JOHANNES DE PECKHAM Perspectiva tribus libris succintis denua correcta, et figuris illustrata.

Adams, H-27; Vagnetti, Db8; Kat. Berlin, 4684.

First edition of this revision Peckham’s treastise by Pascasius Hamellius, known under his French name as Pascasio Duhamel, a mathematician at the royal court during the reign of Henri II.

[Bound with :] EUCLID. Rudimenta Musices. Ioanne Pena interprete. Paris, Andeas Wechel, 1557. 4to, 16, 10 num.ll.

Adams, E-1023. First edition of this work on harmonies attributed to Euclid, printed in Greek and followed by its Latin translation by Johannes Pena.

[And:] IDEM. Optica & Catoptrica, unnquam antehac Grace aedita. Latine reddita per Ioannem Penam. Paris, Andreas Wechel, 1557. 2 parts, 10 unn.ll., 48 pp. & 2 nn.ll., 64 pp.

Adams, E-1020. Editio princeps (?), and first edition of the Latin translation. Another edition of the Catoptrica in Greek is known, printed in 1557, but the chronology has not yet been established. Euclid’s Optica was the first Greek work on perspective; it is illustrated with numerous woodcuts in the text.

[And:] THEODOSIUS TRIPOLITA. Sphaericorum, libri tres, nunquam antehac grace excusi. Latine redditi par Ioannem Penam. Paris, Andreas Wechel, 1558. 2 parts, 4 nn.ll., 54pp., 1 nn.l., 68 pp., 1 nn.l. (errata and printer’s device).

Adams, T-548. The editio princeps of the Greek text with the Latin translation and extensive notes of Jean Pena (1528-1558) of the Sphaerics of Theodosius (2nd half of the second century B.C.). The Sphaerics is a textbook on the geometry of the sphere, needed for astronomy and regarded by the ancient Greeek as a branch of astronomy rather that geometry. It is illustrated with diagrams in the text.

A fine 16th century scientific sammelband with 4 works on optics, perspective, and spheres.

Provenance: Jesuit Convent in Lyon (book palte dated 1693).