Gravesande, Willem Jacob.

[ITALIAN SCIENCE]. Philosophiae Newtonianae institutions, in usus academicos.

Bassani: ex Typographia Remondini, 1749. Item #1333

8vo. 175 x 12 mm., [6 ¾ x 4 ½ inches]. [28], 244; [1], 245-571, [21] pp. Illustrated with 18 engraved plates of diagrams. Bound in contemporary vellum, title label on spine; vellum a bit soiled with age, diagrams of spheres with interior designs drawn on both covers; preliminary leaves with wormhole at lower right corner otherwise, a fresh copy.

First Italian edition of Gravesande’s student textbook explaining Newton’s physics and the most influential introduction to Newton’s works produced to date. Originally published in 1723, Gravesande’s works was on the Index until 1749 and therefore out of reach of students and most men of science in Italy. This work, written in Latin for students, begins with a description of the nature of matter in general and moves on to matter in motion, the mutability of matter, the forces which are exerted by a body in motion, and the elasticity of matter when collisions occur in nature. Gravity is the next subject which Gravesande attempts to convey to his students, followed by lectures on light and color. The 18 engraved plates, bound throughout the text, include numerous examples the illustrate the content explained in the six chapters of the book.

Gravesande was a Dutch philosopher and mathematician, member of the Royal Society of London, who laid down the foundations for teaching physics. He was the most influential exponent of Newtonian science outside of England and this work is an abridged version of his Physices Elementa Mathematica and is the first textbook dealing with Newtonian physics.

Price: $500.00