DISCOURS SUR LA CASTRAMETATION ET DISCIPLINE MILITAIRE DES ROMAINS, ... DES BAINS & ANTIQUES EXERCITATIONS GRECQUES & ROMAINES. DE LA RELIGION DES ANCIENS ROMAINS. by DU CHOUL, Guillaume.: - 1555

Lyon, de l'imprimerie de Guillaume Rouille, 1555.. FIRST EDITION 1555, French text, presumed signature of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun to top of title page? folio in fours, approximately 310 x 210 mm, 12 1/8 x 8¼ inches, large pictorial device of Du Choul on title page, 5 headpieces and 5 large pictorial initials, 37 very good almost full page woodcuts, 1 double page folding plan of a Roman camp; 7 small illustrations in La Castrametation; 6 large woodcut illustrations in Des Bains, leaves: 55, (1 - blank); 20, (5 - Index), 160 pages in total, both blank leaves O4 & F6 present, collation a-o4, A-F6. De La Religion mentioned on the title page was planned by Du Choul for this volume but it was actually not printed until 1556 and therefore does not appear in our book. Bound in antique leather, rebacked with original gilt decorated and lettered backstrip laid on, raised bands, board edges gilt, edges speckled red. Boards rubbed, corners slightly worn, backstrip darkened and gilt very worn, neat name at top of title page, large pale damp stain to fore-edge and small repair to lower corner of title page, no loss of print, damp stain recurs on a4, 2 small old paper repairs on reverse of folding plan, 2 small closed tears to top and bottom folds and 1 more to lower edge of vertical central fold, all neatly repaired. A very good clean tight copy. The Castrametation plates show various soldiers of the Roman army, 2 holding enemy heads, others with slings, bows, catapults, 1 shows the testudo, another the battering ram, 3 show trumpeters and horn blowers, some soldiers chop wood for the camp which they then build, 2 bring a barrel of wine by boat to the camp, 6 illustrations show cavalry, 1 shows pre battle sacrifice with priests and altar, the last 2 illustrations show different types of helmet. In Des Bains there are images of the baths building, the actual bath, accessories for the ablutions, a naked man and his page preparing to bathe and finally 2 men engaged in a boxing match. See: Sotheby's, The Library of the Earls of Macclesfield, Part 10, No. 3454-3455; Maurice J.D. Cockle, A Bibliography of Military Books up to 1642, page 180, No. 702, listing a 1557 edition; Adams, Catalogue of Books Printed on the Continent of Europe, 1501-1600, page 370, No. 1024; Mortimer, Harvard, Sixteenth Century French Books, Volume I, No. 181 - listing the edition of 1557. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE. FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.