Whole Art of Legerdemain: or Hocus Pocus in Perfection By which the meanest Capacity may perform the Whole ART without a Teacher. Together with the Use of all the Instruments belonging thereto. To Which is Now Added Abundance of New and Rare Inventions, the like never before in Print, but much desired by many

London: Printed for J. Bew, 1789. MAGIC AND CONJURING. Ninth edition "corrected, and improved with an entire new Set of Cuts." Twelvemo

(5 7/8 x 3 3/8 inches; 150 x 86 mm). [3]-132 pp. With frontispiece woodcut and numerous other woodcuts throughout the text. The woodcuts in this edition are a bit cleaner and more refined than those of the T. Sabine eighth edition. We could only find two copies of this on OCLC, no copies on ABPC in the past 40 years and only one other copy on Rare Book Hub. ESTC does not list a J. Bew edition of 1789 but this conforms to that of the listing for the 1781 edition.

Contemporary drab brown cloth. With remnants of original paper on spine with "Hocus Pocus" in manuscript. With some minor rubbing to cloth. Cloth is starting to split along front and back hinge. Inner hinges cracked but holding. A one-inch split to top outer hinge. A bit of light toning and a few minor stains throughout. Previous owner's old ink signature on front pastedown, and front free endpaper. Overall a very good copy of this rare item.

According to the ESTC, this title is "In fact a revised edition by Henry Dean of the anonymous ’Hocus pocus junior.’"

HBS 68030.

$7,000. (Inventory #: 68030)