Rene Descartes (French, 1596-1650). “Specimina philosophiae: seu dissertatio de mehodo…dioptrice, et meteora. Ex gallico translata…” Amsterdam: Elzevir, 1644. This is the first Latin edition of Descartes’ “Specimina,” his most significant contribution to optics, as well as the first publication of the famous Cartesian expression “cogito ergo sum.” Quarto, 331 pages. Text woodcuts throughout. With a receipt and description from Jeremy Norman & Co., Inc.

Provenance: Jeremy Norman & Co. Inc., San Francisco, California; Private collection, South Dakota.

Cover; height: 8 in x width: 6 1/2 in.