Introduction 1 Book Curses from Antiquity 13 The curse of Yahdun-Lim''s temple dedication 16 The curse of Hammurabi''s law stele 18 The curse of a Sefire treaty stele 19 The curse of Shalmaneser iv''s commemoration stele 20 The curse of Sargon ii''s memorial stele 21 A curse from the library of Ashurbanipal 22 Early Medieval Book Curses 25 The curse of Bishop Ælfsiga''s will 28 The curse of King Æthelred''s land grant 29 Constantius'' book curse 30 The Latin and Old English book curse of Bishop Leofric of Exeter 31 A book curse threatening hell''s possession 33 A book curse blessing scribes and pushing thieves into hell 34 A book curse comparing Christ''s body to a manuscript page 35 High Medieval Book Curses 37 A book curse repeated every year by candlelight 39 Abbot Simon''s book curse 40 The book curse of the Abbey of Saints Mary & Nicholas, Arnstein 41 The book curse of Santa Maria della Colomba 42 The book curse of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Quentin 43 The year-long book curse of Rochester Priory 45 The book curse of Robert of Aldsworth 46 The book curse of the Ancrene Wisse 47 The curse of the Abbey of St Mary the Virgin, Robertsbridge 48 A simple book curse threatening hanging 49 A book curse praising scribes and damning thieves 50 The book curse of Newark Priory 51 Late Medieval Book Curses 53 A book curse in a manuscript containing volvelles 55 John Wryghtson''s book curse 56 The Gonville & Caius College book curse 57 A book curse threatening illness in this life and eternal damnation in the next 59 The book curse of William Wymondham 61 Pookefart''s book curse 62 William Bentley''s book curse invoking the Virgin Mary 63 A book curse inscribed in a chained book 64 A book curse that threatens hanging in two ways 66 John Hancok''s book curse 67 Eleanor Worcester''s book curse 68 John Twychener''s book curse 69 A missing book curse 70 John Audelay''s book curse 71 A book curse invoking God, Mary and all the saints 73 A book curse in a manuscript of Chaucer''s Troilus and Criseyde 74 Agnes Lyell''s book curse 75 The two book curses of St Aldate''s Church, Gloucester 76 The two book curses of St Albans students attending Gloucester College, Oxford 77 A book curse threatening different punishments for thieving men and thieving women 78 The book curse of Petrus Leo Ortinus 79 A book curse in a music book for royalty 80 Dorothy Helbarton''s book curse 81 William Hok''s skin-rotting book curse 82 Hugh of Wollaston''s book curse 83 Early Modern Book Curses 85 An early modern book curse written in a late medieval manuscript 87 The University of Cambridge book curse 88 A Scots book curse written in an incunabulum 89 John Barclay''s book curse, written in a medical book 90 A book curse with the name scratched out 91 Robert Herrick''s ''To Momus'' 92 Jean Gemel''s book curse 93 Gerard Cooper''s book curse 94 Mary Fearman''s book curse, written in a book of fairy tales 95 Elizabeth Parsons'' book curse 96 A curse in a book of chemistry lectures 97 Henry Pigot''s book curse 98 Modern Book Curses 99 John Clare''s book curse 101 David H. Hooper''s brain-beating book curse 102 Mary Lucretia Shelton''s book curse 103 A Newgate Gaol book curse 104 Edmund Lester Pearson''s hoax book curse 105 C.J. Peacock''s bookplate curse 106 Jenny''s journal book curse in Crome Yellow 107 Frank Barker''s book curse in Emily of New Moon 108 A cowboy''s bookplate curse 109 Malcolm M. Ferguson''s bookplate curse 110 John Simpson''s bookplate curse 111 Select Bibliography 112 SOURCES 114.