Page:The Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms.djvu/22

xviii INTRODUCTION. of the various editions of Napier’s works, giving title-page, full collation, and notes, with the. names of the principal public libraries in the country, as well as of some on the Continent, which possess copies. No similar catalogue has been attempted hitherto, and it is believed it will prove of considerable interest, as showing the diffusion of Napier’s writings in his own time, and their location and comparative rarity now. Appended are notes of a few works by other authors, which are of interest in connection with Napier's writings.

It will be seen from the Catalogue that Napier’s theological work went through numerous editions in English, Dutch, French, and German, a proof of its widespread popularity with the Reformed Churches, both in this country and on the Continent. The particulars now given also show that a statement in the Edinburgh edition of 1611 has been misunderstood. Napier’s reference to Dutch editions was supposed by his biographers to apply to the German translation of Wolffgang Mayer, the Dutch translation by Michiel Panneel, being apparently unknown to them. His arithmetical work, Rabdologia, also seems to have been very popular. It was reprinted in Latin, and translated into Italian and Dutch, abstracts also appearing in several languages.

Rather curiously, his works of greatest scientific interest, the Descriptio and Constructio have been most neglected. The former was reprinted in 1620, and also in Scriptores Logarithmici, besides being translated