The Exercise Of Armes.

For Calivers, Muskettes, and Pikes.

After the ordre of his Excellence Maurits Prince of Orange, Counte of Naffau &c. Gouvernour and Captaine Generall over the United Provincies.

Set forthe in figures by Jacob de Geyn.

Wapenhandelinghe van Roers Musquetten ende Spiessen was first published in 1607-8 in the Netherlands. Included along with de Gheyn's illustrations were descriptions and commentary and there were Danish, Dutch, English, French, and German editions. Despite the fact that the treatise included very precise instructions to the binder, many surviving editions from 1607-8 are disordered, with sections moved around, engravings placed in the wrong order, text missing, and sometimes even different languages from section to section.

The first multi-language edition, including the French and German texts, was published in Frankfurt in 1609. This edition replaced de Gheyn's elaborate prints with simplified, almost crude, illustrations by an unknown engraver, and placed the commands and descriptions alongside the illustrations (rather than being divided into separate sections, as in the first edition). Editions containing up to four languages followed in later years.

De Gheyn's treatise was incredibly popular throughout the early 17th century, and saw numerous reprintings and new editions over the course of several decades. This facimilie edition is a copy of the 1619 edition in French, German, Dutch and English.