Very rare issue of the first edition of Adriaan Adriaansz Metius's Astrolabium, being an instructive manual on how to built an astrolabium catholicum, being a particular kind of astrolabe which was generally used by many Dutch pilots in the 16th and 17th century, as it is often depicted in frontispieces of Dutch atlases and pilot guides. The astrolabium catholicum (an universal astrolabe) "was an instrument for the graphic solution of various astronomical and nautical problems, based on the parallactic triangle on the celestial sphere" (Koeman).
Metius (1571-1635) was a renowned Dutch mathematician, instrument maker and astronomer, who was appointed professor in mathematics, surveying, navigation, military engineering and astronomy at Franeker in 1600. He held this position until his death. He is known for his many geometrical, arithmetical and astronomical works, who were widely used in his time. The present work by Metius is very rare: it is not recorded in the STCN and only 9 copies are recorded in WorldCat. Another copy not recorded in WorldCat, held at the university library in Budapest, is mentioned by Hoogendorn in his bibliography. As it seems that there appear two different title-pages for the first edition, as recorded by Hoogendoorn, the present copy seems to be a reissue of the first edition.A highly interesting, very rare and widely used manual on an astronomical and mathematical instrument which was considered to be one of the most important instruments of 16th- and 17th-century Dutch seafarers.
With the bookplate of cardinal Louis-Ernest Dubois (1856-1929). Also with an owner's inscription on the title-page reading "Abbaye de Vaucles", possibly referring to the French abbey of Vaucelles near Cambrai, and a few annotations in the text (in the same hand?). Binding slightly stained and dust-soiled, some leaves very slightly browned, a few spots throughout, with a very small hole in p. 129 (with loss of a few letters), but overall in very good condition. Hamel, Bibliographie der astronomischen Literatur bis 1700, p. 290; Hoogendoorn, Bibliography of the exact sciences in the Low Countries from ca. 1470 to the Golden Age (1700), METIUS08 1.2; Houzeau-Lancaster 3305; Poggendorff, p. 129; WorldCat (9 copies); Zinner, Astronomische Instrumente, p. 445; not in Bierens de Haan; Honeymann; STCN. For the author: DSB IX, pp. 335-336. For the astrolabium catholicum: Koeman, 'The astrolabium catholicum': in: Van der Krogt & Schilder (ed.), Miscellanea cartographica, pp. 337-348.