LEVINUS, Lemnius (1503-1568). Occulta Naturae Miracula, ac Varia Rerum Documenta, Probabili Ratione atque Aartifici Conjectura Explicata. Antwerp: Joannes Withagius [Guillaume Simon], 1564. 8vo. (Lacking all after f. 360. Roman and Italic letter, printed side notes, printer’s woodcut device on title-page, author’s medallion portrait on verso, decorated initials, typographical and decorative tailpieces representing putti (title page a little dusty, some browning, occasional spotting and light staining throughout, a few leaves torn with minor loss). Contemporary limp vellum, title inked in early hand to spine (soiled and rubbed). Third extended edition in 4 books of Lemnius’ most interesting and popular work on secrets, first issued in 1559 and edited by Willem Simon, which was later placed in the Index of Forbidden Books (1596). Lemnius was a celebrated Dutch physician, astrologer and a pupil of Gesner and Vesalius. Combining natural philosophy (Aristotle and the Hippocratic Corpus) with Christian culture, the work embraces medical matters (procreation and birth, influence of the moon on plant growth, epilepsy, sleepwalkers, sleeping with an open mouth, the benefits of wine drinking, alcoholism, etc.), occultism and “mirabilia”, religious and moral topics. Brunet, III, 972; Bibliotheca esoterica, 2613; Ferguson, II, 24; Wellcome Library, III, p. 489