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Of the greatest rarity

GHEYN, Jacob II de.
Waffenhandlung von den Röhren, Mussqueten und Spiessen.  Gestalt nach der Ordnung dess hochgebornen Fürsten und Herrn Moritzen, Printzen zu Oranien. Mit beygefügter schriftlicher Unterrichtung, wie alle Hauptleute und Befehlichshaber ihre junge und unerfahrne Soldaten zur vollkommenen Handlungen derselben Waffen desto besser abrichten köndten.- Maniement d'armes d'arquebuses, mousquetz, & piques. En conformite de Lordre de Maurice, Prince d'Orange. Ensemble les enseignemens par escrit, à l'utilite de tous capitaines & commandeurs, pour par cecy, pouvoir plus facilement enseigner à leurs soldatz inexperimentez, l'entier & parfait maniement dicettes armes.

Title within richly engraved allegorical borders, and 3 series of 42, 43, and 32 full-page woodcut plates, resp. showing exercises with the musket, the firelock, and the pike.

Title within richly engraved allegorical borders, and 3 series of 42, 43, and 32 full-page woodcut plates, resp. showing exercises with the musket, the firelock, and the pike.

Title within richly engraved allegorical borders, and 3 series of 42, 43, and 32 full-page woodcut plates, resp. showing exercises with the musket, the firelock, and the pike.

Title within richly engraved allegorical borders, and 3 series of 42, 43, and 32 full-page woodcut plates, resp. showing exercises with the musket, the firelock, and the pike.

Title within richly engraved allegorical borders, and 3 series of 42, 43, and 32 full-page woodcut plates, resp. showing exercises with the musket, the firelock, and the pike.



Frankfurt, Wilhelm Hoffmann, 1609. 3 parts in 1 vol. 4to. Contemp. vellum. Title within richly engraved allegorical borders, and 3 series of 42, 43, and 32 full-page woodcut plates, resp. showing exercises with the musket, the firelock, and the pike. (48; 44; 36) lvs.

First edition published in Germany with woodcut plates instead of engravings of Jacques de Gheyn's famous pictorial army manual for use of officers to teach the young recruts how to handle their weapons. The text, here in German and French, gives a short explanation and the proper words of command. The first editions, published in the Netherlands, in Dutch and in English in 1607, and in French, German, Danish, etc. in 1608, had all been illustrated with large engraved plates by Jacques de Gheyn. As this made the book too expensive for its practical purpose the work was financed by Count Johan van Nassau.
The book became an immediate success. It laid the foundation for the handling of weapons in the infantry, and it was put into practice in the armies all through Europe. It stayed in use during the whole of the seventeenth century, and subsequent authors on the subject invariably based their work on Jacques de Gheyn's manual. Apart from its military importance the book also is of great artistic value, the engravings being masterpieces of art in itself, while also the costume gives a true illustration of the soldier's wear at the time. For the present German edition, no doubt for economic reasons, the plates were exactly copied, somewhat reduced, after the original De Gheyn's plates, and the difference in technique, woodcuts instead of copperengravings, give the plates their own specific charm. The present edition is of the greatest rarity.

Very good copy.- (Rebound; some marginal browning of few quires).
Cockle 79 (other ed.); Jähns pp. 1005-1007 (other ed.); Lipperheide 2060 (re-edition of 1610).

Related Subjects: Arms & Armour  German  Militaria  Woodcuts 

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