Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) [and Marin Mersenne (1588-1648)].
Les nouvelles pensees de Galilei ... oùpar des inventions merveilleuses, & des demonstrations inconnuês iusques à present, il est traittéde la proportion des mouvements, tant naturels, que violents, & de tout ce qu'il y a de plus subtil dans les mechaniques & dans la phisique. Traduit d'Italien en François.Paris: Pierre Rocolet, 1639.
First edition, Rocolet issue, of a partial translation and expansion of Galileo’s Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche by his ardent supporter and defender, Marin Mersenne. It is the first translation into any language of the Discorsi, which lay the foundation for modern physics. Mersenne, as Galileo, was especially occupied with the phenomena of the pendulum in his discussion of motion and devotes considerable attention to it here, based in part on his correspondence with Descartes on the matter. Henry Guenon was the original publisher of the work but soon ceded his rights to Pierre Rocolet. Rocolet added a new title-page, dedication to the King’s surgeon, Cureau de La Chambre, a note on his publishing right dated 11 May 1639, and a final leaf of errata. Carli-Favaro 169; Cinti 104; Riccardi I 516.

Octavo (156 x 100mm). Woodcut diagrams in text, one folding plate, initials, head- and tailpieces. Lacking blank leaves called for by Cinti at a1-2. (Without the 3 blanks in the prelims called for by Cinti, occasional faint dampstain, light inky fingerprints on pp.126-7, short neat tear at hinge of K1). Contemporary vellum (minor repairs on back cover, missing fore-edge ties).

a few early marginal annotations in French.

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