CUREAU DE LA CHAMBRE, Marin.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Discours sur les causes du débordement du Nil. First edition of this scarce treatise concerning the causes of the flooding of the Nile, for the first time published separately, previously included in his Pensées of 1634 and 1662; from the celebrated library of Henry M. Blackmer II, with his bookplate. This could perhaps be a presentation copy, as in addition to the gilt supralibros there is an inked inscription, "Pour les Capucins de St. Honoré" to the title page. The Capuchin convent adjoined the Tuileries gardens. Cureau was Louis XIV's doctor, the monarch apparently having been impressed by his ability to judge character from outward appearance. A precursor of Lavater, Cureau was indeed best known for his work in the area of physiognomy, but he also published on physics - the nature of light, on rainbows - the occult, and philosophy, the final paper here being a study of the divine in Platonic philosophy. The critic Jean Chapelain, his contemporary, said of him: "C'est un excellent philosophe, et dont les écrits sont purs dans le langage, justes dans le dessein, soutenus dans les ornements, et subtils dans les raisonnements".

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.