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Jean-Sylvain BAILLY

Histoire de l'astronomie moderne depuis la fondation de l'école d'Alexandrie, jusqu'à l'époque de M.D.CC.XXX. [suivi de ] Histoire de l'astronomie ancienne, depuis son origine jusqu'à l'établissement de l'école d'Alexandrie

Chez De Bure fils aîné, à Paris 1781 - 1785, In-4 (20x25,7cm), xvj, 728pp. (13Pl.) et 751pp. (5Pl.) et (4) 415pp., 4 volumes reliés.

Second edition.
Binding full marbled and glossy brown calfskin. Back with ornate nerves. title label in red morocco, piece of tomaison in red morocco. Upper joint of volume I split in the lead. A hitch with lack on the lower joint at the level of the first box. Upper joint of volume II closely split in tail. Clever and sometimes almost invisible restorations on headdresses and bits. Title page of Ancient astronomy with a burnished margin. The volumes of modern astronomy are reduced from I to III, the volume of ancient astronomy does not carry a volume.

The history of astronomy was considered by Bailly's contemporaries as both a scientific and a literary work, and it was this work that opened the doors of the French Academy to him, even though he had already been a member of the Academy of Sciences since 1763. The success of Bailly's work is due to the fact that he was also a literary man and that he gave an equal place to the narrative and to the learned calculations. In the Histoire de l'astromie ancienne, Bailly essentially researches the origin of astromy, its progress and the influence it had on different peoples.
"Important and pleasant work at the same time, filled with learned dissertations, luminous ideas, brilliant paintings". De Lalande, Bibliographie astronomique. "This work, written with elegance, of a brilliant style, sometimes animated, was received with an extreme favor". Michaud, Biographie universelle.
 

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