Works of Prince James

1616 Prince James, Printed by Robert Barker & John Bill 

Notes

Prince James of Scotland, later King James VI of England (1566–1625), was a deeply religious monarch with a keen interest in theology and the supernatural. His book Daemonologie, first published in 1597, reflects his fascination and fear of witchcraft tied to events surrounding his marriage to Anne of Denmark.

In 1589, Anne set sail from Denmark to Scotland to marry James, but her voyage was plagued by severe storms, delaying her arrival. James eventually traveled to Denmark himself to marry her, and during his stay, he was exposed to European ideas about witchcraft, which were prominent in Denmark at the time. When James and Anne returned to Scotland, the storms that disrupted their travels were attributed to witchcraft. This led to the infamous North Berwick witch trials (1590–1592), in which several people were accused of using sorcery to conjure storms against the royal couple. These events deeply influenced James, reinforcing his belief in the existence of witches and their malevolent powers.

James became personally involved in the interrogation of accused witches during the trials, an unusual move for a monarch. His interest in these cases and his broader belief in witchcraft culminated in his writing Daemonologie in 1597. Daemonologie was intended to educate his subjects about the dangers of witchcraft and justify the persecution of witches. The work is structured as a dialogue separated into three books exploring the nature of demons, magic, and the occult. The book reflected his determination to combat what he saw as the real and dangerous threat of witches and demonic forces as a result of his experiences during his marriage to Anne and the societal fears of his time.

As for why Daemonologie came before the King James Bible, it’s a matter of timing and purpose. Daemonologie was published when James was a young ruler of Scotland, influenced by the witch trials of the late 16th century. The King James Bible, commissioned after he became king of England in 1603, was a massive project completed in 1611 to provide a unified and accessible English translation of the scriptures, serving a broader and more enduring purpose than Daemonologie.

Description

Original leather bound boards rebacked. Five raised bands with gilt lettering in the second compartment. Cracking to the original leather boards. Browning and cupping to the edges and minor foxing on the interior pages. Hand carved woodblock images throughout.