Description
FLUDD, Robert (1547-1637). Works, comprising:
Volume I: Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica, physica atque technica historia. [i.e. Vol. 1 (Macrocosmi), part 1.] Engraved title of
the Macrocosmus incorporating a Vitruvian Man, double-page engraved folding plate ‘Integrae naturae speculum artisque imago’, engraved
illustrations in the text, that of the primordial world on p.41 folding. – De Naturae Simia. [i.e. Vol. 1, part 2.] Engraved title of an ape in the
centre of a wheel of arts and sciences, folding engraved plate of a musical temple, 4 double-page plates of military formations, engraved and
woodcut text-illustrations. Oppenheim: Hieronymus Gallerus for Johan Theodorus de Bry, 1617-1618 [but, the second edition, Frankfurt:
Caspar Rötelius for de Bry, 1624].
Volume II: De Supernaturali, naturali, praternaturali et contranaturali microcosmi historia. [i.e. Vol. 2 (Microcosmi), part 1, section 1.] Oppenheim:
Hieronymus Gallerus for de Bry, 1619. Engraved title incorporating a Vitruvian Man, 2 double-page engraved folding plates ‘Catoptrum
Meteorographicum’ and of the Diapason, neither of which present in the Macclesfeld (Maggs cat. 1429/80) or Royal Institution (Christie’s 1 December 2015, lot 230) copies. – De technica microcosmi historia. [i.e. Vol. 2, part 1, section 2, portions 1-7]. Title to section 2 with large
engraved vignette of a naked man standing on a circle with representations of the seven portions ‘De technica microcosmi’ (misbound between
b4 and c1), with 7 further portion titles, 6 of which with large engraved vignettes. – De Praeternaturali utriusque mundi historia. [i.e. Vol. 2, part 2. Frankfurt: Erasmus Kempffer for de Bry, 1621.] One double-page engraved plate ‘Causarum Universalium Speculum’ (misbound at the
beginning of vol. 2, pt 1), engraved and woodcut text-illustrations, one full-page. – Anatomiae amphiteatrum. De Anatomia triplici. [i.e. Vol. 2, part 3]. Frankfurt: Erasmus Kempffer for de Bry, 1623. Half-title (not present in the Macclesfeld or Royal Institution copies), additional
engraved title with portrait of de Bry on verso, engraved and woodcut text-illustrations; [the work continued, with continuous pagination, as:]
Monochordum mundi symphoniacum. [i.e. Vol. 2, part 4]. Frankfurt: Erasmus Kempffer for de Bry, 1623 [the frst folio edition thus]. Woodcut
title device and a few text diagrams – Philosophia sacra et vere Christiana seu Meteorologica Cosmica. [i.e. Vol. 2 part 5]. Frankfurt: in Offcina
Bryana, 1626. Title within engraved frame of 8 sections, engraved text-illustrations, one of which folding. [Bound with:] – Veritatis proscenium...
seu Demonstratio quaedam analytica. Frankfurt: Erasmus Kempffer for de Bry, 1621.
Volume III: Medicina Catholica, seu mysticum artis medicandis sacrarium. [i.e. Vol. 3, part 1]. Frankfurt: by Caspar Rötelius for Wilhelm Fitzer, 1629. Engraved text-illustrations. This bound after: – Integrum morborum mysterium, sive Medicinae Catholicae [i.e. Vol. 3, part 2, section 1].
[Frankfurt: Wolfgang Hofmann in offcina Wilhelm Fitzer, 1631]. Double-page engraved plate ‘Hostilis monumenti salutis invadendi typus’,
engraved and woodcut text-illustrations. – kaqολikον medicorum kaτοπτρον. [i.e Vol. 3, part 2, section 2]. Anno: 1631. Engraved plates
‘Horae diurnae’ and ‘Causarum universalium speculum’, this latter folding, engraved text-illustrations, one of an astrological circle of crises
folding, engraved vignette of an astrologer casting a horoscope for a boy on fy-title to ‘Ouromantia, hoc est divinatio per urinam’ (p. 233), and
of a man holding a urine specimen on fy-title to Ouromantia physiologica’ (p. 255), double-page folding typographical table ‘Caput X’ with
woodcut diagram. [Bound with:] – De Sophiae cum moria certamen. [i.e. part 1]. [Frankfurt: Wolfgang Hofmann for William Fitzer] Anno: 1629.
Engraved folding plate of the Diapason, a repeat of that found in vol. 1, part 1, section 1. [And:] – Summum Bonum. [i.e. part 2] [Frankfurt:
Wolfgang Hofmann for William Fitzer] Anno: 1629. Title with engraved emblem of the rose that gives honey to the bees. [Bound with:] – Pulsus
seu nova et arcana pulsuum historiae. [i.e. Vol. 3, part 3]. [Frankfurt: Wolfgang Hofmann in offcina Wilhelm Fitzer, 1631.] Title with engraved
vignette of a hand from the clouds taking a pulse from a fore-arm, woodcut and engraved text-illustrations. [With:] – Clavis philosophiae et
alchymiae fluddanae. Frankfurt: [Wolfgang Hofmann for] W. Fitzer, 1633. Title with engraved emblem of the rose that gives honey to the bees. 16 works in 3 volumes, 2° (305 x 183mm). Illustrated throughout [see details under each title]. (Bound without the fnal fourth part of the
Medicina Catholica entitled Medicamentosum Apollinis oraculum, 1630, and without the Phylosophia Moysaica and Responsum ad Hoplocrisma-
Spongum, both published later in Gouda by Peter Rammazenius, 1638; lacking A2 from vol. II, pt1, four preliminary leaves from vol. II, pt 2, and the half-title ‘Aer Arca Dei…’ from vol. II, pt 4, with early ink manuscript note to this effect on verso of the engraved title; Integrum
morborum mysterium lacking the engraved title with portrait of author and with gatherings B-D4 repaired and remargined, folding plate
‘Causarum universalium speculum’ torn at creasefold but without loss; Pulsus without the folding engraved plate of a single-stringed instrument
demonstrating the Diapason; some titles and plates trimmed close just into images, some folding plates remargined, without some blanks,
browning and spotting, sometimes heavy, some short tears, occasional marginal dampstaining, some minor worming at beginning of vol. I
and to fnal part at end of vol. III.) Contemporary calf, gilt spines, red morocco gilt spine labels. (extremities rubbed, small split and associated
hole to fourth spine compartment of vol. I, some rubbing, sometime refurbished). Provenance: early ink ownership inscription deleted on verso
of frst title in vol. I — early ownership inscriptions on titles overwritten by: — J.H. Cohauss, MD (ink ownership inscriptions on titles) —
Johann Anton, Freihern von Graes of Loburg and Diepenbrock (ownership inscriptions dated 1744 and 1748 on titles).
a rare, UniforMLY-BoUnd set of HerMetiC WorKs BY fLUdd, richly illustrated with designs attributed to de Bry, Merian and Fludd. The
Macrocosm and Microcosm volumes, Fludd’s masterpieces, include the rare De Praeternaturali utriusque mundi historia (i.e. the second part of volume 2) which is seldom found bound with the others. Fludd sought a new understanding of nature based on Christian principles and interpreted
the Genesis as a divine alchemical process. He believed the eternal truths of the Scriptures and the mysteries of the ancient occultist carried
far more weight than the evidence of the senses and that humans are linked to divinity through nature. The Macrocosm is ‘a presentation of
Renaissance Magia and Cabala, with the addition of Alchymia as developed by Paracelsus and the developments introduced by John Dee into
these traditions... [it is] a Rosicrucian philosophy, a Renaissance philosophy brought up to date’(Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment, p. 80). The
Veritatis proscenium is Fludd’s reply to Kepler’s criticism of Microcosm. Caillet 4033, 4036, 4042; Duveen p.222-3; Fischer and Haberlandt pp.47- 48; Houzeau & Lancaster 2965-2969; Wellcome 2324-2332. The number of plates varies between copies, and different copies are seldom
identical in make-up. This set is sold not subject to return.
(3)
