Hamish Riley-Smith

FELICIANO, Francesco Libro di Arithmetica & Geometria speculatiua & practicale. Venice, Francesco Bindoni & Mapheo Pasini 1550

Quarto, 21.0 x 15.0 cm, quarter vellum and marbled boards, 3 parts, 80ff unnumbered, [A-V4], title with wood-cut of skeleton key and ladder within historiated wood-cut border, wood-cut initials at chapter openings, printed marginalia throughout including arithmetical and geometrical devices, numerous contemporary and later annotations in ink in Italian in the margins and on the verso of the final leaf, title dust and finger stained, old damp stain, ownership inscription in ink on the title of Valentinus Chetterlin emit Vercelli 1650, an excellent copy.

Smith, Rara Arithmetica, pp.146-151. Adams, F219 (Cambridge University Library only).An interesting copy of Feliciano of Lazissa’s (fl.1512-1563) arithmetic, with many early annotations, which was first published in 1527 in Venice. He acknowledges indebtedness to Borghi and Pacioli. The first part of the book is commercial, in the second part he deals with roots, rule of false and algebra and the third part is devoted to geometry. Smith writes that the work “is more complete than Treviso, more modern than Borghi, more condensed and practical than Pacioli, few books had greater influence on the subsequent teaching of elementary mathematics”.

£1650

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