Jacques de Gheyn II (1565-1629)

“Maniement d’Armes, d’Arquebuses, Mousquets, et Piques. En conformité de l’ordre de Monseigneur le Prince Maurice, Prince d’Orange, Comte de Nassau etc. Gouverneur et Capitain General de Geldres, Hollande, Zeelande, Utrecht, Overijssel etc.” Amsterdam, published by Robert de Baudous, 1608.

 

Folio, H. 36.5 x W. 26 cm; a few tears restored, in a modern slipcase.

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Beautiful copy, in a parchment binding, of the rare 1608 edition in French of Jacques de Gheyn’s famous pictorial army manual for the use of officers to teach the young recruits how to handle their weapons. With three series of plates on the use of the blunderbuss (42), the musket (43) and the picket (32), and accompanying text of 5, 4 and 4 pages before each chapter. The manual gives an excellent picture of the victorious army of the Dutch Republic at the end of the 16th century, so successfully reformed by Prince Maurits of Nassau, introducing new forms of armament, exercise, and drill. Maurits, after his father, William the Taciturn, had been murdered in 1584, proved himself among the best strategists of his age and organized the Dutch uprising against Spain into a successful revolt.