Milestones of Science Books

FLUDD, Robert.

Philosophia sacra et vere Christiana seu Meteorologia cosmica / Tomi secundi, tractatus secundus. De praeternaturali utriusque mundi historia... / Veritatis proscenium, in quo aulaeum erroris tragicum dimovetur... seu demonstratio quaedam analytica, in qua cuilibet comparationis particulae, in appendice quadam a Joanne Kepplero, nuper in fine Harmoniae edita / Anatomiae amphitheatrum effigie triplici, more et conditione varia designatum.

Frankfurt am Main: de Bry, 1621.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #003455

I. Philosophia sacra et vere Christiana seu Meteorologia cosmica. Frankfurt: de Bry, 1626. [6] (of [8]), 303 [1] pp. Signatures: ):(⁴ A-2P⁴. Title with engraved frame, author's portrait by M. Merian on ):(2 verso, 1 folding engraved plate and 28 engraved text illustrations and diagrams, lacking the final preliminary leaf ):(4. Engr. on p. 215 slightly shave at bottom. [Bound with:] II. Tomi secundi, tractatus secundus. De praeternaturali utriusque mundi historia... Frankfurt: E. Kempfer for J. T. de Bry, 1621. [12], 199 [1] pp. Signatures: A-R⁶ S⁴. Title with engraved device, 1 folding engraved plate and 6 (2 full-page) text illustrations, lacking gathering O (pp. 145-156, never bound in). Several leaves heavily browned. [Bound with:] III. Veritatis proscenium, in quo aulaeum erroris tragicum dimovetur... seu demonstratio quaedam analytica, in qua cuilibet comparationis particulae, in appendice quadam a Joanne Kepplero, nuper in fine Harmoniae edita. Frankfurt: E. Kempffer for J. T. de Bry, 1621. 54 pp. Signatures: A-D⁶ E⁴ (-E4). Title with woodcut device, woocut initial, headpiece and text diagram, bound without final blank leaf E4. Several leaves heavily browned. [Bound with:] IV. Anatomiae amphitheatrum effigie triplici, more et conditione varia designatum. Frankfurt: J. T. de Bry, 1623. Two parts. [4], 331 [1] pp. Engraved title-page with engr. portrait of de Bry on verso, additional letterpress title-page "Sectionis primae portio tertia de anatomia triplici," second part with separate title on p.287, Monochordum mundi symphoniacum, several engraved and woodcut text illustrations and diagrams, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces. Bound without the double-page engraved plate "Deus est omne quod est" found in only a few copies. Signatures: [pi]² A-2D⁶ 2E⁴. Folio (310 x 215 mm). Bound in contemporary vellum, spine lettered in manuscript (soiled and spotted, vellum over spine repaired partly affecting the handlettering).
I. VD 17 23:233326K; Wellcome I, 2329; Cushing F222; Gardner 226 ("Contains a fine portrait of our author"); Houzeau-L. 2969; Zinner 5029; Wüthrich I, 638 u. II, 63. FIRST EDITION. In addition to the beautiful title border and the portrait, Merian is also likely to have etched the coppers on pp. 174, 267 (cardinal points), 283, 299 and 297 (after Wüthrich).
II. VD 17 23:233309U; NLM/Krivatsy 4144; Wüthrich II, 66 (S. 83). - FIRST EDITION of the exceptionally rare second part of volume two of Fludd's masterpice, the "Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris."
III. VD 17 23:233313E; NLM/Krivatsy 4145; Wellcome I, 2327; Gardner 222; Houzeau-L. 2967; DSB V, 48; Caspar, Kepler p. 87. - RARE FIRST EDITION of Fludd's response to Kepler's criticism Pro suo Opere Harmonices Mundi Apologia (1622). "Contains a fine criticism of Kepler's attack on him in 1619" (Gardner). In an appendix to his Harmonices Mundi, Kepler had briefly commented on the first volume of Fludd's Utriusque Cosmi in which the author argues about the musical harmonies which Kepler in his third Book of his Harmonices had extensively treated. Kepler states that there is an 'immane discrimen' between himself and the Englishman. Fludd, irritated by Kepler's brief, factual criticism, immediately wrote a fairly extensive counter-script. The bombastic title of which characterizes the man's writing. (Casper, p. 87). "The contrast between the two men in this dispute does not only refer to individual questions of the theory of harmony, it is a fundamental one. Kepler was quite averse to the Kabbalistic aftermysticism and enthusiasm, which was very popular in his day and which Fludd was also attached to." (Casper, p. 88). "Of the controversies around Robert Fludd the most famous and important is that between Fludd and Kepler" (Yates p. 440).
IV. VD 17 23:233320P; NLM/Krivatsy 4135; Wellcome I, 2328; DSB V, 48; Wüthrich II, 62. - RARE FIRST EDITION. "Fludd described both the scientific and the mystical anatomy of the body... this mystical description of the circulation of the blood was presented in his 'Anatomiae'. Yet Fludd was a trained anatomist and had watched Harvey carry out dissections at the Royal College of Physicians" (DSB).

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