Folio, (310 x 205 mm). 3 ff., 50 pp., 1 folding plate, 464 ff., in Book XI, 37 diagrams with one or more overslips. Five small loose leaves of manuscript notes. Full early polished calf, rebacked with original spine laid down, raised bands to spine, red lettering piece, stained black chainlink and toothed lines near joints, some shelf-wear, corners lightly bumped. Housed in custom calf clamshell box. Occasional early ink marginalia, minor outer corner dampstaining, minor worming to ff. 105-109, and ff. 425-436, small hole at center of f.432 only affecting text on verso, a few creased corners, small hole at f. 341 (through 3 letters and touching diagram on verso), ff. 462-463 with repaired tears and restored edges.

The “Preface is one of the richest single documents from which to analyze the various roles played by mathematics in the scientific revolution…” (Hansen, Bert. Isis 68, no. 2 (1977): 321–23).

Indeed, with this work, Dee established his “intellectual leadership among English mathematical practitioners for three generations or more” (Taylor).

The Elements is illustrated with hundreds of diagrams in text, and famously with a series of overslips on book XI (generally lacking, however present in this copy); these overslips were original printed as six bifolia bound in at the end, and can lay claim to making the Elements the first popup book printed in the English language. The translation was prepared by Sir Henry Billingsley, merchant from London and successively Lord Mayor of London, prepared after the editions of Campanus Novara and Bartolomeo Zamberti.

“In 1570, however, Dee wrote one of his most significant works. In the form of a Preface to Henry Billingsly's English Translation of Euclid, he composed a magnificent exposition of the relationship and application of mathematics (especially arithmetic and geometry) to the practice of skilled arts and crafts. It was, in fact, a plea for the scientific method, and it obviously owed much to the great schoolman, Roger Bacon, of whom Dee was so devout a disciple” (Trattner, Walter I. “God and Expansion in Elizabethan England: John Dee, 1527-1583.” Journal of the History of Ideas 25, no. 1 (1964): 17–34).

The work is a fine printing mixing image and text, which ensured the work popularity and actuality for long; as stated before, Dee’s preface, more than a preface is a work in itself, which outlined the practical applications of Euclid’s work, laying the foundations for experimental science.

STC 10560; Thomas-Stanford 41.