This digital edition prepared by Joseph H. Peterson, 1999. Updated Apr 2, 2024.
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Introduction copyright Joseph H. Peterson, 1999; all rights reserved.
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According to Idries Shah, The Secret Lore of Magic, (Citadel Press, New York, 1970, pp. 79ff)
"this grimoire was par excellence the magical book of Europe.... There is some mystery about actual manuscripts of the Grimorium Verum. The French version, for instance, seems to have been printed from a very incomplete copy: in fact, from what could have been some magician's notes from the complete manuscript. The Italian versions, on the other hand, seem to have been compiled with reference to a very complete manuscript whose whereabouts is not now known.
There is another mystery about the Italian editions. They are in extraordinarily great demand. There is nowhere that one can get a copy at less than a price far greater than almost any other work of similar size and date. The price, in other words, is out of all proportion (sometimes insanely so) to the rarity of the book as collecter's piece. This means that quite a number of people are buying the Grimorium Verum for purposes other than mere collection."
A.E. Waite, in his Book of Ceremonial Magic (1961, p. 98) makes similar comments regarding the superiority of the Italian edition.
A critical analysis of the exemplars however make it clear that the Italian editions were dependent on the French.
See my critical edition and translation for details. Thanks for your support.
Primary printed exemplars include:
In my printed edition I establish the following stemma:
Primary manuscript source is Wellcome 983. Title: "l’art Magique, ou la Science Angelique, d’Agripa, Salomon, Arbatel, Pierre di Abano, et de plusieurs autres auteurs...." The first book, corresponding to Alibeck's Grimorium Verum is titled, "Grimoire, ou liure 1r des clauicules." Date: c. 1709.
Besides the CSDS manuscripts, the following are particularly to be noted:
A notice in the British Library copy reads:
This book was stolen in July 1972 and subsequently recovered by the police.
Shelfmark: 8632.aa.5.
Author: SOLOMON, King of Israel
Title: Grimorium verum, vel probatissime Salomonis Claviculae
Rabini Hebraïci, in quibus tum naturalia tum super
naturalia secreta, licet abditissima, in promptu
apparent, modo operator per nessaria et contenta faciat
scia tamen oportet Demonum potentia dum taxat per
agantur; Traduit de l'Hébreu par
Plaingière, Jesuite Dominicain, avec un recueil
de secrets curieux.
Alternate title (verso): Les véritables Clavicules de Salomon.
Publisher: Chez Alibeck, l'Égyptien: Memphis, 1517 [1817].
69 pp., 16o. Fr.