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4°. I: Gest. Portrait, Titel, 14 Bl., 502 S., 222 S., 83 Bl. II: 4 Bl., 156 S., 18 Bl. Lederband d. Zeit, stärker berieben und bestossen, oberes Einbandsegment am Rücken abgerieben, Gelenke gebrochen - Bindung jedoch intakt, teils braun und stockfleckig, Titelkupfer angeschnitten, etwas eselsohrig (insgesamt nicht so schlecht, wie die Beschreibung klingt!). First edition of this legal and economic work on trees, minerals, and German forestry and mining law, dedicated to the future George I of England. The first work is made up of two parts: on the forest and its main product, wood; on the precious substances found underground, namely gems, minerals, and metals. Both parts explore the legal and economic aspects of the production and use of these materials, the cultivation of trees for wood and the mining of the earth. The first part also includes a curious section on homicide in the forest. The second work provides answers to 29 questions relating to the material in the first. These works provide a great deal of information about early attitudes regarding natural resources and land- use theory. Many reference sources list these works together as a single publication, as they are always found together and the second work is obviously meant to supplement the first. However they are clearly separate bibliographic entities, with separate title pages, collations, and indices. The frontispiece to this work is a full-page engraved portrait of the author, a jurist named Philipp Helfricus Krebs, identifying him as being from the region of Hesse and at the time an advisor to the Elector of Brunswick-Lueneberg, Georg Ludwig. From 1702, he would serve as assessor for the supreme court of the district of Lower Saxony at Wetzlar. According to a number of sources (including VD 17), Krebs published a doctoral dissertation that served as the basis for the present work, entitled Exercitium Politico-Iuridicum De Ligno & Lapide. In vicem Disputationis Inauguralis propositum A Philippo Helfrico Krebs (Giessen, 1671). Here a mystery arises, for all sources give this year of publication as Krebs' date of birth. Since there was no typographic error in the imprint (the printer was active only from 1650 to 1672), the probable answer is that Krebs was actually born some years earlier than history records--- probably between 1645 and 1655 if he was to complete his doctoral thesis by 1671. Krebs also wrote another legal work, entitled Quinquertium Camerale oder in fuenff Fragen vorgestellt der Roem. Kayserl. Majestaet und des Heil. Roem. Reichs Staenden bey dero Cammer- Gericht unzertrennliche Verknuepffung . (Giessen), 1705). Krebs dedicated this work to his employer, Georg Ludwig (1660-1727), Hereditary Duke of Brunswick and Lueneberg and Elector from 1698, who was later to be crowned George I, king of Great Britain and Ireland. Secondary dedications are made to the Elector's relatives Karl Ludwig and Ernst Ludwig (1667-1739), landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt. Another edition of this work was published at Cologne, Frankfurt, and Bonn in 1756. Ad. I.: OCLC/RLIN: 2 copies in U.S. BL STC K-760; VD 17 1:014223Z (online) (4 copies). Ad. II.: OCLC/RLIN: 2 copies in U.S. (both catalogues treat these works as one). BL STC K-760; VD 17 1:014227E (online) (4 copies). 1400 gr. Seller Inventory # 13983A
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