CICERO, Marcus Tullius

Oratione Di Cicerone

Venice: Aldus, 1554. A Scarce Aldine Cicero Defends his Friend, Titus Annius Milo CICERO, Marcus Tullius. Oratione di Cicerone. In Difesa di Milone, Tradotta di latino in uolgare da Giacomo Bonfadio. Vinegia [Venice]: In Casa de figliuoli di Aldo [Aldus]; 1554. First edition in Italian of Pro T. Annio Milone. Small octavo (5 7/8 x 4 in; 150 x 100 mm). [2], 38 pp. Title and preface in roman; main text in italic within a narrow column with wide margins. Aldine printer's device to title-page and verso to E6. Contemporary limp vellum. Imperfect paper restoration to upper corner of preliminary leaf A2 with some loss of text to the first seven lines. Early inked ownership on title page later inked-out; one contemporary inked margin note, a few underlinings or margin marks. Final two leaves with worming to extreme gutter margin. Library shelf label to front paste-down endpaper. Withal, an excellent copy of a a rarely seen Aldine volume. Scarce; only three copies recorded by OCLC. The Pro Tito Annio Milone ad iudicem oratio (Pro Milone) was a speech written and delivered by Marcus Tullius Cicero in 52 BCE on behalf of his friend Titus Annius Milo. Milo was accused of murdering his political enemy Publius Clodius Pulcher on the Via Appia. The preface is comprised of a letter from translator Giacomo Bonfadio to Count Fortunato Martinengo. Adams C1893. Ahmanssom-Murphy 469. Schweiger II, 244. Renouard 161:14. BMSTC I, 180. .

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Book number: 02826

Catalogue: Books in Italian

Keywords: Early Books Philosophy

MEDINA, Pietro da

Arte Del Navigare

Venice: Appresso Tomaso Baglioni, 1609. The First Practical Treatise on Navigation Second Italian Edition MEDINA, Pietro da. Arte Del Navigare dell'eccel Dottor Pietro Da Medina. Nella quale copiosamente si tratta tutto quello, che appartiene alla Navigatione, e sua cognitione. Venice: Appresso Tomaso Baglioni, 1609. Second edition in Italian (first published in 1554) of this ground-breaking Spanish work on Compass Navigation. Small quarto (7 3/4 x 5 3/4 inches; 197 x 145 mm.). [xiv], 137, [3, blank] pp. Title-page printed in red and black and with a large woodcut. Full-page woodcut map of Europe, the Atlantic Ocean and the New World on page 33 (identical to the 1554 edition) and numerous woodcut illustrations and diagrams throughout. Numerous woodcut head pieces and initial letters. Early ink name on either side of woodcut, library blind-stamp at top of title. Contemporary mottled calf, spine with four raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments. Spine expertly repaired at head and foot, armorial book-plate of the Earl of Macclesfield on front paste-down. A fine copy of a rare treatise. "The Venice blocks were used again in a Venice edition by Tomaso Baglione. Six blocks of the 1554 set, apparently lost, were replaced by repetitions, and several blocks were turned in printing. Tables and calendar. Type ornaments. Putti, historiated and foliated initials. The historiated initials include a set of burning cities. Roman letter, text endings in decorative forms." (Harvard. Italian 16th Century Books, p. 440). "Se puede afirmar que los Europa aprendio a navigar en libros Espanoles" ..that Europe learned to Navigate from Spanish Books. (Palau 159680). The "Art of Navigation" by Pietro da Medina was the first printed treatise to deal exclusively with Nautical science. It was first published in Spanish as Arte de Navegar in Valladolid in 1545. The present copy is the second Italian edition, and was translated by Vincenzo Palentino. Intended as an instructional manual for those voyaging to the New World, Medina's Arte del Navigare is the first treatise to give reliable information on the navigation of American waters. In the sixteenth century, as a consequence of the discovery of America, the science of Navigation developed significantly in Spain. In his treatise, Medina underlined how important navigation was to extending Spanish dominion, and the need to give instruction to those crossing the seas to reach distant, unknown regions. The work, from its first appearance, became a training manual for pilots not only in Spain, but also in Europe: it was translated into French Italian, German, English and Dutch, and the number of editions reached at least twenty-seven. Pedro de Medina (1493-1576) was a cleric who for a time served as librarian to the duke of Medina-Sidonia. Asked to prepare charts and other aids to navigation by the Emperor Charles V, he was named cosmografo de honor in 1549. European Americana 569/32. JCB I, p. 240. Sabin 47345 note. STC French, p. 308. Palau, 159680. Italian 16th Century Books (Harvard College Library) #300 (1554 edition). .

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Book number: 03774

Catalogue: Books in Italian

Keywords: Early Books Science and Technology Voyages and Travels

REDI, Francesco; KIRCHER, Athanasius

Esperienze Intorno

Firenze: All'Insegna della Nave, 1671. Kircher's Nemesis Spurns His Claims Yet Again One of Three Companions To Petrucci's Defense of Kircher A Fine Presentation Copy From The Author REDI, Francesco. Esperienze Intorno. A Diverse Cose Naturali, e Particularamente a Quelle, che ci son Portate dal Indie Fatte da Francesco Redi e Scritte in una Lettera al Reverendissimo Padre Atanasio Chircher della Compagnia di Gesu'. Firenze: All'Insegna della Nave, 1671. First edition of this rare and important treatise by the famous Italian naturalist, addressed to his colleague Athanasius Kircher, which includes the first scientific test of nicotine and its harmful effects. Quarto (9 7/16 x 6 7/8 inches; 240 x 175 mm). Inscribed at the foot of the title-page "Mei [illegible] de Molinari. Auctorus munus" [i.e. gift of the author]; Early ink signature of the recipient, Giuseppe Molinari on front paste-down. 4(- 1), A-T4. [6], 152 pp (79 ff.) Title in red and black. Six engraved plates. Contemporary vellum over boards, red leather lettering label on spine. Ink manuscript title on lower edge. Ink manuscript title on lower edge of text block. Housed in a fleece-lined half black morocco clamshell case. Redi's "investigations of several botanical and zoological specimens, including some brought from India; among them were Chinese star anise, 'stones' from cobras and iguanas, vanilla beans, and a leaf from the chinchona tree. The treatise is in the form of a letter to to Athanasius Kircher" (Norman). "Raro" (Prandi). Within is Redi's dismissal of Kircher's claims for the miraculous curative qualities of the snake-stone [the "stones" that Norman refers to], a missionary artifact that allegedly sucked snake venom from a wound. Redi first dealt with this issue in his first work, Osservazioni intorno alle vipere (1664), "the first methodical study of snake venom" (Norman). Redi's work was inspired by the arrival in Florence of medical and natural curiosities, some of which are illustrated in the six plates, which were brought back from the East and West Indies in 1662 by Franciscan missionaries He enjoys a distinguished place in the canonical histories of biology on the grounds of his experiments aimed at discrediting the idea of spontaneous generation, which were reunited in his Esperienze intorno alla generazione degl'insetti (1668). In that work Redi explicitly set himself against Athanasius Kircher. The German Jesuit had defended the idea of spontaneous generation by putrefaction which he discussed.. in his Archa Noë and also in in his Mundus Subterraneus" (de Asua & French, A New World of Animals, p. 210). In return for these slaps to his reputation, "Kircher had his fellow Jesuit and disciple Gioseffo Petrucci publish the Prodromo apologetico alli studi Chircheriana (Apologetic Forerunner to Kircherian Studies) in 1677. Attacking the ‘envious and strident ignorance of his unjust accusers,' Petrucci painted a portrait of Kircher as he wanted to be remembered: a judicious experimenter who carefully weighed all the evidence before coming to any conclusions. Emphasizing Kircher's skepticism about natural phenomena, Petrucci countered the image of is master as a gullible consumer of tall tales about strange things by presenting him as the logical heir to Galileo. Citing Kircher's unparalleled knowledge of non-European nature, he quoted Augustine as a cautionary tale for disbelieving readers: ‘Some credible things are false, just as some incredible things are true.' Petrucci invited readers to examine Kircher's own words in order to see the distortion that occurred in the characterization of his master in the words of critics. He promised to remove anything from his Prodromo Apologetica that readers found to be false" (Findlen, The Last Man To Know Everything, p. 39). Yet there is no evidence that Petrucci removed his defense of Kircher's snake-stones in the aftermath of this biting critique, nor of spontaneous generation. Curiously, however, Kircher and Redi exchanged correspondence expressing mutual admiration, as noted in Fletcher's paper, Medical Men in the Correspondence of Athanasius Kircher (Janus LVI, 4. 1969). Epistolary courtesy was customary amongst seventeenth century scientists who, though they might be in sharp disagreement, needed to remain on cordial terms to allow the free exchange of information to remain uninterrupted. Francesco Redi (1626-1698) was an Italian naturalist, physician, poet, and scientist - he "was one of the first parasitologists" (Norman). "After taking his degree in medicine, he entered the service of the Colonna family at Rome as a tutor, and held the position five years. In 1654 he went to Florence, where he acted as physician to the Grand dukes Ferdinand II and Cosimo III. He was constantly engaged in experiments intended to improve the practice of medicine and surgery, and yet found leisure for much literary work. He was an active member of several of the academies of the time, and, as an associate of the Crusca, aided in preparing its important Vocabolario. He taught in the Studio at Florence in 1666, as lettore publico di lingua toscana and was one of the first members of the Arcadia. His writings include a number of scientific documents, e.g. 'Osservazioni intorno alle vipere.' 'Esperienze intorno alla generazione degl' insetti,' 'Consulti medici,' etc." (Catholic Encyclopedia). Norman 1518. Prandi 26. Sabin 68516. Gamba 823. .

David Brass Rare Books (ABAA/ILAB)Professional seller

Book number: 03222

Catalogue: Books in Italian

Keywords: KIRCHER, Athanasius Early Books Inscribed Copies Science and Technology Medicine