Early Printing & Manuscripts / History, Law & Philosophy

MARTIN, Cornelis and Pieter BALTEN (illustrator and publisher). Les genealogies et anciennes descentes des Forestiers et Comtes de Flandre, avec brieves descriptions de leurs vies et gestes le tout recueilly des plus veritables, approvees et anciennes croniques et annales qui se trouvent...
Antwerp, (colophon: Andre Bax for) Pierre Balthasar (also known as Pieter Balten), [1580]. Folio. With an engraved title-page, a full-page engraved plate with the dedication, a full-page engraved plate showing the coats-of-arms of the Foresters of Flanders and the counts of Flanders and a map of Flanders, a full-page engraving showing verse below an allegorical scene of death, 40 full-page engraved portraits of the Foresters and Counts of Flanders, 30 small coats-of-arms in the text, and numerous woodcut decorated initials. All illustrations (except for the initials) are expertly coloured by hand. Contemporary parchment, sewn on 4 supports laced through the joints, with remnants of green closing ties. [6], 119, [2], [1 blank] pp. Full description

MEESTER, Andries de (Andreas DEMETRIUS). Der Griecken opganck ende onderganck.
Dordrecht, Isaac Jansz. Canin, 1599. 4to. With the opening words of the title printed from a woodblock, a fine engraved biblical scene with a Latin motto apparently intended as Ecclesiastes 10:8 (a warning of the consequences of injustice) on title-page, and a folding engraved map of Ancient Greece by Joannes van Doetecum (not included in all copies). Contemporary gold-tooled calf. [10], 288, [19] ll. Full description

MELA, Pomponius. De situ orbis Hermolai Barbari fideliter emendatus.
[Venice], (colophon: printed by Albertino da Vercelli, 14 May 1502). Small 4to (20.5 x 15.5 cm). With printed guide letters left for manuscript initials (not filled in). Gold-tooled red half sheepskin (ca. 1820?). XXIIII ll. Full description

METEREN, Emanuel van. Historia Belgica nostri potissimum temporis Belgii sub quatuor Burgundis & totidem Austriacis principibus coniunctionem & gubernationem breviter. Turbas autem, bella et mutationes tempore regis Philippi, Carli V. Caesaris filii, ad annum usque 1598. plenius complectens, conscripta.
[Cologne, A. Mylius, 1598]. Folio. With letterpress title-page in engraved border with scenes of trade and war (Verduyn, pl. XIV), additional engraved medallion portrait of the author mounted on blank back of title-page, by Hendrik Hondius the Elder, double-page engraved map of the Netherlands, by Frans Hogenberg and 22 engraved portraits on 19 plates. Contemporary vellum. [8], "623" [= 643], [1] pp. Full description

MEYER, Jacques de. Compendium chronicorum Flandriae, per Iacobum Meyerum Balliolanum. Opus nunc recens aeditum, anno M.D.XXXVIII. Norimbergae apud Io. Petrium.
Neurenberg, Johannus Petreius, 1538. 2 works in 1 volume. 4to. With a woodcut printers device on the title page of each work, and 33 decorated woodcut initials (2 in ad 1, 31 in ad 2). With: PANORMITA, Antonius (Antonio BECCADELLI). De dictis et factis Alphonsi Regis Aragonum libri quattuor. Commentarium in eosdem Aeneae Sylvii quo capitatim cum Alphonsinis contendit. Adiecta sunt singulis libris Scholia per Iacobum Spiegelium.
Basel, Ex officina Hervagiana (Joannes Hervagius & Joannes Erasmus Froben), 1538.
Contemporary panel-stamped calf, sewn on 4 supports with the corresponding raised bands on the spine, blind-tooled diagonal cross-hatching in the top and bottom compartment, a central panel on both boards (measuring 156 x 93 mm) with acorns on branches, surrounded by a floral border with acorns and wyverns, and an escutcheon at the bottom, the titles written in a humanistic hand at the top of the front board and on the fore edge, remnants of closing ties. [14], 134 ll; [8], 1-125, 226-299, 100-108, 209-212, 203, 213-214, 214-216, 117, 218-230, 221-278 [=282], [2] pp. Full description

MURMELLIUS, Joannus. Joannis Murmelii de discipulorum officiis q[uo]d Enchiridion scholasticon inscribitur. Ep[istol]a seu volumen divi Hieronymi ad Nepotianum de clericorum officiis cu[m] Murmellii commentariis. Hermanni Buschii carmen saphicu[m] in urbem Ruremundensem. Joa[n]nis Murmellii ode saphica de duplici voluptate.
Zwolle, Pieter van Os, ca. 1505. 4to. Woodcut title page illustration of Saint Jerome (88 x 66 mm), woodcut colophon illustration (73 x 55 mm). Later sheepskin parchment, wove paper pastedowns and late 18th-century endleaves (laid paper, watermarked 1783). [52] pp. Full description

NAUSEA, Friedrich, and Beatus RHENANUS. In magnum illum laudatae felicisque memoriae Erasmum Roterodamum, nuper vita functum monodia. eiusdem vita ex Beati Rhenani epistola ad archiepiscopum coloniensem.
Paris, Chrestien Wechel, 1536. Small 8vo (9.7 x 16.4 cm). With Wechel's woodcut device on the title page and 3 woodcut decorated initials. Modern, marbled paper boards. [23], [2 blank] ll. Full description

NUNEZ DO LEÃO, Duarte. Leis extravagantes collegidas e relatadas pelo licenciado Duarte Nunez do liam per mandado do muito alto & muito poderoso Rei Dom Sebastiam nosso Senhor.
Including: NUNEZ DO LEÃO, Duarte. Annotacões sobre as ordenacões dos cinquo livros.
Lisbon, Antonio Gonçalvez, 1569.
Folio. With the woodcut coat-of-arms of King Sebastião on the title-page and the divisional title-page of the second work, 6 large historiated woodcut initials, and numerous small decorated woodcut initials.
Later vellum, with the manuscript title in Gothic script on the spine, red sprinkled edges. [4], 218, [16]; 8 ll. Full description

[ORDINANCE - CRIME - HOLLAND]. [CHARLES V]. Ordonnancie va[n] die Keyserlijcke Mayesteyt roerende die dootslaghers cessionanten ende banckeroeten. Ghepubliceert inden jare duysent vijfhondert vier ende veertich.
The Hague, sold by Frans Duyck Pietersz. (colophon: Delft, printed by Symon Jansz.), May 1544. 4to. With the woodcut crowned coat of arms of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (with the order of the Golden Fleece, a column on either side and the motto "plus oultre") on the title-page. Set in 2 sizes of textura gothic type, with 2 lombardic initials (cast type). Modern half brown buckram, marbled paper sides, blue endpapers, with an older (ca. 1840?) front wrapper bound in. [1], [1 blank], [12], [2 blank] pp. Full description

PARADIN, Claude. Alliances genealogiques des rois et princes de gaule.
Lyon, Jean de Tournes, 1561. Folio. With 1068 contemporary hand-coloured woodcut armorial devices, a woodcut title frame, the woodcut device of De Tournes, a woodcut headpiece, and two woodcut decorated initials. 17th-century gold-tooled mottled calf, with the title lettered in gold on the spine. With a separate paper bearing the number 1311 at the head of the spine, and with brown sprinkled edges. [12], “1201” [= 1021], [3] pp. Full description