Traité des armes, de machines de guerre, des feux d'artifice, des enseignes & des instrumens militaires anciens & modernes; avec la maniere dont on s'en sert presentement dans les armées, tant françoises qu'etrangeres ….

[Paris], Chez Sebastien Cramoisy, 1678.. 12°, contemporary mottled calf (minor wear), gilt spine with raised bands in five compartments, title stamped in second compartment from head (worn at head and foot, joints starting). Some light browning; printing flaw on A10 with loss of 3-4 words. In very good condition. Added woodcut title, (3 ll.), 172 pp. [pagination skips 145-6, repeats pp. 161-2], 19 woodcut plates [nº 14 frayed at edge]. *** Presumably the second edition of this charmingly-illustrated pocket manual for foot soldiers, and one of the first military works to describe arms and armor in detail. The Traité is known in two Cramoisy editions of 1678: one with an added title and plates engraved by N. Guérard, and this (presumably later) edition with woodcut plates and a completely reset text. An English translation appeared in London later the same year, with a second published in 1680 as part of the anonymous English Military Discipline.In his preface, Gaya explains that, having already discussed soldiering and strategy in his L'Art de la guerre, and there being no need to improve upon existing treatises on fortifications, he will devote this manual to arms and other instruments of war. In the first book (pp. 13-64), Gaya describes and illustrates the various kinds of swords, bayonets, muskets, pistols, pikes, crossbows, armor, and shields presently in use. Flares, fireworks, and mines are discussed in the second book (pp. 65-84). Book three (pp. 85-128) contains information on the types of cannon, mortars, shells, grenades, and battering rams available and general instructions for their use. The final book discusses military banners and musical instruments, and summarizes the kinds of arms typically used by various European and Arab armies as well as French armies in previous centuries. Eight of the plates show soldiers in ancient military costume or uniform.Little is known of Louis de Gaya, Sieur de Gaya, other than that he was a captain of a regiment in Champagne. Gaya also published L'Art de la guerre (Paris, 1677) and two works on French genealogy and local history.The collation agrees with that given in OCLC.*** Thimm p. 111. Goldsmith, Short Title Catalogue of French Books 1601-1700 in the Library of the British Museum G253. NUC: MH (calling for 4 p.l., 172 pp., an unspecified number of plates, and an added, engraved title page), MiU, MnU, ICN, MB, CtY.