Libavius, A. Alchemia. Opera e dispersis passim optimorum autorum, veterum & recentium exemplis potissimum, tum etiam praeceptis quibusdam operose collecta. - Commentationum metallicarum libri quatuor de natura metallorum, Mercurio philosophorum, azotho, et lapide seu tinctura physicorum conficienda. 2 in 1 Band. Frankfurt, Saur für Kopff, 1597. Kl.-4to (21:16,5 cm). Mit drei wiederholten Holzschn.-Druckermarken. 9 Bll., 424 S., 11 Bll.; 4 Bll., 392 S. Pergamentband der Zeit, stärker fleckig, knittrig, mit Wurmlöchern u. alt reparierter Fehlstelle am Rücken, Schließbänder fehlen.

VD 16, L 1489 & 1491; Adams L 634-35; Ferguson II, 31-32; Duveen 355-56; Neu 2385 & 2388. - Erste Ausgabe beider Werke. "The first chemical textbook in the modern sense... this book is extremely rare. According to Partington it is even scarcer than the first edition of Newton's Principia... two copies I have seen of these two books were bound together, and I am inclined to think that they were probably issued together" (Duveen). "Libavius' main value to the history of science resides in his extraordinarily voluminous alchemical works, which represent a compendium of the chemical knowledge of his times... his chief work was 'Alchemia' together with the 'Commentationum metallicorum libri'. .. he can be regarded as one of the founders of chemical analysis" (DSB VIII, 310 ff.). - Etwas gebräunt u. randfleckig, Titelblatt fleckig, stellenw. angerändert, mit hinterlegten Wurmlöchlein sowie zwei alten Besitzeinträgen eines Samuel Ulbrich und eines Johannes Joseph Ignaz Liptay. Restaurierte Wurmgänge und -löchlein im Bund von ca. fünf Lagen. Vorsätze erneuert.

First edition of both works. 2 works in 1 vol. - Some browning and staining throughout, stronger to title, restored marginal lesions and small worming to title and two old ownership inscriptions, restored worming to inner gutter of approximate 5 quires, endpapers renewed. Bound together in contemporary limp vellum, defective, head of spine with old repairs.