[Militaria] Traitté des fortifications

French manuscript written in a minute hand, 17th cent. On laid paper made w. a narrow scoop, 49 p. incl. 3 lvs and 18 blank lvs both unnumb. and numb. (4-14). W. drawings in ink: frontisp. with coat of arms, 2 fold. plates (1 full-p. plate), 4 ills. in the text, several sm. ills., 3 tables (1x full-p.). Cont. calf w. gilt and ribbed spine, sm. 8vo. Acid ink has caused browning, offsetting and bleed through. Paper brittle/ dam. along thick ink lines, first fold. plate loose. The blank lvs are waterst. in upper outer corner. Despite the defects, this is a highly attractive fortification manuscript.

The manuscript opens w. an "Explication des termes dont on use dans les fortifications", listing terms as "donjon", "le rampart", "banquet", "parapette", "le cordon", "la tenaille", "le bastion plat" and "demi-bastion". A second chapter is titled "Premier façon de fortifier toutes les figures reguliers qui est par les tables suputéés". Other sections are headed "Marquer les traicts interieurs", "Propositions" (on geometrical problems, w. sm. ills.), "Dresser sur terre un plan de fortification", "Maniere de fortifier les places irreguliers" and "Quelques problèmes sur les fortifications". The final 3 lvs (w. 3 ills.) are in Latin, and include sections titled "circulum in 360 as. partes dividere" and "delineatio horologii orisontalia".