Leclerc, le Sieur

Collection of receipts for making fireworks and explosives: especially for the construction of grenades, hand-bombs, etc.: in French. Partly Author's holograph MS. Illustrated with 18 rough pen-drawings of grenades, etc., of which four are coloured. The author has apparently given his name in the inner margin of the lower cover 'du S[ieu]r le Clerc P[remier?] soldat'. The script changes on the verso of the 26th leaf. Up to then, the writing is regular and the spelling good: the remainder is written by an irregular and illiterate hand which seems to be that of Leclerc himself. The earlier script is perhaps that of a professional copyist. The date 1693 is found on the verso of the 10th leaf from the end. Pasted down on the inside of the lower cover is a cut down engraving entitled 'Profil de la Machine Infernal des Ennemis qui a échouée devant St. Malo': it depicts a fire-ship filled with explosives, perhaps used at the bombardment of that place by Admiral Benbow in 1693, or in 1695 by Lord Berkeley's fleet.

1693

1 volume 48 ll. (first 5 bl.). + 17 bl. ll. + 15 [16] ll. folio. 33 x 191/2 cm. Original calf binding. The fourth leaf from the end has been cut out.

Purchased 1933.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).