Beschreibung:

CARDANO, Girolamo (1501-1576). De rerum varietate libri xvii. Basel: Henricus Petrus, 1557 Rare first edition of Cardano’s second great encyclopedia of natural sciences: a continuation of his De Rerum Subtilitate . ‘The two works . . . contain a little of everything: from cosmology to the construction of machines; from the usefulness of natural sciences to the evil influence of demons; from the laws of mechanics to cryptology’ (DSB). In this work Cardano tackles issues of mechanics, hydrodynamics in particular, and geology, with contributions on botany, zoology, chemistry, metallurgy, etc. ‘Of special chemical interest is Book X, comprising one chapter on fire, a chapter on distillation with woodcuts of apparatus, and a chapter on chemistry. It finishes by a chapter on glass’ (Duveen). Editions published after 1557 underwent censorship, with passages excluded from print (Graesse II, p. 45). Duveen, p. 117; Caillet, 2022; Durling, 844; Wheeler Gift 45; Adams C-662 Folio (325 x 211mm). Woodcut portrait medallion of the author on titlepage (faint dampstaining at upper margin of a couple of central quires). Contemporary limp vellum, unlined, spine reinforced with vellum guard strip from a ?15th century chronicle in French (ties perished, some soiling). Provenance: Augsburg, Jesuit College (contemporary inscription on the title) - Augsburg, Katholische Studienfonds (19th-century circular stamp on the title).