Nicolas Demeuse - Traité De L'art Des Armes or Treatise on the Art of Arms - 1778

RARE ILLUSTRATED FIRST EDITION, of Nicolas DEMEUSE's "Traité De L'art Des Armes or Treatise on the Art of Arms", on the art of fencing in the 18th century. This book illustrates all the techniques necessary for effective fencing with a wealth of details, advice, positions and 14 beautiful fold-out copper engravings in large format height 196 x width 240 mm or 7.7 by 9.5 inches. This work is very sound, and thoroughly justifies its French title, as it contains a complete and direct system to solve the various cases during a duel or self-defence. DEMEUSE was a fencing master in Liege (Belgium), a member of the Academie d'armes de Bruxelles and bodyguard of H.A.C. Prince-Bishop of Liege (as per title page). He describes the discipline as "high-speed chess", for every move or stance there must be a countermove or position, every match begins and ends with a salute, and sportsmanship and honor are emphasized at every level of the duel. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Paper, text, illustrations and full leather binding in excellent condition, rare defects or stains.

BEAUTIFUL FIRST EDITION, handsomely illustrated with 14 folding plates showing the various positions in fencing, exercises to improve skill, tricks, defense and attack solutions, a great and complete manual of the time. Nicolas DEMEUSE claimed that the advantage of wearing a mask was so great as to need no demonstrating, although he admitted that it was still unknown in many academies. He described a good mask as being light, but made of solid wire with a tightly meshed grill. It was tied on the head by two ribbons knotted behind. A report in the Morning Post newspaper of a match between a French and an English fencing master in 1785 claimed that the Frenchman was used to fencing without a mask and the Englishman with one. The ideal size for the weapon in proportion to the body of the fencer is also established: DEMEUSE in this 1778 first edition instruct that the smallsword’s length should be 30 pouces (French “inches”), aka 2.5 pieds (French “feet” = 12 pouces/pied). This converts the recommended blade length to just under 32 modern inches, or 812 mm, or approximately half the fencer's height. The mechanics of modern fencing originated in the 18th century in an Italian school of fencing of the Renaissance, and under their influence, were improved by the French school of fencing. The German and Spanish schools of fencing stagnated and was replaced by the Italian and French schools.

References: Vigeant, p. 50; Pardoel 376; Carl Thimm, Bibliography of Fencing and Duelling, pages 76-77; Cat. BNF 1897 (vol. XXXVIII), 228; CONI Italian National Olympic Committee 1995, 78 (101); Gelli 1895, 345; Maedebach 1968, 13 (63); Castle 1885, 59, xliv; K.U. Leuven 1998, 173 (67).

Title: Nouveau traité de l'art des armes, dans lequel on établit les principes certains de cet art, & où l'on enseigne les moyens les plus simples de les mettre en pratique ... Avec des figures en taille-douce. Par M. Nicolas Demeuse, garde-du-corps de S.A.C prince-evêque de Liege, & maître en fait-d'armes…(New treatise on the art of arms, in which the certain principles of this art are established, and where the simplest means of putting them into practice are taught… With intaglio figures. By Mr. Nicolas Demeuse, bodyguard of H.A.C. Prince-Bishop of Liege, and master of fencing). Published by F. J. Desoer, in Liège, 1778. Text in French.

Description: in-8vo size height 196 x width 125mm or 7.7 by 4.9 inches. Pages 181, [1] pp., plus 14 fold out leaves & numbered illustrations. Red full leather modern binding in excellent condition, solid with titles and date. 14 beautiful copper engravings. Text and illustrations in very good condition well engraved with great contrast and definition as per photo, few water stains, foxing or imperfections. RARE ILLUSTRATED FIRST EDITION AND COMPLETE.

Shipping: via UPS, protected, INSURED and fully tracked package. Estimated time for Europe 3-5 working days. Shipping within one working day. You can combine shipping if you purchases several items from us, saving money and time.