Bibliographical notes on histories of inventions and books of secrets.

  • John Ferguson
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Bibliographical notes on histories of inventions and books of secrets. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    29/428 (page 13)
    Of course, at a later date, some of these subjects got much fuller treatment at the hands of Beckmann. Still, Panciroli tried conscientiously to make his discourse on these and similar themes thorough and attractive. Panciroli’s book was, however, handled in somewhat rude fashion by Goguet. In the preface to his work upon the Origin of Lmvs, Arts, and Sciences^ he refers to it in the following terms : We have a very bad book of Pancirolus’s, intituled, Rerum memorabilimn five deperditarum, &c. This is, in general, a very crude indigested compilation, in which he sticks at nothing. The falsest facts and most ridiculous tales are adopted for truths. This work is an example of the greatest negligence, joined to the strongest itch of making a book. In what Pancirolus says of certain arts, which, according to him, were known to the ancients, and have been since lost, there are almost as many mistakes and puerilities as words. The arts which he speaks of, either never existed, or they exist to this day, and in a more perfect state than ever. It would be easy to demonstrate this, if the work was worth the trouble. Goguet’s superlatives require a considerable amount of pruning, before they can be accepted as positively accurate. 9. Some account has already been given of Paschius, who wrote a book on the history of inventions and science. It was the second edition in qto which was then mentioned, but to complete the account a notice of the first edition was desiderated. This I can now give : Georgii Pascbii Philof. Mor. in Academia Kilonienfi Prof. Ord. Schediasma De Curiosis Plujus Seculi Inventis, Quorum Accuratiori Cultui Facem Prsetulit Antiquitas. Kiloni, Sumptibus Job. Sebaft. Riechelii, Literis Joach. Reumanni. Anno MDCXCV. Small 8vo. Signatures : )(, A to Y in eights ; or pp. [16] 342. This is a most attractive book, for it tells us what were considered new discoveries just two hundred years ago. Among these, not the least interesting for my present audience is the account of the diving-bell of Professor George Sinclar.2 10. One of the most important works for elucidating the arts of the eleventh century is the well-known treatise of Theophilus the Monk. In 1882, when describing the English edition by Hendrie, I had not seen, but could only 1 Edinburgh, 1775, I., p. vii. 2 [His writings occupy a not inconspicuous place in the “Old Glasgow” Exhibition, which has been opened since the above was read, August 6th, 1S94.]