DR. JOHN DEE: ELIZABETHAN MYSTIC AND ASTROLOGER — By G.M. Hort — 1st Edition / 1st Printing, 1922 — Scarce Occult, Astrology, Magick, Alchemy Publisher: William Rider & Son Ltd., London (1922)
First edition from 1922, in very well preserved condition. The boards and binding are solid and tight save for light shelfwear. The pages are crisp and clean save for small bookstore label on the inside of the front board. "Quo Vadis?" stamped in gold on bottom of front (softcover) board. 72 pages, with William Rider advertisements at rear.
This scarce first edition of G.M. Hort's account of Dr. John Dee is a different kind of biography, as it paints him as a person that worked tirelessly, but in some ways never found success, and often times earned scorn instead. Despite the challenges he faced, the reader may conclude that Dr. Dee ultimately did fairly well for himself, becoming an esteemed mathematician, recognized occultist, and an erstwhile advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. John Dee was born on July 13, 1527. While his father apparently never rose above being a "gentleman-server" in the Royal Household, the family did not want of food or shelter. Dee became an avid scholar, and very ingenuous, but his thoughtfulness and inventions were often linked to sorcery. Eventually he plunged deeper into his studies in the mysteries of sorcery and alchemy and (possibly) freemasonry. Hort gives a fascinating biography of the enigmas surrounding Dr. Dee and the times in which he lived.
