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1600 A.D.A MANUSCRIPT BOOK OF BLACK MAGIC WRITTEN IN SHAKESPEARE'S

ENGLAND.[242A] DEMONOLOGY. [Book of invocations to the

demons Vercan, Maymon, Suth, Samax, sarabotres, Mediac orModiac, and Arcan.]

MS. in Latin written by an Elizabethan necromancer in Englandon 23 leaves of vellum. On the !rst page a roughly drawn cruci!xion lettered Tetragrammaton enclosed within a circular inscription "JesusNazarenus Rex Iudeorum, etc.," on the verso of the !rst leaf a draw-ing of the Almighty (!"#$) invoked by the four evangelists within acircular inscription, then follow thirteen crudely-drawn, but verystriking, full-page representations (some coloured) of the demonVercan, who is shown in various shapes and with various attributes,opposite each drawing a Latin invocation arranged in a circle withina circular inscription either in Latin or Hebrew, 6 full-page drawingsof the other demons mentioned above (Maymon, Suth, etc.), follow,each with his invocation in Latin on the opposite page.

4to (9 1/10 in. by 8% in.) Black leather binding, by C. Meyer,"Bookseller & Binder to the Queen & princesses."

[England, c. 1600.](SEE ILLUSTRATIONS, PLATES NO. XXVIII. AND XXIX.) £350

<239>DEMONOLOGY—continued.

AN ELIZABETHAN DEVIL-WORSHIPPER'S PRAYER BOOK.&is most extraordinary manuscript contains the words and directions for invoking

and exorcising certain demons, namely, Vercan, Maymon, Suth, Samax, Sarabotres,Mediac or Modiac, and Arcan. Crude coloured representations of the demons are given.Vercan, who was evidently the most powerful of the demons, is invoked or exorcised inthirteen prayers. he is chie'y summoned by the power belonging to the names of thingssacred. He is pictured in various forms. Mostly he is shown as a a kind of human-monster,with a grotesque human face, horns on his head, hairy body, and bird's feet; twice heappears with three heads, once riding on a bear. &e "invocator" is shown togetherwith Vercan in several drawings; always he is surrounded by a magic circle.—&e otherdemons of the book are each linked up with a di(erent celestial body; Maymon with Saturn, Suth with Jupiter, Samax with Mars, Sarabotres with Venus, Mediac or Modiacwith Mercury, and Arcan with the Moon. "King" maymon is depicted as a black devil,with two bird-heads, riding on a kind of dragon. "King" Suth is a brown-bodied demon,crowned and 'ourishing a sword, seated astride a stag. "King" Samax has antlers onhis head and rides a panther-like animal with a bushy tail. "King" Sarabotres is agreen-bodied demon with sceptre, riding a roe. "King" Mediac or Modiac is a horned-demon in a red suit of armour, riding a bear. "King" Arcan is a black demon withsaucer-eyes and exposed fangs hunting with bow and arrow on the back of a roe.

&ere appears to be no clue to the identity of the compiler of the MS. It maywell have been one of the books of magic of Dr. John Dee, the famous magician andastrologer, who was popularly reputed "a companion of the hellhounds, and a caller,and a conjurer of wicked and damnable spirits." Dee, in his house on the bank of the&ames at Mortlake, Surrey, collected a noble library of the most curious books in allsciences, and a large number of valuable manuscripts.

&is book of devil worship was written at a time of great credulity in England,when people believed themselves beset by supernatural powers. &e fashionable magicianof the period had a most lucrative practice, though his calling was a dangerous one,powerful patrons being necessary to keep him from the rough hand of the Church or theCollege of Physicians. It was customary for the ladies of the Court to seek the aid of amagician in their intrigues. Simon Forman, a notorious Elizabethan necromancer,astrologer and quack-doctor, somewhere described as

"… that )end in human shape,&at by his art did act the devil's ape,"

had a tremendous practice among the court ladies, few great names were lacking from his book of female clients. &e aid of Forman's magic was invoked by the Countess of Essexseeking a divorce from her husband Essex and marriage with the Earl of Somerset.Ambitious noblemen of the court o*en kept in their employ an astrologer to give themprognostications and to decde auspicious days. Queen Elizabeth herself found many uses for the magician Dr. John Dee, whom she highly esteemed and rewarded chie'ywith promises of ecclesiastical preferments. On one occasion his services were hurriedly demanded in order to prevent the mischief to her Majesty's person apprehendedfrom a waxen image of her, with a pin stuck in its breast that had been found in Lincoln'sIn Fields. With the accession of James to the English throne, credulity was the orderof the day. It seems probable that James I's strong taste for the occult was largelyresponsible for the strong supernatural element in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and "&eTempest." &e witches of "Macbeth" must have accorded well with the king's super-stitious beliefs in demonology.

It is an interesting thought that Shakespeare was writing his plays at the timewhen this book of conjurations was being used. Shakespeare's plays well re'ect the super-stitioun-laden atmosphere of Tudor England, and doubtlessly his mind was pregnated withtales of devil-worship, witchcra* and sorcery. He has given us the picture of an exorcistin Dr. Pinch (Comedy of Errors).

&is manuscript is of outstanding importance as an original source of informationabout the state of devil-worship in England at the end of the sixteenth century.