Hungarian and Highland broadsword: twenty-four plates designed and etched under the direction of H. Angelo and son, fencing masters to the Light Horse Volunteers of London and Westminster

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UNCUT IN THE ORIGINAL WRAPPERS. Large oblong folio, iii, [1, blank], [3, list of subscribers], [1, blank] pp. Hand coloured aquatint title and twenty three hand coloured aquatint plates, PLUS the scarce additional plate (The Guards and Lessons, of the Highland Broadsword). Uncut in the original blue wrappers, neatly re-backed to style. Short marginal tear to one plate, not affecting image. An excellent copy, unbelievably rare in the original wrappers. Housed in a quarter black morocco clamshell case. (12 1/2 * 16 9/16; 318*420 mm). With foreign invasion threatening our shore, martial ardour was the keynote of the year 1799, and subscribers were readily found for the Hungarian and Highland Broadsword Exercise... The twenty four plates in coloured aquatint show military exercises and movements of cavalry, but the single figures in the foreground, illustrating sword exercises, are relieved and animated by the introduction in the background of various skirmished, assaults, and battle scenes, so that the plates lose all sense of formality. In the general liveliness of the picture you forget that the two central figures illustrate 'Cut two, and horse's off side protect, new guard,' and other formulae of broadsword exercise, just as for the nonce in a stage duel you forget that cut, thrust, and parry are planned, rehearsed, and mechanical (Martin Hardie). (Bobbins 386)