Ferretti, Della osservanza militare, Venice, 1576; Cicogna, Trattato militare, Venice, 1583, De Thou copy

FERRETTI, FRANCESCO AND GIOVANNI MATTEO CICOGNA

Two works in a binding for Jacques-Auguste de Thou, comprising:

i. Ferretti, Francesco. Della osservanza militare... libri due, di novo revisti, & ampliati. Venice: Camillo and Rutilio Borgominieri, 1576, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces, woodcut illustrations

ii. Cicogna, Giovanni Matteo. Il primo libro del trattato militare nel quale si contengono varie regole, & diversi modi, per fare con l'ordinanza battaglie nuove di fanteria... Venice: Camillo Castelli, 1583, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials and illustrations, typographic diagrams of battle formations, a few deckle edges

2 works in one volume, 4to (208 x 143mm.), near-contemporary brown calf with the arms of Jacques-Auguste de Thou and his first wife Marie de Barbançon-Cany on covers [Olivier 216 fer 5] and their IAM monogram [Olivier 216 fer 6] in spine compartments, de Thou shelf-mark in ink at head of upper cover and on inside front cover ("E 109"), upper joint slightly cracked, corners slightly rubbed

Ferretti's treatise drew on the work of Machiavelli (see lot 283) and commented favourably on it, despite the latter's presence on the Index of Prohibited Books by this date; most contemporary authors referred to Machiavelli in unspecific terms in order to avoid problems. Ferretti also ascribed to the Vegetian view that order and discipline were more significant than numerical superiority or even bravery (for the 1568 edition, see lot 259, and for the 1569 edition, see lot 470). Cicogna's battle formations drew heavily on Roman and Macedonian examples, assuming that his readers were familiar with them. Cicogna was one of the first authors to use tables to show the deployment of varying numbers and combinations of soldiers.

LITERATURE:

Cockle 537 & 536; Edit16 18550 & 12519; USTC 829288 & 822594

PROVENANCE:

Jacques-Auguste de Thou (1553-1617) and Marie de Barbançon-Cany (died 1601), arms on binding