Rare French first edition in the translation by Esprit Pézenas, illustrated with 2 title vignettes and 78 folding plates representing instruments used for physics demonstrations.
Armorial copy with unidentified coat of arms.
Contemporary full porphyry sheep binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Beige calf title label, brown sheep volume label. One lack to foot of volume I. Light lack to head compartment of volume II and to foot compartment. Split to upper joints at foot of both volumes, 1cm. Corners with leather losses, as well as to edges. The use of acid to achieve the porphyry marbling has caused certain alterations to the leather, notably on the spine, where the gold appears in relief and some epidermures to the boards. Nevertheless a good copy.
Principal exposition of Newtonian physics of which Desaguliers propagated the ideas in his work, ideas both scientific and philosophical and political. He was the first to perceive the magnitude of the Newtonian revolution both for physics and for the representation of the world. He assisted Isaac Newton, who became his friend, in his experimental work from 1713 to 1727 as demonstrator of the Royal Society, the year of Newton's death. A skilled experimenter, he then opened his own private course which the royal family attended. The prefaces of the two volumes expose the challenges of 18th century physics: the development of experimental physics alongside analytical mechanics in the first, the preliminary debates to the birth of the concept of energy in the second. Desaguliers explains that he conducts experiments, not to show curiosities but to demonstrate laws, in the manner of mathematicians, but without using mathematical formalism which repels many people. His method, copied from that of Keill, consists of building his lessons by reasoning in stages: starting from simple propositions, proving them by experiments and not by demonstrations, then elaborating more complex propositions which are then confirmed by experimentation. It is appropriate not to present experiments as "so many curious phenomena" but to "make use of them to prove a sequence of philosophical propositions in a mathematical order" in other words, not to make a "Course of Experiments" but a "Course of Experimental Physics". Desaguliers' lessons deal with mechanics and hydrostatics. The lessons concerning hydrostatics are illustrated by very precise descriptions of varied devices and diverse uses: diving bells, the Marly machine or Mr Richard Newsham's machines for extinguishing fires (which are found in the plates). An auditor of Desaguliers' courses, Abbé Nollet drew inspiration from them to write his lessons in experimental physics, but which, however, dealt more with electricity and optics.
First edition.
Work complete with its 49 plates hors-texte including 6 in color.
Spine and boards of the chemise lightly and marginally discolored and sunned as usual.
First edition.
Full mottled brown calf bindings. Spines with raised bands, gilt-tooled. Title and volume labels in Havana morocco. Losses at the head of volume I. Upper border of volume I partly trimmed. Abrasions to the boards with a loss on the lower board of volume I. Overall, a good copy.
First edition.
Bound in slightly later (ca. 1820) half navy sheep. Smooth spines decorated with four small tools and fillets. Some rubbing, particularly to the boards. A pleasing copy, relatively clean, printed on good laid paper.
Complete first edition in six volumes, illustrated with decorative headpieces.
Contemporary bindings in full marbled brown calf, spines with six raised bands decorated with red morocco title and volume labels, fleurons and double gilt frame fillets, triple fillets stamped in blind framing the boards, double gilt fillets on the leading edges, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, all edges marbled. Title pages in red and black. Headcaps worn, title labels of volumes 1, 3, 4 and 6 and volume labels of volumes 4, 5 and 6 missing, some lacks to the compartments, leather split at the joint of the first volume, joints of other volumes often slightly cracked at head or foot, boards and leading edges rubbed, some corners slightly bumped. Endpapers cut at outer margins, some bookworm damage to leaves mainly in lower margins, intermediate title pages of volume 5 and volume 2 detached but present.
Good copy.
First French edition and the first translation into the vernacular, following the original Latin text published in the Elementa physiologica in eight volumes between 1757 and 1766. Copy with unidentified arms, bearing angular ermine spots on the covers. The Rohan or Rohan Chabot families affixed only the emblems or charges of their heraldry to their books, but we have been unable to identify a family behind the use of ermine spots, as these occur in too many coats of arms.
Contemporary full mottled calf bindings. Spines gilt in compartments with thistle tools. Red morocco title- and volume-labels, gilt-tooled. Gilt roll at foot. Triple gilt fillet border on covers with angular ermine spots. Geometric roll on turn-ins. Speckled edges. Three corners rubbed. Traces of wear to joints and edges. One endpaper lacking in vol. I. A handsome, well-preserved copy.
Copy in original wrappers without cream interim covers. Manuscript annotation on first endpaper.
Some marginal tears to endpapers which serve as covers.
Presumed author: Henri de Goyon de la Plombanie. In the journal des savans of 1752, article titled: Mémoire sur la manière d'élever les vers à soye.
The first part is a series of advice for successful silkworm breeding; the second consists of observations on the management of silkworms; the last relates a method for harvesting silkworm eggs. Following, a detailed table of the work's contents.
Rare.
Rare first edition, comprising 9 plates, including 3 folding plates.
Contemporary full mottled brown calf bindings. Spines with raised bands, gilt decoration. Title and volume labels in brown morocco. Blue mottled edges. A handsome copy.
