Christine, de Pisan, approximately 1364-approximately 1431. Bonet, Honoré, active 1378-1398. Arbre des batailles. Caxton, William, approximately 1422-1491 or 1492, printer. Holford, George Lindsay, 1860-1926, former owner. DLC Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress) DLC text Incunabula England London 1489. rbgenr [Westminster], William Caxton, 14 July 1489 (4th year of the reign of Henry VII) eng This book on the proper mode of conduct for a knight was written in French in around 1410 by Christine de Pisan, Europe's first prolific and respected female author. It was translated into English and printed by William Caxton (1422?-91) in 1489 at the behest of Henry VII, who wished to make it available to English soldiers. The book contained not only rules of conduct, such as how a victorious knight should treat a prisoner of war, but also practical information that Pisan had gleaned from several classical texts, such as how to choose the best site to pitch one's tent and how to prevent one's castle from falling under siege. Caxton was the first English printer. He translated from French many of the works that he printed, often adding prologues or epilogues, demonstrating his erudition as well as his skill as a printer. This work is an example of an incunabulum, a term from the Latin meaning 'from the cradle' that is used by librarians and bibliophiles to refer to books printed in Europe before 1501. Largely a compilation from the works of Vegetius, Frontinus, Valerius Maximus, Honoré Bonet, and a contemporary anonymous authority on sieges. Books 3-4 are based on Bonet's L'arbre des batailles. Title extracted from incipit on leaf [1a]. Translated by William Caxton. Copinger, W.A. Supplement to Hain's Repertorium bibliographicum, Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke, Goff, F.R. Incunabula in American libraries, Library of Congress. Lessing J. Rosenwald collection, Ricci, S. de. Census of Caxtons, LC copy: provenance: Sir George Holford. Military art and science--Early works to 1800. England London. Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/rosenwald.0570