PALISSY Bernard Œuvres, revues sur les exemplaires de la bibliothèque du Roi, avec des notes par MM. Faujas de Saint Fond et Gobet.

D.S.B. , X, 280; Norman, 1630; Caillet, 8265; Poggendorff, II, 347; Brunet, IV, 320.

First edition of the Works, containing details on mineralogy, alchimy, agriculture, etc. One of the last chapters describes Palissy’s ‘Wunderkammer’ with minerals, shells, petrified fruit and other curious objects. The book also contains some chapters on alchemy. This copy as always without the preliminary dedication du Benjamin Frnaklin, missing in literally all copies (see note by Brunet).

“Palissy (1510/1590), first became famous through his technique for making a rustic enamelled earthenware, a skill which gained him the appointment of inventeur des rustiques figurines du roy. In 1575, despite his lack of formal education, he began giving public lectures in natural history; there is little doubt that Palissy was probably one of the first men in France to teach natural sciences from facts, specimens and demonstrations rather than hypotheses. His works deals with agriculture, geology, alchemy botany, ceramics, embalming, engineering, hydrology, medicine, metallurgy, meteorology, mineralogy, palaeontology, philosophy, physics, toxicology and zoology. Palissy’s views on hydrology and palaeontology are of particular interest. He was one of the few men of his century to have a correct notion of the origins of rivers and streams. An early advocate of the infiltration theory, he refuted the old theories that streams came from seawater or from air that had condensed into water. He also wrote on the principles of artesian wells, the recharging of wells from nearby rivers and forestation for the prevention of soil erosion. He also discusses fossils extensively. He believed them to be a remnant of animals and plants and firmly rejected the idea that they were detritus of the biblical flood, suggesting that inland fossils are found on site as the result of the congelation of a lake. He recognized the relation between these fossils and living species and, in some cases, extinct ones. From experimentation Palissy concluded that all minerals with geometric crystal forms must have crystallized in water.” (DSB).

Fine copy.