INTRODUCTION,

BY

S. L. MACGREGOR-MATHERS.

Decorative woodcut square frame containing the letter "O" amidst white floral scrollwork on a dark background, acting as a drop cap for the word "OWING".

OWING perhaps to the fact that the essential "Baedeker" A famous series of travel guidebooks founded by Karl Baedeker; at the time of writing, it was the standard reference for tourists. gives only a three or four-line notice to the "Library of the Arsenal" original: "Bibliothèque de l' Arsenal"; few English or American visitors to Paris are familiar with its name, location, or contents, though nearly all know at least by sight the "National Library" original: "Bibliothèque Nationale" and the "Mazarine Library" original: "Bibliothèque Mazarin".

This "Library of the Arsenal," as it is now called, was founded as a private collection by Antoine René Voyer D'Argenson, Marquis de Paulny. It was first opened to the public on the 9th Floréal, in the fifth year of the French Republic A date from the French Revolutionary Calendar, which replaced traditional months for a brief period in French history. (that is to say, on April 28, 1797), or just a century ago. This Marquis de Paulny was born in the year 1722 and died in 1787; he served successively as Minister of War and as Ambassador to Switzerland, Poland, and the Venetian Republic. His later years were devoted to the formation of this library, which is said to be one of the richest private collections known. It was acquired in 1785 by the Count of Artois original: "Comte D' Artois", and today belongs to the State. It is situated on the right bank of the Seine, in the Rue de Sully, near the river and not far from the Place de la Bastille. In round numbers, it now possesses 700,000 printed books and about 8,000 manuscripts, many of them being of considerable value.

Among these manuscripts is this Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin original: "Abra-Melin", as delivered by Abraham the Jew to his son Lamech, which I now give to the public in printed form for the first time.