Details
EUCLID. The Elements of Geometrie. Translation by Sir Henry Billingsley, preface by John Dee. London: John Day, 1570.
2° (293 x 209mm). Title within woodcut border [M. & F. 99], folding 'Groundplat', woodcut diagrams, 37 in book XI with one or more folding overslips (at least one overslip lacking, one on verso of VV1 torn, one duplicate for diagram on recto of XX6 loosely inserted), woodcut device at end [McKerrow 145], final blank. (Title and first leaf somewhat soiled and with neat marginal repairs, lightly wormed, marginal in the main, but occasionally affecting the text, particularly towards the rear.) Late-17th-century mottled calf (neatly rebacked and cornered in morocco). Provenance: John Bennett (contemporary signature on title).
FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST COMPLETE ENGLISH TRANSLATION. Billingsley was a successful London merchant (he later became Lord Mayor, and was knighted in 1597) who had developed a taste for mathematics whilst at Oxford. He based his translation on the Latin version of Euclid attributed to Campanus, which had first been printed in 1482, and again in 1509. Dee's preface 'on the relations and applications of mathematics, established his fame among mathematical practioners. Although translated by Billingsley, the Euclid is unmistakably edited by Dee, for the body of the work, especially the later books, contains many annotations and additional theorems by him.' (DSB vol.4 p.5). STC 10560; Thomas-Stanford 41.
2° (293 x 209mm). Title within woodcut border [M. & F. 99], folding 'Groundplat', woodcut diagrams, 37 in book XI with one or more folding overslips (at least one overslip lacking, one on verso of VV1 torn, one duplicate for diagram on recto of XX6 loosely inserted), woodcut device at end [McKerrow 145], final blank. (Title and first leaf somewhat soiled and with neat marginal repairs, lightly wormed, marginal in the main, but occasionally affecting the text, particularly towards the rear.) Late-17th-century mottled calf (neatly rebacked and cornered in morocco). Provenance: John Bennett (contemporary signature on title).
FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST COMPLETE ENGLISH TRANSLATION. Billingsley was a successful London merchant (he later became Lord Mayor, and was knighted in 1597) who had developed a taste for mathematics whilst at Oxford. He based his translation on the Latin version of Euclid attributed to Campanus, which had first been printed in 1482, and again in 1509. Dee's preface 'on the relations and applications of mathematics, established his fame among mathematical practioners. Although translated by Billingsley, the Euclid is unmistakably edited by Dee, for the body of the work, especially the later books, contains many annotations and additional theorems by him.' (DSB vol.4 p.5). STC 10560; Thomas-Stanford 41.