Second edition of a popular and richly illustrated text book on fortification by Gerard Melder, with 50 assignments for the pupils to solve included at the end. Also included is the Appendix, containing the author's answer to his Amsterdam colleague Henrick Ruse discussing the proper system of fortification fit for education. Ruse, engineer of the fortifications and head of the battalion at Amsterdam, published his Versterckte vesting in 1654, in which he broke with the traditional views on fortification of Freitag and Marolois. In answer to Ruse, Gerard Melder, director of the fortifications and the battalion of the city of Utrecht, published the present "Short and clear instruction" in which he clearly taught and illustrated the well-tried Dutch system of fortification, which had helped the Dutch win their war of independence from Spain. Ruse answered this with Aenwijsinge der misverstanden van G. Melder, published in 1658, to which Melder again responded with the present Appendix. Some occasional underscoring with red pencil, quire O ("register") bound before the text within quire *, and a few smudges. Otherwise a very good copy. Jähns, p. 1340; Jordan 2461; STCN (4 copies); WorldCat (8 copies).