Ebenezer Sibly’s Wondrous Library

Scholars of esotericism often cite Ebenezer Sibly as a key figure in the transmission of early modern knowledge of the arcane to its “rediscovery” in the nineteenth century. Their explanation of his importance focuses on his “wondrous library” of scarce books and manuscripts. In fact, his library is mentioned in his will, but its omission from his probate inventory invites a reappraisal of the traditional account. What happened to the library? If it existed, what did it contain? This chapter reconstructs the contents of the library and draws some conclusions about how essential it was for Sibly’s reputation as a transmitter of early modern esotericism. The absence of a physical library also leads to a refashioning of Sibly’s role in the esoteric revival. He emerges not as a guardian of ancient books, but as the compiler of An Illustration, which, published affordably in numbers, helped build a broad readership for astrology.