BOVELLES Charles de Recueil de 4 pièces scientifiques en édition originale

Charles de Bovelles est né à Saint-Quentin vers 1475 et mort vers 1567 à Ham dans la Somme. Mathématicien et philosophe, il étudie l’arithmétique auprès de Lefèvre d’Etaples au collège Cardinal-Lemoine avant de devenir lui-même professeur dans ce célèbre collège. Parmi ses élèves, l’Alsacien Beatus Rhenanus. Auteur de nombreux traités philosophiques, mathématiques, théologiques et mystiques, il est considéré comme l’un des plus remarquables penseurs français de son temps.

Le recueil contient :

1. Physicorum elementorum decem. Paris, Josse Bade, 15 décembre 1512. 4 ff.n.ch., LXXIX, 1 f.n.ch., marque d’imprimeur de Jehan Petit sur le titre, 1 grande initiale,vignette gravées sur bois dans le texte, dernier feuillet avec le blason de Saint Sebastian entourés de 3 fleur de lis.

Renouard, Bade, II, 221; Morau, II, 257; DSB, II, 36

Édition originale, très rare.

USTC ne localise que 3 exemplaires dans des bibliothèques euréopéennes : Emden (Allemagne), Staatsbibliothek (Munich), Madrid (Complutense). Aucun exemplaire au États-Unis.

“In [this] work Bovelles applied this constructivist view of knowledge to mathematical physics. The Elementorum physicorum Libri (1512) introduces the main topics of Aristotelian physics that Beatus learned under the acronym of NaCaMILUT. Bovelles frames these topics, however, with an overt interest in mathematics. His typically playful approach to the metaphysics of numbers is already evident in the treatise’s organization: it is composed of ten books, each with ten propositions. Far from being a strict axiomatic assembly, this schema gives Bovelles plenty of space to take excurses. At one point he offers an extended reflection on the ‘order of teaching’ (eruditionis ordo) as a movement from memory to memory. Knowledge moves from a teacher’s memory, through their voice, into the student’s ear, where it becomes a concept in their mind, which the student then keeps in memory. Throughout the book Bovelles refers to the creative power of the mind, notably on the topic of vacuum. He first repeats the Aristotelian view that vacuum is impossible in nature – like a chimera it can only be imagined. But this raised the sceptical worry about how we can trust the mind’s products” (R.J. Osterhoff, in: Making Mathematical Culture, p. 210).

mouillures marginales aux cahiers ‘A-C’.

2. In hoc opere Caroli Bovilli Samarobrini contenta. Liber Cordis. Liber proprie rationis. Liber Substantialium propositionum. Liber naturalium sophismatum. Liber cubicarum mensularum. Paris, Josse Bade, Octobre 1523. 4 f.n.ch., LXXXVIII, marque d’imprimeur sur la page de titre, une gravure sur bois hors texte montrant un homme, dernier feuillet avec une sphère armilliaire et le blason de Saint Sebastian entouré de 3 fleur de lis.

Renouard, Bade, II, 224; Moreau, III, 435.

Édition originale.

“In 1523 appeared another collection of treatises concerned primarily with dialectic and mathematics. The most important treatise in this group was Liber proriae rationis which dealt at length with the problem of universals and their importance for mystical theory. Also included in this collection were the Liber cordis, a medical treatise, and the Liber cubicarum mensularum, a mathematical work dealing with the construction and measurement of various cubes. The logical works in the collection were the Liber substantialium propositionum and the Liber Naturalium sophismatum. None of these treatises has yet been studied in detail by anyone concerned with the history of logic” (Joseph M. Victor, in: Charles Bovelles, an intellectual biography, p. 24).

L’USTC localise 13 exemplaires en institution de ce livre (dont 3 aux États-unis : NLM, Houghton, Yale).

3. Aetatum mundi septem supputatio. Paris, Josse Bade, 1520. XLVIII, marque d’imprimeur sur la page de titre.

Renouard, Bade, II, 223; Moreau, III, 35.

Édition originale.

USTC loacalise 26 exemplaires en institiution dont seulement 2 sont présents aux États-Unis : Houghton, Newberry.

4. Responsiones ad novem quesita Nicolai Paxii Maioricenus seu Balearici in arte Lullistarum peritissimi. Paris, Josse Bade, mars 1521. VIII, marque d’imprimeur gravée sur bosi sur la patge de titre.

Renouard, II, 224; Moreau, III, 36.

Édition originale

USTC localise 11 exemplaires en institution, aucun ne se trouve aux États-Unis.

“In 1521 Bovelles published a bipartite work, one part of which was entitled Aetatum mundi septem supputatio and dealt with the seven ages of the world and traditional themes revolving around that subject, but which nevertheless offered some penetrating insight into the nature of time and duration; the second part of this work was the Responsiones ad novem quaesita which had been composed in 1514” (Joseph M. Victor, in: Charles Bovelles, an intellectual biography, p. 24).

Bel exemplaire dans sa première reliure, réunissant quatre rares éditions originales de Bovelles.