Levinus Lemnius, 1598

LEMNIUS, Levinus (1505-1568). De miraculis occultis naturae, Libri IIII. Frankfurt: Officina Paltheniana, heirs of Peter Fischer, 1598.

Early edition of a famous book of secrets by a student of Vesalius and Gesner. In this tour-de-force of syncretic knowledge, Lemnius sought to unite ancient wisdom with both new science and Christian doctrine. His incredibly popular book of secrets aimed at the health of the body and mind was first published in Antwerp in 1559, and immediately reprinted and translated in many expanded editions for use by professional physicians and laypeople alike. Although Lemnius was a devout Catholic, his book ended up on the Index, requiring expurgation of passages relating to procreation, Protestant authorities (such as Gesner), and superstitions in order to meet the standards of the censors. Adams L-420. See Hannah Marcus, Forbidden Knowledge: Medicine, Science, and Censorship in Early Modern Italy (2020).

16mo (121 x 78mm). Woodcut device on title (browning, one leaf with paper flaw causing loss of several letters). Contemporary vellum with yapp edges (stained). Provenance: underlining and reader's marks, including partially effaced inscription on flyleaf dated 1604 – "Johann Richard Dietrich" (inscription on title dated 1676).