Enlarged, first Plantin edition of a very popular work of the secrets of nature, considering physiological, physical, medical, religious and moral topics. Guided by the Hippocratic Corpus, Aristotle, natural philosophy, Christianity, and the four humors, the author wrote a complicated treatise that covers reproduction, hygiene, demonology, diet, the use of alcohol, the influence of the stars, natural history, pregnancy, and much more. It was republished numerous times, and versions of it were read well into the 20th century. The work "was often cited by subsequent learned authors, and the numerous editions and translations of it show that is was well suited to the taste of the time" (Thorndike).
In the present work, Lemnius took some of the information from ancient Greek, Hebrew, Arabic and Latin sources, giving a haphazard mixture of true facts and fantasy. He clearly intended both to educate and to entertain the reader. Despite his interest in the occult and his astrological beliefs in the influence of the stars and the moon on people, Lemnius always remains pragmatic, concentrating on more practical matters. Examples are the effects of human saliva, whether it is better to sleep with ones mouth open or closed, whether people should drink white wine before red, the use of vinegar in times of plague, the quarrelsome effect of Poitou-wines and the amorous effect of Rhine-wines, and why not to sleep in the moonlight when drunk.
With an annotation ("SS:HH:") on the first free flyleaf, and another ("L Albert") on the title page. The edges and corners of the boards are somewhat scuffed, the joints are weakened, but the structural integrity of the binding is still intact. The work is lightly browned throughout. Otherwise in good condition. Belg. Typ. 1850; Coumont L51b.4; Ferguson, supplement III, p. 31; Selleslach, K., and Loon, Z. van., The Plantin Press online, cp010502; STCV 12917184 ; USTC 404536 (29 copies); Voet III, 1513; cf. Durling 2770-2776 (other eds.); Caillet 6480 (other eds.); Thorndike VI, pp. 393-394.