Beschreibung
2 parts in 1 volume, folio. [12] + 299 (misnumbered 303) + [1]p. Roman & italic letter. Large woodcut vignette of a cannon on both titles; with author's engraved portrait by W[olfgang] Kilian; with over 150 woodcut illustrations, many of which are half-page or larger (15 are full-page and 5 double-page); diagrams on pp1-6; numerous woodcut initials; printer's device at end. Vellum. The first complete edition of the earliest book on fortification offering accurate measured plans and systematic instructions which could be put into practice by a military architect. Lorini (c.1540-1611) with forty years experience in Flanders and later in the Turkish wars, advocates a method of regular bastioned traces with flanks defended by forward orillons; he also describes a concise system of reducing a fortress by the use of artillery. Book I stresses that fortification is a science, and book III contains an overview of the most significant fortification methods in use to date. The most intriguing part of this work is however book V, dedicated to machine tools of construction, describing and illustrating a variety of hoists and tackle, a water-raising engine, a dredger for draining swamps, a rope-way for rapidly moving earth, a diving bell for subterraneous work, mills, folding ladders, and the construction of pontoon bridges. The sixth book on surveying, with 27 additional illustrations and including a newly invented surveying instrument, is here contained for the first time. The dedication to the first five books is to the princes of Italy, the 6th book to Cosimo de Medici, second Grandduke of Tuscany. The splendid portrait of the author at the age of 60 was engraved by Wolfgang Kilian (1581-1662), who was living in Italy 1604-8; the Augsburg artist is best known for his botanical illustrations for the Hortus Eystettensis, describing the garden of the bishop of Eichstätt. The first version of Lorini's work appeared in 1596; German language editions were published in 1616, 1620 and 1621. Traces of finger-marking in tailend corners, some isolated light staining, outer margins of last three leaves frayed in places, otherwise a good copy with occasional neat early manuscript annotations in margins. D'Ayala 104; Berlin Katalog 3519; Breman 165 ('books I-V have been given 18 new chapters and 27 new woodcuts'); Cockle 791 (note); Jähns 845-848; Jordan 2222; Manzi 105; Riccardi II, 54. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 5357
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