[Rarebooks] FS: First Edition in English of the greatest scientific work to emerge from the Roman Empire, 1601

[Charles Agvent]

PLINY. THE HISTORIE OF THE WORLD, COMMONLY CALLED THE NATURALL HISTORIE 
OF C. PLINIVS SECVNDVS. London: Adam Islip, 1601. First Edition. Two 
folio (8-1/4" x 12-1/2") volumes bound in one in early full tree calf 
leather with a gilt-decorated spine and a red morocco gilt-lettered 
spine label, recently and neatly rebacked; [42], 614, [42] + [12], 632, 
[84]: Lacks several leaves: the front and rear blanks, The Dedicatory 
Letter, The Preface to the Reader, the errata leaf to the first volume, 
The Preface or Epistle Dedicatorie to Prince Vespasian, and the 
advertisement leaf at the end. Translated from the Latin original by 
Philemon Holland. THE FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH of this foundational book 
of science, the greatest scientific work to emerge from the Roman 
Empire. In 37 books, Pliny compiled an encyclopedia of the accumulated 
wisdom of his time in fields as diverse as mathematics, physics, 
astronomy, geography, ethnography, medicine, zoology, anthropology, 
physiology, philosophy, history, agriculture, mineralogy, art history, 
and literature. "The 'Natural History' of Pliny the Elder is more than a 
natural history: it is an encyclopedia of all the knowledge of the 
ancient world.... Over and over again it will be found that the source 
of some ancient piece of knowledge is Pliny" (PRINTING AND THE MIND OF 
MAN). Among the many diverse subjects discussed by Pliny are mermaids, 
wine, witches, herbal medicines, skin care, and aphrodisiacs ("if the 
seed of that Mallow that runneth up in one stalke; bee reduced into 
powder and strewed upon that part of a woman which Nature hath hidden, 
shee will bee so wood after the companie of a man, as she will never be 
satisfied nor contented with embracing"). "As a purveyor of information 
both scientific and non-scientific, Pliny holds a place of exceptional 
importance in the tradition and diffusion of Western culture" 
(DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY). Pforzheimer 496. First title page 
with early signature and neatly laid down on paper. But for the missing 
preliminary matter, a Fine copy, bright and clean.

The Natural History is among the single largest literary works to 
survive from antiquity. It is also the only work extant of the 132 
written by Pliny, an indefatigable seeker of knowledge who lost his life 
in 79 A.D. while trying to observe at close hand the eruption of 
Vesuvius. (#015998)        $5,000.00

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/015998.JPG
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