Strabonis Rerum Geographicarum Libri XVII. Isaacus Casaubonis Recensuit, Summoque Studio & Diligentia, Ope Etiam Veterum Codicum, Emendauit, Ac Commentariis Illustrauit.

Two parts in one, volume. Folio (13 4/8 x 8 4/8 inches). Titles within historiated woodcut borders, printed in Greek and Latin in double columns, engraved double-page double-hemispherical world map: Mercator's "Orbis Terrae Compendiosa Descriptio", Geneva 1587 (13 ¼ x 20 ¼ inches) (supplied, small marginal tear just affecting the image repaired on verso), (some pale marginal dampstains, and one or two wormstracks). 19th-century red paneled morocco antique, spine in five compartments with four raised bands, an 18th-century morocco lettering piece in one (extremities, front paste-down removed, endpapers stained). Provenance: Contemporary marginal annotations to Casaubon's commentary, and a leaf of manuscript notes at the end. First edition of Isaac Casaubon's famous edition of Strabo's "Geography", one of the earliest and most important scientific treatises of historical geography, containing the FIRST APPEARANCE OF MERCATOR'S CELEBRATED AND ONLY AVAILABLE WORLD MAP "Orbis Terrae Compendiosa Descriptio" Geneva 1587. This variant without text on the verso and with Latin text in the bottom margin. "Gerard Mercator's great world map of 1569 was condensed into double hemispherical form by his son Rumold. The engraving is a model of clarity and neatness, with typical cursive flourishes to the lettering of the sea names." (Shirley). This map was later incorporated in Mercator's influential atlas of 1595. Adams S-1908; Graesse VI:505. (Map) Koeman Me12; Moreland & Bannister p. 243; Shirley 157; Wagner Northwest Coast 146.…