A Treatise of the System of the World and A Panegyric upon Sir Isaac Newton. - photo 1
A Treatise of the System of the World and A Panegyric upon Sir Isaac Newton. - photo 2

A Treatise of the System of the World and A Panegyric upon Sir Isaac Newton.

Lot 97
19.10.2023 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 27 720
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1032749
Lot 97 | A Treatise of the System of the World and A Panegyric upon Sir Isaac Newton.
Estimate value
$ 8 000 – 12 000
NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1726/7). A Treatise of the System of the World. Translated into English by Andrew Motte. London: F. Fayram, 1728 [Bound with:] REID, Andrew (fl. 18th century). An Abstract of Sir Isaac Newton's Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms. London: William Innys, 1732 [And:] FONTENELLE, Bernard le Bovier de (1657-1757). A Panegyric upon Sir Isaac Newton. Translated from the French. London: William and John Innys, 1728.

First edition in English of the "third part" of Newton's Principia, with scarce edition of Fontenelle's eulogy of Newton. Also published in Latin the same year, this work was "originally intended to form the third part of the Principia mathematica. Fearing disputes from those ignorant of the principles outlined in the first two books, Newton later changed his plan, 'putting the substance of the System into prepositions in the mathematical way, that it might be read by those only who had studied the principles beforehand'" (Norman). It reflects Newton's typically ahead-of-his-time outlook, speculating on, among other things, the existence of the planet Uranus (first seen by Herschel in 1781) and the possibility of Terrestrial Tide Effects (which would be discovered by Michaelson in 1919).

The present copy is bound with a translation of Fontenelle's eulogy of Newton, also by Andrew Reid. Fontenelle was an influential figure of the French Enlightenment and disciple of Mersenne. His "panegyric" provides a detailed biography of Newton, coming down in favor of Newton in the Calculus Controversy. It was translated several times, and this is the first edition of this translation by Reid, a Scottish popular science writer. It is not recorded at auction and is rare institutionally. I: Babson 18; Norman 1593; Wallis 30; III: Wallis 390.1.

Three works in one, octavo (194 x 122mm). First work with 2 engraved plates and errata leaf at end; third with 6pp. publisher's ads at end (a few spots). Contemporary English paneled calf, gilt title label on spine (joints cracked and possibly repaired, leather peeling a bit).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
14.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
15.10.2023 13:00 – 17:00
16.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
17.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
18.10.2023 10:00 – 17:00
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

More from Creator

[NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)]
[NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)]
£70 000
La methode des fluxions
La methode des fluxions
$100
NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)
NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)
€1 500
Newton , I,
Newton , I,
€600
[NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)].
[NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)].
£25 000
[NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)] – Nathaniel HAWES (d. 1700)
[NEWTON, Isaac (1642-1727)] – Nathaniel HAWES (d. 1700)
£5 000
NEWTON, Sir Isaac (1642-1727)
NEWTON, Sir Isaac (1642-1727)
£350 000
Newton,I.
Newton,I.
€4 500

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.