Treasures in the Royal Library


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Joachim Arentsehe: [Kriegsbuch I-VII] (“The War Book”). Copenhagen: Lorentz Benedicht 1578.
LN 367 2º
Part 1: Ein Buch zusammen gezogen, aus vielen Probierten Künsten und Erfarungen, Wie ein Zeughausz sampt aller Munition anheimisch gehalten werden sol.

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Foreedge with
the monogram
of Frederik II
Lower edge Fol. 1v: Warning: “This book
shows what not everyone knows
and can/Also what not everyone
is supposed to know/May he
who has it and knows it/
use it well.”

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Title page of the first part Fol. 3v: Portrait of Frederik II
above his motto M[ein]
H[offnung] Z[u] G[ott] A[llein]
Fol. 4r: The Danish coat of arms P. 178: To take aim with a cannon by eye


Composite volume of seven works on warfare by Joachim Arentsehe, bound for King Frederik II ((b. 1534) 1559-1588). The first part is a lavishly illustrated manual on weapons and artillery, beautifully printed by the Copenhagen printer Lorenz Benedicht in 1578. The book passed to Frederik’s son Christian IV, who studied it carefully as is seen from his handwritten notes.

32.5 x 21.5 cm.

Reference (in Danish): Palle Birkelund, “Krigsbogen”, Skalk, 4, 1988.


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