Galileo, “The Ancient and Modern Doctrine of Holy Fathers,” in Mathematical Collections (London, 1661), ed. Thomas Salusbury
This volume contains the first English translations of any of Galileo’s works, including Galileo’s Dialogue on the Two Chief Systems of the World, the book for which he was put on trial. It also includes the most important documents related to Scripture and Copernicanism, including Galileo’s Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (shown here); similar essays by Kepler and Foscarini, a Carmelite monk; and an excerpt from Diego de Zuniga’s commentary on Job.
The volume is charred and blackened around the edges. Many copies perished in the Great Fire of London in 1665.
This volume contains the first English editions of: Galileo’s Dialogo; Galileo’s Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina; Kepler’s discussion of interpreting Scripture; Diego de Zuñiga’s Copernican commentary on Job; the Letter of Foscarini, and the hydraulics of Castelli.
Note on the provenance of this copy: The inside end-paper bears the name of “Thomas Wo” at Cambridge. A survey of all those in Alumni Cambridiensis to 1751 with surnames beginning with “Wo” reveals that Thomas was not a common Christian name and provides only one candidate, Thomas Worlich, who entered Jesus College in 1700, migrated to Trinity, and graduated MA in 1708.
