Gifford (1593, 1931) A Dialogue concerning Witches and Witchcraftes – The Shakespeare Association

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Gifford, George. A Dialogue concerning Witches and Witchcraftes. (London: The Shakespeare Association, 1931)

Octavo. x, [1], [96], [1] pages, bibliography. Hardcover. In cream paper-covered boards stamped on spine in red to resemble a vellum covered book.

Condition: VG. Slight shelf wear, bump to bottom edge of boards near spine. Bookseller’s notation penciled on front pastedown. Otherwise a good clean copy.

Starting in 1931, the Shakespeare Society began publishing source material in facsimile to help interpret Shakespeare’s writings. This first volume in the series is in regards to Macbeth’s witches, and what would Macbeth be without witches?

Gifford wrote some twenty-two published works. These include a translation of William Fulke’s Praelections upon the sacred and holy Revelation of S. John (1573; STC:11443); A briefe discourse of certaine points of the religion which is among the common sort of Christians, which may bee termed the countrie divnitie (1581; STC:11845), which was his most popular work; A dialogue betweene a Papist and a Protestant (1582; STC:11849); and two works on witchcraft, A discourse of the subtill practises of devilles by witches and sorcerers (1587; STC:11852) and A Dialogue Concerning Witches and Witchcraftes (1593; STC:11850). It is the last work for which he is best known.

Gifford was a moderate in the witchcraft debate, although he still believed in the existence of witches, and that they should be severely punished. His main concern in the Dialogue was to ensure more care was taken in witchcraft prosecutions, and to attempt to restrain the persecuting fervour with which witches were sought out and indicted. – Wikipedia