Bidspirit auction | TORPORLEY, Nathaniel (1564-1632) - Diclides

TORPORLEY, Nathaniel (1564-1632) - Diclides coelometricae seu valvae astronomicae universales omnia artis totius munera psephophoretica in sat modicis finibus duarum tabularum methodo nova, generali, & facilima [sic] continentes. London: F. Kingston, 1602. A rare astronomical and mathematical treatise unfortunatelly incomplete. The most recent auction result is from 2005 (£9,600 Sotheby's). The work is particularly appreciated because, in addition to being extremely cryptic and obscure, it anticipates Nepero's rules on algorithms by twenty years, while using a different method. 4to (193 x 150mm). Large animated woodcut on title, illustrations in text and tables at end (Aa-Oo4), some early annotations in margins (lacking leaves from N1 to O2 and pp. 89-100, two burnholes with small loss on title, light worming at bottom margin of O3 and S2). Contemporary limp vellum with some illebile annotations, manuscript title to bottom edge.