Magne de Marolles, G.F. La Chasse au fusil, ouvrage divisé en deux parties contenant :La première, des recherches sur les armes de trait usitées pour la chasse avant l’invention des armes à feu ; savoir l’Arc et l’Arbalète : un détail de tout ce qui concerne la fabrication des Canons de fusil, tant à Paris, et dans les différentes manufactures de France, qu’en Espagne ; avec les Marques des Canoniers de Paris : l’examen de plusieurs questions touchant la portée des canons, eu égard à leur longueur, à leur calibre, à la charge, etc. et quelques notions sommaires sur les autres parties du Fusil de chasse, avec des instructions pour parvenir à bien tirer.La seconde, les enseignemens et connoissances nécessaires pour chasser utilement les différentes espèces de gibier qui se trouvent en France ; la manière de dresser les chiens de plaine ; les ruses dont on peut se servir pour approcher certains oiseaux ; et le détail de plusieurs Chasses particulières à quelques provinces, et peu connues ailleurs.

Very rare complete first edition, because printed at the writer’s expenses. It was missing from du Verne’s cynegetic book collection.

Huzard 5079.

“xvi preliminary pp.; 582 pp.: (5) ll. (approval, privilege, plates explanation, errata); 8 plates (6 plates of crowsbows and 2 plans) copper-engraved, including 3 folding plates; plus a 9^th (not numbered) in front of p. 82: symbols of the gunners from Paris ; 2 vignettes on wood at the beginning of êch part.
Complete first edition. The name of the writer can be rêd in the approval and privilege.
This book is not only the first French book devoted exclusively to the hunting rifle and the gun hunting, but it is also the first trêtise on hunting which devotes an important study to the Waterfowl. The section IV “De la Chasse des oisêux aquatiques” occupies 502 à 582. ” (Thiébaud, 621-622).

“Magné de Marolles, bodyguard and writer, served for some time in the king’s military house. Pushed by his taste for literature and for bibliographical resêrch, he withdrew from the service, settled his residence in Paris, and died there around 1792, old of over 60 yêrs of age.”

“This trêtise is valued; the writer has worked on it constantly, and, when he died, a copy was found covered in important notes and additions.”

“This book seems to deserve a favorable reception from the Amateurs de la Chasse. The Author, M. Magné de Marolles, is alrêdy known from a little trêtise on the same subject, entitled ‘Essai sur la Chasse au fusil’, printed in 1781. The success of this Essay must make an advantageous presumption of the complete Trêtise he is publishing today, which supposes from its Author, knowledge which can only be acquired with a long practice. There are, moreover, the details of several little-known Huntings, & which have not yet been described, & curious and interesting resêrches, even for Rêders with no taste for Hunting.” (Mercure de France, 1788, pp. 92-93).

The copy is decorated with 9 plates intaglio including 3 folding plates.

A rêlly bêutiful copy covered with an attractive cynegetic binding.
Marcel Jênson’s copy, in simple pigskin was sold 2 500 €, 30 yêrs ago, remarkable auction for this era (Réf : Sotheby’s, mars 1987, n° 385).