Scot, Reginald | Debunking witches and witchcraft redux

Scot, Reginald

Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft. London: Printed by R[ichard] C[otes] and are to be sold by Giles Calvert, 1651

4to (184 x 140 mm). Title within border of printer's ornaments, several woodcut illustrations and diagrams; title-page browned with marginal fraying, several quires with strong browning, marginal dampstaining to quire a and quires Pp–Rr, Xx–Zz, Aaa, Ccc, and Eee, early cello repair to headline of E4, outer corners of Oo2 chewed with minor losses to side note and headline; last 2 leaves of contents frayed at margins and repaired in gutters, with losses to left text column of terminal leaf. Twentieth-century polished biscuit calf paneled gilt; the spine in 6 compartments with raised bands and double gilt rules, black lettering-piece.

Second edition of Scot's treatise on witchcraft, from the distinguished collection of folklorists Iona and Peter Opie.

REFERENCE:

Exemplars, p. 78; ESTC R19425; Norman 1916; Toole Stott 619 (second edition, second issue); Wing S943

PROVENANCE:

"E.D" (in black letter on the title-page) — 19th-century biography of Scott signed "W.R? (on front free endpaper) — [Iona & Peter] Opie Collection (stamp on front pastedown)