Interesting manuscript of the most important French textbook of physics of the 17th century

ROHAULT, Jacques.

Traite de Physique.

1672.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002764

Traité de Physique. Not after 1672, not before 1671. BOUND MANUSCRIPT of the Standard work of the time in physics, created not more than one year after publication of the first book edition. 546 numbered text pages plus 6 pages of content list. The text ist not a word-by-word copy of Rohault's Traité. Devided in 4 chapters, it contains about 70% of the text of the print edition. Since Rohault's textbook was widely used by students of the time, it is likely that the manuscript was created as a teaching aid. It is written in black ink in a neat and accurate hand and contains several illustrations which are also found in the printed version. Bound in contemporary calf, spine with gilt-lettered label, marbled endpapers, old (18th century?) rebacking and leather reinforcement of corners, some rubbing of boards and extremities, single wormhole in upper board. A torn portion of the second leaf of contents is repaired with little loss of text. The text pages are lightly browned with occasional minor spotting and faint dampstaining to first leaves only. The final text leaf is stained and somewhat frayed at fore-margin. Provenance: D. A. Lemaigre (signed and dated 1672 on last page of contents), another (illegible) signature to the final page. Very good condition. ----

The French physicist Rohault was born in Amiens in 1620 and died in Paris in 1675. "In 1671, Jacques Rohault published his Traité de physique, a textbook on physics relying on his weekly conferences held in Paris. A good mathematician and at the same time a curious experimenter, Rohault was one of the main Cartesian figures of his time. Connected to Parisian philosophical circles, Rohault was deeply concerned with the reception of Descartes' philosophical views. He was associated with Claude Clerselier and he encouraged Pierre-Sylvain Régis to spread Cartesianism in Toulouse. Performing experiments and using instruments in his observations, allowed for a very good reception of Rohault's natural philosophy in the late seventeenth century. Thus, his textbook on physics was quickly translated and disseminated across Europe." (M.Dobre, Cartesian Empiricisms, pp. 203-226. In: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science book series, AUST, vol. 31).
Rohault strongly recommended the use of experiments, discussing them in detail in his textbook. It deals with every part of physics known in his time and he elaborates on optics, mathematical astronomy, the tides, the air, minerals and metals and one of the most important sections is devoted to electric and magnetic phenomena.
In 1672 Samuel Clarke translated Rohault's work as System of Natural Philosophy, which was used as a university textbook for more than half a century. With numerous editions, it gained an independent status through its annotations that purported to correct it with reference to the theories of Isaac Newton. - Visit our website for additional images and information.

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