De betoverde Weereld, zynde een grondig ondersoek van 't gemeen gevoelen aangaande de GEESTEN, derselver Aart en Vermogen, Bewind en Bedryf: als ook 't gene de Menschen door derselver kraght en gemeenschap doen. vier Boeken ondernomen. (The Bewitched World, or, an Examination of the Errors in the Common or Vulgar Opinions Concerning SPIRITS: Their Nature, Power, Administration and Operations. and also the Effects Men are able to produce by their Communication with Good or Evil Spirits.)

Amsterdam: Daniel van den Dalen, 1691. First edition. Very Good. with the Rare 1691 Portrait of the Author and All Four of His Certifying Signatures BEKKER, Balthasar, De betoverde Weereld, zynde een grondig ondersoek van 't gemeen gevoelen aangaande de GEESTEN, derselver Aart en Vermogen, Bewind en Bedryf: als ook 't gene de Menschen door derselver kraght en gemeenschap doen. vier Boeken ondernomen. (The Bewitched World, or, an Examination of the Errors in the Common or Vulgar Opinions Concerning SPIRITS: Their Nature, Power, Administration and Operations. and also the Effects Men are able to produce by their Communication with Good or Evil Spirits.). Daniel van den Dalen, Amsterdam, 1691-1693. Four books in one volume: 2 blank leaves + 1 leaf with engraved portrait of Bekker on verso + [i] = Verklaaringe van’t Sinnebeeld + TP to Book 1 [1691] + half title with Beright on verso [signed by Bekker] + [i]-[xii] = Voorrede + 1-136 + TP to Book 2 [1691] with Beright on verso [signed by Bekker] + [i]-[vi] = Voorrede + 1-246 + [247]-[248] = Nader Beright + TP to Book 3 [1693] + [i]-[vi] = Aan den bescheidenen Leser (To the Modest Reader) (signed by Bekker on page [vi]) + 1-32 = Naakte Uitbeeldinge (Naked Portrayal of the Complete ContentoftheFourBooks,theIntentionoftheAuthor,andhisPolicytherein) +1-188+[189]-[190]=RegisterderHoofdstukken + TP to Book 4 [1693] + [i]-[iv] = Aan den Leser (signed by Bekker on page [iv]) + 1-224 + (217)-(224) + (217)-(224) + 225-277 + [278]-[279] = Register der Hooft-stukken + [280] = Register [Publisher’s list] + 2 blank leaves; Quarto. First Edition. (Van der Linde, 16, 17, 19, 20; Coumont, B40.2) With the rare, engraved 1691 portrait of Balthasar Bekker created by Johannes Hilarides (1648-1725) entitled “Monothe-ist.” De betoverde Weereld is one of the most important texts of what Jonathan Israel terms the ‘Radical’ Enlightenment. It caused a furor when it was first published in Holland and the firestorm quickly spread to Germany, France, and England – where the book was translated and published within three years of its original appearance in Dutch. Bekker was a Reformed pastor who had caught the infectious disease of ‘philosophizing’ after the manner of Descartes and Spinoza – which, more than anything else, meant the freedom to reconsider received doctrine in the light of reason. Bekker previously had encountered difficulties with two of this earlier published works – an unconventional adult catechism [1670] and a book confounding the prevailing superstitions about comets [1683] – (there had been three spectacular sightings between 1680 and 1682). But nothing Bekker had previously written prepared the local clergy – or northern Europe – for the book that he published in 1691. Picking up on suggestions originally made by Descartes and Spinoza, The Bewitched World argued lucidly and effectively against the popular belief in spirits and the power of the devil over human beings claiming such beliefs are insupportable either by reason or by a careful reading of the Bible. CONDITION: Very Good in contemporary darkened and speckled vellum binding with a lovely handwritten title on spine. The page opposite the portrait has two chips taken out of the front edge – not effecting type. As noted above, all four books have been hand-signed by Bekker in ink. A lovely authentic and unsophisticated first edition copy of one of the major works of the Radical Enlightenment.

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