Very rare first edition of a popular, richly illustrated text book on fortification by Gerard Melder, including the Appendix (mentioned on the title-page), containing the author's answer to his Amsterdam colleague Ruse discussing the proper system of fortification fit for education. The end of the first part gives 50 problems for the pupils to solve.
In 1654 Henrick Ruse, engineer of the fortifications and head of the battalion at Amsterdam, published his Versterckte vesting, in which he broke with the traditional views of fortification as presented by Freitag and Marolois. In answer to Ruse, Gerard Melder, director of the fortifications and the battalion of the city of Utrecht, published the present "Short and clear instruction" in which he clearly taught and illustrated the well-tried Dutch system of fortification, with which the Dutch had won their war against Spain. Ruse answered this with Aenwijsinge der misverstanden van G. Melder, published in 1658, to which Melder again responded with the present Appendix.
Frontispiece slightly soiled and small corner torn off, faint water stain on title-page and some occasional minor foxing. Otherwise a very good copy of the rare first edition. Bierens de Haan 3139 (Amsterdam issue?); Jordan 2459; STCN 402200144 (1 copy, outside the Netherlands); WorldCat (3 copies); cf. Bierens de Haan 3140 (1664 appendix); for Ruse and Melder see: Jähns, pp. 1339-1341.