57. Avianus, (Flavius). (Flourished about 150 A.D.) Aviani Aeso picarum fabularum liber, a Theod. Pulmanno ex membranis in lucem editus. 29 pp.1 1. 16mo. Antverpiae, ex officina Christofori Plantini. Antwerp, 1572 Latin poet who wrote in elegiac verse a number of fables after the manner of Aesop. 58. Biringuccio, Vanucci. (End of the 15th-middle of the 16th Century.) La pyrotechnie; ou, Art de feu, contenant dix livres. Traduite d'Italien en François par Jacques Vincent. 4 1.+168 pp. ill. 4to. Paris, Claude Fremy. Paris, 1572 On page 56 of this book on Pyrotechny will be found an account of numerous extraordinary properties attributed to the lodestone in some of which the author expresses his belief. The original edition appeared in Venice, 1540. 59. Lemnius, Levinus. (1505-1568.) Occulta naturae miracula, ac varia rerum documenta, probabili ratione atque artifici coniectura explicata. 81.+473 pp. +111. 12mo. Gandavi, ex officina G. Manilij. Ghent, 1572 Wine spoilt by lightning and thunder, p. 272. The compass is called, p. 304, piridecula nautica, vulgo Compas. First edition, Antwerp, 1559. 60. Maurolycus, Franciscus. (1494-1575.) Opuscula mathematica. II 1.285 pp. ill. 4to. Venetiis, apud Fr. Francisicum Senensem. Venice, 1575 61.t Work of merit on astronomy and geometry by a Sicilian Abbot. The orientation of the magnet is referred to p. 100, et seq. The writer argues that the needle does not point due north but to a magnetic island mentioned by the Swedish prelate and historian, Olaus Magnus. Besson, Jacques. (1540-?.) Theatrum instrumentorum et machinarum Jacobi Bessoni Delphinatis mathematici ingeniossissimi cum Franc. Beroaldi figurarum declaratione demonstratum. (text in French.) 20 1. 60 plates (plates 4956 missing.) Folio. Lugduni, apud Barth. Vincentium Lyons, 1578 Full-page illustrations of various mechanical devices. Besson was a French mathematician and inventor. 62. Camorano, Rodrigo. ( — - .) Compendio de la arte de navegar. 4 1.+60 pp. I plate, I portr. 4to. Sevilla, A. Pescioni. Seville, 1582 Compass-card with 32 radial lines, p. 9; rotation of the pole-star round the axis of the world, p. 29; chapter on the compass, p. 34, with diagram showing the use of two rectangular axes for suspension. 63. Rao di Alessano, Cesare. (16th Century.) I meteori. I quali contengono quanto intorno a tal materia si puo desiderare. 16+167 1. 4to. Venetia, Gio. Varisco. Venice, 1582 L. 131, causes of lightning and thunder; different kinds of thunder, color of lightning-flashes also why lightning precedes thunder, and whether it always does so. L. 134, places and seas in which lightning is most frequently seen. L. 135 contains an account of the effects of lightning together with protection against the same. Aristotle is frequently quoted. fa facti unà cómifccantur:ad quas adnciatur minuta magnetis particula: cer te fingularis illa uis noftris ctia téporib.æque ac prifcis ita in fe liquore uitri trahere creditur,ut ad fe ferru allicit: tractu aut purgat,& ex uindi uel luteo candidu facit:fed magnete poftea ignis cofumit: qui uerò ia dictis fuccis cas rêt,ipfi duas portiões cineris quernci ucl ilignei, uel roborei,uel cerrei, aut, fi hi in proptu non fuerint, fagini uel abiegni cu una fabuli ucl arena permi fcet,& addüt modicu falé, ex aqua falfa uel marina factu,atq; exigua magne tis particula: fed ifti minus candidu & translucidu uitru coliciut: ueru cinis ex antiquis arborib.fit:quaru truncus, ubi affurrexit ad altitudine fex pedu cauatur,& iniecto igni arbor tota coburitur,ac in cinerem uertitur:quod fit hyeme cu niues diutina fedent,uel æftate, cu non pluit:na imbres alijs anni téporib.qd cineres cu terra mifceat, impuros reddut:quãobre tuc ex ijfdem arborib.in plures partes fectis,& fub tecto cobuftis,cinis cõfiat. Sed uitra rijs alijs tres funt fornaces,alijs duæ,alijs una: quib. tres,hi in prima coquut materia,in fecuda eã recoquut,in tertia refrigerant uitrea uafa & cætera ope ra cadentia:coru prima fornax cocamerata & furno fimilis fit: in cuius fupe riori camera,longa pedes fex,lata quatuor,alta duos lignis aridis accefis res miftæ coquatur acri igni donec liquefcant,& in maffam uertatur uitrea; etfi nondum fatis à recremento purgatam:ea refrigerata extrahatur & in partes diuidatur: in eadem fornace ollæ,quæ continebunt uitrum, calefiant. Prima fornacis inferior camera A Superior B. Vitrea maffa c. 44. AGRICOLA. (Reduced.) 64. Porta, Johannes Baptista della. (1538-1615.) Magiae naturalis sive de miraculis rerum naturalium libri xx. 9 1.+303 pp. ill. portr. Folio. Neapoli, apud Horatium Saluianum. Naples, 1589 Book vii. of this folio edition treats of magnetic phenomena. The magnetic field is clearly defined in cap. 22; the screening action of iron is recognized, cap. 30; the fact that sailors preferred steel for their compass-needles is stated, cap. 36, the reason assigned being that such magnets keep their "vim per centum annos." The weakening effect of heat is described, cap. 51. The preface to Book vii. contains on page 128 a clear statement of a sympathetic telegraph. See Strada (No. 90); the Spectator (No. 241); the Guardian (No. 119); Gherardi (No. 1799). 64a. Another edition. 18 1.+669 pp. ill. 12mo. Francofurti, Samuel Hempelius. Frankfort, 1607 Book vii. of this edition treats of the lodestone and compass; p. 289 contains the author's idea of a sympathetic telegraph, which he is said to have derived from Cardinal Bembo. 64b.— —(English translation.) Natural magic in twenty books wherein are set forth all the riches and delights of the natural sciences. 31+409 pp.+3 1. ill. Folio. London, Thomas Young. London, 1658 This is the first English edition of Porta's celebrated work, being a transla. tion from the Latin edition of 1589. Book vii. treats of the lodestone and magnetic phenomena. The famous allusion to a magnetic telegraph, p. 190; lodestone ground to powder, p. 199; magnetic attraction measured by balance method, p. 200; magnetic screening, p. 204; the declination and its variations, p. 208; place of no variation, p. 208; effect of heat on magnets, p. 212; magnetic field, p. 203; magnetic induction, p. 203; polarity produced by rub bing with lodestone, p. 206; uses of the sailing compass, p. 208. Porta owed much to Peregrinus, A. D., 1269; Gilbert, 1600, was indebted to both. -See also 47. 65. Borough, William. (1536-1599.) A discourse of the variation of the compasse, or magneticall needle. Wherein is mathematically shewed, the manner of the observation effects, and application thereof, made by W. B. (William Borough), and is to be annexed to the New Attractive of R. N. (i.e., Robert Norman). 30 1. ill. 4to. London, by E. Allde, for Heugh Astley. London, 1592 This very rare tract (preface dated 1581) derives its special importance from its being the first work in which was shown how the "Variation of the Compass" could be determined by accurate observation. The author's method is described in the third chapter, the value of the "Variation" there given, for London (1580) being 11° 15' east. This interesting tract was printed together with Norman's Newe Atractive in 1581, 1585, 1592 and 1614. 66. Norman, Robert. (Flourished 1590.) The Newe Attractive, containing a short discourse of the magnes or loadstone: and amongst other his vertues, of a new discovered secret and subtill propertie, concerning the declining of the needle, touched therewith under the plaine of the horizon. Hereunto are annexed certaine necessary rules for the arte of naviga |