John Underwood - Rare and Antiquarian Books and Manuscripts

SCHOTT (P. Gaspard)(KASPAR). Physica Curiosa, sive Mirabilia Naturae et artis .Libris XII. Comprehensa, quibus pleraque, quae de Angelis, Daemonibus, Hominibus, Spectris, Energumenis, Monstris, Portentis,Animalibus, Meteoris, &c. rara, arcana, curiosa .... Herbipoli (Wurzburg), J. A. Endteri & Wolfgangi, 1667, 2 parts quarto, Vol.1: Blank leaf,half title, engraved front., 26 unnumbered leaves,1-676pp. Vol.11, blank leaf,half title then 678-1389,Index. 61 engraved plates, some of which unfolding, bound in 2 thick volumes full contemporary ivory vellum,very sound ,(Vol 11 with 1" split at spine) title inscribed in ink, a few stains,some browning heavier in some sections (-an expert in these matters tells me because of strong iron content in the water used to make paper in Germany at this time, and its oxidisation),usual foxing, one or two pages with corners missing not affecting text, one plate torn at fold with minor loss. Small worm track to board and blank leaf, otherwise a very good and complete copy. Manuscript ex-libris of 17th Century, Ottaviano Ginsile.Full condition report upon request. Second edition,enlarged from the first published in 1662, of this rare book written by the German Jesuit scholar, a friend and disciple of Kircher. A good example of the knowledge of the physical world in the C17th. The author has particularly included "monsters" of the human species, various strange phenomena (headless man, woman with 7 heads, elephant man, hairy people, etc.) as well as strange animals, whether real or imaginary.Many of the images are similar to those found in earlier works, such as Licetus Fortunatus "De Monstrorum"; it would be interesting to track their history. Furthermore, 52 chapters are devoted to angels, demons, their curses, their dealings with witches, incubus and succubus, spectres, etc. Among the 4 new plates, there is the one representing the fight between Dieudonné de Gazo and the winged dragon of Rhodes in 1345. Wheeler n°150: "Voluminous work on the wonders of animate nature and of physical phenomena". Thorndike Hist.of Magic and Experimental Science VII p. 590 - DSB XII, 211 "The Physica Curiosa contains his most complete discussion of angels, demons, and witchcraft in his survey of the angelic worlds. He also discusses the animal, and physical world, always with an eye to the curious and bizarre." A good copy of an extraordinary work.

keywords: succubus, spectres, Kaspar Schott, demons, incubus, dragon of Rhodes, imaginary animals, elephant man, hairy people, dragon, human monsters, Caspar Schott, Ottaviano Ginsile, honinids, conjoined twins, angels, Licetus Fortunatus, Dieudonne de Gazo, strange animals,