Unheard-of Curiosities Concerning the Talismanical Sculpture of the Persians, The Horoscope of the Patriarkes, and the Reading of the Stars

London: Printed by G. D. for Humphrey Moseley, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the Princes Armes in St. Pauls Church-Yard, 1650. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. [Jacques] James Gaffarel. Vnheard-of Curiosities Concerning the Talismanical Sculpture of the Persians, The Horoscope of the Patriarkes, and the Reading of the Stars. Written in Frency, by James Gaffarel. And Englished by Edmund Chilmead, Mr. of Arts, and Chaplaine of Christ-Church OXON. London: Printed by G. D. for Humphrey Moseley, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the Princes Armes in St. Pauls Church-Yard, 1650. First edition, 8vo, 16.5 x 11cm, [xxxi], 255, (pagination error) 258-433pp, [1], [2] folding plates, [8], [20] publisher's ads. This copy differing from the Thomason Copy (ESTC R20160), with signature b bound in after the folding plates: A8, a8, B-2E8, b4. Publisher's ads: a8, b2(15 x 8cm). Contemporary brown calf, ruled in blind. Gilt on spine mostly worn away. Rubbing to joints, with upper starting to split, but holding firm. Chipping to spine ends and corners worn. Page block edge stained red. One folding plate with tear repaired on rear, the other trimmed close, else internally clean and complete with ownership mark to title page. Jacques Gaffarel's (1601-1681) influential and successful work was originally published in French in 1629, attracting such readers as Descartes and Sir Thomas Brown. The book, essentially a catalogue of magic, was both popular and scandalous at the same time, offering health and riches to people through the power of talismans and constellated figures, its author, Gaffarel, holding public religious office as a priest and librarian to The Cardinal Duke of Richelieu. (A. Jacob - ed. Henry More: The immortality of the soul.). Gaffarel defends his position in the in the preface: "If thou thinke it strange, that a man of the Church, as I am, should adventure on so bold, and daring a Subject, as this seems to be, consider, I pray thee, that many of my Profession have put forth things much more bold than these; and even such as have been esteemed Dangerous too," followed by a list of those who preceded him in magical study. A wonderful example, complete with both Celestial Hebrew Alphabet folding woodcuts, and scarce thus. ESTC R202160, Wing G105.