Visus libelli [manuscript] : this vade-mecum memorial manual of muses, or, compleat compendious complexe and companion, of learned languages and sciences, scarcely another to be seen so short, small and full, is most fitt and serviceable of a travelling tutor and disciple abroad, or else much rising and walking at home ..., late 17th century.
Alsted, Johann Heinrich, 1588-1638. Methodus admirandorum mathematicorum. Selections.; Gautruche, Pierre, 1602-1681. Mathematicae totius. Selections.; Moore, Jonas, Sir, 1617-1679. Modern fortification. Selections.; Moore, Jonas, Sir, 1617-1679. Mathematical compendium. Selections.; Farnaby, Thomas, 1575?-1647. Phrases oratoriae elegantiores. Phrases poeticae.; Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata.; Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata. Latin.; Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata. Greek.; Horn, Georg, 1620-1670. Orbis politicus. Pars 3.; Schmitz, Johannes Andreas, -1652. Medicinae practicae compendium.; Seller, John, active 1658-1698. Atlas caelestis. Selections.; Alsted, Johann Heinrich, 1588-1638. Methodus ss. theologiae.; Knollys, Hanserd, 1599?-1691. Grammaticae Latine Graecae & Hebraicae compendium.; Naval Binder, active 1670s-1680s, binder.; Washington National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.), former owner.
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Details
Title
Visus libelli [manuscript] : this vade-mecum memorial manual of muses, or, compleat compendious complexe and companion, of learned languages and sciences, scarcely another to be seen so short, small and full, is most fitt and serviceable of a travelling tutor and disciple abroad, or else much rising and walking at home ..., late 17th century.
Created/published
England?, late 17th century.
Description
1 volume (ca. 800 leaves) ; 113 x 68 x 70 mm
Associated name
Naval Binder, active 1670s-1680s, binder.
Washington National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.), former owner.
Washington National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.), former owner.
Summary
Bound compilation of printed educational titles, excerpted and assembled for the teaching of mathematics, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, rhetoric, medicine, theology, law, geography, and astronomy, framed by manuscript prefatory and postscript material advertising the many merits of this volume. In particular, the compiler describes its utility for traveling tutors and their charges: this vade mecum "saves the troubles and paines of carrying and turning great many book-baggages." At the end of the volume, a brief manuscript list of contents ("Ordo Authorum") and a detailed educational plan ("Curriculum Studiorum") for students aged 5-12, keyed to the compendium, with specific activities for every day of the week except Sunday.
The printed works excerpted include Johann Alsted's Methodus admirandorum mathematicorum, Pierre Gautruche's Mathematicae totius (likely Wing G382 (1668)), Jonas Moore's Modern fortification (plates only, likely from either Wing M2576 (1673) or Wing M2577 (1689)) and A mathematical compendium (possibly Wing M2573 (1681)), Phrases poeticae from Thomas Farnaby's Phrases oratoriae elegantiores (Wing F461 (1647) or Wing 461A (1648)), Comenius' Janua linguarum reserata (Latin and Greek parallel text, from 1640s Elsevier edition, possibly 1642), Georg Horn's Orbis politicus (possibly 1669 Hoogenhuysen edition ("Editio tertia auctior & Emendatior")), plates and "Index with reference to Euclid" from The elements or principles of geometrie (Wing E495 or variant (1684)), Johannes Andreas Schmitz's Medicinae practicae compendium (possibly 1659 Geneva edition?), John Seller's Atlas caelestis (Wing S2463 (1677)), Johann Alsted's Methodus ss. Theologiae, Epitome regularum juris ex titulo digestorum secundum ordinem alphabeticum collecta per P.C.B. (excerpted from unidentified edition of Justinian's Institutiones?), and Hanserd Knollys' Grammaticae Latinae, Graecae, & Hebraicae compendium (Wing K714 (1665)). Also includes a number of plates and tables from unidentified works, including a large number of Cartesian figures trimmed and interleaved throughout Horn's Orbis politicus, Comenius' Janua linguarum reserata and Knollys' Grammaticae Latinae, Graecae, & Hebraicae compendium.
The printed works excerpted include Johann Alsted's Methodus admirandorum mathematicorum, Pierre Gautruche's Mathematicae totius (likely Wing G382 (1668)), Jonas Moore's Modern fortification (plates only, likely from either Wing M2576 (1673) or Wing M2577 (1689)) and A mathematical compendium (possibly Wing M2573 (1681)), Phrases poeticae from Thomas Farnaby's Phrases oratoriae elegantiores (Wing F461 (1647) or Wing 461A (1648)), Comenius' Janua linguarum reserata (Latin and Greek parallel text, from 1640s Elsevier edition, possibly 1642), Georg Horn's Orbis politicus (possibly 1669 Hoogenhuysen edition ("Editio tertia auctior & Emendatior")), plates and "Index with reference to Euclid" from The elements or principles of geometrie (Wing E495 or variant (1684)), Johannes Andreas Schmitz's Medicinae practicae compendium (possibly 1659 Geneva edition?), John Seller's Atlas caelestis (Wing S2463 (1677)), Johann Alsted's Methodus ss. Theologiae, Epitome regularum juris ex titulo digestorum secundum ordinem alphabeticum collecta per P.C.B. (excerpted from unidentified edition of Justinian's Institutiones?), and Hanserd Knollys' Grammaticae Latinae, Graecae, & Hebraicae compendium (Wing K714 (1665)). Also includes a number of plates and tables from unidentified works, including a large number of Cartesian figures trimmed and interleaved throughout Horn's Orbis politicus, Comenius' Janua linguarum reserata and Knollys' Grammaticae Latinae, Graecae, & Hebraicae compendium.
Note
The compiler omitted all title pages, and leaves often trimmed (frequently removing signatures and other printing evidence). Some printed selections are extremely fragmentary and appear interleaved with unrelated works (e.g. the trimmed Cartesian figures), and extracts from different works are sometimes pasted together (e.g. excerpted table from Seller's Atlas cellestis pasted to the final leaf of excerpt from Alsted's Methodus admirandorum mathematicorum). For excerpts from larger printed works, leaves are heavily trimmed and/or folded, sometimes with significant text loss (with Horn's Orbis politicus, the content of these losses copied in manuscript on backs of folded and interleaved plates (this practice described in the introduction: "the Leafs somewhere Resected ... some are supplied in writing: since the sizes of books could not all agree") or bound sideways (e.g. Farnaby's Phrases oratoriae elegantiores; individual leaves of this larger format work interspersed between gatherings of two different works: E1-F2 with Moore's Mathematical compendium and F3-G2 with The elements or principles of geometrie). The manuscript "Curriculum Studiorum" at the end of volume separately sewn in after volume was bound.
21st century foliation incomplete (leaves 1-335 only), with an additional leaf not noted between leaves 45 and 50. Contemporary manuscript pagination of section from Orbis politicus, not including interleaved manuscript leaves.
The name "William Waller" (possibly Sir William Waller, ca. 1639-1699) and some other scribblings appear on the final leaf from Farnaby (roughly halfway through the volume). Based on the trimming of the leaf, it appears that the name was written on the back of the leaf before it was bound in the volume.
21st century foliation incomplete (leaves 1-335 only), with an additional leaf not noted between leaves 45 and 50. Contemporary manuscript pagination of section from Orbis politicus, not including interleaved manuscript leaves.
The name "William Waller" (possibly Sir William Waller, ca. 1639-1699) and some other scribblings appear on the final leaf from Farnaby (roughly halfway through the volume). Based on the trimming of the leaf, it appears that the name was written on the back of the leaf before it was bound in the volume.
Binding information
Black goatskin with red, white, and ocher goatskin leather onlays; gilt and gauffered on all three edges with large floral design on a stippled background. Fore-edge painting of two cherubs with outstretched arms on either side of a large daisy flower. Evidence of a single silver solid metal fore-edge clasp. In blue box labeled "Mathematica etc. [Mearne Binding] c. 1665." Howard Nixon kept a rubbing from this binding in his personal notebook of 'unidentified binders' now held at the British Library (verified by Philippa Marks). Frank Mowery has suggested that it closely matches the work of "The Naval Binder," so named by H.M. Nixon because of the workshop's close connection to the Navy Office.
Provenance
From the Washington National Cathedral collection, dispersed in 2011.
Source of acquisition
Acquired from James Cummins, 2011-12-06.
Exhibited
Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, 2018.Form and Function: The Genius of the Book.
Includes
Alsted, Johann Heinrich, 1588-1638. Methodus admirandorum mathematicorum. Selections.
Gautruche, Pierre, 1602-1681. Mathematicae totius. Selections.
Moore, Jonas, Sir, 1617-1679. Modern fortification. Selections.
Moore, Jonas, Sir, 1617-1679. Mathematical compendium. Selections.
Farnaby, Thomas, 1575?-1647. Phrases oratoriae elegantiores. Phrases poeticae.
Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata.
Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata. Latin.
Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata. Greek.
Horn, Georg, 1620-1670. Orbis politicus. Pars 3.
Schmitz, Johannes Andreas, -1652. Medicinae practicae compendium.
Seller, John, active 1658-1698. Atlas caelestis. Selections.
Alsted, Johann Heinrich, 1588-1638. Methodus ss. theologiae.
Knollys, Hanserd, 1599?-1691. Grammaticae Latine Graecae & Hebraicae compendium.
Elements or principles of geometrie. Selections.
Gautruche, Pierre, 1602-1681. Mathematicae totius. Selections.
Moore, Jonas, Sir, 1617-1679. Modern fortification. Selections.
Moore, Jonas, Sir, 1617-1679. Mathematical compendium. Selections.
Farnaby, Thomas, 1575?-1647. Phrases oratoriae elegantiores. Phrases poeticae.
Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata.
Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata. Latin.
Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670. Janua linguarum reserata. Greek.
Horn, Georg, 1620-1670. Orbis politicus. Pars 3.
Schmitz, Johannes Andreas, -1652. Medicinae practicae compendium.
Seller, John, active 1658-1698. Atlas caelestis. Selections.
Alsted, Johann Heinrich, 1588-1638. Methodus ss. theologiae.
Knollys, Hanserd, 1599?-1691. Grammaticae Latine Graecae & Hebraicae compendium.
Elements or principles of geometrie. Selections.
Item Details
Call number
V.a.615
Folger-specific note
Dedicated to the memory of Nadia Sophie Seiler, whose extraordinary skills as a cataloger are exemplified by this catalog record.
Folger accession
266614