MAGNÉ DE MAROLLES, Gervais François; ACTON, John (trans.).

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An Essay on Shooting. First edition in English, expanded from Essai sur la chasse au fusil (1781) by Magné de Marolles. Its wide-ranging scope includes detailed discussions on various types of firearms used across Europe, insights into recoil mechanics, gunpowder-to-shot ratios, and recommendations for stance while taking aim.The Essay was written in response to what the translator claimed was "the total want of a treatise in the English language" on shooting (p. v). Though this claim was somewhat exaggerated, the book provides a comprehensive guide to the subject in the context of game hunting, and original additions from the translator adapt de Marolles's text for an English context. He describes the key species of English game, often with humorous asides. For example, he notes that the Leges Wallicae (Law of Wales) imposed no penalty for killing a hare, based on the belief that the animal changed sex every other month (p. 253).The translator covers auxiliary skills for game shooting in the Essay, such as the training of pointers. Among his more unusual tips is an "infallible recipe" for "the use and convenience of those who love the sport of shooting water-fowl... to exclude water and dampness from penetrating their boots" (p. 208).

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