PERRAULT,, Claude (1613--1688)
[Ordonnance des cinq especes de colonnes. 1683]
Ordonnance des cinq especes de colonnes selon la methode des anciens. Par M. Perravlt ...
A Paris (Place), chez Jean Baptiste Coignard imprimeur & libraire ordinaire du Roy,, 1683.
[8], xxvii, [1], 124 p., VI engr. pl. : wdcut illus. ; 37.8 cm. (2°)

Perrault had published a translation of Vitruvius, Paris 1673 (abridged ed., Paris 1674, q.v.) accompanied by a controversial commentary questioning the Vitruvian concept of "optical adjustment". The main text of the present work is largely uncontroversial apart from the lengthy preface which extends Perrault's arguments of 1673. See Wolfgang Herrmann, The theory of Claude Perrault (London1973), pp. [95]-129. A copy of the English translation of this work in the Soane Museum (q.v.) is inscribed by Soane in pencil with numerous marginal lemmata. BAL, Early printed books, no. 2497.

Copy Notes Although Perrault's Ordonnance was not included in the sale of William Chambers's library in 1796 (q.v.), this copy evidently was his and contains a loosely inserted sheet of notes in his hand. Inscribed in pencil on front free-endpaper 6-6.

Binding C18th (?) sprinkled calf, gilt-tooled spine, red morocco spine-label.

Reference Number 2999

Additional Names Chambers, Sir William (1723--1796) - In verse