A NOTE UPON THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE MALLEUS MALEFICARUM
The Bibliography of the Malleus Maleficarum is extremely intricate and difficult, as many of the earlier editions both folio and quarto are without place or date. Thus the British Museum possesses a copy (Press-Mark I B, 1606), folio, which in the catalogue stands as “1485?”, but this can hardly be correct. The British Museum has five editions of the fifteenth century: 4to, 1490? (IA 8634); folio, 1490 (IB 8615); 4to, 1494 (IA 7468); folio, 1494 (IB 5064); 4to, 1496 (IA 7503).[1]
Graesse, Bibliotheca Magica, Leipzig, 1843, gives the editions of the fifteenth century as Nuremberg, both 4to and folio, 1494 and 1496. He also mentions an early folio and an early 4to without date or place. He further records a 4to published at Cologne in 1489, and a folio published at Cologne, 1494.
Malleus Maleficarum, 8vo, Paris, an edition to which the British Museum catalogue assigns the date “1510?”.
Malleus Maleficarum, 8vo, “Colonie. Per me Henricū de Nussia,” 1511.
Malleus Maleficarum, 8vo, Coloniae, J. Gymnicus, 1520. (Copies of these two Cologne editions are in the British Museum.)
Malleus Maleficarum … per F. Raffaelem Maffeum Venetum et D. Jacobi a Judeca instituti Seruorum summo studio illustratus et a multis erroribus vindicatus … Venetiis Ad Candentis Salamandrae insigne. MD. LXXVI, 8vo. (This is a disappointing reprint, and it is difficult to see in what consisted the editorial care of the Servite Raffaelo Maffei, who may or may not have been some relation of the famous humanist of the same name (d. 25 January, 1522), and who was of the monastery of San Giacomo della Guidecca. He might have produced a critical edition of the greatest value, but as it is there are no glosses, there is no excursus, and the text is poor. For example, in a very difficult passage, Principalis Quaestio II, Pars II, where the earliest texts read “die dominico sotularia iuuenum fungia … perungunt,” Venice, 1576, has “die dominica solutaria iuuenum fungia … perungunt.”)
Malleus Maleficarum, Impressum Francofurti ad Moenum apud Nicolaum Bassaeum … 8vo, 1580.
Malleus Maleficarum, … Francofurti … apud Nicolaum Bassaeum … 8vo, 1582.
Malleus Maleficarum, … Francofurti … apud Nicolaum Bassaeum, 2 vols., 8vo, 1588. This edition also contains in Vol. I extracts from Nider’s Formicarius. Vol. II, which is dedicated to John Mündzenberg, Prior of the Carmelite House at Frankfort, contains the following nine Tractates:
- Bernard Basin, De artibus magicis. (1482.)
- Ulrich Molitor, De lamiis. (1489.)
- Girolamo Menghi, O.S.F.C., Flagellum Daemonum. (1578.)
- John Gerson, De probatione Spirituum. (circa 1404.)
- Thomas Murner, O.M., De Pythonico contractu. (1499.)
- Felix Hemmerlin, De exorcismis. (circa 1445.)
- Eiusdem, De credulitate Daemonibus adhibenda. (1454.)
- Bartolomeo Spina, O.P., De strigibus. (1523.)
- Eiusdem, Apologiae III aduersus Ioann. Franc. Ponzinibium. (1525.)
The title-page announces that these works are “Omnes de integro nunc demum in ordinem congestos, notis & explicationibus illustratos, atque ab innumeris quibus ad nauseam usque scatebant mendis in usum communem uindicatos.” It is true that the earlier editions did swarm with errors, and some of
- ↑ Jules Baissac, “Les grands Jours de la Sorcellerie,” 1890, p. 19, says—I do not know on what authority—“La 1re édition du ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ est de 1489, in —4, Cologne, cinq ans après la publication de la Bulle Summis desiderantes.”
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