Boyer, Abel. The Draughts of the Most Remarkable Fortified Towns of Europe, in 44 Copper Plates. With a Geographical Description of the Said Places [...].

London, printed for Isaac Cleave and John Hartley, 1701.

4to. (4), 29, (1) pp. With folding engraved frontispiece and 43 numbered engraved plates. Contemporary panelled full sheepskin.

 2,500.00

First edition. An overview of prominent European fortresses from Ostend to Casale, including Dinant, Calais, Saint Malo, Brest, Trier, Mayence, and Strasbourg, preceded by an introduction on military architecture. The frontispiece shows a plan of generic fortifications based on Vauban's method, indicating the essential parts. The French-English lexicographer Boyer (1667-1729), a Huguenot from the Languedoc, came to England in 1690 as a tutor but quickly turned to writing, becoming an author and journalist and publishing various works on history, language, literature and politics.

Binding somewhat rubbed, slight loss to head and foot of spine. Contemporary ms. ownership "John Yonge 1721", as well as a bookplate of William Gordon Ross, Royal Engineers, to front pastedown. Later in the collection of Thomas Fremantle, 3rd Baron Cottesloe (1862-1956), commander of the Territorial Army and president of the Society for Army History Research.

References

ESTC T112446. Phillips IV, 5166. Hellwig, Alte Pläne von Stadt und Festung Saarlouis 56f.

Stock Code: BN#51094 Tags: , , ,