On Witches and Female Soothsayers

An Early Book on Witches, with Woodcuts.

708 MOLITORIS (Ulrich) On Female Witches and Soothsayers, in German "unbolden" or "hexen." The title uses the Latin De laniis et phitonicis mulieribus alongside the vernacular German terms for witches. Gothic letter, long lines, 7 curious full-page woodcuts ILLUSTRATIVE OF DIABOLICAL WITCH TRANSACTIONS; without printer's mark [Strasbourg, M. Flach, circa 1500]—PERUSINI (Mattheolus) On the Art of Memory: A most useful treatise: with several documents from Pliny and Gordanus, ROMAN LETTER, long lines, Schott's device beneath the colophon. Strasbourg, Martin Schott, 1498; together in 1 vol., small quarto, one blank leaf of the first named wanting, green morocco, extra, gold line borders, gilt edges, FINE COPIES.

Perhaps it would not be safe to accept this old inscription on the title of the 'Memory' tract, but plainly referring to the 'Witch' tract, as authoritative. “RARE BOOK. These are the first figures and images of witches and the devil ever printed. For before this book, the devil never appeared in an image as he does here.” original: "LIB. RARUS. Sunt hæ primæ figuræ et imagines de sagis et diabolo impressæ sunt. Nam ante hunc librū diabolus nunquā in effigie vti hic apparuit."
The statement may be open to contradiction, apart from which a very special interest cannot be denied the book. It is dedicated to Sigismund, Archduke of Austria, and is written in the form of a dialogue between that Prince and the author. The text of this edition is said to be more complete than those with the printer's name. Such chapters as this favour the supposition: “Whether the devil can, in the form of a man, lie with women as an incubus A male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women. and whether children can be born from such a union.” original: "An dyabol possit in forma hois cũ hōī mi' ieriḃ incubando et miseri et ex huius modi coitu possint pueri nasci."

The cuts are exceedingly curious. One illustrates the many 'Incubus' passages; another delineates two witches contributing to a cauldron after the manner of the Macbeth scene: one holding a chicken, the other a serpent. Some are fantastic beyond description, and without exception, the execution is archaic.

Hain-Copinger *11536 A standard reference catalog for incunabula (books printed before 1501). gives collation. The British Museum copy is the only one known to Copinger in the European libraries. There is not one in the Spencer-Rylands library, nor has one been recently sold at auction in this country. The Inglis copy was not the same issue.

The Perusini, not being known to Hain, I append collation: 1a On the Art of Memory by Mattheolus || Perusini, most excellent Doctor of Medicine ||: A most useful treatise: with several || documents from Pliny and Gordanus. 1b blank. 2a Treatise of the most famous philosopher || and Physician Mattheolus Perusini: on || Improving the Memory through rules and medicines. || Preface. 2a line 29, First chapter on || the method of improving Memory through rules and || documents. 6a Here ends the treatise on memory. By Master || Mattheolus Perusini / most famous doctor of || medicine, published in Italy. Printed by || Martin Schott / citizen of Strasbourg: on the fourth || day before the Ides of October in the Year of Christ 1498. 6b Pliny book 27, chapter 4, at the end. || 7a Another document for memory. || 7b Verses, closing "That which delights is eternal; that which will torment is also eternal." original: "Quod iuuat; eternum quod cruciabit erit." Signatures I.-VII. (all but last 2 leaves numbered), no folio numerals or catchwords, 33 lines to a page.