Original edition of the collective scientific and architectural works
de Samuel Marolois (1572-1627), “famous Dutch mathematician and engineer”,
adorned with 89 double-page plates.
Precise copy bound in period vellum with the arms of Antoine de Roore,
elected abbot of St Martin of Tournai on December 9, 1622.
Amsterdam 1628-1638.
Marolois, Samuel (1572-1627). Opera mathematica or mathematical workstreating of geometry, perspective, architecture, and fortification by Samuel de géométrie, perspective, architecture et fortification par Samuel Marolois newly reviewed, augmented and corrected by Albert Girard, Mathematician.
Amsterdam at Jan Janssen, 1628.
In-folio of 1 title within an allegorical copper-engraved frame and 42 pages.
– Followed by: Marolois, Samuel. Fortification or military architecture, both offensive and defensive ; computed and drawn by Samuel Marolois. Reviewed, augmented and corrected by Albert Girard. Mathematician.
Amsterdam, at Jan Janssen, 1638.
(2) ff., 46 pages, 1 table and 42 double-page plates.
– Followed by: Marolois, Samuel. Geometry, containing the theory and practice of it, necessary for fortification. Formerly written by Samuel Marolois Mbut since corrected and most of the Discourse changed and refined by Albert Girard Mathematician.
Amsterdam, at Jan Janssen, 1638.
1 title in an allegorical copper-engraved frame, 53 pp., (1) page of errata, 47 double-page plates.
Together 3 works in 1 in-folio volume, full ivory vellum with cover flaps, gold-embossed arms at the center of the boards, smooth spine, ties. Period armorial binding.
300 x 189 mm.
Interesting original collective edition of the mathematical and architectural works of Samuel Marolois adorned with 89 double-page plates of architecture and mathematics.
Samuel Marolois, born in 1572 in the United Provinces, died in The Hague before 1627, was a Dutch mathematician and military engineer.
He constructed heptagon-shaped fortifications for the city of Coeverden (Netherlands) and was one of the first to write about systems of attack or defense during a siege.
Contemporary of Antoine de Ville, he took up Hans Vredeman de Vries’s works on perspective and published them posthumously. He fortified Coevorden (Drenthe), creating a heptagon, and in doing so, is considered the creator of the “Dutch trace” or false braye (a term used by Rabelais as early as 1546).
In 1627, the Opera mathematica were revised by the brilliant mathematician Albert Girard (1595-1632), a French Protestant refugee in the Netherlands, who also translated Stevin into French and is probably the first to use the abbreviation Sin E to denote the sine of an angle, namely, Geometry. His revisions were retained in all subsequent editions, printed in italics and thus easily recognizable as subsequent interventions to the original text.
Other revisions were added in 1628 by Theodor Verbeeck in Geometry and Frans van Schooten in Fortification.
“Marolois ” wrote mathematical works, geometry, and perspective, intended to show architects how, for example, to form a square inside a triangle or to calculate the lines of a hexagon. Initially, these works were military, intended to build fortifications. Some of these works, including “ Fortification or military architecture, ” (1615) were reviewed by Albert Girard.
Precious scientific volume bound in period ivory vellum with the arms of Antoine de Roore, born in Courtois, elected abbot of the Abbey of St Martin of Tournai on December 9, 1622.
In 1654, Pierre Cazier became his coadjutor. He died on December 20, 1655.
