THE SECRET MIRACLES OF NATURE: In four books. Learnedly and moderately treating of generation, the parts thereof; the soul, and its immortality; of plants and living creatures; of diseases, their symptoms and cures, by LEMNIUS, Levinus.: - 1658

London, printed by Jo. Streater, and sold by Humphrey Moseley, John Sweeting, John Clark, and George Sawbridge, 1658.. and many other Rarities not treated of by any Author Extant... Whereunto is added one Book containing Philosophical and Prudential Rules how Man shall become Excellent in all conditions, whether high or low, and lead his Life with Health of Body and Mind. Fit for the use of those that practise Physick, and all Others that desire to search into the hidden secrets of Nature, for increase of Knowledge. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION 1658. Small folio in fours, approximately 280 x 185 mm, 11 x 7¼ inches, title page printed red and black, pages: [16], 1-398, lacking final blank endpaper, bound in full contemporary speckled calf, blind rules to covers and spine, gilt lettered morocco label, endpapers replaced at some time. Binding slightly rubbed, scuffed and slightly stained, tiny chip to leather at top of upper hinge, old ink inscription at foot of original front endpaper, as in other copies A4 (last leaf of Preface) is a cancel and slightly uneven at fore-edge, a small paper fault to page 50 with slight loss, affecting a few letters, which have been pencilled in the margin, a few other small paper faults to margins, none affecting text, shallow turning creases to a few pages at front and rear, small closed tear to 1 lower corner, neatly repaired, not affecting text, upper outer corner torn off page 307, no loss of text, and neatly repaired, tip of another corner missing, no loss, a few small rusty marks, some causing a pin hole, mainly to margins, no loss of legibility. A very good tight copy. First published in Latin in Antwerp in 1559 in two books, it was reissued in 1564 enlarged to 4 books. It was enormously popular on the continent of Europe, translated into Italian in 1560 and into French and German in 1567 and 1575. Although it continued to be reissued in Latin well into the 17th century it was not translated into English until 1658. Levinus Lemnius or Lemmens (1505-1568) was born at Zirickzee in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. At first he studied theology, then medicine under the famous anatomist Vesalius. He graduated at Padua in 1525 and then practised medicine successfully in his native town. He was a friend of Dodoens and Conrad Gesner. This work was his most famous and important, a Book of Secrets with large sections on medical matters and natural history: procreation and birth, medicinal plants, influence of the moon on plant growth, epilepsy, sleepwalkers, sleeping with an open mouth, the benefits of wine drinking, alcoholism, healing power of gemstones. In addition he is very interested in the occult and extraordinary natural phenomena, miraculous happenings, monsters and monstrous births. The final section, the Exhortation, beginning on page 315 deals with religious and moral topics. See: Ferguson, Bibliotheca Chemica, Volume II, page 23; Ferguson, Books of Secrets, Index, page 22; Krivatsy, 17th Century Books in the National Library of Medicine, page 701, No. 6873; Wellcome Library, Volume III, page 489; ESTC R8382. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE. FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.