Sébastien Le Clerc - Pratique de la Geometrie, sur le papier et sur le terrain - 1668-1669

Sébastien Le CLERC
Practice of Geometry on paper and in the field with a new order and a particular method.
Paris, at Thomas Jolly's, 1669 [1668 at the colophon]

1 small volume in-12 (15 x 8.5 cm) with 1 engraved frontispiece, [6], 41, [1], 139, [7] pages.

Binding from the period in full brown glazed calf, Jansenist style, with a spine decorated with gilt fleurons, and gilt title.

Original edition; complete with its two parts bound together in one volume.

First edition of this Treatise; it is sought after because of the original prints it contains (as noted in Brunet).
'This work was first published in 1669.' (in Quérard)
One of the most attractive little mathematical works ever published. (in Hofer)

Besides the frontispiece, it contains many engraved plates.

All these plates include—besides geometric demonstrations—genre scenes, architectural views animated with characters, which give a particular appeal to this treatise. Meaume, the bibliographer of Le Clerc, says that this edition is the only one worthy of bibliophiles: 'the proofs of the second are poor, and those of the third detestable.'
Barbier III, Dictionary of anonymous works, 698-f - Graesse IV, Treasure of rare and precious books, p. 137 - Brunet III, Manual of the bookseller and book lover, 915 - Quérard V, Literary France, p. 45 - Hofer, Baroque book illustration, 55.

Rare and precious edition, beautifully illustrated.

Faded binding with leather loss, missing head cap. Some foxing or stains and minor edge damages. Pages 105/106 and 133/134 are incomplete here. Repairs to pages 100 and 102 with yellowed paper.