“TAKE HEED, FOR IF THY SECRET BE MADE KNOWN TO PERSONS TWO OR THREE, IT WILL NO LONGER BE CONCEALED, BUT UNTO MANY BE REVEALED”

[RENNEMANN, Alexander] BOOKER, John, translator. The Dutch Fortune-Teller: Discovering XXXVI Several Questions. Which Old and Young, Married Men and Women, Batchelors and Maids, Delight to be Resolved. London: Printed and sold at the Printing Office in Bow Church-Yard, [1690]. Quarto, modern paper wrappers; pp. iv, 5-40, (5 unnumbered leaves). $800.

Early edition of this fortune-telling game, with woodcut title-page vignette and ten pages of tables.

A game involving the throwing of dice in order to determine which of the almost 400 rhyming answers to consult, on topics such as health, business, love and marriage, and travel. The verses range from the grimly humorous (“Your husband will be very old, Of features grim, and nature cold, With rotten teeth, and stinking breath, That you each day will wish his death”) to the moralistic (“You’ll be a man employed much, Your worthy Qualities are such, In counsel, state, and such affairs, You’ll end your date of worldly cares”) to the frankly bawdy. First published in 1650, copies of any early edition are extremely rare. This edition not listed in Wing, but see Wing B3725; it is probably third edition, after the 1650 first edition and a 1677 edition.

Fragile and chipping, with loss to title-page vignette and text and tables. Poor condition, but nonetheless complete. Priced accordingly.