Difficiles Nugae, Or, Observations Touching the Torricellian..

1675. Hale Disputes the Theories of Descartes and Robert Boyle [Hale, Sir Matthew (1609-1676)]. Difficiles Nugae: Or, Observations Touching the Torricellian Experiment, And the Various Solutions of the Same, Especially Touching the Weight and Elasticity of the Air. The Second Edition, With Some Occasional Additions. London: Printed by W. Godbid, for William Shrowsbury, 1674. [viii], 304, [8], 48 pp. Two folding plates, one trimmed to edges and laid in. Pp. [7-8] are publisher advertisements. Cancel slip bound between pp. 280-181. Octavo (6" x 4"). Recent calf, blind rules to boards, lettering piece, blind fillets and gilt publication date to spine, marbled edges, endpapers renewed. Light browning to interior, faint spotting in places, light edgewear and offsetting to margins of preliminaries and final few leaves of text, brief annotation to p.48 at end of text, moderate edgewear to laid-in plate, minor creases to other plates, which is partially detached but secure. $1,500. * Second edition. Difficiles Nugae, one of Hale's few scientific works and one of the few works published in his lifetime, disputes the theories of Descartes and Robert Boyle regarding atmospheric pressure and the development of the barometer. It relies heavily on the work of Aristotle, among others. Like his other scientific writings, it demonstrates a high level of familiarity with recent scientific literature and reflects many of the core concerns present in his religious treatises. The ESTC does not note the tables or cancel leaf included in our copy. English Short-Title Catalogue (ESTC) R228399.