KIRCHER, Athanasius.

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Magnes sive De arte magnetica opus tripartitum First edition of the polymath's definitive work on magnetism, setting out his thesis that the universe is governed by forces of attraction and repulsion. These act upon both the physical and the spiritual worlds, ultimately drawing the soul towards God. "Magnetism was for him an omnibus of scientific and also fantastic theories" (DSB, VIII, p. 375).Expanding on Kircher's Ars Magnesia (1631), the book covers magnetic geometry, astronomy, and engineering, as well as the uses of magnetism in medicine, weather manipulation, and romantic love. "In the seventeenth century of the mechanical philosophers, Kircher represents the re-flowering of the combination of magic and alchemy with modern experimental science" (Rossi, p. 152). Magnes contains the first appearance of the term "electromagnetism" (p. 640), Kircher's rejection of William Gilbert's view that the Earth itself was a magnet, and his refutation of Kepler's suggestion that planetary orbits were governed by magnetism.Produced as part of the publisher Hermann Scheus's series of richly illustrated Jesuit books, Magnes was the first of Kircher's works to feature both copperplate engravings and woodcuts. Many depict technical designs, including plans for sun and moon dials, compasses, and astrolabes. They "carry all the conviction of an engineer's plans, extending the imaginary museum from the dimensions of a glass case to that of entire rooms and blurring the boundaries between rea

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