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NEWTON Sir Isaac (1643-1727)
The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended. To which is Prefix'd, A Short Chronicle from the First Memory of Things in Europe, to the Conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great.
London, printed for J.Tonson & J.Osborn & T.Longman, 1728. in-4to, 2 bl., xvi, 376, 2 bl. pp. with copper engraved heading and initial, also 3 folding plates in fine. First edition. Contemporary full calf binding neatly rebacked with 5 raised bands on spine, blind stamped covers. Dampstain to the title page borders and the last page, clean text. Old engraved and manuscript ex-libris on the free leaf. "Newton attempts to determine the dates of ancient events from astronomical considerations and indicates the manner in which astronomy might be used to verify the views on the chronological points derived in the main from Ptolemy, which were held in his time" Babson 214. Wallis 309, Sotheran 3240.
Reference : HI363
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Librairie Ancienne Cerat
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1 book(s) with the same title
The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended. To which is prefix'd, A Short Chronicle from the First Memory of Things in Europe, to the Conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great.
Dublin, Risk et al, 1728. 8vo. In contemporary Cambridge-style mirror binding with five raised bands. Boards with scratches and stains. Head of spine chipped, leather on spine cracked. Pencil annotations to front free end-paper. Previous owner's names to title-page. Internally nice and clean. (16), 378 pp.
First Dublin-edition, published the same year as the original, of Newton’s posthumously published work on the rise and history of various ancient kingdoms throughout antiquity. According to John Conduitt's introduction, the present work was Isaac Newton's last personally revised work before his death. It is by many being regarded as being one of Isaac Newton's occult studies. “In his old age, Newton turned again to the theological interests that had burned with consuming intensity during the years of his early manhood... In the years 1705-1710, he returned to theology with renewed vigor, and for all his editions of the Principia and Opticks, theology was the primary occupation of his old age. Newton had been at work revising his interpretation of the prophesies and other theological works for about ten years when Caroline, princess of Wales, heard about his new principles of chronology in 1716. Interested, she summoned Newton and asked for a copy of what he had written. Newton never lightly surrendered one of his compositions. He had even less desire to hand over to the princess of Wales a treatise which might still have contained assertions heretical enough to secure his instant dismissal from the Mint. Well schooled as he was in the art of delay, he pleaded that the work was ‘imperfect and confus’d,’ but he knew very well that one did not dally with a royal command. In haste he drew up an ‘Abstract’ of his chronology, what was later called the ‘Short Chronology,’ which put the work into ‘that shape the preperest for her Perusal...,’ and delivered it to the princess in a few days. By themselves, cut off from the ‘Origines’ which was their source, there was nothing very novel in the ideas the ‘Abstract’ presented and nothing to excite odium. By disguising radical theology as chronology, Newton had made it safe enough even for royal consumption. (Richard Westfall, The Life of Isaac Newton).
