Theatrum cometicum, duabus partibus constans, quarum altera frequenti senatu philosophico conspicua, cometas anni 1664 & 1665 variis virorum per Europam clariss. . . / Historia cometarum, a diluvio usque ad praesentem annum vulgaris epoche a Christo nato 1665 decurrentem. .

Amsterdam: F. Cuyper, 1666. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. Three parts in one volume including Appendix to part II. Folio (322 x 201 mm). [24], 1-888, [2], 889-966, [6]; [12], 464; [6], 78, [2] pp. With 3 engraved title pages, letterpress title with woodcut device to each part, half title to part II only as called for, engraved portrait of the author by Visscher in part I, another of Johann Ernst Rautenstein (1623-1666) by Sommeren in part III; woodcut initials and tailpieces, 1 woodcut text diagram, 81 engraved plates, of which 5 folding, and 28 double-page and mounted on stubs (57 sheets of plates in part I and 24 in part II). Signatures: *6 **4 A-6F4 6G-6H2; A4 (-A2 +*4) B-3H4 3I6 3K-3M4; [pi]2 A-K4 *2 (-*2). Unnumbered leaf *1 "Appendix Partis Posterioris" bound in front of engraved title of part III, blank leaf *2 not included, unnumbered and unsigned text leaf bound-in between p. 888 and 889 of part I; unnumbered leaf 6H2 "Addenda imperfecto errorum to part I bound at end of part I. Original contemporary blind-stamped and blind-ruled Dutch vellum (rebacked, boards sonewhat bowed, little soiled and spotted, ties mostly gone). Text and plates only very little browned, few pages with very light, small dampstain to blank upper margin, a few short tears well outside text area, single brown spot to p. 355 of part I. In all very crisp and clean throughout. Provenance: From the library of the Grafschaft von Velen at castle of Raesfeld, Westfalia (ink inscription on first letterpress title and dated October 6, 1717); Jerzy Leskowicz (bookplate to front pastedown and blind stamp to first letterpress title). Our copy conforms in collation with that in Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Amsterdam except for the inserted text leaf between p.888 and 889 which is missing in the copy in Amsterdam. ----

VERY RARE FIRST EDITION of this monumental work on comets and the observation of their trajectory, from the Flood to the year 1665. The first part contains a series of thirty-eight reports of observations on the trajectory of the famous comet of 1664-1665, based on the author's correspondence with Jan Heweliusz, Otto von Guericke, Gaspar Schott and several other European scholars. The second part offers a chronology of 415 observations of comets made between 2312 B.C and 1665 A.D. The third is an appendix devoted to the meaning of comets. The numerous illustrations includes a title-frontispiece engraved by Sebastiaen Stopendael after Matthias Scheits, which is repeated at the head of each volume, a portrait of the author engraved by Lambert Visscher, a portrait of Rautenstein by Matthias van Sommeren in the third part, and 83 astronomical diagrams and illustrations engraved on 81 plates by Stopendael, Gerritsz, Gerardi, Veenhuysen, etc. "Since each map represents the observation of a different astronomer, taken together they illustrate the variety of cartographic traditions popular during the 17th century" (Warner). Coming from a noble family in Raków, Stanis?aw Lubieniecki (1623-1675) was an astronomer, historian and pastor of the Socinian community of Czarkowy. After the Swedish invasion of Poland, he was constantly under attack from the Lutheran clergy, as "Polish Brother", and had to place himself under the protection of Frederick III of Denmark, in Hamburg, where he remained until his death.
References: Brunet, III, 1194; Graesse, IV, 270; Honeyman 2052; Estreicher XXI, 433; Poggendorff I, 1508; Thorndike VIII, 336; Warner, Sky explored 164. - Visit our website to see more images!