Nye, The art of gunnery, London, 1647, old calf

NYE, NATHANIEL

The art of gunnery. Wherein is described the true way to make all sorts of gunpowder, guu-match [sic], the art of shooting in great and small ordnance... to draw the map or plot of any city, town, castle, or other fortified place. To make divers sorts of artificiall fire-works, both for war and recreation, also to cure all such wounds that are curable, which may chance to happen by gunpowder or fire-works. London: printed for William Leak, 1647

FIRST EDITION, 8vo (161 x 97mm.), engraved portrait, 3 woodcut plates, one folding table, woodcut and engraved illustrations, without final blank, contemporary calf sides overlaid on a modern calf binding, somewhat soiled and stained, some repair/restoration to first 3 leaves (without loss), one plate with repaired tear

RARE. Nye, a Birmingham mathematician, became master gunner of Worcester during the Civil War. There have been no copies of this first edition of 1647 at auction in over 40 years.

LITERATURE:

ESTC R223771 

PROVENANCE:

Thomas Francis Fremantle, bookplate, purchased from Pickering & Chatto, 7 June 1899, £1-1s