[DUTCH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE].
Abschrifft und gruendlicher Bericht eines schreibens der Ritterschafft, Edlen, und Stett, in Holland, in namen und von wegen der Stende derselben Landtschafft, an die Herren, welche das ampt aller Stend der Niderland tragen: Sie darinnen vermanet, dass sie einhelliglich (der Koeniglichen Man von Spannien zu gutem) dieselbige Land, auss des Hertzogen von Alba, und seiner Spanniart gewalt und Tiranney, widerumb zu ihrer alten Welfart und Freiheit helffen bringen.
[Germany?], 1574. 4to. With a woodcut arabesque ornament on the title-page. Modern boards. [37], [3 blank] pp.
€ 3,250
Rare second or third edition of the German translation of an anti-Alva, anti-Spain pamphlet written by the nobility of Holland and representatives of its cities, addressed to the States (in Dutch "Staten", the provincial governments) of and all magistrates in the seventeen provinces of the Low Countries, promulgated at Delft on 12 September 1573 (as noted at the end of the text), but not printed even in the original Dutch before 2 October 1573, when William the Silent, Prince of Orange, wrote to his brothers that the pamphlet was being printed (Groen van Prinsteren). That is just before Alva was dismissed on 19 October and left the country on 18 December 1573.
The text was first published in Dutch: [Delft, Aelbrecht Hendricksz., October] 1573 (TB 1289, Knuttel 210) and soon after: Dordrecht, [Jan Canin], 1573 (TB 1290, Knuttel 211), both under the title: Copie eens Sendtbriefs der Ridderschap, Edelen ende Steden van Hollandt ... aen ... die Staten vanden Landen van Herwaerts overe ...
hough it has sometimes been supposed it was printed in Delft, it seems more likely to have been printed in Germany, so that it does not appear in Valkema Blouw, Typographia Batava or the various pamphlet catalogues. There appears to be only one copy in the Netherlands, at Utrecht University Library.
Blind stamp on the title-page. Apart from some browning, a very good copy of an important but little-known pamphlet. USTC 608308 (3 copies); VD16, N1634 (same 3 copies; cf. N1632-33); WorldCat 257783005, 630546807, 837235844, 730242093 (6 copies including the same 3; 1130127579 links to images of an Utrecht UL copy); cf. Groen van Prinsteren, Archives, 4, p. 215 (1573 Dutch ed.); Knuttel 212 (1573 German ed.), Picarta (1573 German ed.); TB 1289-1290 (1573 Dutch eds.); Wagenaar, Vaderlandsche historie 6, pp. 452-453 (Dutch ed.).
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