On the first editions of the chemical writings of Democritus and Synesius / by John Ferguson.

  • John Ferguson
Date:
[1885]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the first editions of the chemical writings of Democritus and Synesius / by John Ferguson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Democritus alone, from the Padua edition direct. All this seems to me very doxibtful; if there be a Cologne 1574 edition it is most likely a reprint of Mizaukl wiih Democritus; while of the other dates, the only copies known want Democritus. My own opinion is that the editions of 1592, 1G13, 1673, need not be taken into account until actual copies of Mizauld with Democritus, or until separate editions of Democritus alone with these dates be dis- covered, an event which I think will never happen. G. The last editioii mentioned by Dr. Kopp is that printed at Nurnberg, in 1717. He himself has not seen it, but he quotes it from Hoftraann, and observes that its title is different from that of 1573. It is very remarkable, as showing the doubt hanging round the whole subject, that even respecting this almost modern edition there is contradiction, for while Hoffmann gives the title in Latin, Dufresnoy, and after hini Schmieder, say that it was in German. Dr. Kopp is unable to decide who is right. 7. It would appear, therefore, as if, of the several editions men- tioned during the last three centuries, only one—that of Padua. 1573—Avere properly authenticated by competent authoritie.s, Beckmann and Dr. Kopp. The foregoing summary is requisite for the projjer understanding of what I have discovered lately on this subject. 8. In the course of certain researches, not immediately concerned witlr Democritus, I was led recently to investigate ^Nlizauld's Memorahili^im Centuriac Kovem, of which a copy of the Frankfurt edition, 1592, had come into my hands (§ 5). Ijooking for other editions, I found tir.st in Sir William Hamilton's Collection, now in the University Library, and, thereaftei-, in the Hunterian Library, copies of Mizauld's work printed at Cologne in 1572. On examining the two copies, I observed that they both contained the tract of Democritus, with the commentaries, translated bv Pizimenti. The following is a detailed description of the book Tille: Antouii Mizaldi Moii- j luciani CiaUi, Medici, | Memorabi- | livm, Sivc Area- | iiorvm omnis Ge- | neris, | Per Aphorismos Ui- | gestorumi Centuriaj IX. | Et, | Uemocritvs Abderita, ]3e | rebus Naturalibus & Mysticis. ] Cum | Synesii, et Pelagii | Commentarijs. | Interprete de Gra?ca lingua, | Dominico Pizimentio Vibonen- | si, Italo. | Pra^fatio. I In omnes liosce libros. \ Colonife, \ Apud loamiem Birckmaniuim j Anno D.M.LXXII. | Cum Gratia & Priuilegio Ciesar. Maiestat. | o^/,6 X 3'Ij6 inches. Signatures in twelves; ff. 52 unnumbered and 2 blank, 2/(5 numbered, 1 blank. Printed in italics.