Herbipoli (Würzburg), Johann André Endter & Wolfgang Endter junior, 1667. Thick 4to (20.6 x 16.8 cm) [21.6 x 19.5 x 9.8 cm]. Half-title, engraved title by I. Sandrart, letterpress title page in red and black, verso with engraved coat of arms ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’. 1460 ([l], 1389 [xxi]) pp.; 61 engraved plates, numbered I-LVIII; A-C, of which six larger, double-folded. Contemporary, extensively blind-tooled pigskin boards. Spine with four raised bands. Boards with bevelled edges and with two leather straps and brass clasps. Edges blue.

A copy in an extraordinarily nice, contemporary binding. The (better) second, expanded edition of this well-illustrated work dealing with the wonders and curiosities of nature; monsters, demons and more composed by the Jesuit priest and polymath Gaspar Schott (1608-1666). Schott was the principal disciple of another Jesuit polymath, Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680), whose influence on this work is evident. With 61 fine plates (numbered I-LVIII and A-C, of which six larger, folded), depicting teratology in - mostly - humans (a third of all plates), various rare, remarkable, or little-known animals - chiefly larger mammals - (about half the plates), and a few birds, meteorological/astronomical observations, and some other subjects. Nissen errs in stating that this edition has but 60 plates. Those plates placed at the beginning of the volume show monstrous creatures, with extensive comments in the accompanying text. Coat of arms with the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter, ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’, engraved on copper with full page on the verso of the title. Text leaves occasionally mildly spotted, a few sections toned, sometimes rather strong. Plates generally much cleaner, mostly quite clean, all in all an excellent copy. Caillet, 10004; Nissen ZBI, 3746.