REGIOMONTANUS, DE TRIANGULIS, BASEL, 1561, OLD CALF

Folio (300 x 192mm.), woodcut initials, woodcut diagrams and illustrations, quire BB duplicated, inscribed "Tho. Digges 1578" on title-page, old calf, spine gilt in compartments, modern folding box, title-page repaired at fore-edge, a4 repaired at upper corner, quire h misbound, repaired tear at foot of n4, quire p shaved at foot, quire B slightly browned, last few quires slightly stained at head, binding repaired at spine and corners, slightly rubbed

"Tho Digges 1578", ownership inscription on title-page perhaps in the hand of the mathematician Thomas Digges; N. Lancaster, inscription on flyleaf; English armorial bookplate with motto "Nil conscire sibi"; Coward College Library, bookplate (Dissenting college, which merged with two others in 1851 to become); New College, London, bookplate (whose library was donated in 1976 to Dr Williams's Library); Harrison D. Horblit (1912-1988); H.P. Kraus, New York, catalogue 168 (c.1984), item 155, $5400; bought from Martayan Lan, New York, 1990

Tomash & Williams R54, R61, P64, S13; Houzeau & Lancaster 2500; VD16 M6571; Santbech: Zinner 2273

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Third edition. "Regiomontanus' monumental work on Triangles, the first publication of which was delayed until 12 August 1533, attracted many important readers and thereby exerted an enormous influence on the later development of trigonometry because it was the first printed systematization of that subject as a branch of mathematics independent of astronomy" (DSB XI, p.350). This edition also contains Peurbach's Tractatus super propositiones Ptolemaei de sinubus & cordis and Santbech's Problematum astronomicorum et geometricorum sections. This book is likely to have been in the library of the Elizabethan mathematician, astronomer, and politician Thomas Digges (for whom see lots ***). Digges customarily inscribed his books and at least three other books with similar inscriptions are known: Jordanus Nemorarius, Arithmetica (Paris, 1496), UCL; Luys Collado, Practica manuale de arteglieria (Venice, 1586), The British Library, C.54.k.2; and J. Fernel, Monalosphaerium (Paris, 1526), from the Bute library, sold in these rooms, 3 July 1961, lot 193. However, the majority of books inscribed by Digges are in a much more formal hand with several letter forms that are entirely distinct from those found here (notably "g", "h", and the majuscules: see, for example, the illustration for lot 450 in the Bute sale). Digges also used this formal hand, albeit in somewhat modified form, to sign a letter to Lord Burghley (TNA, SP 12/90, fol. 46, dated 11 December 1572). No namesake has been identified so these inscriptions may be in the hand of an amanuensis, but further research will be required to tease out the relationship between the two forms of inscription.