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Europe fortified: the fortifications of Vauban, Maroloys and Stevin beautifully mapped: in the Amsterdam edition of ca. 1702 with the original titles, together with the Atlas of the coasts of France

FER, Nicolas de.
Les forces de l' Europe [...], ou description des principales villes; avec leurs fortifications. Dessignées par les meilleurs ingenieurs, particulierement celles qui sont sous la domination de la France, dont les plans ont esté levez par Monsieur de Vauban, avec la description de tous les instrumens servans à la fortification à l' attaque & deffense des places, ensemble ceux qui servent pour l' artillerie, des magazins; la maniere de dresser un camp devant une ville assiegée.

With the titles of the edition: Paris, chez l'auteur (= Nicolas de Fer), 1695-1696 printed in red and black to all 10 parts; engraved titles to the first 5 parts, 4 of which with the title "Introduction à la fortification" and one, for part 4, with the title "Suitte des forces de l'europe" (the engraved title to part 2 and 5 is the same and is dated 1696; with in total 234 full-page beautifully engraved plates of maps and views of 366 fortified cities: part 1 containing 19 engravings with 2 extra plates; part 2: 24 plates; part 3: 23; part 4: 20; part 5: 23; part 6: 24; part 7: 25; part 8: 26, with 5 extra plates. The additional part 9 and 10 contain 22 plates each.

With the titles of the edition: Paris, chez l'auteur (= Nicolas de Fer), 1695-1696 printed in red and black to all 10 parts; engraved titles to the first 5 parts, 4 of which with the title "Introduction à la fortification" and one, for part 4, with the title "Suitte des forces de l'europe" (the engraved title to part 2 and 5 is the same and is dated 1696; with in total 234 full-page beautifully engraved plates of maps and views of 366 fortified cities: part 1 containing 19 engravings with 2 extra plates; part 2: 24 plates; part 3: 23; part 4: 20; part 5: 23; part 6: 24; part 7: 25; part 8: 26, with 5 extra plates. The additional part 9 and 10 contain 22 plates each.

With the titles of the edition: Paris, chez l'auteur (= Nicolas de Fer), 1695-1696 printed in red and black to all 10 parts; engraved titles to the first 5 parts, 4 of which with the title "Introduction à la fortification" and one, for part 4, with the title "Suitte des forces de l'europe" (the engraved title to part 2 and 5 is the same and is dated 1696; with in total 234 full-page beautifully engraved plates of maps and views of 366 fortified cities: part 1 containing 19 engravings with 2 extra plates; part 2: 24 plates; part 3: 23; part 4: 20; part 5: 23; part 6: 24; part 7: 25; part 8: 26, with 5 extra plates. The additional part 9 and 10 contain 22 plates each.

With the titles of the edition: Paris, chez l'auteur (= Nicolas de Fer), 1695-1696 printed in red and black to all 10 parts; engraved titles to the first 5 parts, 4 of which with the title "Introduction à la fortification" and one, for part 4, with the title "Suitte des forces de l'europe" (the engraved title to part 2 and 5 is the same and is dated 1696; with in total 234 full-page beautifully engraved plates of maps and views of 366 fortified cities: part 1 containing 19 engravings with 2 extra plates; part 2: 24 plates; part 3: 23; part 4: 20; part 5: 23; part 6: 24; part 7: 25; part 8: 26, with 5 extra plates. The additional part 9 and 10 contain 22 plates each.

With the titles of the edition: Paris, chez l'auteur (= Nicolas de Fer), 1695-1696 printed in red and black to all 10 parts; engraved titles to the first 5 parts, 4 of which with the title "Introduction à la fortification" and one, for part 4, with the title "Suitte des forces de l'europe" (the engraved title to part 2 and 5 is the same and is dated 1696; with in total 234 full-page beautifully engraved plates of maps and views of 366 fortified cities: part 1 containing 19 engravings with 2 extra plates; part 2: 24 plates; part 3: 23; part 4: 20; part 5: 23; part 6: 24; part 7: 25; part 8: 26, with 5 extra plates. The additional part 9 and 10 contain 22 plates each.



[= Amsterdam, Petrus Mortier, ca. 1702]. 10 parts in 1 volume. With the titles of the edition: Paris, chez l'auteur (= Nicolas de Fer), 1695-1696 printed in red and black to all 10 parts; engraved titles to the first 5 parts, 4 of which with the title "Introduction à la fortification" and one, for part 4, with the title "Suitte des forces de l'europe" (the engraved title to part 2 and 5 is the same and is dated 1696; with in total 234 full-page beautifully engraved plates of maps and views of 366 fortified cities: part 1 containing 19 engravings with 2 extra plates; part 2: 24 plates; part 3: 23; part 4: 20; part 5: 23; part 6: 24; part 7: 25; part 8: 26, with 5 extra plates. The additional part 9 and 10 contain 22 plates each.

With:
(2) FER, Nicolas de. Costes de France, sur l' ocean & sur la mer Mediterranée &c. Avec leurs fortifications. Levées et gravées par ordre expres du Roy. Pour l' usage de ses armées de mer, dans lequel on voit la description exacte de toutes les côtes de la France &c. Ou sont exactement marquées les routes qu' il faut tenir, les bancs de sables, rochers & brasses d' eau; & generalement tout ce qui concerne la navigation. Le tout fait sur les observations & l' experience des plus habiles ingenieurs & pilotes., Chez l' auteur, 1695. [= Amsterdam, Petrus Mortier, ca. 1702]. 2 parts. With engraved title, title in red and black and 2 folding and 18 full-page engraved plates (numbered A-S) in the first part, title in red and black and 20 full-page engraved plates (numbered T-Oo) in the 2nd part. 2 works in 1 volume. Oblong folio (30 x 37 cm). Contemporary full calf, spine gilt in compartments.


Splendid atlas, combined with a sea-atlas of the French coasts, published by Pieter Mortier (1661-1711). Mortier was listed as a member of the booksellers guild in 1685. He lived in a house with bookshop on the Dam on which he put the sign 'The city of Paris'. This emblem was inspired by the many good relations he had with Paris booksellers and also reflected his specialization in French books. For his atlases French maps and charts were often taken as models. Pieter Mortier was one of the wealthiest booksellers/publishers of Amsterdam in the last quarter of the seventeenth century. His merits on the field of cartography are that he renewed atlas cartography by the publishing of French maps. He did so with maps by Sanson, Jaillot's Neptune François, Huguetan and, for this project, by Nicolas de Fer. Apart from the new elements introduced by him on the maps he ordered to remake, he also acquired old plates originally owned or published by the Allards (as in the first atlas) and by the Blaeus.

Ad 1: Nicolas de Fer (1646-1720) was a cartographer, engraver and publisher who issued altogether more than 600 separate maps, including atlases, sheet maps and large wall maps. He gained a great reputation in his lifetime and was appointed 'Geographer to the King' in 1690.
This famous atlas, originally published in 1690-1695 by Nicolas de Fer in Paris in 8 parts with 184 plates under the title: ''Les forces de l' Europe, ou description des principales villes; avec leurs fortifications. Dessignées par les meilleurs ingenieurs, particulierement celles qui sont sous la domination de la France, dont les plans ont esté levez par Monsieur de Vauban ... et aussi la description de tous les instrumens servans à la fortification à l' attaque & deffense des places, ensemble ceux qui servent pour l' artillerie; la maniere de dresser un camp devant une ville assiegée. Le tout recueilli par les soins du Sr. de Fer, geographe du Roi.our l'usage de Monseigneur le Duc de Bourgogne''. Added to this edition are 2 parts of Le theatre de la guerre dans les Pays-Bas ... with 53 plates.

All the plates of this work by Le Fer were carefully copied and edited in ca. 1702 by the well-known Amsterdam publisher of maps and plans Pieter Mortier under a slightly altered title in 12 parts. The plates follow the originals so close that it is sometimes very difficult to see the differences. Most of the plates from Le theatre, however, are reduced, so that there are 4 plans or views on one plate.

Our copy contains the 184 plates of Les forces de l'Europe with 7 additional plates, preceeded by the titles and engraved frontispieces of the Paris 1695-1686 edition. The two parts from Le theatre are with the original titles of parts 7 and 8 with slips of paper pasted on, as follows:

Part 1: Engraved title: Introduction a la Fortification ....Tome premier; title printed in red and black Les forces ... Paris, 1695; on the verso is the printed list of the 19 plates: 'La sphére royale; Première - troisième  definition des lignes; définition des angles; Exagone &c; Division des fortifications; Définition des de plusieurs instrumens de guerre &c; Attaque est une conduite de tranchée &c; Place attaque dans les formes; Plan d'Anvers ... plan de Turin (Pastoureau, ed. 1690, 1-18 with a new and extra nr. 1). Added are two plates: plan de Bude and Neuheusel which are repeated in part 9.
Part 2: Engraved title (1696); title of part 2 (1695); on verso the printed list of the 24 plates (numbered a-z): Plain de Weil ou campement de Monseigneur le Dauphin ... Plan de Berg Saint Winox (Pastoureau, ed. 1691, 19-42 (nr. 26 cleverly bound between 37 and 38)). Some plates are by L. Scherm.
Part 3: Engraved title Suitte des forces de l'Europe; title of part 3 (1695); on verso the printed list of the 23 plates, the last of which (Namur) is folding: Plan de Naerden ... Siege de Namur par Louis XIV en personne (Pastoureau, ed. 1692, 43-66 (nr. 16 - Homburg - has changed places with plate 118 from part 6 - Hamburg; nr. 23 is a combination of Pastoureau 63 and 64)).
Part 4: Engraved title Suitte des forces de l'Europe; title of part 4 (1695); on verso the printed list of the 20 plates: Plan d'Amsterdam ... Isle & ville de Cadix(Pastoureau, ed. 1693, 67-86).
Part 5: Engraved title Introduction a la fortification (1696); title (1695); on verso the printed list of the 23 plates: Plan de Paris ... Plan de Quebec (Pastoureau, ed. 1694, 87-109).
Part 6: Title (1696); no printed list of the 24 plates: Bruxelles ... Plan de Tripoliy (Pastoureau, ed. 1695, 110-133 (nr. 118 - Hamburg - has changed places with plate 16 from part 3 - Homburg).
Part 7: Title (1696); no printed list of the 25 plates: Livorne ... Batavia ... Campement de  l'armée de l'empereur pres Hailbron (Pastoureau, ed. 1695, 134-158).
Part 8: Title (1696); no printed list of the 25 plates: Genes ... Plan de Malthe (Pastoureau, ed. 1695, 159-184 (the last map is bound in part 9)). Added are 4 maps: between 159 and 160: Mantoüe, with the address: "A Amsterdam chez Pierre Mortier", and between 173 and 174: (1) folding plan of Venlo, with explanation printed in Dutch and French; (2) Roermond with the address: " C. Allard edit Amstelodami" with the year 1702 engraved on it; and (3) St. Stevenswaert with theaddress: "Gedrukt by C. Allard ... tot Amsterdam".
(Part 9): Title (= title of part 7 (1695) with a slip of paper with "Tom IX" in handwriting); on verso the printed list of the 22 plates (numbered A-Y), A-V containing 4 plans or views each: Gand/ Brugge/ Alost/ Ostende ...Neuheusel & ses attaques (Plate H is bound before the title).
(Part 10): Title (= title of part 8 (1695) with a slip of paper with "Tom X" in handwriting); on verso the printed list of the 22 plates pasted on (with "Tome VIII" by hand altered in "X" (?)):  Brisach/ Germersheim/ Nuits/ Kaiserswaert ... Limbourg/ Condé/ Cambray/ Philippeville.

Ad 2: Remaking by Pieter Mortier of the second edition of 1695 of this collection of plans of the French coasts and the most important fortifications by Nicolas de Fer. The original edition by N. de Fer was published in 1690 on the basis of an atlas published in 1634 by order of Cardinal Richelieu by the publisher Tassin, who sold his plates in 1644 to Antoine de Fer, Nicolas's father. De Fer modified the plates and some ten plans were added as well as the titles indicating the names of the capitaineries garde-côtes as established in 1676. Ca. 1702 the atlas was re-edited by Pieter Mortier who had the maps re-engraved: our copy.

Contents:
(Part 1): Engraved title: a remake by J. van Vianen of the original engraved title (see Pastoureau, fig. 71) with the imprint: Paris chez N. de Fer; printed title of Tome I of the second Paris edition of 1695 (!); beautiful and larger remakes of the plates and maps: 2 folded plates: (1) Boussole des vents (370x375mm), and (2) Carte generale de toutes les costes de France tant de la Mer Oceane que Mediterranée (361x460mm); 18 full-page engraved maps, numbered A-S, without titles, containing the coasts from Nieuport in the North to Bretagne.
(Part 2): printed title of Tome II of the second Paris edition of 1695 and 20 full-page engraved maps numbered T-Oo, without titles, containing the rest of the Western French coast (T-Z), the Spanish and Portugese coasts till Gibraltar (Aa-Ff), the Southern French coast from Montpellier to Nice (Gg-Mm), and 2 plates with 4 views and plans each: Marseille, St. Tropez, Toulon, Ville Franche; Fort de Brigançon, Antibes, Nice (2x) (Nn-Oo).
Very attractive copy.
Ad 1: Muller, Historieplaten 3034; Pastoureau, Les atlas français XVIe-XVIIe siècles, pp. 203-13; Phillips, pp. 256-7 (other ed.); Tooley, Dictionary of mapmakers, p. 206. Ad 2: Muller, Historieplaten 3034; Pastoureau, Les atlas français XVIe-XVIIe siècles, pp. 201-203; Tooley, Dictionary of mapmakers, p. 206; ; cf. Koeman III, pp. 4-10 and IV, p. 423.

Related Subjects: Cartography  Europe  Fortification  France  Militaria  Topography 

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