Cosmographia elementaris, propositionibus physico-mathematicis in Alma, Caesarea, Regiaq[ue]; Universitate Pragensi Carolo-Ferdinandea, anno superiore proposita quam praenobilis D. Balthasar Tobias Türchner à Müllenau, […] publicè defendendam susceperat. Editio Secunda, cum Indice necessario

8vo. [4], 149, [15] pp. and [5] engraved folding plates. Pages 26-27 misnumbered 30-31; pp. 30-31 misnumbered 34-35. Signatures: [π]² A-I⁸ K⁴ L⁶. Title printed in red and black. Includes index and errata. Contemporary vellum, partly worn, lower board spotted, split inner joints, spine loose from binding to lower inner joint, small damage to lower part of spine, first free endpaper with small loss. Text with some staining and spotting. Notes from a former owner Wolfgang Engelberth?, dated 1689.

First illustrated edition (before published in Prague in 1673 with only 29 leaves without engravings) of these scientific disputations presented at the University of Prague. “Following a brief astronomical introduction based on Aristotle’s theory of the four elements, the work addresses fundamental questions of geography, hydrography, aerography, and pyrography” (N.D.B., XII, 190). The allegorical and emblematic engravings were designed by J.G. Damperviel. It includes American content: Zonae (pp. 24-25, 30-31 [i.e. 26-27]; De America (pp. 38-40); De terra boreali & australi (p. 40); and In Andium Peruviae & Chiles montibus (p. 129).

Kaspar Knittel was born in Glatz on February 6, 1644. He joined the Society of Jesus on October 18, 1660. A pupil of Athanasius Kircher, among others, he taught humanities, mathematics, and philosophy. Knittel also served as an embassy chaplain in Holland, a provincial procurator in Vienna, a prefect of the professed house, and, from 1700, a rector of Charles Ferdinand University in Prague. He died in Telč on December 11, 1702.

Content:

Title page -- Dedication: Serenissimo Principi Domino Domino Julio Francisco Saxoniae, Angriae, Westphaliae Duci Regenti -- Prodromus Astronomicus -- Propositio I. Globi Partes -- Propositio II. Circuli Sphaerae in genere -- Propositio III. Horizon -- Propositio IV. Meridianus -- Propositio V. Aequator -- Propositio VI. Zodiacus -- Propositio VII. Circuli Tropici et Polares -- Propositio VIII. Circuli verticales -- Propositio IX. Cursus Solaris compendiaria descriptio -- Geographia -- Pars I. Geotactica -- Propositio I. De figura Terrae -- Propositio II. De situ Terrae in Mundi systemate -- Propositio III. De motu Terrae -- Propositio IV. De magnitudine Terraque -- Propositio V. Aliis modis id ipsum tentare -- Propositio VI. An spectatis causis naturalibus necessarium sit Terram perire diluvio -- Pars II. Parallelometrica -- Propositio I. definitiones aecognoscendae -- Propositio II. Clima -- Propositio III. Zonae -- Propositio IV. Zonarum proprietates -- Propositio V. Umbra et situs incolarum -- Pars III. Geographia Historialis -- Propositio I. De Terra in genere -- Propositio II. De Europa -- Propositio III. De Asia -- Propositio IV. De Africa -- Propositio V. De America -- Propositio VI. De Terra Boreali et Australi -- Pars IV. Geographia usualis -- Propositio I. De Globo Geographico -- Propositio II. De mappis Universalibus -- Propositio III. De mappis Particularibus -- Propositio IV. De usu mapparum -- Hydrographia -- Pars I. Hydro-Brasmologia -- Propositio I. De Oceani partitione -- Propositio II. De Sinibus -- Propositio III. De Fretis -- Propositio IV. De Periplo Maris -- Propositio V. De Aestu Maris -- Propositio VI. De origine fontium, et fluminum -- Pars II. Nautica -- Propositio I. Apparatus Limeneuriticus -- Propositio II. Invenire plagas quovis tempore et loco -- Propositio III. Lingula magnetis -- Propositio IV. Acui nauticae verticitatem dare -- Propositio V. Compassum naticum explicare -- Propositio VI. Chalyboclisin seu declinationem mag; ostendere -- Propositio VII. Declinationem magneticam Terra et Mari invenire -- Propositio I [sic]. Locum in mappis, ad quem in navigatione perventum est, quovis tempore invenire -- Propositio II. Latitudinem loci seu elevationem poli invenire -- Propositio III. Longitudinem loci invenire -- Aerographia -- Pars I. Atmosphaerica -- Propositio I. De motu Atmosphaerae -- Propositio II. De Thermometro -- Propositio III. De alio insigni usu Thermometri -- Propositio IV. Rarefactione et addensatione motum perennem tentare -- Propositio V. Atmosphaera anaclastica -- Propositio VI. Atmosphaera anacamptica -- Propositio VII. De Crepusculo -- Pars II. Anemosophia de ventis -- Propositio I. Causae ventorum -- Propositio II. Ventorum -- Propositio III. Ventorum numerus -- Propositio IV. Rosa ventorum -- Propositio V. Ventus generalis -- Propositio VI. De Etesiis -- Propositio VII. De Ecnephia -- Propositio VIII. De Exhydria -- Propositio IX. De Typhone -- Propositio X. De ventis diversis -- Propositio XI. De ventis subterraneis -- Pyrographia -- Pars I. Pyrographia Physica -- Propositio I. De igne subterraneo -- Propositio II. De igne perpetuo -- Propositio III. De igne perpetuo physico technico -- Propositio IV. De artificio pulveris pyrii -- Propositio V. De artificio pyrobolico -- Propositio VI. De artificio cuniculorum militarium -- Propositio VII. De spectaculis pyrotechnicis ope pulveris pyrii -- Pars II. Pyrographia Mathematica -- Propositio I. De igne geometrico -- Propositio II. De igne statico -- Propositio III. De igne hydrographico -- Propositio IV. De igne stegano-logico -- Propositio V. De igne hydraulico -- Propositio VI. De igne optico -- Propositio VII. De igne catoptrico per speculum concavum -- Propositio VIII. De igne catoptrico per alia specula -- Propositio IX. De igne dioptrico -- Propositio X. De igne Astronomico -- Propositio XI. De igne Cometarum -- Propositio ultima. De igne consumente -- Index Necessarius -- Errata corrige.