Agricola, De ortu & causis subterraneorum, Basel, 1546, folio, modern vellum

AGRICOLA, GEORGIUS

De ortu & causis subterraneorum lib.V. De natura eorum quae efflunt ex terra lib.IIII. De natura fossilium lib.X De veteribus & novis metallis lib.II. Bermannus, sive De re metallica Dialogus. Interpretatio Germanica vocum rei metallicae. Basel: Froben, 1546

folio (303 x 203mm.), woodcut printer's device on title-page and final verso, some early annotations, modern limp vellum, title-page slightly frayed at foredge, small section of N1 cut out (to remove the name "Erasmus Rot." on verso), a few wormholes at end

FIRST EDITION of Agricola's treatises on physical geography and subterranean waters and gases, together with other works on mineralogy and metals, and a glossary of terms in Latin and German. Agricola's works represented the first attempt since Classical t.mes s to analyse inorganic matter afresh and his writings were based on empirical research and observation from his years working in the mining town of Joachimsthal.

LITERATURE:

VD16 A 928

PROVENANCE:

P. Delingon (?), early inscription on title-page; cardinal's ink stamp on title-page with the initials M S D; Guglielmus Baldenanus, a gift from him to the Jesuit College of Turin, and entered into their catalogue in 1639, inscriptions at foot of title-page