BARDET DE VILLENEUVE. Cours de la science militaire, à l'usage de l'infanterie, de la cavalerie, de l'artillerie, du génie et de la marine. La Haye, Jean van Duren, 1740-1742. 11 volumes in 6 vol. in-8° bound in full fawn calf, spines decorated with gilt, covers stamped with the gilt supralibris bearing the arms of Lullin de Chateauvieux. With 146 folding plates, numerous frontispieces (some repeated) and 11 title vignettes. A fine copy. First edition of this major encyclopaedic work of the 18th century, published between 1740 and 1757. It covers all the military disciplines of the period. There was only one edition, and it is rarely complete with its first 11 volumes in a uniform binding. Our copy lacks the part on the navy (in 4 volumes), published later as a supplement. Provenance: Library of the Château d'Auvernier Good condition Binding : Minor spotting and scuffing to some boards A few stains Corners very slightly dented Volume XI is more damaged than the others, with more stains, a larger epidermis and a small dent in the lower edge. Inside pages: Text pages clean Some rare reversals in page numbering The extremities of the plates that protrude from the body of the book are soiled and/or slightly torn: these damaged parts do not, however, touch the engravings; they remain in the margins. Plate 14 in volume IX, slight hole over 1 cm Several pages torn at top corner (Volume I pp 220, 256 and 268) Remarks: Frontispieces in vol 2 are identical The frontispieces in vol 3 are different The frontispieces in vol 5 are identical Collation: Vol 1 (Tome I Les fonctions et les devoirs des officiers tant de l'infanterie que de la cavalerie ) [10] ff. including 1 frontispiece, 307 pp, (4-64) pp (not missing), 2 folding plates Vol 2 (Tome II la tactique ou l'art de ranger des bataillons and III Traité de la géométrie pratique à l'usage des officiers ) TII: [8] ff. including 1 frontispiece, 360 pp. and 12 folding plates (numbered 1 to 12) TIII: [4] ff. including 1 frontispiece, 195 pp, [9]pp, and 17 folding plates (numbered 1 to 17) Vol 3 (Tome IV Traité de l'architecture civile à l'usage des ingénieurs and V Traité de l'architecture militaire ): TIV: [4] ff. including 1 frontispiece, (5-151) pp, [9] pp. and 12 folding plates (numbered 18 to 29) TV: [8] ff. including 1 frontispiece, 166 pp, [2] pp. and 24 folding plates (numbered 1 to 24) Vol 4 (Tome VI , VII et VIII: Traité de l'artillerie en 3 parties): TVI: [4] ff. including 1 frontispiece, (V-XXXII) pp. 164 pp. and 19 folding plates (numbered 1 to 19) TVII: [2] ff. 144 pp. and 14 folding plates (numbered 20 to 33) TVIII: [2] ff. 158 pp. and 7 folding plates (numbered 34 to 40) Vol 5 (Tome IX Traité de l'attaque des places et X Traité de la défense des places ): TIX: [3] ff. including 1 frontispiece, VIII, [4] ff, 240 pp. and 24 folding plates (numbered 1 to 24) TX: [3] ff. including 1 frontispiece, VIII, 104 pp. and 11 folding plates (numbered 1 to 11) Vol 6 (Tome XI Manuel de cavalerie ): [4] ff. including 1 frontispiece, XII, 388 pp. and [2] ff. with 4 folding plates