Milestones of Science Books

APIAN, Peter [APIANUS, Petrus].

Ein newe und wolgegrundte underweysung aller Kauffmans Rechnung in dreien buchern mit schönen Regeln und fragstucken begriffen. Auffs new durchaus ubersehen.

Leipzig: M. Blum, 1543.

4th Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #004015

1543 (Kolophon: 1544). 8vo (151 x 97 mm). 207 (of 208) unnumbered leaves (lacking final blank c8 only), text with woodcut illustrations and diagrams. Signatures: A-Z⁸ a-c⁸ (-c8). Page numbers added in pencil. Contemporary, richly blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards by workshop Urban Köblitz, Leipzig (Einbanddatenbank 133646m), with blind-stamped center plates showing Martin Luther on upper board and Melchanchthon on lower board respectively, each with Latin label, original brass clasps present, catches gone (wear to extremities, head of spine chipped, small defect in leather over spine, surface dust-soiled and with ink smudges, endpapers removed, lower inner joint and wood of board broken but binding sound). Text somewhat browned with scattered light waterstains, ink-smudges, finger- and dust-soiling; final text leaf torn at upper gutter with loss of text. Provenance: numerous ownership inscriptions to pastedowns and title recto and verso; annotations and math in contemporary hand. Intensively used and yet fairly well preserved copy in highly interesting binding. ----

RARE FOURTH EDITION of what arguably can be regarded the most important commercial textbook in Germany in the early 16th century, written by the well-known mathematician and astronomer Peter Apian (1495-1552), "who was one of the few university professors of his time who gave instruction in arithmetic in the German language" (Smith, p.155). The book was first published in Ingolstadt in 1527, then in six further editions until 1579.
"Apianus follows Rudolff so closely as to give ground for comment. His arithmetic differs from the latter's chiefly in the arrangement of the matter. The work is largely commercial, and includes the fundamental operations and the ordinary rules and applications of the period. There is a chapter on counters at the end of the book. Indeed, Apianus advises their use, saying: 'die Sumering der Register durch die rechenpfening auff der lini brauchsamer ist dan durch die federn oder kreide.' The work is also interesting on account of its quaint illustrations. The title page [...] is noteworthy on account of the engraved 'Pascal triangle' a century before [Blaise] Pascal studied this numerical form, and some years before Stifel mentioned it, and because of the picture of line reckoning. I know of no example of the 'Pascal triangle' in print before this one, although the arrangement had doubtless long been more or less familiar to mathematicians" (Smith, p.155-6, for the first edition of 1527). For the content of the arithmetic book and its meritorious features in comparison to earlier works (arithmetic tests, cubic root extraction, divisio danda, Tolletrechnung and others), also see Cantor II, p.402f.
Bibliography: Index Aurel 106.436; Graesse I,159; VD 16, A 3097; Adams A 1298; Hoock/Jeannin A 7.4; Smith, Rara Arithmetica, p.155-57. Regarding the binding and portraits of Luther and Melanchthon, see Haebler I,255 II-III and Einbanddatenbank 133646m. The Latin label for the Luther plate reads "NOSSE*CVPIS*FACIEM LVT/THERI*HANOCERTA*BELLAM/SIMENTEM*LIBROS*CONSV." - Visit our website to see more images!

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