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CESALPINO, Andrea (1519-1603). De plantis libri XVI. Florence: Giorgio Marescotti, 1583.
4o (218 x 155 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title and at end, woodcut initials, some historiated. (Title lightly soiled and browned at edges, some marginal foxing, some pale marginal dampstains on preliminaries.) Contemporary Dutch vellum.
Provenance: Jean Kchlein (1546-1606), his inscription to Pierre Bertius (1565-1629) on title verso, "Jano Kuchlino dedi P. Bertius." Kchlein was a theologian and Bertius a historian-geographer; both were associated with the Univeristy of Leiden; Arnoldus Sen (1640-1678), inscription on front free endpaper: "Arnoldus Syen me sibi emit e auct: librorum Clarissimi sui Praedecessoris Dr. Florentii Schuyl. 1671." Florentinus Schuyl (1619-1669) was professor of medicine and botany at the University of Leiden and translated and edited the first edition of Descartes's De homine (1662); another early inscription on front free endpaper discussing the work; "Gul: Watson MD. 1761," inscription on front pastedown. Possibly William Watson (1715-1787), physician and naturalist, noted for his botanical works and his experiments with electricity; "A present from James Brodie of Brodie to Mr. James Hoy at Gordon Castle Augt. 1796," inscription on rear pastedown (inverted).
THE VERY RARE FIRST EDITION OF "THE FIRST TRUE TEXTBOOK OF BOTANY" (DSB). The first book of this text is of outstanding historical importance. Here, in thirty pages of admirably clear Latin, Cesalpino presented the principles of botany, grouping a wealth of careful observations under broad categories, on the model of Aristotle and Theophrastus. "Caesalpinus's philosophy is Aristotelian: plants have a vegetable soul which is responsible for nutrition and for the reproduction of organisms. Nutrition was believed to come from the roots in the soil and to be carried up the stems to produce the fruit. Hence, the roots, stems and fruit are the main characteristics selected by Caesalpinus as the basis for his classification" (PMM). Cesalpino was the first to elaborate a system of the plants based on a unified and coherent group of notions. By paying little attention to the medicinal uses of plants he raised botony to the level of an independent science.
Adams C-20; BM/STC Italian p. 134; Dibner Heralds of Science 20; PMM 97; Pritzel 1640; Norman 432.
4o (218 x 155 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title and at end, woodcut initials, some historiated. (Title lightly soiled and browned at edges, some marginal foxing, some pale marginal dampstains on preliminaries.) Contemporary Dutch vellum.
Provenance: Jean Kchlein (1546-1606), his inscription to Pierre Bertius (1565-1629) on title verso, "Jano Kuchlino dedi P. Bertius." Kchlein was a theologian and Bertius a historian-geographer; both were associated with the Univeristy of Leiden; Arnoldus Sen (1640-1678), inscription on front free endpaper: "Arnoldus Syen me sibi emit e auct: librorum Clarissimi sui Praedecessoris Dr. Florentii Schuyl. 1671." Florentinus Schuyl (1619-1669) was professor of medicine and botany at the University of Leiden and translated and edited the first edition of Descartes's De homine (1662); another early inscription on front free endpaper discussing the work; "Gul: Watson MD. 1761," inscription on front pastedown. Possibly William Watson (1715-1787), physician and naturalist, noted for his botanical works and his experiments with electricity; "A present from James Brodie of Brodie to Mr. James Hoy at Gordon Castle Augt. 1796," inscription on rear pastedown (inverted).
THE VERY RARE FIRST EDITION OF "THE FIRST TRUE TEXTBOOK OF BOTANY" (DSB). The first book of this text is of outstanding historical importance. Here, in thirty pages of admirably clear Latin, Cesalpino presented the principles of botany, grouping a wealth of careful observations under broad categories, on the model of Aristotle and Theophrastus. "Caesalpinus's philosophy is Aristotelian: plants have a vegetable soul which is responsible for nutrition and for the reproduction of organisms. Nutrition was believed to come from the roots in the soil and to be carried up the stems to produce the fruit. Hence, the roots, stems and fruit are the main characteristics selected by Caesalpinus as the basis for his classification" (PMM). Cesalpino was the first to elaborate a system of the plants based on a unified and coherent group of notions. By paying little attention to the medicinal uses of plants he raised botony to the level of an independent science.
Adams C-20; BM/STC Italian p. 134; Dibner Heralds of Science 20; PMM 97; Pritzel 1640; Norman 432.