July 2016
Antiquariat
Michael Kühn
Berlin
Science Medicine History of Ideas
Erdmannstr. 11 · 10827 Berlin · Germany
Telefon 0049 · (0)30 · 86 39 69 34
Fax 0049 · (0)30 · 86 39 69 55
[email protected]
www.kuehn-books.de
Thorp’s Copy of the First & Second Edition
Newton, Isaac.
Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Translated into
English, and illustrated with a commentary, by Robert Thorp, M. A.
Volume the First [all published]. London: Printed for W. Strahan;
and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1777. Quarto. pp. [10], xv-lviii, (ii),
360: pp. (and)
Newton, Isaac. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy ...
translated into English and illustrated with a Commentary by Robert
Thorp, D.D., Archdeacon of Northumberland. London: T. Cadell
Jun. & W. Davies, 1802. Second edition, Quarto. [4], xv-lviii, [2],
360 pp., with 22 folding engraved plates,. Uniformly bound in early
19th century half calf lettered in gilt „Thorp‘s Newton“, spine gilt.
EUR 12.000.-
Extensively annotated by the Editor & translator
ROBERT THORP in the margins with diagrams.
First and second edition of the second translation into
English of Newton’s Principia, although only the first
volume was published. Thorp’s translation, “though
based on Motte’s edition of 1729, is considered by
Cohen (Newton, 1969, p. iv) to be ‘notably improved
and amended’. Further, he declared, for anyone wishing
to follow Newton’s reasoning and ‘to comprehend this
great treatise on its own terms, there is no better work
… available in English’.” (Gjertsen, The Newton Handbook). The first edition is quite rare; it was reissued in
1802, which is also present. The translator Robert
Thorp‘s copy, with his name on title.
bound without the plates (but present in the reissued
second edition). The translator‘s own extensively annotated edition of his translation of volume I of Newton‘s
Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.
Robert Thorp (1736-1812) attended Durham School
and Peterhouse College, Cambridge, obtaining a B.
A. as Senior Wrangler in 1758 and an M.A. in 1761.
In 1768 he succeeded his father Thomas Thorp
(1699–1767) as rector of Chillingham; in 1782 he
became rector of Gateshead; in 1792 Archdeacon of
Northumberland. In 1795, he became rector of Ryton,
and was a founder of Durham University. As well his
translation of Newton he was the author of „Excerpta
quaedam e Newtoni Principiis Philosophiae Naturalis“
(1765). The Second Edition has an identical „Introduction by the Editor“, Preface, Latin verse by Edmund
Halley, Index leaf and text to the first edition. None of
the manuscript corrections and notes made by Robert
Thorp to his copy of the first edition have been incorporated into the second edition, nor have the errors listed
on the verso of the Index leaf been corrected by the
printer. Apart from a new title-page the second edition
differs from the first in that it lacks the dedication leaf
to the Duke of Northumberland and the 4pp. list of
Subscribers, and has a new leaf, 2 pp. „Advertisement“,
undated, immediately following the title-page. Thorp
was one of the three editors of the Excerpta published
in 1765.- Wallis 28. Gray 28. Not in Babson.
Provenance: Robert Thorp, inscribed on title; R.
Fenwick Thorp, 1904 from W. T. Thorp, inscription on
end-paper to descendent to current owner.
America and Asia still united
Myritius, Jo(h)annes.
Opvscvlvm geographicvm rarvm, totivs eivs negotii
rationem, mira indvstria et brevitate complectens,
iam recens ex diversorvm libris ac chartis, summa cura
ac diligentia collectum & publicatum.- Ingolstadt,
Wolfgang Eder, 1590. Folio. 1 Bll., 130 pp. with fold.
map. In a contemporary vellum binding made with
parts of a 15th-century missal mss., waterstained and
wormed, some slight damage to spine, lacking the 4
ties. Lacking all dedication leaves (= A2 & A3 with the
dedicatory epistles & a full-page heraldic woodcut, and
pp. 131-136 with the portrait and another full-page
heraldic woodcut, the penultimate leave with colophon
and printer‘s device, and the final blank), but the text
is complete with all movable parts and the folding
map. The folding plate (to B3) with the volvelle parts is
here cut out and mounted. Some slight browning and
foxing, slightly waterstained and little worming to the
beginning, else fine.
EUR 5.500.-
Exceedingly rare geographical work with numerous
woodcuts, volvelles and the world map, but lacking all
the dedication leaves although in a contemporary first
binding. Maybe an early issue or a later issue where the
dedicatee has been disappointed about the dedication
or content.
„The author was a Maltese by birth, but resided at
Ratisbon as a commander of the order of St. John. He
seems to have been one of the latest geographers who,
in order to reconcile the new discoveries (of Columbus
et al.) with the original theories, calls the northwestern
portion of America, India Orientalis, and places no
ocean between the continents of Asia and America.
Chapters XX. and XXI. relate to the New World.“ (Sabin).
“Myritius has been described as perhaps the last of the
geographers to accept without question the connection of North America with Asia”
The connection of Asia and America is most prevalent
on earlier Italian Gastaldi-type world maps, and Shirley
notes that the choice of place names on the Myritius
also points to reliance on an Italian rather than a Dutch
source. Also of significance: “in the extreme south on
the map, we now see something new – an imaginary
continent stretching across the pole. Mercator believed
a continent would be found there and his theory was blindingly accepted and duplicated on maps for over 100
years” Published in Ingolstadt Germany in 1590, this
handsome oval map is surrounded by sixteen cheru- bic
windheads inside of a heavy decorative outer border.
„Merkwürdigerweise folgt der deutsche Geograph
Myritius in seinem stark vereinfachten geographischen
Bild nicht den in zahlreichen Karten dokumentierten
neueren Kenntnissen über die Trennung von Asien und
Amerika sowie die Gliederung Nordamerikas durch die
Nordwestpassage“ (America. Das frühe Bild der Neu-en
Welt. Ausstellung d. BSB München. 1992, Nr. 102 mit
Abb.).
VD 16, M 7470; Brown I, 323 f.; Brown, European
Americana 590/48; Muller 1026; Nordenskiöld 90
u. Taf. 49; Sabin 51650; Shirley 175 u. Abb. 142; STC
641; Stalla 1076; nicht bei Adams, Church u. Houzeau
/ L.; Arkway 45,23; Portraits of The World, 7, pp. 10-11.
Before the Lunar Globe
Gaudibert, Casimir Marie & Flammarion, Camille.
Carte générale de la lune dressée sous la direction de Camille Flammarion par C. M. Gaudibert, dessinée par Léon Fenet.- Paris, E.
Bertaux, 1887. Cut down in 20 sections mounted on canvas and
folded, forming together a map of 113 x 87 cm. No folder. A few stains
in upper part (text) of the map. Overall fine.
EUR 4.500.-
Very rare lithographed wall map of the near side of the moon based on telescopic drawings
noted for their accuracy, drawn by astronomer & selenographer Casimir Gaudibert (1823-1901)
under the direction of the famous astronomer Camille Flammarion, founder in 1883 of the
Observatory of Juvisy - sur - Orge, and designed by Leon Fenet. The extremely detailed map,
made after his own drawings, figure all lunar reliefs, craters, mountain ranges, including the
famous Sea of ​​Tranquility. Long descriptions lists the 509 lunar craters, all bearing famous names with longitude for each. In 1896 Gaudibert realized a lunar globe from the same map and
published in very few copies also by Emile Bertaux. Gaudibert moved to Belgium where he was
a preacher involved with L’ Église missionnaire but was evicted from his pulpit because some of
his teaching was considered as unacceptable. From then on he was a teacher in the Plymouth
Brethren assemblies in Belgium. (T C F Stunt).- Sheehan/ Dobbins. Epic Moon. A history of lunar
exploration, pp. 197/198.
Understanding Water Flow
Michelotti, Francesco Domenico.
Hydrauliche Versuche zur Begründung und Beförderung der Theorie
und Practik. Nebst einem Anhange, welcher die neuesten Turiner
Versuche von Joseph Terese (Giuseppe Teresio) Michelotti enthält. Aus dem Italienischen übersetzt von C. G. Zimmermann. Mit
Anmerkungen begleitet von J. A. Eytelwein. Mit IV Kupfertafeln.Berlin, Realschulbuchhandlung, 1808. Quarto. (245 x 200 mm)
XXIV, 253 pp., (3, incl. Errata) with 4 large folded engraved plates.
Contemporary calf, gilt spine in compartments, rubbed and soiled,
lettering piece missing, gilt printed monogram (P.v.H.). Gilt rulled
borders on cover, red edges, monogram stamp on title-page. Very
fresh & clean copy.
EUR 1.800.Rare first german edition of a classical text in hydrodynamics, incl. various hydraulic experiments conducted by Francesco Domenico Michelotti (1710–1777)
and his son Giuseppe Teresio Michelotti with commentaries by Johann Albert Eytelwein (1764–1849) known
for his hydraulic and structural mechanics work. First
published in 1767–1771 in Turino as „Sperimenti
idraulici principalmente diretti a confermare la teorica
e facilitare la pratica del misurare le acque correnti“
(and by his son in 1784 in a journal), this here is a
german edition, with commentary by Johann Albrecht
Eytelwein (1764–1848) who’s career paralleled that of
Prony in both interest and practical accomplishments,
including the formulation of water resistance relationships. From the 1760’s onwards Turin had an important
scientific and technological structure or research site,
the Stabilimento delle esperienze idrauliche at Parella,
designed by the University professor of hydraulics,
Francesco Domenico Michelotti (1710–1777). The
center of the site was a tower seven meters high that
permitted observations and measures on several phenomena interesting for a rational control of irrigation. The
laboratory gained european fame. Provenance: „P.v.H.“
(= Peter von Holstein ?).- Rouse, Historical writings no.
181; Roberts/Trent 225 (only vol. 1 of the italian edition); Pogg. II, 146; for italian ed.: Olschki, Choix, 7363.
Robert & Trent, Bibliotheca Mechanica, p. 225; De Vitry,
601; Zeitlinger, n. 11830
Helmholtz’s copy
Kirchhoff, Gustav Robert.
Vorlesungen über mathematische Physik. Band 1: Mechanik; Band 2:
Vorlesungen über mathematische Optik; Band 3: Vorlesungen über
Electricität und Magnetismus; Band 4: Vorlesungen über die Theorie
der Wärme.- Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1876, 1891, 1891, 1894. 8°. IX,
466 pp.; VIII, 272 pp.; X, 228 pp.; X, 210 pp. Volume 1 in half calf,
then publisher’s cloth with original wrappers bound in. Wrappers with
dedication by the editors (Kurt Hensel, Max Planck) to Helmholtz.
Wrappers with more than one stamp and discarding signs.
EUR 2.400.A very fine, association set, volumes 2 to 4 each signed
by the editor (Kurt Hensel, Max Planck) to Hermann
von Helmholtz on the original wrappers.
„The excellence of Kirchhoff as a teacher can be inferred
from the printed text of his lectures (he managed to publish only those on mechanics, the others being edited
posthumously). They set a standard for the teaching of
classical theoretical physics in German universities, at
a time when they were taking a leading position in the
development of science.“ (L. Rosenfeld)
Kirchhoff’s major contribution to physics was his experimental discovery and theoretical analysis in 1859 of
a fundamental law of electromagnetic radiation: for all
material bodies, the ratio of absorptive and emissive
power for such radiation is a universal function of
wavelength and temperature. Kirchhoff made this
discovery in the course of investigating the optical
spectra of chemical elements, by which, in collaboration
with Bunsen, he laid the foundation of the method of
spectral analysis (1860). Outstanding among his other
contributions were his early work on electrical currents
(1845-1849) and on the propagation of electricity
in conductors (1857). A master in the mathematical
analysis of the phenomena, he insisted on the clear-cut
logical formulation of physical concepts and relations,
directly based on observation and leading to coherent
systems free of hypothetical elements. His teaching had
a considerable influence on the development in Germany of a flourishing school of theoretical physics during
the first three decades of the twentieth century.
A Turning Point
for Women in Science
Kirch, Maria Margaretha.
Vorbereitung, zur grossen Opposition, oder merckwürdige Himmels - Gestalt im 1712. Jahre, worauf im
folgenden 1713. Jahre Christi, der Genaudreyfache
Gegen - Standt Saturni und Jovis folget. Woraus hier
ei-nige Anmerckungen abgefasset, was öffters bey
dergleichen Oppositionibus hat pflegen zu geschehen.
Zu einer Auffmunterung, desto eher und mehr den gestirnten Himmel zu betrachten, ob vielleicht in diesem
Jahre ein neuer Comet, daran erscheinen möchte….Cölln an der Spree (Berlin): druckts Ulrich Liebpert,
(1712). Quarto. (200 x 160 mm) 24 pp. with one engraved copper-plate (star map). Modern boards period
style, little browned and spotted throughout, but overall
a fine copy. EUR 4.200.-
Exceedingly rare & only edition, an invitation to
observe the sky: to discover comets and to look at an
opposition of Jupiter and Saturn which will occur; with
the rare engraved star map often wanting.
with her husband and later her son, Maria Margaretha
Kirch also carried out astronomical and meteorological
observations. She became well known as one of the
discoverers of a comet in 1702.
Probably printed on cost of Maria Kirch (born
Winkelmann) (here: Maria Margaretha Winckelmann,
verwitweten Kirchinn, der Astronomie und Astrologie
ergebenen in Berlin) as a recommendation of here
astronomical skills and to support the appointment of a
job as astronomer at the Berlin Academy of Sciences.
„Maria Margaretha Kirch, born Winkelmann (1670–
1720) was one of the very few women active in
astronomy around 1700. She was the second wife of
the astronomer Gottfried Kirch, who was probably the
most prominent german astronomer around 1700.
While mainly engaged in calculating calendars, together
After her husband death (1710), it was clear to Maria
Margaretha that she had no chance to replace her
husband in the official position of the astronomo
ordinario at the Berlin Academy of Sciences. She asked,
however for a minor position in order to continue her
work for the calendar, but in 1712, all her requests
were finally rejected, although the president of the
Academy, Gottfried Leibniz, expressed explicitly his
admiration for her astronomical skills. In October Maria
Margaretha moved with her children to the private
observatory of Baron Bernhard Friedrich von Krosigk at
Berlin. There she carried out astronomical observations
and continued her calendar work, which was published
in Breslau and Nuremberg. After Krosigks death in
1714 she moved to Danzig and reorganized and used
the observatory of the deceased astronomer Johannes
Hevelius. In 1716 she returned to Berlin where her son
was appointed astronomer.“ (Roland Wielen)
Pogg. I, 1258; not in Brüning; DSB VII, 373-374
(Multhauf); BEA I, 638-640 (Roland Wielen); Londa
Schiebinger. Maria Winkelmann at the Berlin Academy:
A Turning point for women in science; in: ISIS 78
(1987), pp. 174-200.
KVK: Dt. Museum, München and Univ. Münster (both
without plate ?); not in COPAC or OCLC.
Max & Maurice (Moritz) –
Two Orang-Utans on Show in 1893
Delisle, F.
Notes sur l’osteometrie et la craniologie des OrangOutans. Extracted from Nouvelles Archives de Museum
d‘histoire naturelle. 1895, 3. série, tome. VII.- Paris,
1895. Quarto (305 x 241 mm) pp. (83)-114 with four
text woodcuts and two chromolithographed plates by
A. Millot (Lit. Lemercier) showing Max and Maurice.
Contemporary calf backed marbled boards, spine ruled
and lettered in gilt.
EUR 4.500.-
An Extra Illustrated volume with 22 engravings, lithographs, half-tones and especially 9 mounted original
albumen photographs by an unknown photographer
showing the two orang-utans (living and as stuffed
animals) with zookeeper and later with taxidermist
(?), which fascinated the Parisian public and it is said
that they had more than 100.000 visitors in 1893.
They were brought from Borneo to Europe and people
could visit them in Antwerp, Bruxelles and Paris. Within
a year they died from stress and pneumonia. Ernst
Pinkert from Leipzig Zoological Gardens eventually
bought them but they never reached German borders.
Especially the photographs are rare to find.
It could be that this book is the copy of the artist
Adolphe Philippe Millot (1857–1921) who used for
his images of the two orang-utans in chromolithograph detailed descriptions of the behavior of the
living apes, photographs of the stuffed animals, and
wax models produced after their life. Adolphe Philippe
Millot, a french painter, lithographer and entomologist,
illustrated many of the natural history sections of Petit
Larousse (an encyclopedia), and he was the senior illustrator at the Museum national d’histoire naturelle He
was a member of the Societe entomologique de France.
The word orangutan (also written orang-utan, orang
utan and orangutang) is derived from the Malay and
Indonesian words orang meaning „person“ and hutan
meaning „forest“, thus „person of the forest“. The word
was first attested in English in 1691 in the form orangoutang. The name of the genus, Pongo, comes from
a 16th century account by Andrew Battell, an English
sailor held prisoner by the Portuguese in Angola, which
describes two anthropoid „monsters“ named Pongo
and Engeco. It is now believed that he was describing
gorillas, but in the late 18th century it was believed
that all great apes were orangutans; hence Lacépède‘s
use of Pongo for the genus. For four centuries, people
have looked in wonder at the resemblance of orangutans to human beings. Many have considered whether
orangutans should be recognized as humans, while
others have been determined to assert that they are
not. In the process, we have been forced to examine
and re-examine our idea of what constitutes humanness. Rousseau thought that orangutans could take part
in Parisian society if only they could be got out of the
jungle, but other thinkers saw them as representing
primaeval savagery that real humans had risen above.
As the Empress of France, Josephine , the wife of Napoleon was extremely perceptive to the status that exotic
pets bring. One of her favorite among her menagerie
was a female Orangutan named Rose.The Orangutan
was allowed to attend meals with party guests and
even share a bed with the Bonaparte couple.
One of the Founders of Astrophotography
and Modern Solar Physics
Janssen, Jules.
Annales de l’ Observatoire d’ astronomie physique de Paris sis Parc de
Meudon, publié par M. J. Janssen. Tome I.- Paris: Gauthier-Villars
et fils, 1896 - 1910. quarto (280 x 220 mm) (4), 122 pp., (2) with 9
photogravure plates (hel. Dujardin) showing the observatory and 12
original mounted photographs (230 x 170 mm) showing the grainy
surface of the sun. Original publisher’s printed papercard boards,
little rubbed & dust-soiled, little spotted inside, else a fine association
copy.
EUR 6.500.-
Description of the observatory of Meudon and an essay
on the photography of the sun: „Mémoire sur la photographie solaire“ with spectacular original mounted
photographs of the grainy surface of the sun which
were also partly later issued in his „Atlas de photographies solaires (1904). With handwritten dedication by
Janssen: „à Mon cher et éminent confrère le Dr. Potain
souvenir affectueux J. Janssen“.
First photographs of the sun surface made by Pierre M.
Arents and Louis Pasteur.
The french solar astronomer, Pierre Jules César
Janssen (1824–1907) discovered that it is possible to
see prominences beyond the limb of the sun without
waiting for an eclipse and demonstrated that some features in the solar spectrum are actually caused by gases
in the earth’s atmosphere. Jannsen’s device for imaging
solar prominences was a prototype of the spectrohelioscope. It was left to George Hale to add photographic
plates to produce the first spectroheliograph, but Jans-
sen invented other photographic devices, including an
„astronomical revolver“ permitting many short images
to be taken in quick succession. The french government agreed to Janssen choice of Meudon (an old royal
domain that otherwise would have been divided up for
housing) as a site for a new solar observatory in 1874.
At the physical observatory of astronomy of Meudon,
the celestial service of photography created by Jules
Janssen in 1876 undertook a systematic study of the
solar surface. Those principal results were published
between 1896 and 1910 and in the astonis-hing Atlas
de photographies solaires (1904), which illustrated the
precise granulations of the surface of the sun. The quality of the images, which resolved granulation as fine
as 1’’ was not bettered until the 1950’s. (Raymonde
Barthalot)
With the 5.5-inch solar telescope of the Meudon
Observatory made by Adam Prazmowski Janssen and
his collaborators made some 6.000 photos of the sun
during the period of 1876 to 1903. These photos are
the base of Janssen’ monumental work: L’ Atlas de
photographies solaire, published in 1904. Of the 6000
glass plates only seven (!) survived (Launay, 2012. pp.
119). In 1877 Janssen used this telescope to take a
photograph of the solar photosphere which for the first
time showed clearly the granular nature of the sun’s
sur-face.
„Janssen travaille alors beaucoup avec son photographe
Pierre Marie Arents (et Louis Pasteur) pour utilisier
au mieux la si précieuse photographie.“ (Francoise
Launay. Jules Jannsen et la photographie; in: Dans le
champ des étoiles, pp. 26); Canguilhem. Le merveilleux
scientifique. Photographies… 1844-1918. photo 58 (pp.
76), Dans le champ des étoiles. Les photographes et le
ciel, 1850-2000. photo 47a+b, 48a+b; Encyclo-pedia
of Nineteenth-Century Photography edited by John
Hannavy, pp. 91; Stefan Hughes. Catchers of the Light.
III. 3.6., 3.7. pp. 269 ff. BEA I, 588-89; DSB VII, 73-78.
A Technical Journey
Furttenbach, Johann.
Newes Itinerarium Italiae: in welchem der Reisende nicht allein
gründtlichen Bericht, durch die herrlichste namhaffteste Örter Italiae
sein Reiß wol zu bestellen: sonder es wirdt ihme auch gantz eygentlich
beschrieben, was allda, als in einem Lustgarten di Europa ... denckwürdig zu sehen. Ulm, J. Saur, 1627. SquareQuarto (165 x 200 mm).
18 Bll., 259 pp. with engraved title border, folded engraved map and
29 text engravings. Contemporary vellum with black printed vignettes on cover, covers little bowed. Inside fine, the map restored at one
corner. Ex Libris on inner front cover.
EUR 4.900.First edition of Faulhaber early „Baedeker“ or „Michelin“ (tourist guide) to Italy’s most interesting sites
written from his own experiences in the country. Joseph
Furttenbach the Elder (1591–1667) was a german
ar-chitect, mathematician and engineer. From 1607/08
to 1620 he stayed in Italy (especially in Milan, Genoa
and Florence). There he did an apprenticeship as a
merchant under the supervision of his uncles. Moreover
he studied engineering, military architecture and
grew an interest in theatre and stage design while
abroad. Through his travels he made detailed accounts
of buildings that interested him as well as interesting
tech-nical object and engineering projects, as well as
festivals, processions and dramatic performances. After
his stay in Italy, he moved back to Germany and settled
in Ulm. There, he had a successful career as an architect
and universal engineer. He designs included a hospital,
a waterworks system, a schoolhouse, a theatre, and
homes. He was eventually named city architect of Ulm,
wrote many books, and served on the city council. His
cabinet of curiosities was one of the most famous in
Germany. A pious Lutheran, Furttenbach was at the
same time an important cultural broker between Baroque Italy and Southern Germany.- VD 17 3:300308R;
Ornamentstichkat. Bln. 2659; Tresoldi 23. „Ein Bädeker
des 17. Jahrhunderts“ (ADB VIII, 250).
Magnetism and Electrical Repulsion
Cabeo, Niccolò.
Philosophia magnetica, in qva magnetis natvra penitvs explicatvr, et
omnivm qvae hoc lapide cernuntur, causae propriae asseruntur: nova
etiam praxis constrvitvr, quae propriam poli eleuationem, cum suo
meridiano, vbique demonstrat, mvlta qvoqve dicvntvr de eletricis, &
alijs attractionibus, & eorum causis.- Cologne: Johann Kinck, 1629.
Folio. (2), 7 Bll., 412 pp., 6 Bll. Index with 4 engravings and around
150 text woodcuts, title with printers mark & engraved borders
(Ferrara, Franciscus Succius, 1629) Contemporary blind-tooled
pigskin over wooden boards with two clasps, some slight wear,
remains of old glued-on paper covers, lacking front endpaper, blue edges, hardly any browning or foxing, some
occasional light waterstaining to upper edge, owner‘s
entry to title-page erased.
EUR 8.000.-
First edition, Cologne Issue, of the First Work to
discuss electrical repulsion, „perhaps the most significant discovery of the century following Gilbert“.
„On p. 194 of this famous work of the great Italian Jesuit
will be found the first recognition of electrical repulsion.
Gilbert’s discoveries and theories are freely discussed,
the latter often adversely. Sympathetic telegraphy
disproved (page 301); magnetic field mapped out by
iron filings; also diagrams of the magnetic (lover’s)
telegraph. Cabeo opposed the views of Copernicus on
astronomy, as well as those of Gilbert on terrestrial
magnetism. Copies of this first edition are much sought
after.“ (Wheeler Gift).
„An important work on the loadstone... is the second
Latin book published on electricity.“ (Mottelay).
The Cologne issue adds a new typographic titlepage and resets the dedication leaf (conjugate leaf)
beginning „Ludovico XIII“ [see Wellcome description].
The Papal arms which were at the top of the engraved
title-page are replaced with the Jesuit emblem and
the last line of the title beginning with „multa quoque
dicuntur.“ has been added. It seems fairly obvious that
Succi printed two variants of the book, one intended
for the German trade; the paper of the book is distinctly
a superior Italian printing on fine paper except for the
added leaves which are on the typically browned paper
of seventeenth century German books. Probably Kinkius
printed these two leaves and sent them to Italy to be
added to his issue of the book.
Niccolò Cabeo (1586–1650) was an Italian jesuit
philosopher, engineer and mathematician, who taught
mathemativs in Parma , then in 1622 he became a
preacher. For a time he received patronage of the
Dukes of Mantua and the Este in Ferrara. During this
time he was involved in hydraulics projects. He would
later return to teach mathematics again in Genoa, the
city where he would die in 1650. He is noted for his
contributions to physics experiments and observations.
He observed the experiments of Giovanni Battista
Baliani regarding falling objects, and he wrote about
these experiments noting that two different objects fall
in the same amount of time regardless of the medium.
He also performed experiments with pendulums and
observed that an electrically charged body can attract
non-electrified objects. He also noted that two charged
objects repelled each other.
His observations were published in the works,
Philosophia magnetica (1629) and In quatuor libros
meteorologicorum Aristotelis commentaria (1646). The
first of these works examined the cause of the Earth’s
magnetism and was devoted to a study of the work
of William Gilbert. Cabeo thought the Earth immobile,
and so did not accept its motion as the cause of the
magnetic field. Cabeo described electrical attraction in
terms of electrical effluvia, released by rubbing certain
materials together. These effluvia pushed into the
surrounding air displacing it. When the air returned to
its original location, it carried light bodies along with
it making them move towards the attractive material.
Both Accademia del Cimento and Robert Boyle performed experiments with vacuums in attempts to confirm
or refute Cabeo‘s ideas.
Cabeo also discussed the theory of water flow proposed
by Galileo‘s student, Benedetto Castelli. He and Castelli
were involved over a dispute in northern Italy about
the rerouting of the Reno River. The people of Ferrara
were on one side of the dispute and Cabeo was their
advocate. Castelli favored the other side of the dispute
and was acting as an agent of the Pope, Urban VIII.
- De Backer II, 483, 1; Ferguson I, 136; Honeyman 561;
Mottelay 109f.; Wellcome I, 1171a; Wheeler Gift 97;
vgl. Poggend. I, 355 u. Riccardi I, 205.