[MILITARY].
Geometria of meetkonst ... Vestingbou of fortificatie ... [Artillerie].
[Netherlands, ca. 1750]. 3 related works in 1 volume. Folio. With numerous mathematical diagrams, fortification plans and measured drawings of artillery and ammunition, including 12 full-page watercolour drawings (3 fortification plans and 9 beautifully rendered canons) and many more watercolour drawings in the text. With a large folding fortification plan tipped in, a large folding artillery drawing loosely inserted, and several smaller drawings tipped in or loosely inserted. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. [2 blank], [40], [12 blank]; [37 (plus a folding plan & other inserts)], [5 blank]; [22] (plus a folding drawing), [16 blank] ll. including the integral paste-downs.
€ 6,500
Detailed and beautifully illustrated manuscript in ink divided into 3 sections on practical geometry and mensuration, fortification and artillery, illustrated with numerous original pen drawings and watercolour drawings, including 9 finely made full-page illustrations of canons.
The text on fortification refers to various earlier authors. Although it refers to most only by their last names and mentions only one specific title, they can be identified with reasonable certainty as Blaise François Comte de Pagan, Adrianus Metius, Gerard Melder, Allain Manesson Mallet (it explicitly mentions Den arbeid van Mars), Sébastien Le Prestre Marquis de Vauban and Bartholomeus Bruist, but no later authors. The latest certain work is therefore Bruist (1705) though "Pagan" probably refers to the Dutch translation (1738).
In very good condition. The binding is somewhat soiled. A very informative military manuscript, beautifully and extensively illustrated.
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