Remarkable and beautifully illustrated manuscript in Dutch on the history of siege and defence of fortresses from antiquity until ca. 1800. The work discusses the defence engines of antiquity, battering rams, moveable towers, antique catapults, the defence of fortifications in antiquity, modern engines, gunpowder, defending and besieging modern fortifications, and the problems of launching operations from sea with some solutions. The illustrations show most of the discussed catapults, battering rams, and moveable towers. We have not found any evidence that the work has ever been published.
The author, L. van der Muelen (dates unknown), was apparently a teacher at the "Kadetten-Instituut der Marine", the training institute for midshipmen for the Dutch (Batavian) navy in Hellevoetsluis (on board of the frigate Éurodice), Feijenoord (Rotterdam), Enkhuizen, and Den Helder. This institute was a precursor to the Royal Naval Institute (het Koninklijk Instituut voor de Marine) officially established in Medemblik in 1829, but since 1816 active in Delft, and now since 1854 in Den Helder, where the KIM is still active today. Van der Muelen wrote and published two textbooks for the Kadetten-Institute, which are both very rare, namely: Handleiding in de artillerie, bestemd bij het onderwijs op het Kadetten-Instituut der Marine (Rotterdam, 1807) and Iets over de veldverschansing en het aanleggen van battterijen; bestemd tot het geven van onderwijs op het Kadetten-Instituut der Marine ... (Rotterdam, 1807). The present manuscript may also have been intended as educational material for his students.
The edges and corners of the boards are scuffed, the spine is rubbed. Otherwise in very good condition. Cf. Alphabetische naamlijst der Gebr. Van Cleef, p. 413 (the author's printed works); Van der Aa, 12/2 (1863), i.v.; Bierens de Haan, nos. 3210-11 (the author's printed works); Nederlandse bibliografie 1801-1832, p. 1296 (the author's printed works).