Sanchez de Lizarazo, Petrus Jeronimo (d. 1614) – Raymundus Lullus ( 1235-1315): Generalis et admirabilis methodus, ad omnes scientias facilius et scitius addiscendas : in qua eximij & piissimi doctoris Raimundii Lullij Ars breuis explicatur & multis exemplicatur … reducitur / … Petro Hieronymo Sanchez de Liçaraço Sanctae Cathe – Old and Rare

Sanchez de Lizarazo, Petrus Jeronimo (d. 1614)
Raymundus Lullus (1235-1315)

GENERALIS ET ADMIRABILIS METHODUS,
AD OMNES SCENTIAS FACILIUS, ET SCITIUS
ADDISCENDAS: IN QUA EXIMIJ & PIISSIMI
DOCTORIS RAIMUNDI LULLIJ ARS BREUIS,
EXPLICATUR [..] D.D. PETRO HIERONYMO
SANCHEZ DE LICARACO SANCTAE
CATHEDRALIS ECCLESIAE TYRASONENSIS DECANO, & CANONICO
INTERPRETE. Turiasonae : per Carolum a Lauayen : expensis Ioannis a Bonilla, 1619

Description: [small 4to]- pp. [52], 426, [2] + illustrations and 2 woodcut volvelles;
LULLISM. PHILOSOPHY. LOGIC.

The Autor Jeronimus Sanchez born in Biel (Zaragoza) (d.
Madrid – 1614) is one of the many commentators of Lull and follower of the Lullistic
philosophical movement he was a theologian and doctor in civil and canon law. The book is
a commentary on the Artis Brevis, in which the logical theory developed by Lull is explained.
In essence Lull’s work is a sort of logical- mathematical system based on combinatory tables.
Even though the Lullian system in itself did not achieve any scientific result it exerted in its
times a considerable influence on many scholars and produced a lasting impression on the
works of many others thinkers and philosophers after him. Lull invented an ‘art of finding
truth’ through mathematical relations and combinations which inspired Leibniz’s dream of a
universal algebra four centuries later. The most distinctive trait of his production is its logical
and combinatory nature, and the use of complex semimechanical techniques that required
figures with separately revolving concentric wheels (volvelles) or interconnected schemes.
These features justify its classification among the forerunners of both modern symbolic logic
The first four figures PRIMA, SECONDA, TERTIA and QUARTA FIGURA represents the
combinatory tools invented by Lull to represents the logical connections between, subjects,
predicates, premises and conclusions in logical sentences. Lull set himself to construct a method
which, by mechanically presenting all predicates which could attach to any subject, was able
to answer, in theory, any questions on any topic. He envisioned this system upon return from
one of his voyages in the middle east, inspired by the zairja that was a mechanical device used
by medieval Arab astrologers to calculate ideas by mechanical means. It used the 28 letters of
the Arabic alphabet to signify 28 categories of philosophic thought. By combining number
values associated with the letters and categories, new paths of insight and associations of
ideas and thought were created. The book includes six woodcut tables of which 2 volvelles,
some decorated initials in the text woodcut tail and head pieces, woodcut printer’s device on
title page depicting the Fenix and on the sides a knight and a woman inscribed in decorated
frame with the motto Ex me ipso renascor. Damages on titlepage which has been restored and
partially reintegrated with part of the title on the upper side of the title page handwritten, 2
partially cancelled ink stamps with a dark halo extending also to the first following pages ,
interiors present usual foxing and browning, last leaf ( errata corrige) with a repaired tear.
Our copy is complete notwithstanding the mentioned damages, the second leaf is mistakenly
marked ¶3 (as it is the following leaf) for a typographical error. Contemporary binding in full
limp wellum, with handwritten title on spine.

Cfr.: SARTON Introduction to the History of Science, II, (1931), pp. 900-914; JOHNSTON The
Reception of the Lullian Art, 1450-1530, Sixteenth Century Journal, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring, 1981), pp. 31-
48; 16 Censimento delle Edizioni del XVI Secolo, ICCU Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico , ref.
T\ICCU\BVEE\071121