Scaliger | De emendatione temporum, Paris, 1583; Bressieu, Metrices astronomicae, Paris, 1581, vellum

Scaliger, Joseph and Maurice Bressieu

Two first editions in one volume, comprising:

Scaliger, Joseph. Opus novum de emendatione temporum in octo libros tributum. Paris: Sébastien Nivelle (Mamert Patisson), 1583, title printed in red and black, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, 2 folding letterpress tables, a few leaves printed in red and black, a few annotations and underlinings, erased inscription on title-page

Bressieu, Maurice. Metrices astronomicae libri quatuor. Paris: Gilles Gorbin (Pierre le Voirier, August) 1581, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces, woodcut diagrams

2 works in one volume, folio (354 x 228mm.), contemporary vellum, rear flyleaf with watermark of three flowers within a shield [Briquet 1511, Magdeburg 1582], occasional light staining, occasional marginal tearing, binding soiled

FIRST EDITIONS OF BOTH WORKS. 

Scaliger's work on the calendar expounds the Julian Calendar, which works from a cycle of 7980 years, beginning in 4713 BC. He reconstructed the ancient calendars of Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome from references in ancient writers; the work is printed using Greek, Hebrew and Ethiopic typefaces.

Bressieu's treatise is an early work on trigonometry containing tables of sines and tangents. Bressieu taught mathematics at the Collège de France.

LITERATURE:

USTC 170688 & 170582; 2nd work: PMM 98

PROVENANCE:

"Ex libris Wilhelmi Lauremberg", obscured inscription on title-page of Scaliger (plausiby Wilhelm Lauremberg, 1547-1612, professor of medicine and mathematics at Rostock)