Antonio Magliabechi wrote Letter L-381 to Leeuwenhoek with reports on several recent books written in Latin by Italians that he thought might be of interest
No manuscript is known.
In this excerpt from his letter, Antonio Magliabechi reports on several recent books that he thought might be of interest to L. and the Dutch readers of Rabus’s Twee Maandlijk Uittreksels. The books were written in Latin by Italians Anton Francesco Bertini, Giacinto Cristoforo, Tommaso Ceva, Bernardino Ramazzini, Ippolito Salviani, Giacomo Cantelmo, Francesco Maria Fiorentini, Domenico Guglielmini, Alessandro Pascoli, Giorgio Baglivi, and Francesco Negri.
The translation as printed here is that of Pieter Rabus’s sometimes loose translation in Twee Maandlijke Uittreksels, the successor to De Boekzaal van Europe, which regularly published “Italiaansch Boeknieuws”, excerpts from letters by Magliabechi to L. Rabus printed only the book news.
In the previous issue of the Twee Maandlijke Uittreksels, for July and August 1701, p. 745, Rabus wrote, “XXVI. Italian Book News, from the most recent letters of Mr. Antoni Magliabechi to Mr. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, remains, for lack of space, until the next two months. The native comes first.” -- 't Inlandsch gaat voor?
Leeuwenhoek does not refer to this letter from Magliabechi in any of his own letters. However, Magliabechi may have been referring to it in a 31 May 1701 letter to Gisbert Cuper:
Le poche novità Letterarie di Italia, per non incomodarla senza proposito, poiché potrà vederle nella mia qui inclusa, al Signore Leeuwenhoek, che per tale effetto mando a V.S.Ill.ma senza sigillare. Quando con ogni sua comodità le avrà vedute, prego V.S.Ill.ma a degnarsi di farla sigillare, e fargliela avere. Rendo a V.S.Ill.ma grazzie infinite, delle Lettera del nobilissimo, e cortesissimo Signore de Bilderbeq, che si è degnata di mandarmi. Qui inclusa troverà la mia Risposta
English: The few literary novelties of Italy, so as not to inconvenience you without purpose, since you will be able to see them in mine included here, to Mr. Leeuwenhoek, who for this effect I send to you without sealing. When with all his comforts you have seen them, I pray you to deign to have it sealed, and let him have it. – trans. needs improvement.
V.S.Ill.ma. Vostra Signoria Illustrissima = Your Most Illustrious Lordship.
Gisbert Cuper (1644-1716, also, Gijsbert Cuper or Gisbertus Cuperus) was a Dutch historian and politician and after 1668 professor at the Athenaeum Illustre in Deventer.
For other occasions when Magliabechi sent someone an unsealed letter full of book news addressed to L., see Jacob Gronovius’s Letter L-179 of 11 July 1686 and Magliabechi’s Letter L-465 of 10 July 1708.
“Italiaansch Boeknieuws”, Twee Maandlijke Uittreksels, September and October 1701, pp. 935-939. Copied and pasted from Collected Letters, vol. 20, "this volume" in the footnotes.
ITALIAN BOOK NEWS,
from the most recent letters of Mr. Antoni Magliabechi to Mr. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek.
I.
La Medicina disésa dalle calumnie degli nomini volgari, e dalle opposizzioni de’ Dotti, divisa in due Dialoghi, e consacrata all'alto merito dell’ Eminmo, e Revmo, Sign. Cardinale Giac. Antonio Morigia, Arcivescovo di Firenze , dà Anton. Francesco Bertini, Professore di Medicina.
That is,
Medicine, defended against the slander of wicked people and the opposition of scholars, divided into two dialogues, and consecrated to the high merit of the most eminent and venerable Cardinal Jacob Antoni Morigia[1], Archbishop of Florence, by Antoni Franciskus Bertini[2], professor of medicine. In Lucca by the Marescandeli in 4.
II.
Hyacinthi Christophori J. C. Neapolitani de constructione Aequationum libellus.
That is,
A book of Hyacinth Christoffel[3] Naples jurist concerning the construction of equations, in Naples by J. Roselli. 1700, at 4.
III.
At Milan by J. P. Malatesta several works, as mathematical as the others, by Thomas Ceva[4], Jesuit, have been printed, and among them one in Latin on the nature of weights.
IV.
In Modena by A. Kapponi is printed the book by Bernard Ramazzini[5].
De Morbis Artificum. in 8.
That is,
Of the Diseases of Artists.
V.
In Padua will be reprinted by Framboto the Latin book of Sp. Salviano[6], of the Fish.
VI.
Concilium Provinciale Neapolitanum ab Eminentiss. ae Reverendiss. S. R. E. Cardinal Cantelmo, Archiepiscopo Neapolitano, in sancta Metropolitana Ecclesia Neapolis celebratum, Dominica Pentecostes, ac duobus insequentibus Festis VII & VIII & IX Junii anno Domini 1699, Innocentio XIl Pontifice Optimo Maximo.
That is,
The Provincial Council of Naples, of the most excellent and rev. cardinal of Holy Roman Church Kantelmus[7], Archbishop of Naples, bound in the Holy Mother Church in Naples, on the Sunday of Pentecost, and the two following feast days the 7th, 8th, and 9th of the June 1699, under Pope Innocent XII[8]. In Rome from the print shop of the H. Apostolic Chamber 1700. in 4.
VII.
Hetrusca Pietatis Origines, sive de prima Thuscia Christianitate Francisci Mariae Florentinii Nobilis Luccensis opus postumum, a Mario Florentinio Auctoris filio Nobili Luccense ex primo adumbratis lucubrationibus excerptum.
That is,
Original causes of Tuscan piety, or a work, which came out after the writer’s death, concerning the early Christianity of Tuscany, by Franciskus Maria Florentini[9], nobleman of Lucca, drawn from the first drafts of Marius Florentini, the writer’s son, nobleman of Lucca. In Lucca by D. Ciuffetti 1701. in 4.
VIII.
In Venice a work of Dom. Guiljelmini[10] is printed by André Poleti
De Sanguinis natura & constitutione.
That is,
Of the nature and condition of blood. 1701. in 8
IX.
Il Corpo Umano, o breve Storia, dove con nuovo metode si descrivono in compendio tutti gli organi suoi, e i loro principali usizzi, per instruire a bene intendere, secondo il nuovo sistema Theorica & Practica Medicinale, di Alessandro Pascoli Perugino Proferfore di Medicina, e publico Lettore nel' Università di sua patria, alla Santita di Nostro Sign. Clemente X. P. M.
That is,
The human body, or a brief history, in which, in a new way, all its organs are briefly described, with their principal uses, according to the new system, in order to learn to understand the theory and practice of medicine, by Alexander Paskoli[11] of Perugia, professor of medical arts, and public reader at the university of his fatherland, to His Holiness our Lord Pope Clement X[12]. In Perugia by L. Konstantini 1700. in 8.
Then come elegant letters from the renowned Georg. Baglivus[13], and among those
De Circulatione Sanguinis in Testudine, ejusdemque Cordis Anatome.
That is,
Of the circulation of blood in a turtle, and the dissection of its heart.
X.
Viaggio Settentrionale fatto e descritto dal molto reverendo Siga. D. Francesco Negri da Ravenna, opera postuma data in luce dagli Eredi del suddetto, e consacrata all’ Altezza Reale di Cosimo Terzo, Gran Duca di Toscana.
That is,
Northern Voyage, done and described by the very Rev. Sir Francois Negri[14] of Ravenna; a work published after the maker’s death by his heirs and dedicated to his Royal Highness Cosimo III[15], Grand Duke of Tuscany. In Forlì 1701. in 4. by G. Bandi.
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[1] Giacomo Antonio Morigia (1633-1708) was an Italian who studied mathematics and architecture and, after he joined the Church, founder of the Barnabites, who wanted to reform both the clergy and the laity.
[2] Anton Francesco Bertini (1658-1726) was a professor of practical medicine in the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence.
[3] Giacinto Cristoforo (1664-1725) was an Italian mathematician and physicist.
[4] Tommaso Ceva (1648-1737) was an Italian Jesuit poet, professor of mathematics at the Jesuit College of Brera in Milan, and author of the Opuscula Mathematica (1699), about geometry, gravity and arithmetic.
[5] For Bernardino Ramazzini (1633-1714), see Letter L-219 of 24 June 1692, n. 9, in this volume. See also Letter L-290 of 5 June 1696 and Letter L-359 of 8 September 1699, both in this volume.
[6] Ippolito Salviani (1514-1572) was an Italian physician, zoologist and botanist who wrote Aquatilium animalium historia (History of Aquatic Animals).
[7] Giacomo Cantelmo (1645-1702) was a diplomat for the Vatican and a cardinal from 1690 to 1702.
[8] Pope Innocent XII (1615-1700), born Antonio Pignatelli, was pope from 1691 to his death in 1700.
[9] Francesco Maria Fiorentini (1603-1673) was an Italian physician who was an early practitioner of medicine based on direct observation of the human body.
[10] For Domenico Guglielmini (1655-1710), see Letter L-219 of 24 June 1692, n. 10, in this volume. Magliabechi mentions other books by Guglielmini in Letter L-272 of 12 October 1695, Letter L-310 of 18 December 1696, and Letter L-322 of 1 June 1697, all in this volume.
[11] Alessandro Pascoli (1669-1757) was an Italian writer, philosopher and doctor whose work followed Cartesian principles.
[12] Pope Clement X, born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri (1590-1676), was pope from 1670 to his death in 1676.
[13] Giorgio Baglivi (1668-1707) was an Armenian-Italian physician and fellow of the Royal Society who contended that, contrary to the traditional four humors, the solid parts of organs are more important for their healthy functioning.
[14] Francesco Negri (1623–1698) was an Italian Catholic priest who wrote about his travels in Scandinavia from 1663 to 1666.
[15] For Cosimo III de’ Medici, see the Biog. Reg., Collected Letters, vol. 11, p. 339.
