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The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford has bought a rare first edition of The Discoverie of Witchcraft, a 1584 book about witches, magic and conjuring that sheds light on the beliefs behind plays such as Macbeth. The trust calls it the most important addition to its collections in more than a decade. It will go on public display in Stratford from autumn 2027.
What the book is
Reginald Scot wrote the book to argue against the persecution of people accused of witchcraft, at a time when many believed in it. It came out when Shakespeare was 20. Its pages are full of woodcuts, magical diagrams, symbolic seals and explanations of how conjuring tricks were done, and the trust calls it one of the most remarkable books to come out of Elizabethan England.
Witches, fairies, ghosts and magic run through Shakespeare’s plays, from Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Hamlet, King Lear and The Tempest. The trust says the book shows the ideas and arguments that were circulating while he wrote them. Danielle Patten, its assistant director of museum engagement, described it as “a thrilling glimpse into Shakespeare’s imaginative world”.
How the trust bought it
The copy was bought in a private sale arranged by Christie’s. The price hasn’t been published. The money came from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Art Fund, the Friends of the Nations’ Libraries and a private donor.
When you can see it
Not yet. The book will be shown as part of the trust’s 180th anniversary programme from autumn 2027, and the trust plans research, learning sessions and activities for visitors of all ages around it. The trust hasn’t said which of its buildings will display it. It joins a collection of more than a million rare books, manuscripts, archives and objects kept in Stratford.
In the meantime, if the book has you in the mood for the supernatural, our guide to haunted Stratford and ghost tours and our Halloween in Stratford guide have this week’s spooky events.
The trust announced the purchase on 20 October; the Stratford Herald reported it on 28 October.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
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