The heliocentric model of Aristarchus of Samos

MERSENNE, Marin.

Novarum observationum physico-mathematicarum fr. Marinii Mersenni tomus III. quibus accessit Aristarchus Samius de mundi systemate.

Paris: Antonii Bertier, 1647.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #001986

4to (230 x 171 mm). [32], 62, [2], 63-235, [3] pp. Woodcut vignette to title, several woodcut diagrams, head-pieces and initials in text. Errata on leaves 2G3v and 2G4r; [2] pp. containing an index to Aristarchus inserted following p. 62. Divisional half-title page "Aristarchii Samii De mundi systemate ... Adiectae sunt AE.P. de Roberual ... notae ... Editio secunda correctior" on leaf õ3r. 18th-c mottled calf with 5 raised bands gilt in compartments (extremities and boards rubbed, corners bumped and chipped, old shelf mark paper label to spine), red-dyed edges. Title page soiled and browned with erased stamp (paper restored) and shelf number A.142.4 in ink, text only mildly toned throughout, small dampstaining to upper corner. A fine copy. ----

Brunet III, 1662; Sotheran II, 11782; Honeyman 2217; Sotheby's Macclesfield Cat. V, 1374. - The very rare supplement in first edition to Mersenne's Cogitata physico-mathematica and Universae geometriae mixtaeque mathematicae synopsis, which form vols. 1 and 2 of the series published in 1644. This 3rd volume is a collection of essays concerning mechanics, pneumatics, hydrostatics, navigation, the techniques for establishing weights and measures and an examination of Aristarchus' heliocentric theory. As one of the most fascinating intellectual figures of the seventeenth century, Mersenne is well known for his relationships with many outstanding contemporary scholars as well as for his friendship with Descartes. Moreover, his own contributions to natural philosophy have an interest of their own. Mersenne worked on the main scientific questions debated in his time, such as the law of free fall, the principles of Galileo's mechanics, the law of refraction, the propagation of light, the vacuum problem, the hydrostatic paradox, and the Copernican hypothesis. Mersenne contributed to spread Galileo's writings in France as well as the ideas of thinkers such as Hobbes and Roberval. He dealt with almost every one of the mixed and pure mathematical sciences and first collected a number of treatises on geometry and mixed mathematics in the two editions of his Synopsis (Synopsis Mathematica, 1626; Universae geometriae synopsis, 1644). He composed several treatises on music (Traité de l'harmonie universelle, 1627; Questions harmoniques, 1634; Les preludes de l'harmonie universelle, 1634; Harmonie universelle, 1636; Harmonicorum libri XII, 1648) and optics (De Natura lucis, 1623; Opticae, 1644; L'Optique et la catoptrique, 1651). (Malet and Cozzoli, Mersenne and Mixed Mathematics, 2010, pp.1-8). Whereas the first two volumes of this series are fairly well represented in libraries, this third volume is of considerable rarity. Only one copy of this volume has appeared at auction in the past 30 years (the Macclesfield copy).

Price: 8,600 €  *  convert currency