Euclides Elements of Geometry:

£4,000 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

the second full english language edition The rare second full English language edition of Euclid's Elements. Likely a revision of the first English language edition, published in 1570 by Henry Billingsley with the John Dee preface (Corry, British Versions of Book II of Euclid's Elements, p. 31.) ESTC records three different versions of the title page of the Rudd edition, with the word 'at' in different places in the imprint. This copy from the library of the Scottish nobleman Thomas Hamilton, 7th Earl of Haddington (1721-1795). Thomas Rudd (1583/4-1656) was a mathematician and military engineer who began his career in the Low Countries before being recalled to England 'to become chief engineer of all castles, forts, and fortifications within Wales... Subsequently he was appointed the king's principal engineer for fortifications'. His final years were 'devoted to mathematical studies and publications', with the present work being one of three that he published; the others were on practical geometry and the military arts (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography). 'The most influential of all Dee's published works was his "Mathematicall praeface" to Henry Billingsley's English translation of Euclid, Elements of Geometrie, printed by John Daye in 1570. The preface is firstly a long encomium of the study of "thynges mathematicall" as partaking both of the supernatural and of the natural, and of geometry in particular. He goes on to enumerate the practical arts (proper to "mechanic

• Binding: Hardcover

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