Genethlialogia, or, The Doctrine of Nativities

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by John Gadbury

John Gadbury (1627-1704) was, along with William Lilly and John Partridge, one of the three best-known English astrologers of the second half of the seventeenth century.[1] In 1658, he published Genethlialogia, or, The Doctrine of Nativities … Together with the Doctrine of Horarie Questions, "a thoroughly traditional textbook of judicial astrology"[2] which built upon Lilly's 1647 publication, Christian Astrology.

Bibliographic Information

Author: John Gadbury.

Title: Genethlialogia, or, the Doctrine of Nativities: Containing the Whole Art of Directions and Annual Revolutions, Whereby Any Man (Even of an Ordinary Capacity) may be Enabled to Discover the Most Remarkable and Occult Accidents of His Life, as They Shall Occur unto Him in the Whole Course Thereof, Either for Good or Evil: also Tables for Calculating the Planets Places for any Time, Either Past, Present or to Come, Together with the Doctrine of Horarie Questions which (in the Absence of a Nativity) is Sufficient to Inform Any One of All Manner of Contingencies Necessary to be Known.

Published: London: Printed by Ja. Cottrel for Giles Calvert, William Larnar, and Daniel White, 1658.

Edition: First edition; [18], 276, [2], 294 [i.e. 298], [12] pages.

Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library

Listed in the Jefferson Inventory of Wythe's Library as Gadbury's doctrine of nativities. p. fol. and kept by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson later sold this copy to the Library of Congress in 1815.[3] Both the Brown Bibliography[4] and George Wythe's Library[5] on LibraryThing list the first edition of this title.[6]

Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy

Bound in eighteenth century calf decorated in blind with cover divided into 9 compartments. Spine features five raised bands, blind stamps in compartments and a red morocco label with gilt lettering; includes the bookplate of Robert Russell Needham Baron and label of Elizabeth H. Frazer, as well as notes and charts created by previous owner, "Jno: Silvester, 1754." The last page of text includes an inscribed note: "Yo.E udall votary John Gadbury." Purchased from Krown & Spellman Booksellers.

View this book in William & Mary's online catalog.

References

  1. ↑ Patrick Curry, "Gadbury, John (1627–1704)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2011, accessed 11 June 2013. (Subscription required for access.)
  2. ↑ Ibid. Merriam-Webster defines judicial astrology as "a branch of astrology that professes to foretell the fate and acts of nations and individuals —called also mundane astrology." Merriam-Webster OnLine, s.v. “judicial astrology,” accessed September 17, 2013, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judicial%20astrology.
  3. ↑ E. Millicent Sowerby, Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 2nd ed. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983), 4:65 [no.3780].
  4. ↑ Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433
  5. ↑ LibraryThing, s. v. "Member: George Wythe," accessed on August 9, 2013, http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe
  6. ↑ LibraryThing also notes that "a reissue, with cancel title page, was released in 1661."
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