The Renaissance was a time when European intellectuals began to re-examine the world around them, inspired by discoveries made by explorers traveling to previously undescribed parts of the world and the writings of classical scholars that were becoming more accessible. Their efforts were aided by the rapid growth of cheaper books, which movable type made possible. Enterprising men, and a few women, throughout continental Europe brought out new editions and translations of classical authors, such as Plautus, Ptolemy Herodotus, and Euclid. They also published the writings of contemporary scholars, such as Giovanni Ramusio (on geography), Lorenzo Valla (grammar), Lucas Pacioli (mathematics) and Niccolò Tartaglia (mechanics).
This collection includes a selection of important herbals, mathematical writings and geographies from circa 1540 to circa 1680. Among these are Den nieuwen herbarius by Leonard Fuchs (1543); De stirpium by Hieronymus Bock (1552); The anatomy of plants by Nehemiah Grew (1682); Nova scientia by Niccolò Tartaglia (1537); and the first translation of Euclid's Elementa made directly from the Greek (1505).
In addition, the Rare Book Collection at Mount Holyoke College has examples of titles from one of the most prolific of these early publishing houses, the house of Aldine, founded by Aldus Manutius (d. 1515), and from many of its competitors.
Selected bibliographies from the collection of Renaissance books are available below. They are arranged by discipline and cover astronomy and mathematics; botany and medicine; and geography.
Alencé, Joachim d', d. 1707?
Traittez des barométres, thermométres, et notiométres, ou hygrométres / par Mr. D * * * Amsterdam : Henricus Wetstein, 1688.
Digges, Leonard, d. 1571?
A Geometrical practise, named pantometria, diuided into three bookes, longimetra, planimetra, and stereometria : containing rules manifolde for mensuration of all lines, superficies and solides ; with sundry straunge conclusions, both by instrument and without, and also by perspectiue glasses, to set forth the true description of exact plat of an whole region / framed by Leonard Digges ... ; lately finished by Thomas Digges, his sonne, who hath also thereunto adioyned a Mathematicall treatise of the five regulare Platonicall bodies, and their metamorphosis or transformation into five other eqiulater uniforme solides geometricall, of his owne invention ... At London : Imprinted by Henrie Bynneman, 1571.
Euclid.
Euclidis Megaresis philosophi Platonici Mathematicaru[m] disciplinarum janitoris : habent in hoc volumine quicuq[uam] ad mathematicã substania aspirat : elementorum libros xiij. cum expositione Theonis ihgnis mathematici / quibus multa quae deerãt ex lectiõe Graeca sumpta addita sub nec nõ plurima subuersa [et] prepostere: voluta in Cãpani iterepatõe: ordinata digesta [et] castigata sunt ; quibus etiã nonnulla ab illo venerando ; Socratico philosopho mirãdo iudicio structa habent adiucta ; deputatum scilicet Euclidi volumen xiij cu expositiõe Hypsi. Alex. itidemq[ue] [et] Phaeno. Specu. [et] Perspe. cum expositione Theonis. ac mirandus ille liber dato[rum] cum expositiõe Pappi Mechanici vna cu Marini dialectici protheoria Bar. Zãber Vene. interepte. Venetiis : In edibus Ioannis Tacuini, 1505.
Euclid.
The Elements of geometrie of the most auncient philosopher Evclide of Megara / faithfully (now first) translated into the Englishe toung by H. Billingsley ... Whereunto are annexed certaine scholies, annotations, and inuentions of the best mathematiciens. London : Imprinted by I. Daye, 1570.
This is the first English edition of Euclid's Elementa.
Hariot, Thomas, 1560-1621.
Artis analyticae praxis, ad aequationes algebraïcas nouâ, expeditâ, & generali methodo, resoluenda / tractatvs e posthumis Thomae Harrioti ... schediasmatis summâ fide & diligentiâ descriptus ... Londini : apud Robertvm Barker, typographium regium ; et haered. Io. Billii, 1631.
Köbel, Jacob, d. 1533.
Astrolabii declaratio : eiusdemque usus mire incundus non modò astrologis, medicis, geographis, caeterísque literarum cultoribus multum utilis ac necessarius ... / à Iacobo Koebelio facilioribus formulis nuper aucta, longéque euidentior edita ; cui accessit Isagogicon in astrologoam iudiciaram. Parisiis : Apud Gulielmum Cauellat ..., 1550.
Oughtred, William, 1575-1660.
Clavis mathematicae denvo limata sive potius fabricata : cum aliis quibusdam ejusdem commentationibus, quae in sequenti pagina recensentur. Editio quarta auctior & emendatior. Oxoniae : Typis Lichfieldianis apud Joh. Crosley & Amos Curteyne, 1667.
Regiomontanus, Joannes, 1436-1476.
Ioannis Regiomontani mathematici praestantissimi De triangvlis planis et sphaericis libri quinque, unà cum tabulis sinuum, in quibus tota ipsorum triangulorum scientia ex primis fundamentis geometricarum absolutissimè extructa continetur : quam mvltiplicem vsvm haec triangvlorum doctrina omnibus legitimè philosophantibus adferat non solùm ad expeditè absoluendas, quaecunque in locis terrestribus ac maritimis occurrat, dimensiones, sed etiam ad intelligendos fontes eius disciplinae, quae extructa est à Ptolemaeo & Copernico de revolutionibus orbium caelestium, qui sana rerum intelligentia sunt instructi, in sequenti opere, quod complectitur ordinatà astronomicorum & geometricorum problematum descriptionem, tanquan in clara luce intueri & experientia infallibili duce deprehendere poterunt / omnia nunc simul in lucem edita in gratiam matheseos studiosorum per Danielem Santbech ... Basileae : per Henrichvm Petri et Petrvm Pernam, 1561.
Riese, Adam, 1492-1559.
Adam Risens Rechenbuch auff den Linien vnd Ziffern durch allerley Handtheirung inn Hauss : vnd Kauffmans Rechnung mit schoenen kuenstlichen Regeln Exempeln vnd beygefuegten notwendigen Vnterrichtungen ; dabey auch von Visier vnnd Wechselruhten auss dem Quadrat durch die Arithmetic vnd Geometria kuenstlich vnnd gerecht zu machen von Erhard Helm ... beschrieben ; Dessgleichen zum Beschluss ein schoener Vnterricht der Geodaesiae oder bewehrten Feldmessens angehengt / auch alles widerumb allenthalben von newem fleissig ubersehen vnd corrig irt durch Sebastianum Curtium von Windtsheim ... Nuernberg, Durch Georg Leopold Fuhrmann, 1610.
Santbech, Daniel, 16th century.
Problematum astronomicorum et geometricorum sectiones septem : in quibus evidentissimis demonstrationibus explicatur ... omnia nunc recens conscripta in communem gratiam studiosorum Matheseos, & in lucem edita. Basileae : Per Henrichum Petri et Petrum Pernam, 1561.
Stevin, Simon, 1548-1620.
Les oeuvres mathematiques de Simon Stevin de Bruges : ou sont inserées les memoires mathematiques, esquelles s'est exercé le tres-haut & tres-illustre prince Maurice de Nassau ... / e tout reveu, corrigé, & augmenté, par Albert Girard ... Leyde : Chez B. & A. Elsevier, imprimeurs, 1634.
Stifel, Michael, 1486/7-1567.
Arithmetica integra / authore Michaele Stifelio ; cum praefatione Philippi Melanchthonis. Norimbergae : apud Johan. Petreium, 1544.
Tartaglia, Niccolò, d. 1557.
Nova scientia / inventa da Nicolo Tartalea... In Vinegia : Stephano da Sabio, 1537.
Viète, François, 1540-1603.
Francisci Vietae Opera mathematica / in unum volumen congesta, ac recognita, operâ atque studio Francisci à Schooten. Lugduni Batavorum : ex officinâ Bonaventurae & Abrahami Elzeviriorum, 1646.
Bock, Hieronymus, 1498-1554.
Hieronymi Tragi De stirpivm, maxime earvm, qvae in Germania nostra nascvntvr, usitatis nomenclaturis, proprijsque differentijs, necque non temperaturis ac facultatibus, commentariorum libri tres / germanica primum lingua conscripti, nunc in Latinam conuersi, interprete Davide Kybero, Argentinensi ; his accesservnt a fronte praefationes dvae: altera D. Conradi Gesneri ... rei herbariae scriptorum, qui in hunc usque diem scripserunt, catalogum complectens: altera ipsius authoris, herbariae cognitionis laudes, & alia nonnulla scitu tum necessaria, tum iucundissima continens... Argentorati : excudebat V. Rihelius, 1552.
Clusius, Carolus, 1526-1609.
Caroli Clvsi Atrebatis ... Rariorvm plantarvm historia... Antverpiæ : ex officina Plantiniana apud Ioannem Moretum, 1601
Conservandae bonae valetudinis praecepta longe saluberrima, regi Angliae quondam a doctoribus scholae Salernitanae versibus conscripta: nunc demum integritati, atque nitori suo restituta / cum ... Arnoldi Villanovani ... in singula capita exegesi ; per Joannem Curionem Berckensem ... nunc denuo, recognita & repurgata... Lugduni : Apud Joannem Lertout, 1577.
Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.
Sylva, or, A discourse of forest-trees and the propagation of timber in His Majesties dominions : as it was deliver'd in the Royal Society the XVth of October, MDCLXII ... Terra, a philosophical essay of earth, being a lecture in course : to which is annexed Pomona, or, An appendix concerning fruit-trees in relation to cider, the making and several ways of ordering it, ... : also, Kalendarium hortense, or, The gard'ners almanac, directing what he is to do monthly throughout the year / by John Evelyn, Esq. Third edition much inlarged, and improved. London : Printed for John Martyn, printer to the Royal Society... , MDCLXXIX.
Fuchs, Leonhart, 1501-1566.
Den nieuwen herbarius : dat is, dboeck vanden cruyden int welcke met groote neersticheyt bescreuen is niet alleen die gantse historie dat is die namen tfaetsoen natuere cracht ende operatie van meesten deel de cruyden die hier ende in ander landen wassende ... / door Leonhaert Fucha. Met drij tafeln oft registers. Basel : Michiel Isingrin, 1543.
Gerard, John, 1545-1612.
The herball, or, General historie of plantes / very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Johnson. London : Printed by A. Islip, J. Norton and R. Whitakers, 1636.
A late edition of his Herball, which was first published in 1597. The errors in the original work were corrected by Johnson.
Graaf, Reinier de, 1641-1673.
De succo pancreatico, or, A physical and anatomical treatise of the nature and office of the pancreatick juice : shewing its generation in the body, what diseases arise by its vitiation : from whence in particular, by plain and familiar examples, is accurately demonstrated, the causes and cures of agues, or intermitting feavers, hitherto so difficult and uncertain, with sundry other things of worthy note / written by D. Reg. de Graaf ... ; and translated by Christopher Pack ... London : Printed for N. Brook at the Angel in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange, 1676.
Grew, Nehemiah, 1641-1712.
The anatomy of plants ; with an idea of a philosophical history of plants, and several other lectures, read before the Royal Society / by Nehemiah Grew Publisher. [London] : Printed by W. Rawlins, for the author, 1682.
Harvey, William, 1578-1657.
The anatomical exercises / of Dr. William Harvey ... concerning the motion of the heart and blood ; the preface of Zachariah Wood ... to which is added Dr. James de Back, his Discourse of the heart... London : R. Lowndes and M. Gilliflower, 1673.
L'Obel, Matthias de, 1538-1616.
Kruydtboeck, oft, Beschryuinghe van allerleye ghewassen, kruyderen, hesteren, ende gheboomten. t'Antwerpen, By Christoffel Plantyn, 1581.
Dutch translation of his Stiripium adversaria nova, which was first published in 1570.
Malpighi, Marcello, 1628-1694.
Marceli Malpighii ... opera posthuma : in quibus .. authoris vita continetur ... / supplementa necessaria, & praefationem addidit innumeris que in locis emendavit Petrus Regis... Editio ultima... Amstelodami : apud Georgium Gallet, 1698.
Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.
I costumi, le leggi, et l'usanze de tutte le genti : divisi in tre libri / raccolte, qui insieme da molti illustri scrittori, per Giouanni Boemo Aubano alemano ; et tradotti per Lucio Fauno in questa nostra lingua volgare ; aggiuntoui di nouo il quarto libro, nelqua si narra i costumi, & l'vsanze dell' Indie occidentali, ouero Mondo nouo da m. pre. Gieronimo Giglio ... In Venetia : Appresso Giacomo Corneti, 1585.
Bry, Johann Theodor de, 1561-1623?
II. pars Orientalis, in qva Iohan. Hvgonis Lintscotani Nauigatio in Orientem, item regna ... mores'que Indorum & Lusitanorum pariter in Oriente degentium ... quóve compendio prostent, accurate proponuntur ; ea Lintscotvs ... idiomate Belgice in publicum dedit ... nunc ... Latine ... reddita enunciauit Tevcrides Annaevs Lonicervs ... / additae sunt passim D. Paludani annotationes: item icones ... per Ioh. Theodorum, & Ioh. Israëlem de Bry, ... quorum sumptibus opus ipsum recens iterum foras datum. Francfordii : ex officina W. Richteri, 1599.
Bry, Johann Theodor de, 1561-1623?
Tertia pars Indiae Orientalis: qua continentur I. Secunda pars nauigationum à Ioanne Hvgone Lintschotano in Orientem susceptarum ... II. Nauigatio Hollandorum in insulas Orientales, Iavan & Svmatram ... III. Tres nauigationes Hollandorum in modò dictam Indiam per Septentrionalem seu glscialem Oceanum [Gerardo de Veer auctore] ... de Germanico in Latinum translata, & bono ordine disposita à Bilibaldo Strobaeo Silesio ; adiectae svnt ... tabluae seu mappae chorographicae, cum iconibus alijs, ... / in aes incisae per Ioan. Theodor. & Ioan. Israel. de Bry: quorum sumptibus quoque hoc opus editum est. Francofvrti : excudebat Matthaeus Beckerus, 1601.
Cavazzi, Giovanni Antonio, d. 1692?
Istorica descrittione de' tre regni Congo, Matamba, et Angola : situati nell'Etiopia inferiore occidentale e delle missioni apostoliche esercitateui da religiosi Capuccini / accuratamente compilata dal P. Gio. Antonio Cavazzi da Montecuccolo, sacerdote Capuccino, il quale vi fu' prefetto ; e nel presente stile ridotta dal P. Fortunato Alamandini da Bologna, predicatore dell'istesso ordine ... In Milano : Nelle Stampe dell'Agnelli, 1690.
Gage, Thomas, 1603?-1656.
A new survey of the West-Indies; or, The English American, his travel by sea and land : containing a journal of three thousand and three hundred miles within the main land of America : wherein is set forth his voyage from Spain to S. John de Ulhua; and thence to Xalappa, to Tlaxcalla, the City of Angels, and forward to Mexico ... likewise his journey from Mexico, through out the provinces of Guaxaca, Chiapa, Guatemala, Vera Paz, Truxillo, Comayagua ... ; with a grammar, or some few rudiments of the Indian tongue, called Poconchi or Pocoman / by Thomas Gage. 3rd ed., enlarged by the author, with a new and accurate map. London : printed by A. Clark, and are to be sold by J. Martyn, [etc.] 1677.
Guicciardini, Lodovico, 1521-1589.
Omnium Belgii sive inferioris Germaniae regionum descriptio: / Ludovico Guicciardino, nobili Florentino, auctore ; recèns ex idiomate Italico, ad exemplar tertiùm ac postremùm ab ipso auctore recognitum magna'q[uem] passim accessione locupletatum, in Latinum sermonem conversa ; regnero Vitellio Zirizaeo interprete ; insertis passim cum regionis cujus'que, tum & urbium quoque praecipuarum tabulis geographicus ; adjuectif'que, supplendo & illustrando Guicciardino, nonnullis additamentis. Amstelrodami : Excudebat Guiljelmus Ianssonius ..., 1613.
Hennepin, Louis, 17th century.
Nouveau voyage d'un pais plus grand que l'Europe avec les reflections des enterprises du Sieur de la Salle, sur les mines de St. Barbe, &c. enrichi de la carte, de figures expressives, des moeurs & manieres de vivre des sauvages du nord, & du sud, de la prise de Quebec ville capitalle de la Nouvelle France, par les Anglois, & des avantages qu'on peut retirer du chemin recourci de la Chine & du Japon ... / par le R. P. Louis Hennepin, ... Utrecht : A. Schouten, 1698.
Le Moyne de Morgues, Jacques, d. 1588.
Brevis narratio eorvm qvae in Florida Americae provicia Gallis acciderunt, secunda in illam nauigatione, duce Renato de Laudõniere classis praefecto: anno MDLXIIII : qvae est secvnda pars Americae ... / auctore Iacobo Le Moÿne, cui cognomen de Morgues, Laudõnierum in ea navigatione sequnto ; nunc primùm Gallico sermone à Theodoro de Brÿ Leodiense in lucem edita ; Latio verò donata a C.C.A. ... Francoforti ad Moenum : tÿpis Ioãnis Wecheli, sumtibus vero T. de Brÿ, venales reperiutur in officina S. Feirabendii, 1591.
Dated 1591 on the title page, but the title pages for the plates is dated 1609. This is the second impression of the first Latin edition of Le Moyne's work.
Lopes, Duarte.
Vera descriptio regni Africani / qvod tam ab incolis qvam lusitanis Congus appelatur per Philippvm Pigafettam ; olim ex Edoardi Lopez acroamitis lingua Italic excerpta ; nunc Latio sermone donata ab August. Cassiod. Reinio. Francofvrti : excudebat Wolffgangus Richter, impensis Io. Theo. & Io. Israel. de Bry, frat., 1598.
Münster, Sebastian, 1489-1552.
Cosmographiae vniversalis lib. VI, in qvibvs ivxta certioris fidei scriptores, sine omni cuiuscunq[ue] molestia, uel laesione, describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partium situs propriaeq[ue] dotes ; regionum topographicae picturae ; terrarum ingenia, quibus fit ut tam differentes & uarias specie res, tam animatas quàm inanimatas, producat ; animalium peregrinorum naturae & effigies ; nobiliorum ciuitatum icones & descriptiones: ac circiter XX. de nouo additae ; regnorum initia, incrementa & translationes ; cunctarum gentium mores, leges, religio, res gestae, & mutationes usq[ue] ad annum Christi M.D.LXXII ; item regum ac principum genealogiae / authore Sebastiano Munstero. Basileae : Ex officina Henricpetrina, 1572.
Ortelius, Abraham, 1527-1598.
Il theatro del mondo / di Abraamo Ortelio ; nel qvale distintamente si dimostrano in tauole tutte le prouincie, regni, & paesi del mondo, al presente conosciuti; con la descrittione delle città, castelli, monti, mari, laghi, & fiumi di essi; le popolationi, i costumi, le ricchezze, & altri particolari desiderabili ; ridotto dalla forma grande in qvesta piccola, per maggior commodità di ogniuno ; con vna tavola delle cose piv degne che nell' opera si contengono. In Brescia : Appresso la Compagnia bresciana, 1598.
Ptolemy, 2nd century.
Clavdii Ptolemaei Geographicae enarrationis libri octo / Bilibaldo Pirckeym hero interprete Annotationes Ioannes de Regio Monte in errores commissos a Iacobo Angelo in translatione sua. Argentoragi [sic] : Iohannes Grieningerus, communibus Iohannis Koberger impensis excudebat, anno a Christi nativitate 1525 tertio kal. Apriles.
Ptolemy, 2nd century.
Geographia vniversalis : vetus et nova / complectens Claudii Ptolemaei Alexandrini enarrationis libros VIII. Quorum primus noua translatione Pirckheimheri et accessione commentarioli illustrior quàm hactenus fuerit, redditus est ... Succedunt tabulae Ptolemaicae, opera Sebastiani Munsteri nouo paratae modo. His adiectae sunt plurimae nouae tabulae ... Basileae : Apud Henricum Petrum ..., 1540.
Ptolemy, 2nd century.
Geografia; cioè descrittione vniuersale della terra partita in due volumi, nel primo de' quali si contengono gli otto libri della Geografia di Cl. Tolomeo / nuouamente con singolare studio rincontrati, & corretti dall'Eccellmo. Sig. Gio. Ant. Magini ... con una larghissima & copiosissima spositione del medesimo sopra'l primo de' detti libri d'intorno a' precetti & alle regole della geografia ; nel secondo vi sono poste XXVIII. tavole antiche di Tolomeo, & XXVIII. altre moderne, tutte reviste ... di detto Sig. Magini ... ; dal latino nell'italiano tradotta dal R. D. Leonardo Carnoti. Venetia : appresso Gio. Battista & Giorgio Galignani fratelli, 1598.
Ptolemy, 2nd century.
Geografia / di Claudio Tolomeo Alessandrino ; tradotta di Greco nell' idioma volgare Italiano da Girolamo Ruscelli ; et hora nuouamente ampliata da Gioseffo Rosaccio ; con varie annotationi & espositioni, & tauole di rame. In Venetia : Appresso gli heredi di Melchior Sessa, 1599.
Most of the maps are enlargements of J. Gastaldi's maps from the 1548 edition.
Purchas, Samuel, 1577?-1626.
Purchas his Pilgrimage, or, Relations of the world and the religions obserued in all ages and places discouered, from the Creation into this present : in foure partes : his first containeth a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adjacent : declaring the ancient religions before the Flovd, the heathenish, Jewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ... : with brief descriptions of the countries, nations, states, discoueries, priuate and publike customes, and the most remarkable rarities of nature, or humane industrie, in the same / by Samuel Purchas. London : Printed by William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, 1613.
Sandys, George, 1578-1644.
Sandys Travels, containing an history of the original and present state of the Turkish empire : their laws, government, policy, military force, courts of justice and commerce ; the Mahometan religion and ceremonies: a description of Constantinople ... also, of Greece ... of Egypt ... a voyage on the river Nylvs ... a description of the Holy-land ; of the Jews ... and what else either of antiquity, or worth observation ; lastly, Italy described, and the islands adjoining ... illustrated with fifty graven maps and figures. The 7th ed. London : Printed for John Williams junior, 1673.