De l'Orme (Philibert) Le Premier Tome de l'Architecture, first edition, second issue, Roman type, title with woodcut architectural border, woodcut head-pieces and ornamental initials, 205 woodcut illustrations and diagrams, many full-page, 7 folding or double-page, with blank leaf e6 at end of Table of contents, privilege leaf at end, title lightly soiled and frayed at edges, staining to first few leaves (mostly marginal and to preliminaries), small ink stain to G1 and lower edge of H gathering, some light marginal soiling but generally a good clean copy, later morocco-backed boards, rubbed, rebacked preserving old spine, new morocco label, [Millard French 105; cf.Berlin Kat. 2362 & Fowler 99, first issue of 1567, same collation], folio (c.385 X 250mm.), Paris, Federic Morel, 1568.

⁂ The only part published of a projected encyclopaedia of architecture by "the most important architectural theorist of northern Europe in the sixteenth century". (Millard). "Of the three leading early French architectural writers, De Lorme is the most interesting and original, but is less distinguished as an artist than Jean Bullant...and is less versatile as a draughtsman than Du Cerceau...[He] has been called the first modern architect because of his original contributions to construction and his skill as an organizer". (Fowler).