Diable

1582 · 143 — <p>Bodin Jean. <em>De la démonomanie des sorciers. A monseigneur Chrestophle de Thou chevalier seigneur de Coeli premier president en la cour de parlement & conseiller du Roy en son privé conseil. </em>Paris Jacques du Puy 1582.</p><p>4to 18th century half vellum on colored paper handwritten title to spine ff. 12 256. Dedicatory letter to Christophe de Thou father of the French historian and great bibliophile Jacques de Thou.</p><p>Third edition of the "Demonomania of Witches" the best sources on sorcery trials in the 16th century also providing detailed case-histories on sorcerers werewolves public exorcisms and deals with the devil as the case of Magdalena de la Cruz who confessed her pact witchcraft and sexual relations with the Devil for thirty years.</p><p>Arguably the most comprehensive and compelling account of witchcraft and its persecution by both state and religious authorities in the 16th century Bodin's work played a pivotal role in shaping the influential concept of "pact witchcraft"—the notion that sorcery stemmed from an explicit covenant with the Devil. Writing in uncompromising and severe terms he advocated for draconian judicial procedures rejecting conventional safeguards of justice and endorsing the widespread use of torture and execution by fire asserting that sorcerers should be condemned by the hundreds.</p><p>Du Puys first printed this work in 1580 and reprinted it in 1581; the first Latin edition was printed by Thomas Guarinus in Basel 1581.</p><p>Provenance: Some not identified ownership inscriptions crossed out and faded to title-page.</p><p>Condition: Title-page remounted and professionally restored with the name of the printer; the last leaf restored in the blank parts without affecting text. Internally good.</p><p>References: Not in Caillet. Dorbon 387: "Édition non citée par les bibliographes". R. Crahay <em>Bibliographie critique des éditions anciennes de Jean Bodin</em> Bruxelles: Académie Royale de Belgique 1992 no. F4. R. Yve Plessis <em>Essai d'une bibliographie française méthodique & raisonnée de la sorcellerie et de la possession démoniaque</em> no. 843. Pettegree-Walsby 6169. USTC 1699. NUC 0579484. Tchemerzine II 246.</p> Jacques du Puy hardcover