PASCAL, Blaise. Oeuvres de Blaise Pascal. 1779.
PASCAL, Blaise.
Oeuvres de Blaise Pascal.
La Haye [Paris], Detune, 1779.
Five volumes 8vo (190x120 mm), 132-425 pages and frontispiece / xii-549 pages / viii-526 pages / viii-456 pages and 9 folding plates / viii-462-(2 -directions for the book binder) pages and 5 folding plates. binding : Contemporary full calf, spine with six compartments. Compartments gilded with arms of Marechal de Soubise. Bindings rubbed, headcaps worn, little loss of leather on volume 5. Few foxings.
First and only old collective edition.
Published by Bossut, this edition is illustrated with a portrait and 14 plates.
Among the unpublished there are many "pensée", writings on Grace, the Treaty of vacuum and and extensive correspondence.
Volumes IV and V contain the scientific works.
We found the second printing of the describing of invention of the computing machine of Descartes (TIV, pages 7-30). The first edition, certainly printed by the author, is unobtainable (only two copies known).
Also of interest here is the reprint of Pascal's 1654 paper introducing his triangle of binominal coefficients (Pascal's Triangle), included in Volume V, pages 1-54. Pascal's invention "predated the concepts of computation of the values of polynomial functions by differences.".
references: [OHR, 2034 : "Les livres du maréchal de Soubise étaient reliés pour la plupart en veau fauve, sans armes, ornés simplement de macles et de mouchetures d'hermine couronnées frappées alternativement entre les nervures du dos."].
provenance: Bindings with the arms of Charles de Rohan-Soubise known as Maréchal de Soubise (1715-1787), Marshal of France, Minister of State and close friend of Louis XV.
Price : 2500 €
