By his authorisation, I am able to make known a new part of the this work of interest to the history of fencing in general and especially to judicial duels in the middle ages. The publication of the entire works of Talhoffer is now possible I have now published, with the permission of the Imperial and royal Grand-Chamberlain, the Ambras Codex, “Fencing Book of Talhoffer from the year 1459” in 1889 and the “Gotha Codex from 1467,” in 1887, due also to the grace of His Majesty Sereniss.

The original consists of one hundred and fifty pages of strong paper in-folio format, with forty three pages of text (pages 14 and 15 are only presented on glued additions), one hundred sixty plates with figures, 16 plates identified as zur Mechanik (on mechanics). These last, not belonging to the subject , are not reproduced here and they are only indicated in the legends. Therefore there are eighty three blank pages.

The manuscript is bounded in red leather; the covers, which were affixed with primitive clamps which have disappeared, are formed form sturdy boards. On the back of the front cover are glued the coat of arms of Bavaria with these words: “Ex Elcetoralli Bibliotheca Sereniss, utiusque Bavariae Ducum.” (For the excellent Library of Sereniss the Duke of Bavaria)

The same coat of arms and the same inscription are found on the Gotha Codex from 1467, which means that these two manuscripts were found in the library of Munich before being part of the Ducal library.