12mo. [18], 501pp, [9]. Contemporary vellum, yapp edges. Faded manuscript title to spine. Rubbed and marked, staining to top edge. Pastedowns sprung, hinges exposed. Some staining to RFEPs, otherwise internally clean and crisp.

The first edition of Polish naturalist and physician John Jonston's (1603-1675) Thaumatographia naturalis, or Natural Thaumatography. A scholar of Scottish descent, Jonston would publish this work whilst on an extensive expedition abroad with his pupil, Polish noble Bogusław Leszczyńsk, and several other sons of Commonwealth magnates. In this work of 'thaumatography', interpreted as a description of the wonders of the natural world, Jonston's botanical and medical qualifications shine; he leads the reader through natural philosophy, from the heavens, elements and meteorology, down to the minutiae of plants, birds, fish, and man himself.