First edition of the French translation of an extensive, influential and extremely well-illustrated treatise on fortification, by the Brandenburg fortifications engineer Matthias Dögen (1605/06-1672) who worked in service of the Dutch stadholder and Prince of Orange, Frederik Hendrik van Nassau during the Eighty Years' War. The first half of the main text covers fortifications in regular shapes and the second half irregular shapes, while a shorter second part covers defensive and especially offensive tactics in siege warfare. Many of the plates show fortifications of cities in the Low Countries built following the newly developed Dutch methods, including Amsterdam, Breda and Ostend, but fortifications following the more traditional European and Ottoman methods are also included, such as Le Havre and Saint Malo.
With the engraved armorial bookplate of Agernon Capell (1670-1710), second Earl of Essex, dated 1701, on the back of the title-page. Lacking 2 of the double-page engraved plates (the unnumbered plate "Nova Palma", often lacking, and plate "Z"). Title-page slightly thumbed, some faint water stains on the first few leaves, occasionally some small spots, but overall in very good condition. Hinges partly cracked, binding rubbed along the extremities. Jähns, p. 1129; Jordan 0910; Sloos, Warfare 08028; STCN 852717253 (6 copies).