CASTEL, Louis. Le vrai systeme de physique generale de M. Isaac Newton. Parigi, Jorry e Simon, 1743In 4to, 247 x 190 mm. Legatura coeva in pelle spugnata, fregi e titolo in oro su tassello al dorso, fogli di guardia in carta marmorizzata policroma, tagli rossi. Pagine [4, inclusi Occhietto e Frontespizio], 520. Fregio xilografico al frontespizio stampato in rosso e nero, Grande vignetta allegorica incisa in rame a pagina 17, 3 tavole incise e ripiegate in fine volume. Sporadico lieve foxing e alcune bruniture, buon esemplare genuino.Prima edizione. La fisica di Newton viene esposta con molta precisione e viene comparata a quella di Cartesio: Castel rifiuta il sistema di Newton in favore di quello del suo compatriota. Babson: “Castel was a jesuit, living first at Toulouse and later in Paris. He was a member of the Royal Society and wrote a number of books, all dealing with mathematics and physics. In an earlier work on "L'optique des couleurs", Castel rejected Newton's theory of colors and established one of his own which in some respects resembled Goethe's. Although he had a high regard for Newton, in this book he refutes his system in great detail in favor of that of Descartes, his compatriot” La bella vignetta allegorica in cui Newton e Descartes sono raffigurati mentre si affrontano in una partita a biliardo è incisa da John Ingram sul disegno di Jean-François Clermont.Babson 45.

In 4to, 247 x 190 mm. Contemporary binding in mottled leather, gilt ornaments and title on the spine, polychrome marbled endpapers, red edges. Pages [4, including half-title and title page], 520. Woodcut vignette on the title page printed in red and black, large allegorical vignette engraved in copper on page 17, 3 folded plates at the end of the volume. Sporadic dlight foxing and some browning, good unsophisticated copy.
First edition. Newton's physics is exposed with great precision and is compared to that of Descartes: Castel refutes Newton's system in favor of that of his compatriot. Babson: “Castel was a jesuit, living first at Toulouse and later in Paris. He was a member of the Royal Society and wrote a number of books, all dealing with mathematics and physics. In an earlier work on "L'optique des couleurs", Castel rejected Newton's theory of colors and established one of his own which in some respects resembled Goethe's. Although he had a high regard for Newton, in this book he refutes his system in great detail in favor of that of Descartes, his compatriot” The beautiful allegorical vignette in which Newton and Descartes are depicted while they face each other in a game of billiards is engraved by John Ingram on the drawing of Jean-François Clermont.