Pearce, Alfred J. ‘The Text-Book of Astrology – Vol. II: Mundane Astrology, Astro-Meteorology, Medical Astrology, Elections, and Horary Astrology. Tables of “Houses” for Chichester, Manchester, Ottawa and Melbourne’ Printed and Published by Cousins and Co., 6, Helmet Court, (338) Strand, London, 1889.
Two copies in variant original publisher’s bindings. Copy A: Pebbled cloth with quadruple blind-stamped bordering and outward-facing curvature to ornate corner design within; gilt title legend to spine is ‘Text Book of Astrology by A. J. Pearce Vol. II’ with price ’15/-‘. Copy B: Cloth with double blind-stamped bordering and inward-facing curvature to different ornate corner design within; gilt spine legend reads ‘Mundane, Medical, Horary &c. by A. J. Pearce Text-Book of Astrology’ with price ’20/-‘. Copy A: (front board detached; heavy wear to extremities of spine and outer corners of boards; wear to edges of boards; spine covered with clear tape which cannot be removed without damaging the cloth.) (Heavy separation between pp. 414-5, with some underlying cords also visibly broken. Pale red coloured pencil marginal arrows to pp. 208-9, 212-3, and 200). Copy B: (heavy wear to extremities of spine and upper outer corner of front board; moderate wear to other corners and edges of boards and to front spine hinge) (Light separation between pp. 144-5; 160-1; 176-7; 224-5; 256-7; 272-3; and 288-9.) Both copies: [2] + [pp. iii-xvi] + 415 + [Imprimatur]
About this Book Scan
Carefully scanned in full colour from the better pages in our two original printings of the 1889 true first edition
Prominent late 19th century British astrologer Alfred John Pearce’s Text-Book of Astrology was first published in two volumes, appearing in 1879 and 1889 respectively. This, the second of the two volumes, is the longer and more specialised of the two books, running to over 430 pages including the prefatory ones, and covering mundane astrology, astro-meteorology, medical astrology, electional astrology, and, briefly, horary astrology. It was arguably the definitive technical astrological treatise of the late 19th century.
Many of its contents were culled for the 1911 one-volume second edition that has been reprinted since Pearce’s day, so only the 1889 edition gives a complete picture of Pearce’s teachings on these topics.