L'Instruction Du Roy, En L'Exercice De Monter A Cheval. Par Messire Antoine De Pluvinel, son Sous-Gouverneur, Conseiller en son Conseil d'Estat, Chambellan ordinaire, & son Escuyer principal. Lequel respondant à sa Majesté, luy faict remarquer l'excellence de sa Methode, pour reduire les chevaux en peu de temps à l'obeyssance des justes proportions de tous les plus beaux airs & maneiges. Le tout enrichy de grands figures en taille douce, representant les vrayes & naïsves actions des hommes & des chevaux en tous les airs, & maneiges, courses de bague, rompre en lice au Quintan, & combatre à L'Espée: ensemble les figures des brides, les plus necessaires à cet usage, desseignées & gravées Par Crispian De Pas.
[T.p.] - Extraict du Privilege du Roy (1655) - [Add. engr. t.pl., dedic., port.] - [Text and pl.].
Responsibility Note
The added titleplate and all plates are unsigned.
The portrait of Pluvinel is signed as engraved by Chris. Hagens.
This edition reprints René De Menou de Charnizay's dedication to the King (Louis XIII).
References
H. Nelson, 'Antoine de Pluvinel, Classical Horseman and Humanist', in The French Review, 58:4 (1985), p.514-23.
Summary Note
The publication-date is given as 'M. DC. LXVI' on the title page, but as '1668' on the added engraved title-plate. The engraved title-plate reads, 'L'Instruction Du Roy, En L'Exercice De Monter A Cheval. Par Messire Antoine De Pluvinel, Escuyer principal de sa Majeste. A. Amsterdam Chez Iean I. Schipper 1668.' The work had first been published in 1623, in Paris, as Maneige Royal, and in a second edition in 1625, edited by R. de Menou, as L'Instruction Du Roy, En L'Exercice De Monter A Cheval. Pluvinel's Académie d'Equitation, founded in 1594, was attended by William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, who also wrote a celebrated book on horsemanship.
The text takes the form of a dialogue between the king (Louis XIII), Pluvinel, M. Le Grand and others. Pluvinel's training methods are notably more humane than those of such predecessors as Grisone and Pignatelli.
Most plates show the management of horses; a few, bridles and other equipment. The illustration shows a portrait of Pluvinel.
Provenance
Purchased for RA Library in 1870 (see 'Librarian's Report for the Year 1870', RA Annual Report, Appendix No. 6, p. 27),
Binding Note
17th-century mottled calf; rebacked in 1987 by A. Wessely, red morocco spine-label lettered 'L'Exercice De Monter A Cheval. - Pluvinel.'
Subject
Horsemanship - Dressage - Riding - Horses - Animals - Sports - Metal-work - Bridles - Europe - History - 17th century
Manuals - Instructional materials - France - Netherlands - 17th century
Pictorial works - Netherlands - 17th century