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STELLUTI, Giovanni Battista (d.1646). Scandaglio sopra la libra astronomica et filosofica di Lotario Sarsi nella controversia delle comete e particolarmente delle tre ultimamente vedute l'anno 1618. Terni: Tomasso Guerrieri, 1622.
Small 4° (212 x 158mm). Woodcut device on title, woodcut illustrations, one headpiece, 2 ornamental initials, errata at end. (Two words on I3 recto partly erased and supplied in manuscript, causing loss of a couple of letters on verso, one or two leaves with faint waterstain in outer margin.) Contemporary vellum, manuscript title on spine (a few small ink spots on front cover, brown spots in lower corner of rear cover); modern morocco-backed box. Provenance: bookplate removed from front pastedown (with partial loss of endpaper).
FIRST EDITION of this defence of Galileo against Orazio Grassi. The controversy between Grassi and Galileo, begun by their opinions on the 1618 comet, spawned numerous pamphlets on both sides of the argument. In the Scandaglio, Galileo’s friends tried to refute Grassi’s Astronomical Balance. This obscure and mysterious work appeared under the name of the brother of the better-known Francesco Stelluti, one of the founders of the Accademia dei Lincei and friend of Galileo and Prince Cesi. It was published in a small town near Cesi’s estate in Acquasparta. At this time, Cesi was helping Galileo prepare Il Saggiatore, his definitive response to Grassi, which contains large sections of material copied directly from Scandaglio. Carli and Favaro 89; Riccardi I(ii) 477.
Small 4° (212 x 158mm). Woodcut device on title, woodcut illustrations, one headpiece, 2 ornamental initials, errata at end. (Two words on I3 recto partly erased and supplied in manuscript, causing loss of a couple of letters on verso, one or two leaves with faint waterstain in outer margin.) Contemporary vellum, manuscript title on spine (a few small ink spots on front cover, brown spots in lower corner of rear cover); modern morocco-backed box. Provenance: bookplate removed from front pastedown (with partial loss of endpaper).
FIRST EDITION of this defence of Galileo against Orazio Grassi. The controversy between Grassi and Galileo, begun by their opinions on the 1618 comet, spawned numerous pamphlets on both sides of the argument. In the Scandaglio, Galileo’s friends tried to refute Grassi’s Astronomical Balance. This obscure and mysterious work appeared under the name of the brother of the better-known Francesco Stelluti, one of the founders of the Accademia dei Lincei and friend of Galileo and Prince Cesi. It was published in a small town near Cesi’s estate in Acquasparta. At this time, Cesi was helping Galileo prepare Il Saggiatore, his definitive response to Grassi, which contains large sections of material copied directly from Scandaglio. Carli and Favaro 89; Riccardi I(ii) 477.
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