Occasional reflections upon several subjects

London: W. Wilson for Henry Herringman, 1665. FIRST EDITION. Title in red and black. Contemporary gilt-ruled calf, worn; interior fresh and complete. First edition, a miscellany of insights into Boyle’s private life, including pleasant memories, fevered reflections, instructions for seafaring, tips for fishermen, and a great deal about his dog. It is more a compilation of essays than a coherent narrative, and many take a moral bent. A diversion from his typical writing on science and chemistry, this text links Boyle’s spiritual philosophy with his encounters in nature, such as the time he kept a glow worm in a jar to observe it and his success in growing roses and tulips side by side. He dedicates the book to his beloved older sister Sophronia (the Lady Ranelagh), who was active in intellectual and political circles.

Written while on holiday at Stalbridge, “Boyle is seen in one of his happiest moods ... Boyle’s florid style made him the object of playful satire, and Swift confesses that [a portion] of the present work (Reflection III of Section VI on ‘The Eating of Oysters’) gave birth to Gulliver’s Travels (Fulton).

OCLC locates 4 copies of this first edition (Alabama, Wisconsin, Huntington, Minnesota) and we add another copy at the Othmer Library of the Science History Institute; ESTC, R17345; Fulton, 64; Neville, I, p. 205; Waller, 19434; Wing, B4005.