M chapter.indd - Charles Babbage Institute

864
Erwin Tomash Library
Medler, Nicolaus Medler, Nicolaus
This lengthy anonymous review of Charles Babbage’s
Economy of machinery and manufactures is not entirely
complimentary. While long sections are quoted in praise
of individual portions, the overall tone of the review
is negative. It may be summarized in the reviewer’s
statement:
Mr. B. has produced upon the whole, a very
clever, entertaining, and instructive book; one
which deserves to be generally read, and will
doubtless be so. Its chief defects are a parade
of arrangement and generalization, whereas, in
reality, there is very little of either.
This volume contains several other short items concerning
Babbage. Some of them are less than complimentary,
particularly regarding the construction of his Difference
Engine.
Illustrations available:
First page
M 79
Medler, Nicolaus (1502–1551)
Facilima et exactissima ratio extrahendi radicum
quadratam & cubicam
Year: 1550
Place: Wittenberg
Publisher: Viet Creutzer
Edition: 1st
Language: Latin
Binding: modern calf-backed marbled boards
Pagination: ff. [8](A8 blank)
Collation: A 8
Size: 148x92 mm
Reference: Smi Rara, pp. 223, 496
Medler is reputed to have studied theology under Luther
and Melanchthon. He then taught in several different cities
before finally settling in Braunschweig. He is known to
have written at least two books on elementary arithmetic
and one on ecclesiastical calendar calculations. This
work, his last, discusses how to calculate cube roots.
Illustrations available:
Title page
Colophon
Colophon, M 79
M 80
Medler, Nicolaus (1502–1551)
M 80
M 79
Rudimenta arithmeticae, practicae … capitui tyronum
accommodata & iam denuo locupletius atq[ue]
correctius edita.
Year: 1550
Place: Wittenberg
Publisher: Viet Creutzer?
Edition: 2nd
Language: Latin
Figures: Title in red and black with woodblock of counting
house scene
Binding: recent boards
Pagination: ff. [56]
Collation: A–G 8
Size: 145x100 mm