De Militia equestri antiqua et nova ad regem Philippum IV. Libri quinque.

Folio: [8, engr. title incl.]-344-[10] pp.; 6 pl. (some ff. +/- browned, some foxing).

Contemp. calf, gilt-orn. spine with raised bands, red edges (light scratches, front joint splitting, sm. def. to head and tail, three corners bumped).

First and only edition of one of the first and most important books on ancient and modern cavalry tactics, by the Jesuit H. Hugo (1588-1629), a well-known specialist in contemp. military affairs. "From this work most of the writers on the subject immediately succeeding have borrowed" (Cockle). Engr. ill.: very fine title by C. Galle, 3 full-page pl., 6 double-page pl. and 27 sm. pl. in-text, all in the style of J. Callot. Some of these very detailed pl. show hundreds of tiny figures of cavalrymen and horses, and have been attributed to C. Galle, A. Pauwels or Boetius à Bolswert. As usual at the time, each cavalryman is drawn individually. Includes a chapter on the use of elephants and camels in warfare. Printer's mark on last p.
Ref. DBS IV:521:8. - Mennessier de La Lance I:652. - Dejager 103. - Lipperheide 2075. - Cockle 733. - STCV.
Prov. De Bury (ms. entry and armorial bookpl.). - Paul Couturier de Royas (1853-1934), Dauphiné bibliophile (two diff. armorial bookpl.).