Beschreibung:

Title: The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft: wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of deceivers and impostors, and divers persons under a passive delusion of melancholy and fancy but that there is a corporeal league made betwixt the devil and the witch, or that he sucks on the witches body, has carnal copulation, or that witches are turned into cats, dogs, raise tempests or the like, is utterly denied and disproved... Author: Webster, John Place: London Publisher: Printed by J.M. [Jonas Moore] Date: 1677 Description: [16], 346, [4] pp. ([A]4, a4, B-2Y4). (folio) 34.5x23 cm. (13¾x9¼"), period full calf stamped in gilt with the arms of Richard Samuel White, rebacked with modern calf, raised bands, morocco lettering piece. First Edition, large paper copy. Rare large paper copy, with presentation inscription by the author, apparently to the dedicatee Henry Marsden or his son, signed JW, mounted on the verso of the front free endpaper, six lines of verse reading: "Right worthy friend this piece to you I send/ Peruse it well & read it to the end/ And though nor law, nor gold therein you find/ Treasure and greater that inrich the mind/ And though small pleasure therein you may take/ Accept it kindly for the Authors sake." Beneath the inscription, in what is probably the presentee's hand: "Experience from this learned piece I take/ And love to read it, for ye Author's sake." On the recto of the free endpaper is mounted the large signature of Charles Marsden, Esq. White has signed the blank recto of the imprimatur leaf, along with notation "Purch'd at Fenton's Sale, Dec. 1798, 5/- RSW." It is evident he had his arms stamped on the front cover following his purchase. There are also a few early ink notations on title-page, and a correction to the spelling of name of another of the dedicatees. John Webster (1610-1682) was an English clergyman, physician and chemist with occult interests, a proponent of astrology and a skeptic about witchcraft. In this book, there is implication that deceptive techniques, such as sleight of hand, might be responsible for supposed supernatural occurrences, as in the title of Chap. XII, "If the Devil, or Witches have power to perform strange things, whether the do not bring them to pass by meer natural means, or otherwise..." This work is a very great rarity in presentation format. Lot Amendments Condition: Some scuffing & wear to covers; bookseller's catalog entry mounted on the blank recto of the imprimatur leaf (well below White's signature), occasional minor soiling; very good. Item number: 211845