TRAITÉ DE LA CONSTRUCTION DES CHEMINS: Où il est parlé de ceux des Romains, & de ceux des Modernes, de leur figure, de leur matiere, & de leur disposition dans toute sorte de lieux. Avec une Dissertation sur la conduite des Mâts, sur les Routes à faire pour leur débuchage, sur leur Traite

12mo, pp. [x], 90, 43, [1] blank; with four folding leaves of plates at end; woodcut headpiece and initial on p. [iii]; small tear to bottom corner of F1 with loss of a couple of letters, and small marginal dampstain to least few leaves, not affecting text, but otherwise clean and fresh throughout; in contemporary calf, spine with raised bands and gilt morocco lettering-piece; some wear and bumping, with suggestions of very old repairs, but still a good copy.

First edition, rare, of what may be the first treatise dedicated to the history and practice of road-building, also the first work by the Languedoc engineer Henri Gautier (or Gaulthier, 1660-1737).

Gautier notes in his preface that the architectural treatises he knows tend to deal only in general principles rather than particularities, and that he is unaware of any writer who has covered road-building. The present work is an attempt to rectify this. Over the course of eleven chapters, he examines the principles, techniques, and usage of Roman roads, before turning to modern road construction, firstly looking at the architectural approaches of the likes of Vitruvius, and then going into detail about the problems presented by, and techniques required for, various different types of terrain. Beginning with flat, consistent terrain, he goes on to discuss construction on marshy ground, around and into ponds, lakes, riversbanks and sea, hillsides, hollows, and mountain passes, before making some general observations about precautions to be taken, the first and most important of which is that a road-builder must, before attempting any construction, walk the entire route.

Gautier's treatise was reprinted in expanded form several times in the eighteenth century, and the author himself became one of the original inspectors of the Pont-et-Chaussées du Royaume on its reform in 1716. In the same year, he published a treatise on bridge-building (Traité des ponts, Paris, Cailleau).

OCLC records only one physical copy outside France, at Michigan.