DIGBY, Kenelmus.
Theatrum sympateticum, ofte Wondeer-toneeel des natuurs verborgentheden. Behelsende een uitstekende oratie over het gebruik des poeders de sympathie, daar in de waarheit zijner werkinge werd ontdekt. Benevens twee waardige vervolgen, van alle zeldzame antipathien en sympathien ... door N. Papinus en A. Kirchnerus.Including: PAPIN, Nicolaus & Sylvester RATTRAY. Theatrum sympaticum ... Tweede deel. Werdende hier in eerst ... geleert de bereydinge des poeders de sympathie, en desselfs gebruyck in verscheyde soorten van wonden. ...Including: KIRCHNER, Athanasius. t Groote licht der natuur-kunde: derde deel. Ontdeckende vele vermakelijcke geheymenissen des natuurs, over t stuck van antipathie en sympatie. Getrocken uyt e Latijnsche geschriften van ...
Amsterdam, Jacob van Royen & Timotheus ten Hoorn, 1681. With engraved allegorical frontispiece, letterpress title-page and 2 divisional titles, folding allegorical plate with seven roundels ("De sympathie is t leven van de natuur" (sympathy is the life of nature) and woodcut initials.
With: (2) DIGBY, Kenelm. . Nieuwe beproefde en wel ondersochte genees-middelen, ofte zeltsame verborgentheden: met verscheide aardige blanketsels, om de jufferlyke schoonheid te onderhouden. Getrokken uit de gedenkschriften van ... Uit het Fransch vertaalt.
Amsterdam, Jacob van Rooyen & Timotheus ten Hoorn, 1680. Woodcut vignette on title-page, woodcut decorated initials. 12mo. 2 works in 1 volume. Vellum over boards, spine with the text "Oratie van de poeder de Sympathie". [8], 440, [44]; 280, [6] pp.
€ 1,650
Fourth edition of the rare Dutch translation of a collection of texts on the "powder of sympathy", first published in 1661. Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665) was an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Blackloist. Although Digby was in touch with the leading intellectuals of the time, and was highly regarded by them, and although he was a founding member of the Royal Society, he was regarded as an eccentric by most of his contemporaries, partly because of his effusive personality and partly because of his interest in scientific matters. Henry Stubbe called him "the very Pliny of our age for lying".
The present edition includes a translation of (parts of) Nicolaus Papins Dissertatio de pulvere sympathetico (first edition: Paris 1644), together with parts of Sylvester Rattrays Aditus novus ad occultas sympathiæ et antipathiæ causas inveniendas (Glasgow, 1658), dedicated to Johannes Scotus. Papin (ca. 1600-1653) was a French physician at Blois and Alencon Both texts were reprinted in Theatrum sympatheticum variorum authorum de pulvere sympathetico (Nürnberg, 1662). It also includes a Dutch translation of a compilation from the works by the brilliant but eccentric Jesuit Athanasius Kirchner (1602-1653), mainly on magnetism and the influence of the moon, sun, etc: Het groote licht de natuurkunde, ofte De magnetiche werrelt.
Ad 2: Rare first and only edition of the Dutch translation of Digbys Choice and experimented receipts in physick and chirurgery, as also cordial and distilled waters and spirits, perfumes and other curiosities, first published in 1668, second edition 1675: a collection of all kinds of "surprising" prescriptions for medicaments and household remedies, the title emphasising their value in preserving young womens beauty.
With the bookplate of G. van Rijnberk on paste-down and his stamp on title-page, and a round bookplate with Hebrew initials on the first fly-leaf. Last quire of ad 2 misbound. Soiled, frontispiece cut short, lower corner of first leaves soiled. BMN, I, p. 150; DSB, IV, pp. 95-96; Elis. Hedrick, "Romancing the salve: Sir K. Digby and the powder of sympathy", in: British journal of science, 41 (2008), pp. 161-185; S. Lobis, "Sir K. Digby and the powder of sympathy", in: Huntington quart., 74, 2 (2011), pp. 243-260; K. Thomas, Religion and the decline of magic (1973); Thorndike, VIII, pp. 295, 331, 357. Ad. 2: BMN, I, p. 284.
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