A lucid commentary on the first printed English conjuring text; showing the development of magic tricks from 1584 up to the present day. Written by a magician for magic historians and magicians interested in the beginnings of their art. Including many unpublished references to Reginald Scot with quotations and illustrations from most of the early English books with conjuring from 1584 up to 1784. The text will show Scot¹s influence on his contemporaries along with witchcraft beliefs before and after the DISCOVERY. With definitions of old English words in the text, a bibliography of the DISCOVERY, and prices that copies have realized at auction. 116 large 8 x 11 5/8" pages with a 3-color title-page. Silver stamped pictorial cloth with a full page color plate. Limited to 500 numbered signed copies