The Malleus Maleficarum (Latin for “The Hammer of Witches”, or “Hexenhammer” in German) is one of the most famous medieval treatises on witches. It was written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, and was first published in Germany in 1487. Its main purpose was to challenge all arguments against the existence of witchcraft and to instruct magistrates on how to identify, interrogate and convict witches.
Some modern scholars believe that Jacob Sprenger contributed little if anything to the work besides his name, but the evidence to support this is weak. Both men were members of the Dominican Order and Inquisitors for the Catholic Church. They submitted the Malleus Maleficarum to the University of Cologne’s Faculty of Theology on May 9, 1487, seeking its endorsement.
While general consensus is that The Catholic Church banned the book in 1490 by placing it on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum(“List of Prohibited Books”), the first Index was, in fact, produced in 1559 under the direction of Pope Paul IV. Therefore such claims are dubious, at best. I believe people are confusing the fact that the Inquisition reportedly denounced Heinrich Kramer in 1490 as being a ban upon the Malleus Maleficarum. Thus far, I’ve yet to find the Malleus on any Index Librorum Prohibitorum(copies of which are available on the Internet – most notably the 1559 and 1948 editions).
The papal bull, which appeared at the beginning of the book, could rightly be said to be misleading, because it addresses Kramer’s and Sprenger’s authorities as Inquisitors in certain lands, not the creation of the Malleus Maleficarum. The Catholic Encyclopedia states “Innocent’s Bull enacted nothing new. Its direct purport was simply to ratify the powers already conferred upon Henry Institoris and James Sprenger, inquisitors, to deal with persons of every class and with every form of crime (for example, with witchcraft as well as heresy), and it called upon the Bishop of Strasburg to lend the inquisitors all possible support.” So Kramer treated the bull as if it was an endorsement of his book, but it was not. However, the inclusion of the bull certainly gave the impression that the Malleus Maleficarum had been granted approval by Pope Innocent VIII.
Some believe that the Letter of Approbation from The Faculty of Theology of the University of Cologne was a falsified document. General consensus is that Heinrich Kramer brought the Malleus Maleficarum before the University of Cologne requesting an endorsement, but was rebuffed. Tradition has it that Kramer forged the document that he included with his work, that he and James Sprenger parted ways on bad terms, and that Kramer was denounced by the Inquisition in 1490. One would expect, however, that had such a document been forged, Mr. Kramer would not have subsequently been able to conduct very popular lectures in Venice starting in 1495, much less be empowered to proceed against the Waldensians and Picards in 1500.
http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org
The Malleus Maleficarum – The First Part
THE FIRST PART TREATING OF THE THREE NECESSARY CONCOMITANTS OF WITCHCRAFT, WHICH ARE THE DEVIL, A WITCH, AND THE PERMISSION OF ALMIGHTY GOD
The Malleus Maleficarum – The Second Part
TREATING ON THE METHODS BY WHICH THE WORKS OF WITCHCRAFT ARE WROUGHT AND DIRECTED, AND HOW THEY MAY BE SUCCESSFULLY ANNULLED AND DISSOLVED
The Malleus Maleficarum – The Third Part
RELATING TO THE JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS IN BOTH THE ECCLESIASTICAL AND CIVIL COURTS AGAINST WITCHES AND INDEED ALL HERETICS
The Bull of Innocent VIII
Innocent, Bishop, Servant of the servants of God, for an eternal remembrance.
DESIRING with the most hearfelt anxiety, even as Our Apostleship requires, that the Catholic faith should especially in this Our day increase and flourish everywhere, and that all heretical depravity should be driven far from the frontiers and bournes of the Faithful, We very gladly proclaim and even restate those particular means and methods whereby Our pious desire may obtain its wished effect, since when all errors are uprooted by Our diligent avocation as by the hoe of a provident husbandman, a zeal for, and the regular observance of, Our holy Faith will be all the more strongly impressed upon the hearts of the faithful.
It has indeed lately come to Our ears, not without afflicting Us with bitter sorrow, that in some parts of Northern Germany, as well as in the provinces, townships, territories, districts, and dioceses of Mainz, Cologne, Tréves, Salzburg, and Bremen, many persons of both sexes, unmindful of their own salvation and straying from the Catholic Faith, have abandoned themselves to devils, incubi and succubi, and by their incantations, spells, conjurations, and other accursed charms and crafts, enormities and horrid offences, have slain infants yet in the mother’s womb, as also the offspring of cattle, have blasted the produce of the earth, the grapes of the vine, the fruits of the trees, nay, men and women, beasts of burthen, herd-beasts, as well as animals of other kinds, vineyards, orchards, meadows, pasture-land, corn, wheat, and all other cereals; these wretches furthermore afflict and torment men and women, beasts of burthen, herd-beasts, as well as animals of other kinds, with terrible and piteous pains and sore diseases, both internal and external; they hinder men from performing the sexual act and women from conceiving, whence husbands cannot know their wives nor wives receive their husbands; over and above this, they blasphemously renounce that Faith which is theirs by the Sacrament of Baptism, and at the instigation of the Enemy of Mankind they do not shrink from committing and perpetrating the foulest abominations and filthiest excesses to the deadly peril of their own souls, whereby they outrage the Divine Majesty and are a cause of scandal and danger to very many. And although Our dear sons Henry Kramer and James Sprenger, Professors of Theology, of the Order of Friars Preachers, have been by Letters Apostolic delegated as Inquisitors of these heretical pravities, and still are Inquisitors, the first in the aforesaid parts of Northern Germany, wherein are included those aforesaid townships, districts, dioceses, and other specified localities, and the second in certain territories which lie along the borders of the Rhine, nevertheless not a few clerics and lay folk of those countries, seeking too curiously to know more than concerns them, since in the aforesaid delegatory letters there is no express and specific mention by name of these provinces, townships, dioceses, and districts, and further since the two delegates themselves and the abominations they are to encounter are not designated in detailed and particular fashion, these persons are not ashamed to contend with the most unblushing effrontery that these enormities are not practised in these provinces, and consequently the aforesaid Inquisitors have no legal right to exercise their powers of inquisition in the provinces, townships, dioceses, districts, and territories, which have been rehearsed, and that the Inquisitors may not proceed to punish, imprison, and penalize criminals convicted of the heinous offences and many wickednesses which have been set forth. Accordingly in the aforesaid provinces, townships, dioceses, and districts, the abominations and enormities in question remain unpunished not without open danger to the souls of many and peril of eternal damnation.
Wherefore We, as is Our duty, being wholly desirous of removing all hindrances and obstacles by which the good work of the Inquisitors may be let and tarded, as also of applying potent remedies to prevent the disease of heresy and other turpitudes diffusing their poison to the destruction of many innocent souls, since Our zeal for the Faith especially incites us, lest that the provinces, townships, dioceses, districts, and territories of Germany, which We had specified, be deprived of the benefits of the Holy Office thereto assigned, by the tenor of these presents in virtue of Our Apostolic authority We decree and enjoin that the aforesaid Inquisitors be empowered to proceed to the just correction, imprisonment, and punishment of any persons, without let or hindrance, in every way as if the provinces, townships, dioceses, districts, territories, yea, even the persons and their crimes in this kind were named and particularly designated in Our letters. Moreover, for greater surety We extend these letters deputing this authority to cover all the aforesaid provinces, townships, dioceses, districts, territories, persons, and crimes newly rehearsed, and We grant permission to the aforesaid Inquisitors, to one separately or to both, as also to Our dear son John Gremper, priest of the diocese of Constance, Master of Arts, their notary, or to any other public notary, who shall be by them, or by one of them, temporarily delegated to those provinces, townships, dioceses, districts, and aforesaid territories, to proceed, according to the regulations of the Inquisition, against any persons of whatsoever rank and high estate, correcting, mulcting, imprisoning, punishing, as their crimes merit, those whom they have found guilty, the penalty being adapted to the offence. Moreover, they shall enjoy a full and perfect faculty of expounding and preaching the word of God to the faithful, so often as opportunity may offer and it may seem good to them, in each and every parish church of the said provinces, and they shall freely and lawfully perform any rites or execute any business which may appear advisable in the aforesaid cases. By Our supreme authority We grant them anew full and complete faculties.
At the same time by Letters Apostolic We require Our venerable Brother, the Bishop of Strasburg (Albrecht von Bayern, 1478-1506 – ed.), that he himself shall announce, or by some other or others cause to be announced, the burthen if Our Bull, which he shall solemnly publish when and so often as he deems it necessary, or when he shall be requested so to do by the Inquisitors or by one of them. Nor shall he suffer them in disobedience to the tenor of these presents to be molested or hindered by any authority whatsoever, but he shall threaten all who endeavour to hinder or harass the Inquisitors, all who oppose them, all rebels, of whatsoever rank, estate, position, pre-eminence, dignity, or any condition they may be, or whatsoever privilege or exemption they may claim, with excommunication, suspension, interdict, and yet more terrible penalties, censures, and punishment, as may seem good to him, and that without any right of appeal, and if he will he may by Our authority aggravate and renew these penalties as often as he list, calling in, if so please him, the help of the secular arm.
Non obstantibus … Let no man therefore … But if any dare to do so, which God forbid, let him know that upon him will fall the wrath of Almighty God, and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.
Given at Rome, at S. Peter’s, on the 9 December of the Year of the Incarnation of Our Lord one thousand four hundred and eighty-four, in the first year of Our Pontificate.
The translation of this Bull is reprinted by permission from “The Geography of Witchcraft,” by Montague Summers, pp. 533-6 (Kegan Paul).
Letter of Approbation
Official Letter of Approbation of the Malleus Maleficarum from The Faculty of Theology of the Honourable University of Cologne
The official Document of Approbation of the treatise Malleus Maleficarum, and the subscription of the Doctors of the most honourable University of Cologne, duly set forth and recorded as a public documents and deposition.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Know all men by these presents, whosoever shall read, see or hear the tenor of this official and public document, that in the year of our Lord, 1487, upon a Saturday, being the nineteenth day of the month of May, at the fifth hour after noon, or thereabouts, in the third year of the Pontificate of our most Holy Father and Lord, the lord Innocent, by divine providence Pope, the eighth of that name, in the very and actual presence of me Arnold Kolich, public notary, and in the presence of the witnesses whose names are hereunder written and who were convened and especially summoned for this purpose, the Venerable and Very Reverend Father Henry Kramer, Professor of Sacred Theology, of the Order of Preachers, Inquisitor of heretical depravity, directly delegated thereto by the Holy See together with the Venerable and Very Reverend Father James Sprenger, Professor of Sacred Theology and Prior of the Dominican Convent at Cologne, being especially appointed as colleague of the said Father Henry Kramer, hath on behalf both of himself and his said colleague made known unto us and declared that the Supreme Pontiff now happily reigning, lord Innocent, Pope, as hath been set out above, hath committed and granted by a bull duly signed and sealed unto the aforesaid Inquisitors Henry and James, members of the Order of Preachers and Professors of Sacred Theology, by His Supreme Apostolic Authority, the power of making search and inquiry into all heresies, and most especially into the heresy of witches, an abomination that thrives and waxes strong in these our unhappy days, and he has bidden them diligently to perform this duty throughout the five Archdioceses of the five Metropolitan Churches, that is to say, Mainz, Cologne, Trèves, Salzburg and Bremen, granting them every faculty of judging and proceeding against such even with the power of putting malefactors to death, according to the tenor of the Apostolic bull, which they hold and possess and have exhibited unto us, a document which is whole, entire, untouched, and in no way lacerated or impaired, in fine whose integrity is above any suspicion. And the tenor of the said bull commences thus: “Innocent, Bishop, Servant of the servants of God, for an eternal remembrance. Desiring with the most heartfelt anxiety, even as Our Apostleship requires, that the Catholic Faith should be especially in this Our day increase and flourish everywhere, … ” and it concludes thus: “Given at Rome, at S. Peter’s, on the 9 December of the Year of the Incarnation of Our Lord one thousand, four hundred and eighty-four, in the first Year of Our Pontificate.”
Whereas some who have the charge of souls and are preachers of the word of God, have been so bold as to assert and declare publicly in discourses from the pulpit, yea, in sermons to the people, that there are no witches, or that these wretches cannot in any way whatsoever molest or harm either mankind or beasts, and it has happened that as a result of such sermons, which are much to be reprobated and condemned, the power of the secular arm has been let and hindered in the punishment of such offenders, and this has proved to be a great source of encouragement to those who follow the horrid heresy of witchcraft and has very notably increased and augmented their ranks, therefore the aforesaid Inquisitors, wishing with their whole hearts and strength to put a check unto such abominations and to counteract such dangers, have with much study, much research, and much labour, indited and composed a certain Treatise in which they have used their best endeavours on behalf of the integrity of the Catholic Faith to rebuke and rebut the ignorance of those who dare to preach so gross errors, and they have also been at great pains to set forth the lawful and proper way whereby these pestilent witches may be brought to trial, may be sentenced and condemned, according to the tenor of the aforesaid bull and the regulations of Canon Law. But since it is very right and altogether reasonable that this good work which they have wrought for the common benefit of us all should be sanctioned and confirmed by the unanimous approval of the reverend Doctors of the University, lest by some evil chance ignorant and ill-intentioned men should suppose that the aforesaid Rectors of the faculty and the Professors of the Order of Preachers are not wholly at one in their view of these matters, the authors of the aforesaid Treatise, exactly written out as it is to be printed in fair characters, in order that when it is so printed it may be recommended and honourably approved by the recorded good opinions and mature judgement of many learned Doctors, handed to, and laid before, the most honourable University of Cologne, that is to say, before certain Professors of Sacred Theology, who are commissioned and required to act as representatives of the most honourable University, the aforesaid Treatise in order that by them it might be perused, examined, and discussed, so that should there be found any points which may seem in any way doubtful or hardly in agreement with the teachings of the Catholic Faith, such points might be corrected and emended by the judgement of the said learned Doctors, who shall, moreover, officially approve and commend whatsoever the Treatise contains which is agreeable to the teachings of the Catholic Faith. This accordingly was done as hath been set forth above.
In the first place, the honoured lord Lambertus de Monte with his own hand subscribed his judgement and opinion as here followeth: “I, Lambertus de Monte, Professor (albeit unworthy) of Sacred Theology, and at this time Dean of the faculty of Sacred Theology in the University of Cologne, do here solemnly declare, and I confirm this my declaration with my own hand, that I have read and diligently perused and considered this Treatise, which is divided into three parts, and that, in my humble judgement at any rate, the first two parts contain nothing at all which is in any way contrary to the opinions of those doctors whose writings are approved and allowed by Holy Church. Moreover, in my opinion, the third part is to be entirely approved, and is to be put into actual practice, so far as in the trials and punishment of these heretics, of which matters it treats, nothing is done that may infringe the Canon Law. And again on account of the most weighty and salutary matters, which are contained in this Treatise, which, even if it were only because of the honourable estate, learning, and good report of these most worthy and honoured Inquisitors, might well be held to be useful and necessary, all diligent care should be taken that this Treatise be widely distributed to learned men and men full of zeal, who thence may very profitably have the advantage of so many and so well-considered directions for the extermination of witches, and it should also be out into the hands of all rectors of churches, particularly those who are honest, active, and God-fearing men, who may by reading therein be encouraged to arouse hatred in every heart against the pestilent heresy of witches and their foul craft, so that all good men may be warned and safeguarded and evil-doers may be discovered and punished, so that in the full light of day mercy and blessing shall fall upon the righteous and justice shall be meted out to those who do evil, and thus in all things God shall be glorified, to Whom all honour, praise, and glory.”
Next the Venerable Master Jacobus de Stralen with his own hand subscribed his judgement and considered opinion thus: “I, Jacobus de Stralen, Professor of Sacred Theology, after having diligently read the aforesaid Treatise, declared that my opinion entirely and altogether is in agreement with the judgement which hath been set forth by our Venerable Master Lambertus de Monte, Dean of Sacred Theology, as he hath written above, and this I attest and witness by my own signature to the glory of God.”
In like manner, the honourable Master Andreas de Ochsenfurt wrote with his own hand as follows: “In the same way I, Andreas de Ochsenfurt, Junior Professor of Sacred Theology, record that my considered opinion of the matters contained in the said Treatise entirely and wholly agrees with the judgement written above, and to the truth of this I bear witness by the subscription of my signature.”
And next, in like manner, the honoured Master Thomas de Scotia subscribed with his own hand as followeth: “I, Thomas de Scotia, Doctor of Sacred Theology (unworthy though I be), am fully in agreement with all that our Venerable Masters have written above with regard to the matters contained in the said Treatise, which I also have carefully examined and perused, and to the truth of this I bear witness by subscribing my signature with my own hand.”
Here followeth the second subscription with regard to those discourses which have been pronounced from the pulpit by ignorant and blameworthy preachers. And in the first place it seems good to set forth the following articles:
First Article: The Masters of Sacred Theology, who have subscribed their names below, do much commend the Inquisitors of heretical pravity, who, according to the Canons, have been sent as deputies by the supreme authority of the Apostolic See, and they would humbly exhort them to fulfil their exalted office with all zeal and industry.
Second Article: The doctrine that witchcraft may be wrought by the Divine Permission owing to the co-operation of the devil with wizards or witches is not contrary to the Catholic Faith, but is in every way agreeable to the teaching of Holy Scripture; nay more, according to the opinions of the Doctors of the Church it is a belief which must surely be held and steadfastly maintained.
Third Article: Therefore it is a grave error to preach that witchcraft cannot be, and those who publicly preach this vile error notably hinder the holy work of the Inquisitors to the sore prejudice of the safety of many souls. It is not convenient that the secrets of magic which are often revealed to the Inquisitors should indiscriminately be made known to everybody.
Last Article: All princes and all pious Catholics are to be exhorted that they should use their best endeavours always to assist the Inquisitors in their good work of the defence of the Catholic Faith.
Where, these Doctors of the aforesaid faculty of Theology who have already signed above and who have also signed below, have affixed their signatures to these articles, as I, Arnold Kolich, public notary, who have signed my name below, have learnt from the sworn information of John Vörde of Mechlin, good man and true, sworn Bedel of the most honourable University of Cologne, who declared this upon oath unto me, and as (for their hands as signed above and below are well known unto me) I myself have seen set forth as here followeth: “I, Lambertus de Monte, Professor of Sacred Theology, Dean of the faculty, stoutly maintain and entirely approve of the articles here rehearsed, and to the truth of this I bear witness by my signature subscribed with my own hand. I, Jacobus de Stralen, Professor of Sacred Theology, similarly maintain and entirely approve of the articles as rehearsed above, and to the truth of this I bear witness by affixing my signature with my own hand. I, Udalricus Kridwiss von Esslingen, Junior Professor of Sacred Theology, likewise maintain and entirely approve of the articles as set forth above, and to the truth of this I bear witness by affixing my signature with my own hand. I, Conradus von Campen, Professor in ordinary of Sacred Theology, declare that I assent to and am in entire agreement with the judgement of the Senior Professors. I, Cornelius de Breda, Junior Professor, maintain and entirely approve of the articles as set forth above, and to the truth of this I bear witness by affixing my signature with my own hand. I, Thomas de Scotia, Professor of Sacred Theology (albeit unworthy), entirely agree to, maintain, and approve of the opinion of the Venerable Professors who have signed above, and to the truth of this I set my name with my own hand. I, Theoderich de Bummel, Junior Professor of Sacred Theology, entirely agree with what has been written above by the honoured Masters who have signed their names above, and to the truth of this I bear witness by my signature written with my own hand. In confirmation of the above articles I declared that I am wholly and entirely of the same opinion of the above honoured Masters and Professors, I, Andreas de Ochsenfurt, Professor of the faculty of Sacred Theology, a junior member of the Board of Theologians of the most honourable University of Cologne.”
Finally, and last of all, the aforesaid Venerable and Very Reverend Father Henry Kramer, Inquisitor, was in possession of and showed us another letter, written out fair on virgin parchment, bestowed upon and granted unto him by the most Serene and Noble monarch the King of the Romans, which parchment bore his own royal red official seal, impressed upon a ground of blue wax, which seal was suspended from and hanging at the bottom of said parchment, and this was whole and entire, untouched, not cancelled or suspect, in no wise lacerated or impaired, and by tenor of these presents the most Exalted Lord, the aforesaid Noble King of the Romans, in order that for the benefit of our Holy Faith these businesses might be dispatched with the greater ease and expedition, in his royal office as the Most Christian King, wished and wishes that the same Apostolic bull, whereof we have spoken above, should be in every way respected, honoured, and defended, and the provisions thereof enforced, and he takes the Inquisitors wholly under his own august protection, commanding and requiring all and everyone who are subjects of the Roman Empire that they shall show the said Inquisitors all favour and grant them every assistance of which they may stand in need in the discharge of their office, and they shall afford the Inquisitors every help according to the provisions which are more fully contained and rehearsed in this said letter. And this said letter issued by the King commences thus, and concludes thus, as is set forth in order here below: “Maximilian, by the Divine Favour and the Grace of God, most August King of the Romans, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, of Lorraine, of Brabant, of Limburg, or Luxemburg and Guelderland, Count of Flanders . . .”; and it concludeth thus: “Given in our good city of Brussels, under our own hand and seal, on the sixth day of November, in the year or our Lord one thousand, fourteen hundred and eighty-six, in the first year of our reign.” Wherefore, with regard to all that hath been rehearsed and set forth above, each and every, the aforesaid Venerable and Very Reverend Father Henry, Inquisitor, on behalf of himself and his aforesaid colleague, sought from me, the public notary, whose name is written above and is subscribed below, that each document and all these documents should be officially drawn up and relegated in the form of a public instrument or public instruments, and this was done at Cologne in the house and the dwelling of the aforesaid Venerable Master Lambertus de Monte, which house is situate within the immunities of the Church of S. Andrew at Cologne, in the room where this same Master Lambertus pursueth his studies and dispatcheth his businesses, in the year of our Lord, in the month, on the day, at the hour, and during the Pontificate, all which have been set forth above, there being present there at that very time the aforesaid Master Lambertus, and the Bedel John, as also Nicolas Cuper von Venroid, sworn notary of the Venerable Curia of Cologne, and Christian Wintzen von Eusskirchen, a cleric of the diocese of Cologne, both good men and true, who bear witness that this request was formally made and formally granted.
And I, Arnold Kolich von Eusskirchen, a cleric of the diocese of Cologne, sworn notary, was also present whilst the above businesses each and all were being performed and were carried out, and to this I give my evidence with the aforenamed witnesses; and in accordance with what I saw and with what, as I have stated above, I heard upon the sworn testimony of the said Bedel, good man and true, I have written out fair with my own hand and engrossed the present public instrument, which I have subscribed, and have caused to be published since I have drawn it up in this official form for publication, and being requested and required so to do I have signed it and sealed it according to the wonted manner with my own name and my own seal, that it may be officially approved and may be a sufficient and legal testimony and probation of all and single that are herein set forth, rehearsed, and contained.
A Note Upon the Bibliography
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 1 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).
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 of “1510?”.
Malleus Maleficarum, 8vo, “Colonie. Per me Henricü 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. Raffaelum Maffeum Venetum et D. Jacobi a Judeca instituti Seruorum summo studio illustratis 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 sotularia iuuenum fungia … perungent.”)
Malleus Maleficarum, Impressum Francofurti as Moenum apud Nicolaum Bassaeum … 8vo, 1580.
Malleus Maleficarum, … Francofurti … apud Nicolaum Bassaeum … 8vo, 1582.
Malleus Maleficarum, … Francofurti … apud Nicolaum Bassaeum, 2 vols., 8bo, 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. Ponzinibum. (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 these blemishes have been duly corrected, but there still remains much to be done in the way of emendation. It is to be wished that even the little care given to Vol. II had been bestowed on the text of the Malleus Maleficarum in Vol. I, for this is very poor and faulty.
Malleus Maleficarum, Lyons, 8vo, 1595. (Graesse.)
Malleus Maleficarum, Friburg, 1598.
Malleus Maleficarum, Lyons, 8vo, 1600.
Malleus Maleficarum, Lyons, “multo auctior,” 8vo, 1620.
Malleus Maleficarum, Friburg, 8vo, 1660.
Malleus Maleficarum, 4to, Lyons, 1666. (Graesse.)
Malleus Maleficarum, 4 vols., “sumptibus Claudii Bourgeat,” 4to, Lyons, 1669. This would appear to be the latest edition of the Malleus Maleficarum, and the test has here and there received some revision. For example, in the passage to which reference has already been made, Principalis Quaestio II, Pars II, where the former reading was “sotularia iuuenum fungia … perungent,” we have the correct “axungia” instead of “fungia.” I have given in the Introduction a list of the collections contained in these four noble volumes.
Quétif-Echard, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum, 2 vols., Paris, 1719, Vol. I, p 881, mention a French translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, Le Maillet des Sorcières, as having been published, quarto, at Lyons by Stephanus Gueynard. No date, however, is given, and as this book cannot be traced, it seems highly probable that one of the many Lyons reprints of the Malleus Maleficarum was mistakenly supposed to be a French rendering of the original. In answer to my inquiries M. le Directeur of the Bibliothèque Nationale has kindly informed me: “L’ouvrage de Sprenger, Le Maillet des Sorcières, édition de Lyon, ne se trouve point à la Bibliothèque Nationale. Mais, de plus, je me suis reporté à l’excellente bibliographie lyonnaise de Baudrier, XIª série, 1914, et là non plus, l’édition de Stephanus Gueynard ne se trouve point.” Le Maillet des Sorcières, 4to, Lyons, by Stephanus Gueynard, does not occur in the valuable Essai d“une Bibliographis Franéaise mèthodique et raisonnée de la Sorcellerie of R. Yve-Plessis, Paris, 1900.
There is a modern German translation of the Malleus Maleficarumby J. W. R. Schmidt, Der Hexenhammer, 3 vols., Berlin, 1906; second edition, 1922-3.
In 1912 Oswald Weigel, the famous “Antiquariat & Auktions-Institut” of Leipzig, sold an exceptionally fine, if not – should it be once permissable to use a much over-looked word – a unique collection of books dealing with witchcraft. This library contained no fewer than twenty-nine exemplars of the Malleus Maleficarum, of which the dates were catalogues as follows: (1) Argentorati (Strasburg), J. Prüss, ca. 1487. (2) Spirae, Peter Drach, ca. 1487. (3) Spirae, Peter Drach, ca. 1490; or Basle, J. von Amorbach, ca. 1490?. (4) No place nor date. With inscription “Codex moasterij scti Martini prope Treuirum.” (5) Küln, J. Koelhoff, 1494. (6) Nürnberg, Anton Koberger, 1494. (7) Nürnberg, Anton Koberger, 1496. (8) [Paris], Jehan Petit, ca. 1497. (9) Cüln, Henricus de Nussia, 1511. (10) [Paris, Jehan Petit, no date.] (11) Lyon, J. Marion, 1519. (12) Nürnberg, Frederick Peypus, 1519. (13) Küln, J. Gymnicus, 1520. (14) Venetiis, Io. Antonius Bertanus, 1574. (15) Ventiis, ibid., 1576. (16) Francofurti, apud Nicolaum Bassaeum, 1580. (17) Francofurti, ibid., 1582. (18) Lugduni, apud Ioannam Iacobi Iuntae, 2 tomi, 1584. In this edition the title is misprinted Malleus Maleficorum. (19) Francofurti, Sumptibus Nicolai Bassaei, 1588. (20) Duplicate of 19. (21) Lugduni, Petri Landry, 2 tomi, 1595. (22) Francofurti, Sumptibus Nicolai Bassaei, 2 tomi, 1600. (23) Lugduni, Sumptibus Petry Landry, 3 tomi, 1604. (24) Lugduni, ibid., 1614. (25) Lugduni, ibid., 1615. (26) Lugduni, Sumptibus Clavdii Landry, 3 tomi, 1620. (27) Lugduni, 3 tomi, 1620-21. (28) Lugduni, 4 tomi, 1669. (29) The modern German translation of the Malleus Maleficarum by J. W. R. Schmidt, Der Hexenhammer, 3 vols., Berlin, 1906.
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