MORIN, TRIGONOMETRIAE CANONICAE LIBRI TRES, PARIS, 1633

FIRST EDITION, 4to (240 x 173mm.), woodcut diagrams, errata leaf at end, contemporary calf, ruled in gilt and lettered "Convent. Concept. Capucin. Parisi.", gilt edges, section excised from margin of title and restored, binding somewhat rubbed, spine and corners worn, spine with slight loss

Couvent des Capucins du Marais (Paris, founded 1622), inscription on title and lettered on upper cover; Swann Galleries, auction 6 October 1983, lot 263; bought from Al Seckel / The Antiquarian Scientist, Acton, MA, 1994

Tomash & Williams M131; Henderson p.61 no. 29.0; USTC 6029168 

the condition of this lot is as described in the catalogue description
"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."

"Morin had a difficult personality and is remembered not only as an opponent of Galileo (and his Copernican ideas) but also as a fervent opponent of Descartes. He should, however, be given credit for his attempts to solve the longitude problem. His solution was based on measuring absolute time by the position of the moon relative to the stars. Morin recognized that better instruments and better lunar tables were required to implement his solution, and he sought to make some advances in these areas. As a practical matter, his method, though theoretically sound, did not achieve the required accuracy. "Morin is remarkable in that these logarithm tables are among the earliest anywhere and certainly are the first published in France by a Frenchman. He was obviously a capable mathematician and seems to have grasped the usefulness of logarithms when many of his contemporaries did not" (Tomash & Williams).