FABRIS, SALVATOR. - [FENCING - "THE MOST COMPLETE WORK PRODUCED IN THIS ART"]
Della vera pratica & scienza d'armi libri due nel primo de quali si tratta di fondament della spada sola. Le raggioni di spada, e pugnale. & Di spada, e coppa. Nel secondo. Si dà regole per ferire il nemico subito posto mano alla spada. Altre di cosi subita rissolutione con spada e pugnale. & Altre ancora per ferire senza fermarsi con spada, e pugnale. Il tutto in questa seconda editione Non solo descritto: ma rappresentato all vista da cento, e novantacinque figure di rame diligentissimamente intagliate.
Padoua (Padua), per Pietro Paolo Tozzi, 1624. Folio. Bound in a solid, nice, later full vellum bdg. (ca. 1900) made from cont. vellum. A very nice and clean copy w. occational brownspotting. Portrait and f. 5 evenly browned. F. H1 w. two small tears at top, one affecting text, but without loss. Woodcut title-vignette, full-page engr. portrait of the Danish King Christian IV, engr. portrait of Fabris (Nic. Andrea after Melchior Lorck) on t-p. of second part, 190 large half-page engravings (ca. 15x18 cm.) depicting naked fencers in various positions (engr. by Holbeeck and Francesco Valeggio). 3 ff., 256, 2 pp.
¶ Title issue of the first 1606 edition. This edition is on the title-page called "Seconda editione", but in reality the only difference between the two editions is the title-page and the dedication, the rest of the book is the first edition printed in Copenhagen by Henrik Waldkirch in 1606. When Fabris returned from Copenhagen to Padua, he brought the unsold copies of his "De lo schermo o vero scienza d'arme" with him and had Tozzo print a new title-page and an updated dedication, the rest of the leaves, i.e. the engravings and the text on fencing, are first printings. On p. 256 a woodcut vignette is pasted over the original colophon in order to disguise the original Danish printer.
This is one of the most important books ever printed on combats with rapier and dagger. Chs. Richard Cammell calls it "the most complete work produced in this art" ("Philobiblon", 1936). It is also the first book with copper-engravings to be printed in Denmark. "Fabris divides his work into two books and six parts. The first book treats thoroughly the question of broad principles and of the more 'academic' actions with the rapier alone, or accompanied with dagger or cloak; it discusses in a very exhaustive manner the relative value of the past and present methods. The second book is one wherein is demonstrated certain rules with which it will be possible to strike the enemy from the moment the sword is drawn, without halting or waiting any time, principles which has never been treated by any master or writer" (Thimm p. 97).
Brunet II:1155. Birkelund nr. 37. Thesaurus 456.
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