Wing D1130 (;).
First printed in Amsterdam in 1668, this is the first London edition of Descartes' extensive collection of letters with numerous folding plates and illustrations.
An issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society provides a good account of Descartes's work. "Though some few of these letters were by the author himself written in Latin, yet the far greater part of them having been written in French, they are now come abroad all translated into Latin, for the benefit of those that are unskilful in the other language. They contain many philosophical questions and matters of all sorts ... They relate to a great variety of subjects, geometrical, arithmetical, musical, optical, mechanical, physiological, medical, metaphysical and moral" (Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, no. 40, (1668), p. 805).
Provenance: 1: John Wheeler, dated ownership inscription "Sum ex libris Jo: Wheeler Aul: Pemb: 1675. Pur: 2d". Wheeler was admitted to Pembroke College, Cambridge University on 11 May 1672 and was awarded a B.A. in 1675-76 and an M.A. in 1680. As his inscription indicates, Wheeler must have purchased this volume not long after he received his B.A. 2: Johnstone family of Westerhall, Dumfries, bookplate to front pastedown.
