LEOPOLD OF AUSTRIA. COMPILATIO DE ASTRORUM SCIENTIA ... AUGSBURG: E. RATDOLT, 9 JANUARY 1489

4to (210 x 145 mm). 109 leaves; lacking final blank.  41 lines.  Woodcuts throughout of mythological figures and Zodiac signs, many with early hand coloring including large "Sphaera mundi" (a2r), 35 woodcuts in text and 54 half-page diagrams; marginal repair to one leaf, faint stain to upper margin of last quire, marginal notes in a contemporary hand; 19th century crushed morocco, gilt.

 Adams L516;  Brunet III, 1033 "rare edition; Goff L-185; Sander 3948; cf. Stillwell (Science) 71 and 771

FIRST EDITION OF THIS IMPORTANT THIRTEENTH-CENTURY ASTRONOMICAL WORK, and one of the earliest books illustrated with scientific diagrams, here with contemporary annotations. In his introduction, Leopold gives his goal as explaining the motion of the stars. An influential work for Medieval and Renaissance astronomy, it was reprinted in 1520 ( the edition most often available, the present being somewhat scarce).