DSB, XII, p. 477 ; DiLaura, no. 485 ; see Becker Collection, 216 (for the first edition London 1738) ; Wolf, History of Science, II, p. 171. <\/i><\/p>\n
First edition in French, translated by P\u00e9z\u00e9nas. The classes on optics by Smith, based on Newton’s Optics<\/i> make this “probably the most influential optical text book of the eighteenth century… In turn, its popularity helped to establish the eighteenth-century conviction that light is particulate” (DSB).<\/p>\n
“His Compleat System of Opticks<\/i> exerted much influence, and was translated into French and German.Of the four books [for the first editionpour l’\u00e9dition originale] the first deals in a non-technical manner with the fundamental experiments in optics, while the second provides a more formal treatment of the geometrical theory of the subject. Smith studied the problem of spherical aberrations in greater generality than his predecessors, Barrow and Huygens. The third book describes apparatus fro grinding and polishing lenses and specula, and it gives a complete account of the construction, adjustment, and use of the principal optical instruments, while the fourth book gives a history of telescopic discoveries in the heavens\u201d (Wolf).<\/p>\n
P\u00e9zenas added more recent discoveries in his translatoin.<\/p>\n
“At the end of the second volume, P\u00e9zenas added considerable material that described developments in optics made since Smith’s original was published. Two French translations of Smith’s work appeared in 1767 : Esprit P\u00e9zenas’ being more concerned with the theoretical aspects while Duval-le-Roy’s has a heavy emphasis on the practical, lens, and instrument aspects” (DiLaura).<\/p>\n
Nice copy.<\/p>\n
Bookplate de Bocte.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
2 volumes, 4to (247 x 197 mm) 2 nn.ll., XXX, 472 pp., 38 engraved folding plates for volume I; 1 nn.l., numbered and engraved plates 39 to 73, 536 pp., 1 nn.l. for volume II. Contemporary marbled calf, spine gilt with raised bands, red edges (expertly restored).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":72385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[550],"product_tag":[1339,610,1335],"class_list":{"0":"post-72390","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-science","7":"product_tag-general-physics","8":"product_tag-optical","9":"product_tag-physics","10":"pa_auteur-smith-robert-2","11":"pa_type-de-livre-printed-book","13":"first","14":"instock","15":"shipping-taxable","16":"purchasable","17":"product-type-simple"},"acf":{"artist":"Robert SMITH","chapeau":"","adresse_bibliographique":"Avignon, Girard et Aubert, Paris, Saillant, Jombert, 1767","book_type":"Printed book","provenance":"","afficher_prix":""},"yoast_head":"\n