Vauban

1691 · 177262 — London: Abell Swall 1691. Pp. 1680last blank104 engraved pictorial title page and 32 folding plates; cr. 8vo; contemporary calf the spine with handwritten paper title label between raised bands boards with single rule border and corner ornaments in blind lightly worn; all edges sprinkled red; book label of David Levine Sydney on the upper pastedown with the earlier inked signature of the antiquary Sir Daniel Fleming on the upper free endpaper the signature of his son George Fleming on the blank preliminary and two tiny annotations 'Fortz' - referencing the subject or shelf arrangement in his library hinges tender a couple of the plates slightly creased at edges; Abel Swall London 1691. First edition in English. Wing L1116; ESTC R15758. The work is in two parts the first entitled A New Treatise of Geometry containing 8 plates numbered 1-8. The second part A New Treatise of Fortification contains 22 plates lettered A-I K-T V W X. Sebastien le Prestre de Vauban 1633-1707 revolutionized the art of siege craft and defensive fortification and is regarded as the greatest military engineer of his time. The translation from the French is by the bookseller Abel Swall. Sir Daniel Fleming 1633-1701 amassed a library of at least 1500 volumes many of which were annotated often by his son Sir George 1667-1747 the Bishop of Carlisle who probably hand wrote the spine label. Abell Swall unknown