Beschreibung:

FERNEL, Jean François (1497-1558). Monalosphaerium, partibus constans quatuor . Paris: Simon de Colines, 1526 [colophon 1527]. [Bound with:] Jean François FERNEL. Cosmotheoria, libros duos complexa . Paris: Simon de Colines, 1528 [colophon 1527].
FERNEL, Jean François (1497-1558). Monalosphaerium, partibus constans quatuor . Paris: Simon de Colines, 1526 [colophon 1527]. [Bound with:] Jean François FERNEL. Cosmotheoria, libros duos complexa . Paris: Simon de Colines, 1528 [colophon 1527]. 2 works in one volume, 2° (326 x 218mm). Titles within woodcut border attributed to Oronce Fine, numerous woodcut diagrams and initials. (Some light soiling, occasional faint spotting, paperflaw to E6 in second work causing a small loss in diagram.) Later vellum, manuscript title on spine (lightly bowed, some minor worming, spine ends lightly splitting). Provenance : Ex Bibliotheca Cronburghi (ownership inscription on loose inserted paper). FIRST EDITION OF FERNEL'S FIRST BOOK and FIRST EDITION , second issue (with reprinted title page dated 1528) of Fernel's second work. In his Monalosphaerium the celebrated French physician published a short treatise on the motions of the heavens and describes a kind of astrolabe of his own design. Renouard states that there were probably two albums of plates originally accompanying the work and according to Sherrington ‘no copy seems now extant’. ‘The Cosmotheoria ... contained measurements made by Fernel - his estimate of a degree of meridian was good enough to be in close agreement with that of Jean Picard 140 years later and thus was an important contribution to geophysics’ (DSB). Both these astronomical text are RARE with only a few copies recorded in ABPC/RBH. Adams F-251; Harrisse (Additions) 84 (containing reference to America in the versified address to the reader by Jehan Le Lieur); Houzeau and Lancaster 3261 and 2406; Renouard Colines , pp.85 and 428 and pp.116-7; Sherrington 1A and 2B.