| Record ID | cp011343 |
| Voet reference number | 569 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:479281 |
| Corporate Author | ANTWERP: CITY |
| Title page transcription | Rechten, ‖ ende Costumen ‖ van ‖ ANTWERPEN. ‖ ⊕ 140 ‖ T'ANTWERPEN ‖ Ghedruct by Christoffel Plantijn, ‖ M.D.LXXXII. |
| Collation | Folio [208]: *, **-****⁴, A-Z⁴, AA-CC⁴; pages [1-28], 1-390, [391-392] (Errors: 105 for 205, 146 for 246) |
| Fingerprint | 158202 - # a1 *2 ra : # a2 4*2 nde$d'acti - # b1 A2 $van : # b2 2C3 ,$oft$ |
| Number of sheets | 105 |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: Blank [3-20]: Acts and documents (privileges of the City; genesis of the publication) (roman type, gothic type, civilité type) [21-27]: Tables (gothic type) [28]: Blank 1-390: Text (gothic type, parts in roman type) [391]: Errata (gothic type and roman type) [392]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Illustrations | On loose sheet, copper engraving, 250 × 450: map with 'Bescriivinge vande paelen der vriiheiit van Antwerpen' (= 'Description of the boundaries of the 'Vrijheid' [Liberty] of Antwerp', meaning the territory in which the Antwerp magistrate had judicial and administrative power; including, besides the city within its walls, large parts of the surrounding countryside) |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus- A 283City Archives AntwerpKBR Royal Library of BelgiumGhent University LibraryUniversity of Groningen LibraryBritish Library London |
| Digital copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus: A 283 (1) |
| Bibliographical references | Ruelens-de Backer, page 251 (1582, no. 53)Cockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica 4109 |
| Online bibliographical references | STCV c:stcv:7036060USTC 401932 |
| Note 1 | Edition of the Common Law of Antwerp. On the genesis and the meaning of this publication: Ch. Laenens, De geschiedenis van het Antwerps gerecht, 1953, pages 9-27. |
| Note 2 | The customary law at Antwerp remained unwritten until well into the 16th century. Under pressure from the central authorities redactions were made in 1547 and 1570, but the government itself was not in a hurry to homologize these compilations. When in 1577-1578 the Calvinists took over the power in Antwerp, among other measures they planned a compilation of the customary law more in concordance with their views. A commission was established on 18 July 1578. Two members of this commission, the lawyers Charles Gabri and Philip van Mallery, took the burden and made of this compilation a model in its kind. A first redaction was submitted on 18 July 1580 to the Antwerp magistrate, which ordered a new and enlarged commission to examine the work. Gabri and Van Mallery received in 1582 a large supplementary task. The care of investigating the 'joyous entries' and other landcharters had been entrusted to a special commission (2 February 1582), which, however, charged 4 lawyers, including Gabri and Van Mallery, with the actual work (16 February 1582). On 11 June 1582, the complete compilation of the customary law was submitted to the 'Maandagse Raad' (Antwerp council, including the burgomasters, aldermen and representatives of the guilds, meeting regularly each Monday), and on 25 September 1582 the magistrate decided that Plantin should print the final result. The typographer was expressly forbidden to print, sell or distribute any supplementary copies over the 300 ordered by and to be delivered directly to the authorities: the publication was only to be used by these authorities. On 21 November 1582, however, the magistrate and 'Maandagse Raad' decided upon a somewhat larger circulation among lawyers and notables of the city, but still under direct supervision by the city authorities. |
| Note 3 | Documents or extracts of documents referring to the genesis of the publication are reproduced in the introductory part (pages [3-20]): Decision by the burgomasters, aldermen and council to distribute the copies among the lawyers and notables of the city, 21 November 1582, s. S. van Uffele ([3-4]), Confirmation of the privileges of Brabant by Archduke Maximilian, 1480 ([5-14]), Extract on the cassation of stipulations contrary to the privileges of Brabant, compiled from various landcharters up to 1580 ([15-16]), Extract from the privilege of the Duke of Brabant, 6 December 1306, giving the Antwerp aldermen the right to make laws ([17]), Commission given to Charles Gabri and Philip van Mallery to compile the Antwerp Common Law, 18 July 1578, s. P. Charles ([18]), Installation of the commission to verify the text submitted by Gabri and Van Mallery, 18 July 1580, s. S. van Uffele ([19]), Commission given to Gabri, Van Mallery and others to renew the 'palen' (poles marking the boundaries) of the 'Freedom' of Antwerp, 26 November 1580, s. S. van Uffele ([20]), Note that the definitive text was submitted by Gabri and Van Mallery to the 'Maandagse Raad' on 11 June 1582 ([20]). |
| Note 4 | The City of Antwerp commissioned Plantin to print the work; it is, consequently, not noted among the Plantinian editions in Ms. 296 and M 321. In the act of 25 September 1582 it is said that Plantin had to print 300 copies. The act of 21 November 1582 let suppose that this number had been increased. In fact, finally 400 copies were printed for which Plantin received 650 florins Carolus guilders, i.e. 1 florins Carolus guilders 7½ stuivers per copy (Arch. 20, folio 88: 'Pour le compte conclu de l'impression des Coustumes d'Anvers à rayson de florins Carolus guilders 6550 [= error for 650] d'accord avec le Thresorier p[our] 400, de Decembre passé 1582: 650 florins Carolus guilders' The sum was paid in 1583 in three installments, on 3 May [421 florins Carolus guilders 9 stuivers], 22 June [195 florins Carolus guilders], and 15 August [33 florins Carolus guilders 11 stuivers]). |
| Note 5 | Antwerp was 'reconciliated' with Philip II in August 1585. On 30 May 1586 the new Catholic magistrate forbade further use of the Calvinist inspired common law compendium until a new revision had been made. This revision never materialized. The Antwerp judicial authorities had to act as in the past according to unwritten or at least non-homologized law, but in practice they generally followed the 'forbidden' 1582-edition. |
| Note 6 | The Rechten ende Costumen van Antwerpen became a source of inspiration for many other cities (among them Amsterdam), and was, consequently, often reprinted abroad, at Cologne [Amsterdam?] (e.g. 1584, 1597, 1607, 1644, 1660) and Amsterdam (e.g. 1583, 1613, 1639). In Antwerp itself the first known reprint, by J.B. Carstiaenssens, appeared as late as 1793. |
| Note 7 | Cf. also no. 108 (Ordonnantie ende verhael vanden stijl ende maniere van procederen voor amptman, borghemeester ende schepenen der Stadt van Antwerpen, 1582; forming in fact a supplement to the Rechten ende Costumen van Antwerpen and usually found bound together with it). |
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