PREFACE.

These manuscripts are similar and contain the same subject matter with nearly the same wording, but the latter manuscript contains many errors made during copying. They are all written in French. The Conjurations Conjurations: Ritual prayers or incantations used to summon or command spirits. and their wording in these versions are much more detailed than in the 10,862 Additional Manuscripts or the 1202 Lansdowne Manuscripts. The title is THE KEY OF SOLOMON, King of the Hebrews, translated from the Hebrew language into Italian by Abraham Colorno by the order of his Most Serene Highness of Mantua, and recently translated into French. The Pentacles are much better drawn, using colored inks; in the case of the 3091 Sloane Manuscript, gold and silver are used.

The 1307 Sloane Manuscript is in Italian; its title is “The Little Key of Solomon, Adapted and Summarized in our Native Tongue by the most learned Giovanni Peccatrix” original: “La Clavicola di Salomone Redotta et epilogata nella nostra materna lingua del dottissimo Gio Peccatrix.”. It is full of Black Magic and is a jumble of the proper KEY OF SOLOMON and the two black magic books mentioned previously. The Pentacles are poorly drawn. However, it does provide part of the introduction found in the 10,862 Additional Manuscripts and is the only other manuscript to do so, except for the beginning of another Italian version bound with it, which bears the title “Zecorbenei.”

The 1202 Lansdowne Manuscript is titled “THE TRUE KEYS OF KING SOLOMON” by Armadel. It is beautifully written with painted initial letters, and the Pentacles are carefully drawn in colored inks. It is more concise in style but omits several chapters. At the end, there are some short extracts from the True Grimoire original: “Grimorium Verum” featuring the seals of evil spirits. Since these do not belong to the actual KEY OF SOLOMON, I have not included them. According to the clear classification of the “KEY,” it consists of two books and no more.

The 1203 Lansdowne Manuscript is “The Veritable Keys of Solomon,” translated from Hebrew into Latin by the Rabbi Agognazar. It is written in French in an exquisite printed style, and the Pentacles are carefully drawn in colored inks. Although it contains similar material to the others, the arrangement is completely different, as it is all contained in one book and is not even divided into chapters.

The antiquity of the Planetary Sigils Sigils: Symbolic representations or "signatures" used in magic to represent specific planetary energies or spirits. is proven by the fact that among the Gnostic Talismans in the British Museum, there is a copper ring featuring the Sigils of Venus. These are exactly the same as those provided by medieval writers on magic.

Where Psalms are referenced, I have in all instances used the English numbering rather than the Hebrew numbering.

In some places, I have substituted the word AZOTH Azoth: A term in alchemy representing the universal solvent or the "Alpha and Omega" (the beginning and the end). for “Alpha and Omega”—for example, on the blade of the Knife with the Black Hilt in Figure 62. I should also note that the Magical Sword may, in many cases, be used instead of the Knife.

In conclusion, for the benefit of those who do not know Hebrew, I will mention that Hebrew is written from right to left. Because the Hebrew alphabet consists mainly of consonants, it requires fewer letters than English to express the same word.

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., 1916.