The Arte of Warre

the rare first appearance of Machiavelli in English

The first edition in English of Niccolò Machiavelli's Libro della arte della guerra, the first of any of Machiavelli's writings to be translated into English.

The Arte of Warre was Machiavelli's first major published work, and the only one of a historical or political nature printed during his lifetime. The text was composed between 1519 and 1520 towards the end of the period of Machiavelli's political exile, which had begun when the forces of the Florentine Republic he served were defeated by the Medici at Prato in August 1512.

Over the course of his fourteen-year career from 1498 to 1512 as Secretary to the Second Chancery, Machiavelli had borne sustained responsibility for Florence's military affairs, and it was he who had conceived of and created a native militia force to defend the city, drawing inspiration from antiquity. The present work is set within the Rucellai family gardens, known as the Orti Oricellari, a major centre for Florentine humanism. The text takes the form of a series of dialogues between historical figures centred on the mercenary captain Fabrizio Colonna (c.1450-1520), whom some take for Machiavelli himself. Drawing on the Roman authorities Vegetius and Frontinus, it lays out the fundamental principles of military organisation, from how soldiers ought to be conscripted, armed and trained, to the formation of encampments, and the ideal qualities required of an effective commander.

The text was translated into English by Peter Whitehorne (f.l1549-1563), a soldier who had travelled to the continent in 1549, meeting the English diplomat Sir Thomas Hoby in Sienna, with whom he later visited Florence and Naples. Whitehorne then commenced his military career and for the next ten years campaigned with imperial forces in north Africa. He also spent a brief period in Constantinople, where he studied the military organisation of the Ottoman empire.

His own original military treatise, Certain Waies for the Orderyng of Souldiers in Battelray, is printed as a supplement to this translation. 'In this well-regarded study [Whitehorne] covered themes not dealt with by Machiavelli, such as fortification, the manufacture of gunpowder, the use of incendiary devices, and signalling. Furthermore, where Machiavelli had been dismissive of artillery, Whitehorne offered a more measured assessment of the utility of cannon. Thus, although a debt to classical authors such as Polybius is evident in the section on signalling, the treatise was an original work of military theory. Its main shortcoming was its brevity; it lacked the detail and copious illustrations that were characteristic of many contemporary continental books. Nevertheless, at the time of its publication, there was no other work in English that offered such insights into the latest developments in siege-craft and military architecture. For this reason Whitehorne can be justly regarded as a pioneer in his field' (ODNB).

Both parts are illustrated with numerous metal and woodcut designs of military encampments, as well as letterpress diagrams of troop formations. The Arte of Warre lacks leaf 2F3, which forms one half of the letterpress formations titled 'The [fifth] figure', and also the folding woodcut of 'An army at outset of battle' which should be found after 2F2 (see Luborsky & Ingram).

With early provenance for 'Henry Brooke', possibly the Henry Brooke who was 11th Baron of Cobham (1564-1619) and amassed a substantial library of more than 1000 volumes whilst imprisoned in the Tower of London following his implication in a plot to kidnap King James I in 1603 (see ODNB). The obscured inscription to the head of the title-page possibly reading 'Henry of Cobham'.

Rare. ESTC records just 13 copies in institutional collections worldwide, 6 in the British Isles (BL, Aberdeen University Library, Trinity College, Cambridge, Edinburgh University Library, Bodleian Library, and the University of Manchester), and 7 in North America (Boston Public Library, Folger Shakespeare Library, Huntington Library, 2 copies at the Houghton Library, Williams College, and Yale University Library).

First edition in English, 2 works (parts) issued together; 4to (20 x 14.5 cm); first part: woodcut title-page signed 'R.S.', woodcut printer's device to 2H1v, woodcut initials, further illustrations: metalcut illustration of 'Joshua and the conquered kings' (2E1r), facing woodcut of military encampment (2G1v-2G2r) titled 'The seuenth figure', 5 (of 6) letterpress double-page diagrams of troop formations, lacking half of 'The [fifth] figure' (i.e. leaf 2F3), further lacking folding woodcut of 'An army at outset of battle' (Luborsky & Ingram 2), lacking also blank leaf 2H2 (final leaf of first part), early ownership inscription in pen to foot of title, further obscured pen inscription to head, title slightly toned and frayed at edges, upper corner with old paper repair, D1 with closed tears repaired in archival tape, occasional light toning; second part: woodcut title-page, woodcut device to N4v (verso of colophon), woodcut initials, further illustrations: more than 30 in-text letterpress diagrams, 6 full-page plans of fortifications (E1v-F1v), sideways printed full-page woodcut of 'How to breach a fortification with cannon' letter-keyed to text (F3r), in-text cuts 'The placement of mines' (K3r), 'Incendiary projectiles' (k4r', 'Flame arrows and flaming pots' (L2v), 'Fireworks attached to spears' (M1v', 'A life preserver' (M4r), some occasional light toning; recently bound repurposing 17th-century mottled calf boards, gilt spine in 6 compartments, contrasting red morocco lettering-piece to second, very good; [4], cix, [11]; 48, [4]ff.

ESTC S111854; Luborsky & Ingram 17164; Cockle 12 & 13.