Exposition des découvertes philosophiques de M. le chevalier Newton par M. Maclaurin. Ouvrage traduit de l'anglois par M. Lavirotte.

4to: 57-[3]-422-[2] pp.; 6 folding pl. (a few brown spots).

Half calf, gilt decorated spine, marbled paper covers (edges bumped).

First French edition, by Louis-Anne Lavirotte, of Maclaurin's "An Account of Sir Isaac Newton’s Philosophical Discoveries, in Four Books" (1st ed.: 1748). Maclaurin (1698-1746), who was made a professor of mathematics at the University of Edinburgh in 1725 on the recommendation of Newton himself, wrote an outstanding and authoritive introduction to Newtonian science. Maclaurin died at age 48, only a few hours after he had dictated the concluding passage of this work. The prefix, entitled "Mémoires sur la vie et les écrits de M. Maclaurin", renders the most complete account of his life and writings available. Engr. ill.: title vignette, in-text engr. at the start of each chapter, and with 71 figures. The four books of this work treat, next to Newton's foundations of classical mechanics, his scientific method, natural philosophy and the various philosophical systems, at the end, the supreme author and governor of the universe.