You know I love me some Hockley, so I was really happy to see that Alan Thorogood has released another excellent volume. In the tradition of works to date, the book has an introduction by Thorogood, a transcription, and lastly the facsimile of the manuscript.
The introduction was fascinating and shows Thorogood’s depth of knowledge not only of Hockley but of the manuscripts that feed into his work. This is what I particularly like about this series from Teitan Press – I’d buy them for the introductions alone and never be disappointed. Thorogood traces the roots of the work to its probable sources, and shows how a number of mistakes worked their way in, as is common with works of this type.
The Pauline Art is of course itself a part of the (in)famous Lesser Key of Solomon, which also contains Goetia. The Pauline Art is the third of the five books compiled in that treatise, following Goetia and Theurgia-Goetia. The manuscript used by Hockley is “dated Feb. 1715, and is very finely written in red and black with colored seals.” Hockley further notes the provenance as being traced back to a manuscript of 1641 (in a common variant of Lemegeton), but that the work also goes back further – citing references to Agrippa’s mention in 1533, among others.
As for the facsimile, it is in Hockley’s always-impeccable hand, which is always a relief for those of us who like to transcribe these things! The manuscript is nearly complete, though there are a few missing seals – not uncommon for Hockley manuscripts at all. I suspect one could work them out, should there not be access to a complete copy.
All of these works are of value to the collector and student of magic in the Solomonic tradition, and I look forward to what more may come of the Hockley series!
For more information, see the Teitan Press website. While you are there, check out my own related works: The Offices of Spirits and Of the Arte Goetia.
Disclaimer: I also publish through Teitan Press and received a review copy of this work.