trace only six copies at auction since 1966. Making our copy of an already absorbing book even more intriguing is its former owner the French poet and occultist Stanislas de Guaita 1861-97 whose short but colorful life was full of curious incident. He founded a chapter of the Rosicrucians published several works on magic and Kabbalah and had a defrocked priest declare a "magical war" against him which culminated in a decidedly unmagical though fortunately not fatal pistol duel. He is also responsible for the iconic symbol of a goat's head in an inverted pentagram now used to represent Satanism which he had originally used as an illustration for his 1897 work "La Clef de la Magie Noire" "The Key to Black Magic". In addition to these activities Guaita assembled an extensive library of books on various occult and related topics. His collection was sold by the Paris bookseller Dorbon whose 1899 catalog of the library includes 2227 volumes. Ours is #15 priced at the significant sum of 65 francs perhaps $1200 in today's buying power. Bartolomeo Zannetti unknown
