JOLY (Guillaume) Lot n° 40

Traicté de la iustice militaire de France. Paris, Abel L'Angelier, 1598. In-8, soft vellum, title in later ink on the spine (Binding of the time). Balsamo & Simonin, n°306. First part, the only one published, of this code of military justice prepared on the occasion of the re-establishment of the connétablie and maréchaussée of France. Born in Decize (Nièvre), Guillaume Joly (1533-1613) was a lawyer at the Parliament of Paris and became lieutenant general of the connétablie and maréchaussée of France. As head of military justice under the reigns of Henry III and Henry IV, he sets out in this work his opinions on men-at-arms, "just war", the way to fight either by reason or by arms, the inventory of military crimes and offences, the rejection of mercenary armies, etc. (cf. Pierre Volut, "Guillaume Joly, Henri IV, l'armée et les duels" in Mémoires de la Société académique du Nivernais, 2006). Handwritten bookplate at the foot of the title: Martin. Engraved bookplate P. Guiraudi Testu de Balincourt.