| Record ID | cp010026 |
| Voet reference number | 1408A |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | |
| Author | Jan-Baptist HOUWAERT |
| Title page transcription | Milenus clachte, ‖ Waer inne de groote tirannye der Romeynen ‖ verhaelt / ende den handel van desen tegen= ‖ woordighen tyt claerlijck ontdect wordt. ‖ Met ghelijcke Clachte, ‖ Vanden Ambassadeur der Hebreen vermellende hoe ‖ schadelijck, de tirannighe gouverneurs sijn. ‖ d'Antijcke Tafereelen, ‖ Daer in men claerlijck gheschildert ende beschreven siet de ‖ godloose regeringe der tirannen, midsgaders den rechten ‖ middel om dlant in goeden voorspoet te gouverneren. ‖ Ghecomponeert doer Jan Baptista Houwaert / ende ‖ toegheschreven den doorluchtighen Prince ‖ van Orangien. ‖ ⊕ VH, Silvius no. 9 (to the left of the printer's mark: SCRVTA; to the right: MINI [SCRVTAMINI being the device of Silvius]; under SCRVTA: ANNO; under MINI: 1578) ‖ T'ANTVVERPEN, ‖ By VVillem Silvius Drucker der Co. Majesteyt. ‖ Met Privilegie voor X. Jaren. |
| Collation | 4º (177 × 127): A⁵, A-I⁸, K⁶; pages [1-10], 1-153, [154-156] |
| Fingerprint | 157804 - # a1 A3 en,, : # a2 A4 ken, - # b1 A3 ijsh : # b2 K4 gie |
| Number of sheets | 20.75 |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: illustration [3-6]: Den doorluchtighen…heer Wilhelm prince van Orangien…saluyt ende dilectie…(Brussels, 31 December 1576; part in italic type) [7-9]: Willem Van Haecht wenscht J. Houwaert…saluyt (31 October 1578; italic type, parts in civilité type) [10]: Blank [1]: Milenus clachte over 't quaet gouuernement van den Romeynen (= title; civilité type); illustration [2]: Blank 3: Tot die goetwillighe lesers; Tot Zoilum 4-51: Text of Milenus clachte (civilité type) [52]: Vvtsprake vanden gheleerden Ambassadeur die vanden Hebreen was ghesonden aenden Romeynen…(= title, with cartouche; gothic type) [53]: illustration 54-72: Text of Vvtsprake…(civilité type) [73]: Hier naer volgen d'antijcke tafereelen…(= title, within cartouche; gothic type) 74-153: Text of Hier naer volgen…(roman type and civilité type, parts in italic type) [154]: Privilege (to W. Silvius: [Brussels], 18 May 1577, signed by Blijleven) [155]: Ghedruckt t'Antwerpen by ‖ Christoffel Plantin, Hooft-drucker der Co. Mat in t' jaer ‖ ons Heeren 1577. den sesten ‖ dach van Novembre. (within cartouche; civilité type) [156]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Variants | The date on the title-page was originally 1577 and some copies bear indeed this year. On other copies, however, the year has been changed into 1578 by the simple means of pressing an 8 (in the same body and typeface) above the 7. |
| Illustrations | Woodcuts: 1) Coat-of-arms of William of Orange, 73 × c. 60, with underneath printed typographically his device 'I Maintiendrai Nassau' on page [2] 2) Three illustrations, the first bearing the monogram of Antoon van Leest, and very likely all three executed by this woodcutter: a) on page [1]: the presentation of the grievances of Milenus to the representatives of Rome (123 × 113); b) on page [53]: the Hebrew envoy in the Senate of Rome (155 × 118); c) on page [133]: the Virgin of Antwerp molested by plundering soldiers before the burning Antwerp city Hall (155 × 118). The three original wood-blocks in Museum Plantin-Moretus 3) Cartouches of varying types and dimensions on pages [52], 72, [73], 99, 117, 134, 137, 140, [155] 4) Decorated border-blocks above the pages: on pages 74, 78, 82, 91, 98, 100, 102, 105, 109, 116, 120, 122, 124, 128, 131, 145, 147, 149, 152 |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus- 1578: R 54.9Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesKBR Royal Library of Belgium- 1577 and 1578Cambridge- 1577Ghent University LibraryKB National Library of the NetherlandsMaatschappij der Nederlandse LetterkundeBritish Library London- 1578 |
| Bibliographical references | Ruelens-de Backer, pages 190-191 (1578, no. 24) Bib. Belgica (1964–1970 éd.), III, page 532 Wulp, J. K. van der. Tractaten, pamfletten enz., no. 333 H. Carter-H.D.L. Vervliet, civilité types, 1966, nos. 150 and 163Cockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica 1529 Van der Wulp, J.K. Tractaten, pamfletten enz. Bib. Belgica (1964-1970 éd.) III 532 H13 Adams H-1114 Carter, H.G. Civilité types 150 |
| Online bibliographical references | STCV c:stcv:12922139USTC 412713 |
| Note 1 | Collection of allegorical poems on the evils of bad government: a) The lament of the peasant Milenus before the Senate of Rome (a political paraphrase of the apology of the Danube Peasant by Antonio de Guevara, later, in the 17th century, rejuvenated by de la Fontaine) (pages 3-51); b) The complaint of the Hebrew envoy before the Senate of Rome on the hardships brought upon his people by Valerius Graccus (pages 54-72); c) 'Antique Pictures': series of paraphrases on government and laws in Greece and Rome (pages 74-163), including a poem on the distress of 'Belgica' (the Netherlands) (pages 134-136) and some on abuses in the [modern] world (pages 137-144). |
| Note 2 | The introductory poem by Willem van Haecht is dated 31 October 1578, but the colophon specifies that the printing was finished on 6 November 1577. Very likely the date of the poem is to be corrected into 31 October 1577. |
| Note 3 | Printed for the Antwerp printer and publisher G. Silvius by Plantin. In the ledger of the drafts of his letters of 1577-78 (Arch. 9, folio 70v), Plantin made under the heading G. Silvius, a short note stating that the 'livret de Milenus' contained 19½ sheets; that, at 3 reams and 5 'mains' per sheet (meaning that 1,600 copies were printed), 62 reams and 8 'mains' of paper were used, 'sans les mains de surplus point comptés', which, at 1 florins Carolus guilders 5 stuivers per ream, came to 78 florins Carolus guilders 2 stuivers This refers most certainly only to the price of the paper used, not to the amount charged Silvius for having the text composed and printed. |
| Note 4 | Listed in M 296, folio 12r (Milenus clachte, 4º, aº 1578, f[euilles] -, [price:] stuivers 4½, stuivers 5). |
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