Astronomy and Physics.- Euler (Leonhard) Letters of Euler to a German princess, on different subjects in physics and philosophy, translated by Henry Hunter, 2 vol., first edition in English, half-titles, 27 engraved plates, some duplicates (20 called for), illustrations and tables (some full-page), vol. 2 directions to binder f., vol. 2 glossary bound at end, contemporary ink ownership inscriptions to front pastedowns and to half-titles dated 1796, scattered light spotting and the odd mark, some light cracking at gutter, lower hinges cracked, original paper-backed boards with publisher's printed number to spines, joints cracked and with some loss to vol. 1 backstrip, spine browned, rubbed and bumped with a few stains, else a very bright and clean set, uncut and some unopened, [cf. PMM 196; ESTC T100446], 8vo, printed for the translator, and for H. Murray, 1795.

⁂ Euler addresses a series of letters to the Princess of Anhalt-Dessau on advanced concepts of astronomy and physics, including electricity, magnetism and optics. The work 'had an immense success and profoundly influenced contemporary philosophy' (PMM).

Provenance: The ink ownership inscription on the front pastedowns reads “Kilravock,” likely referring to Elizabeth Rose, 19th Baroness of Kilravock (1747 – 1815), the eighteenth-century Scottish literary critic and author. An exceptionally dedicated reader, she is considered one of the best-documented female readers in eighteenth-century Scotland, and between 1775 and 1780 alone she recorded reading 217 books. For Lady Kilravock, reading was more than a pastime; it was a conscious effort at intellectual self-improvement, helping to prepare her for the significant personal and social responsibilities she faced after the untimely deaths of her father, brothers, and husband.