The first French engineer who wrote on fortification was Errard de Bar-le-Duc, who published near the close of the sixteenth century.  As an engineer, he was rivalled by Chatillon, a man of distinguished merit.  Errard fortified Amiens, built a part of the castle of Sedan, and a portion of the defences of Calais.  Under the reign of Louis XIII., Desnoyers, Deville, Pagan, and Fabre were greatly distinguished.  Deville published in 1628.  He was a man of much learning and experience; but he is said to have adopted, both in his theory and practice, the principles of the Italian school, with most of its errors.  Pagan began his military career while young, and became marechal de champ at the age of 38, when, having the misfortune to become blind, he was compelled to relinquish his brilliant hopes.  He was the ablest engineer of his age, and was also greatly distinguished in other branches of science.  In his plans he inclined to the Dutch rather than the Italian school of fortification.  He published in 1645.

At the close of the sixteenth century, the Dutch had been forced to resort to military defences to protect themselves against the aggressions of the Spaniards.  As the Dutch were inferior in other military means, fortification became one of the vital resources of the country.  Their works, however, thrown up in much haste, were in many respects defective, although well adapted to the exigencies of the time.  Freytag, their principal engineer, wrote in 1630.  Some of his improvements were introduced into France by Pagan.  He was preceded by Marolois, (a cotemporary of Pagan,) who published in 1613.

In Germany, Rimpler, a Saxon, wrote on fortification in 1671.  He was a man of great experience, having served at the sieges of Candia, Phillipsburg, Bonn, Riga, Bremen, Dansburg, Bommeln, &c.  He fell at the siege of Vienna in 1683.  His writings are said to contain the groundwork of Montalembert’s system.

In Italy, after the time of Tartaglia, Marchi, Campi, &c., we find no great improvement in this art.  Several Italians, however, distinguished themselves as engineers under the Spaniards.  The fortifications of Badajos are a good example of the state of the art in Italy and Spain a that epoch.  The citadel of Antwerp, built by two Italian engineers, Pacciotti and Cerbelloni, in 1568, has become celebrated for the siege it sustained in 1832.

The age of Louis XIV. effected a great revolution in the art of fortification, and carried it to such a degree of perfection, that it has since received but slight improvement.  The years 1633 and 1634 are interesting dates in the history of this art, as having given birth respectively to Vauban and Coehorn.  The former was chief engineer of France under Louis XIV., and the latter held a corresponding position under the Dutch republic.  Coehorn’s ideas upon fortification are conceived with an especial view to the marshy soil of his own country, and, although well suited to the object in view, are consequently of less general application than those of his more distinguished cotemporary and rival.  The best specimens of his mode of construction that exist at the present day, are the fortresses of Manheim, Bergen-op-Zoom, Nimiguen, and Breda.