Beschreibung:

GILBERT, William (1544-1603). De Magnete, magneticisque corporibus, et de magno magnete tellure; Physiologia nova, plurimis & argumentis, & experimentis demonstrata. London: Peter Short, 1600. 2° (285 x 183mm). Collation: * 8 , A-V 6 (8ll., 1-240pp). Woodcut brazen serpent device on title [McKerrow 119], coat-of-arms on verso of title, numerous initials, head- and tailpieces, 90 woodcut illustrations and diagrams, 4 full-page, 1 folding woodcut plate. (Small rusthole in R5 with loss to two letters, light old dampstaining to upper outer corner of S3 & 4.) Modern calf incorporating the calf panels from the original binding (spine slightly scuffed), modern cloth box. Provenance : William Gilbert, presentation to: Lancelot Browne (d.1606), inscribed by the recipient "Sum Lanceloti Brunii Medici Reg mei ex dono Authoris, 1600. Aprilis 6°", marginal notes; Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce (library label, noting presentation by 'A Member', dated 1828). PRESENTATION COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST GREAT SCIENTIFIC BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND. The work is important not so much for the information it contains as for the truly scientific methods of research that the author employed to reach his conclusions. Gilbert describes the history of magnetism (including the behaviour of the lodestone) and the five magnetic movements: coition, direction, variation, declination and revolution. He also describes the 'versorium': the first instrument designed for the study of electric phenomena. "GILBERT'S EXPERIMENTS IN MAGNETISM, AND HIS USE OF SUCH TERMS AS 'ELECTRIC FORCE', 'ELECTRIC ATTRACTION' AND 'MAGNETIC POLE' ARE THE BASIS OF THE GROWTH OF THE FIELD OF ELECTRICITY" (Grolier/Horblit). William Gilbert and Lancelot Browne were contemporaries whose lives followed very similar courses: both were at St.John's Cambridge, graduating in 1560 and 1562 respectively, both followed a career in medicine (they were elected to the Royal College of Physicians in 1581 and 1584) and both were physicians to Queen Elizabeth and later to James I. Browne was then a colleague (and probably friend) of long standing, and an obvious candidate to receive a copy of Gilbert's new work. In addition to the inscription on the title, Browne has made notes beneath the illustration on p.198, and continues them on the verso of the folding plate between pp.200 and 201. Four other presentation copies are known, none of which has an autograph inscription: 1) Thomas Blundeville's copy (inscribed 'Liber Thomae Blundevile ex dono doctissimi viri Guillielimi Gilberti eiusdem libri Auctoris', sold Christie's New York 18 Nov. 1988 lot 152). 2) John Sherwood (inscribed 'Dedit Guil Gilbertus. Jo: Sherwood propriis manibus.', sold Sotheby's New York 9-10 Nov. 1989 lot 77). 3) Thomas Langton (inscribed 'Sum Thomae Langton Aprilis 6. Ex dono Autoris', Royal Institution library). 4). Thomas Higgons (inscribed 'Ex dono autoris. Augusti 10' and 'Ad doctiss. Thomam Higgons', Maggs Bros. catalogue 873). STC 11883; PMM 107; Grolier/Horblit 41.