William. De magnete, magneticisque corporibus, et de magno magnete tellure; physiologia noua, plurimis & argumentis, & experimentis demonstrata.

by GILBERT

£35,000 · Offered by Henry Sotheran Ltd

GILBERT, William. De magnete, magneticisque corporibus, et de magno magnete tellure; physiologia noua, plurimis argumentis, experimentis demonstrata. London: Peter Short . 1600. Small folio. Late seventeenth-century mottled calf, boards double-filleted in gilt, spine gilt in compartments with central lozenge tool and lettered directly in gilt, edges sprinkled red; pp. [xvi], 240; occasional gothic letter, woodcut printer’s device (McKerrow 119) to title, large woodcut arms of Gilbert to title verso, woodcut folding plate after p. 200, 88 woodcut illustrations and diagrams in text (4 full-page), woodcut initials, head-, and tailpieces; spine and extremities very skilfully repaired, hinges reinforced, very light wear to boards, three minute wormholes to front board; uniform light toning, subtle repair to title (touching one letter), small paperflaw to R1, unobtrusive repairs to blank margin and short closed tear of folding plate, a few minor spots, otherwise a very clean, crisp copy; early ownership inscription to title, contemporary reading note to p. 166, 2 pp. contemporary underlining, and 4 pp. contemporary manuscript corrections ( see below ). First edition, an attractive copy, of the foundational work in both magnetism and electricity, and ‘the first major English scientific treatise based on experimental methods of research’ ( PMM ), a significant influence on the likes of Kepler, Bacon, Boyle, Newton, and in particular Galileo, who used Gilbert’s theories ‘to suggest hi

• Binding: Hardcover

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