Euclides Elements of Geometry:

the second full english language edition

The rare second full English language edition of Euclid's Elements. Likely a revision of the first English language edition, published in 1570 by Henry Billingsley with the John Dee preface (Corry, British Versions of Book II of Euclid's Elements, p. 31.) ESTC records three different versions of the title page of the Rudd edition, with the word 'at' in different places in the imprint. This copy from the library of the Scottish nobleman Thomas Hamilton, 7th Earl of Haddington (1721-1795).

Thomas Rudd (1583/4-1656) was a mathematician and military engineer who began his career in the Low Countries before being recalled to England 'to become chief engineer of all castles, forts, and fortifications within Wales... Subsequently he was appointed the king's principal engineer for fortifications'. His final years were 'devoted to mathematical studies and publications', with the present work being one of three that he published; the others were on practical geometry and the military arts (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

'The most influential of all Dee's published works was his "Mathematicall praeface" to Henry Billingsley's English translation of Euclid, Elements of Geometrie, printed by John Daye in 1570. The preface is firstly a long encomium of the study of "thynges mathematicall" as partaking both of the supernatural and of the natural, and of geometry in particular. He goes on to enumerate the practical arts (proper to "mechanicians") which derive from mathematics, and under one of the last of these, "thaumaturgike", exculpates himself with some passion from the charge of conjuring. He also defends the use of the vernacular, as not encroaching on the rights of the universities. His concept of "Archemastrie", which "procedeth by Experiences", has been seen by some as foreshadowing the experimental science of the next century, but he also hints at magical interests and practices under this very heading. In general the "Praeface" is now seen as a retrospective view of his own practice and teaching after his return to England in 1551, but the interest in magic, and possibly in skrying (seeing, or conversing with, spirits), may be a development of the late 1560s' (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

First Rudd edition; small 4to (18 x 13 cm); title printed in red and black, woodcut head and tailpieces, decorative initials, and diagrams within the text, contemporary ownership signature and date correction to title, near-contemporary bookplate to verso of title causing wrinkling, corner of F1 torn with no loss of text, corner of S4 torn with small loss of text, contents a little toned with some spotting and offsetting; later sprinkled calf ruled in blind, manuscript title to fore-edge, yellow morocco label, loss from the head of the spine and joint, corners worn, boards a little marked and scuffed, a very good, unsophisticated copy; 259pp.

ESTC R234863.