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Au Pont-a-Mousson, 1620. Avec l'Alphabet de Tritemius, par laquelle chacun qui sçait escrire, peut promptement composer congruement en latin. Aussi le moyen d'escrire la nuict a son amy absent. / De la diligence de Jean Appier, dit Hanzelet, calcographe et de François Thybourel, Me. chyrurg.n. FIRST EDITION, Au Pont-a-Mousson, Charles Marchant, 1620, French text. Small 4to, 190 x 135 mm, 7½ x 5¼ inches, 6 parts only of 7, each with separate pagination, register and title page, PART 7 IS LACKING (8 unnumbered pages at the end of the volume on 'writing by night'), ALSO LACKING ENGRAVED GENERAL TITLE PAGE, 16 PRELIMINARY PAGES (starts on first page of Chapter I (page 17)), AND SIGNATURE E IN THE FIRST PART (pages 33-40), collation: 17-88, 39, 24, 112, 40, [56], contains 97 of 101 interesting engraved illustrations in the text (missing 4 in signature E part 1), many signed by Jean Hanzelet, 1 printed upside down, bound in contemporary limp vellum, remains of old hand lettering to spine. Vellum stained and wrinkled, a small chip and a crack across spine, remains of old paper label at tail of spine, pages lightly age-browned throughout, brown stain to 1 page just affecting part of 1 illustration, text easily legible, small chip to 1 lower margin. A good copy of a very scarce firework and military item (lacking pages as noted). Jean Appier (1596-1647) who took the name of Hanzelet was born in Lorraine and educated by his father, an engineer who was employed by Duke Charles III to direct the new fortifications at Nancy. Jean became a skilled engraver and printer. Francois Thybourel who worked on this book with him was a physician, mathematician and poet. The book describes all kinds of military equipment, engines and exploding devices, including fireworks, military and recreational. Part 4 deals with fire-balls burning under water, poisonous smoke balls, fire-lances and incendiary arrows. See Partington, A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder, page 176; Cockle, A Bibliography of Military Books up to 1642; Brunet, Volume I, 358; Chris Philip, Bibliography of Firework Books, A140.1: "Appier's influence on subsequent pyrotechnic works is immense." Images sent on request.

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