le Sieur de La Fontaine - Les devoirs militaires de l'infanterie, contenant l'exercice des gens de guerre, selon la pratique - 1675

The military duties of the officers of infantry, containing the drill of soldiers, according to the practice of the time. Teaching the handling of arms; the evolutions of infantry, to train all kinds of battalions, squadrons, and lined battles; the manner of attacking and defending places; and the exercise of the King’s musketeers; with various figures for the understanding of this work. By Monsieur De la Fontaine, ordinary engineer of the King - Paris, Estienne Lyon, 1675 - (22) 384 pp - leather bound

Fair. Some loss; leather head and foot of spine. Left hinge at top to the first rib open, right hinge open/broken. Interior browned, here and there a spot, damp spot in the gutter margin from the beginning to page 3 and also in the gutter margin of the last 10 pages. Some dog-ears. Creases on page 337/338. Notable worm trails or wormholes in the upper margin between pages 50 and 187 (afterwards to page 216 a wormhole the size of a pinhead) and in the lower margin from the beginning to about page 250,

Contains engraved frontispiece, various text illustrations (formation diagrams and tactical figures) and 6 fold-out engravings (edge of three somewhat frayed):
• B (fol. 37): De la Marche des Compagnies
• C (fol. 102): Ordre de bataille
• D (fol. 112): Campement d'une Armée
• F (fol. 186): Le Convoi d'une Armée
• G (fol. 187): Combat de Rencontre
• I (fol. 253): Corps de Reserue

Although the engravings bear the letters B, C, D, F, G and I, this edition by Estienne Loyson (1675) is bibliographically complete with this sextet of fold-out plates

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