| Record ID | cp011799 |
| Voet reference number | 1731 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | |
| Author | Hendrik NICLAES |
| Title page transcription | DEN Spigel der ‖ Gerechticheit / tho ene anschouwin ‖ ge des warachtigen Leuens / in welckerem sich die mensch ‖ spigelen mach vnde erkennen / ofte syn leuen vnde wanderinge / synen wil ‖ vnde begerte thoganck heft tho datsulve: Want he kan hier inne merc= ‖ ken vnde vorstaen (so em Got in dem Geiste den waszdom gefft / offte syn ‖ vorstant vorlüchtet) waer inne dat der menschen salicheit begrepē steit / waer ‖ vth em dat Leuen der Warheit vorschinet / vnde die rust tho vinden is. In ‖ welcherem ock mehr bewesen wert die vprechte gemeinte / vn̄ wo / ofte in wo= ‖ danigen gestalte die denst des H. Woordes ofte Christi by en is Oeck wert ‖ hier inne betücht die warachtige Stam̄ des Gerechtes alse enē Boom des ‖ Leuens / daer die mensch van in dem beginne / vmme darsuluest inne tho le= ‖ uen / van Gode tho geschapen / vnde in die affallicheit van synem Gode we= ‖ derumme vth genade tho geru̒pen vnde geno̒det is: daer die denst des H. ‖ Woordes by die gelo̒uigen syne bedeninge tho heft: vp dat die mensch in ‖ die salicheit synes Godes wederumme mo̒chte gebracht werdē / vnde dat idt ‖ em ewichlick mo̒chte wal gaen. Welcke gebenedydinge (tho heil ofte salicheit ‖ aller vo̒lckeren) Got belooft heft Abraham dorch syn saet. In welckerē stam ‖ me des Gerechts Got syn vorbont ewichlick vorsegelt heft: daer oeck dat ‖ saet Abrahe vth demsuluen vader des geloues / syn Leuen inne bewyst dorch ‖ Jesum Christum synen Ko̒ninck vnde hogen Priester / die welcke dem ‖ suluen sade / tho gebenedydinge vnde tho vorso̒ninge (na die wyse ‖ Melchisedech) tho die rechter hant des almechtigen ewichlick ‖ vast steit / vnde is em tho ein ewich dachlicht des claren ‖ schynsels der Herlickheit Godes / dorch welcken ‖ Christum idt vorsegelt wert met dem Geiste ‖ der Warheit vnde der Lieffden / tho ‖ ein ewich Pant der Go= ‖ licker erffnissen. ‖ [Open space] ‖ Vorthgebracht vth thogenegent= ‖ heit der Lieffden. |
| Collation | Folio: A-F⁶, G⁸, H⁶, I⁴; a-f⁶, g⁴; Aa-Kk⁶, Ll⁸; AA-HH⁶, II⁸; AAa-KKk⁶, LLl⁸; folios: 1) I recto-LX verso; 2) I recto-XXXIX verso, [XL recto-verso]; 3) I recto-LXVIII verso (Errors: XVII for XVI); 4) I recto-LVI verso; 5) I recto-LXVIII verso. In gothic type (Schwabacher) |
| Fingerprint | |
| Number of sheets | |
| Pages | I recto: Title I verso: Den raet der wyszheit (gothic type, marginals in roman type) Dat bewys der liefden, ofte die natuer des warachtigen unde vollenkomen wesens (gothic type, marginals in roman type) II recto-XLI verso: Vorrede (gothic type, marginals in roman type, some in gothic type) XLII recto-XLIIII recto: Ein gebet des geistes der liefden, na de forme oft gestalte des afgefallene, vordorvenen, unde erdischen swacken menschen (gothic type, marginals in roman type) XLIIII verso: Blank XLV recto: Eyn figuer des warachtigen unde geistelicken tabernakels, na den inwendigen tempel offte hüsz Godes, in dem geiste…(= title; with the signature: H.N.; gothic type) XLV verso: Blank XLVI recto- verso: Tho den leser (gothic type, marginals in roman type) XLVII recto-LX verso: Text of 'Figuer des warachtigen unde geistelicken tabernakels' (gothic type, marginals in roman type, some in gothic type) I recto: Dat erste Bůk van dem Spigel der Gerechticheit…(= title) I verso: illustration (with underneath typographically printed explanation and comment) II recto-XXXIX verso: Text of first book (gothic type, marginals in roman type, some in gothic type) [XLrecto-verso]: Blank [I recto]: Dat anderde Bůk van dem Spigel der Gerechticheit…(= title) [I verso]: Nempt war de getüchnis der gratien offte genaden des Heren (= two comments on what constitutes the meaning of the second book) II recto: illustration (around it are typographically printed explanations and comments) II verso: Blank III recto-LXVIII recto: Text of the second book (gothic type, marginals in roman type, some in gothic type) LXVIII verso: Blank [I recto]: Dat drùdde Bůck van dem Spegel der Gerechticheit, darin underscheyden wert war tho de Geloof Jesu Christi streckende is…(= title) I verso: Three comments on the meaning of the third book (gothic type, marginals in roman type) II recto: illustration (around it are typographically printed explanations and comments) II verso: Blank III recto-LVI verso: Text of the third book (gothic type, marginals in roman type, some in gothic type) [I recto]: De Boom des Levens und is dat veerde bůck van dem Spegel der Gerechticheit…(= title) I verso: Two comments on the meaning of the fourth book Ii recto: illustration (around it are typographically printed explanations and comments) II verso: Blank III recto-LXVIII recto: Text of the fourth book (gothic type, marginals in roman type, some in gothic type) LXVIII verso: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Illustrations | Woodcuts (dimensions not measured), crudely executed, mostly with cut-out parts in which typographically printed texts: 1) In introductory part, folio LIII versoo: circular illustration; at the centre a naked man symbolizing 'intern man', surrounded by religious-symbolical figures 2) In introductory part, folios LIV verso, LV recto, LVI recto: same reproduction (but different woodcuts) of a heart (within their outlines typographically printed texts and a small cartouche or cartouches, showing also a printed text) 3) In Introductory part, page LV verso: the curtain of the Tabernacle (only the upper and under-part; the sides suggested by two rules; within these outlines a large printed text) 4) In 2nd part (1st book), folio I verso: symbolical representation of the laying of the first stone of the Temple of Jerusalem (scales, compasses, and other instruments used by masons) 5) In 3rd part (2nd book), folio II recto: crude representation of the sun (with printed text within) and two cartouches pointing to the sun (each also 'filled' with a printed text) 6) In 4th part (3rd book), folio II recto: grapevine around a stake (with open parts showing printed texts), and at the bottom, at either side of the stake, a cartouche (with printed text) 7) In 5th part (4th book), folio II recto: in a circular medallion Adam and Eve in the Paradise from which grows up a large tree with human skulls (printed texts in open spaces); monogram of the woodcutter Arnold Nicolai 8) In 5th part (4th book), folio LXVIII recto: heart, with in it two hands before a lily, and in a cartouche the letters L.W 9) In the margins are often reproduced woodcuts showing a pointing hand (to attract the attention to passages in the texts judged to be of great importance); various types |
| Copies | Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - a photographic reproduction in Museum Plantin-Moretus |
| Bibliographical references | de la Fontaine Verwey, page 191, no. 1 Voet, L. The Golden Compasses, I, pl. 4 (title-page) |
| Online bibliographical references | |
| Note 1 | First known edition of the work that may be considered to be the 'Bible' of the Family of Love. |
| Note 2 | This publication and all the others described in the following numbers have been published without name of printer. In all of them the same Gothic types have been used (Schwabacher). It may safely be surmised that they come from the same press. |
| Note 3 | It cannot be proved beyond doubt that Plantin did print all these publications, but the probability is great (cf. L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, II, pages 22-23): the Chronika des Hüsgesinnes der Lieften, the chronicle of the Family of Love, compiled by an insider, affirms it very peremptoryly, while much later, in a letter dated 20 October 1608, the Dutch minister Saravia is as positive when he states 'Quum in Belgio flagraret persecutio Ducis Albani, Speculum Iustitiae H.N. aliaque ipsius opuscula Plantinus excudebat'. Rooses, Musée Plantin-Moretus, page 51, approached the problem by looking at the types (studying more specifically the second edition [see cp011794], which, however, shows the same types and nearly all the same illustrations): he affirms that the Gothic types appear in Dutch editions published by Plantin 1581-1582 and that some smaller capitals were used in Dutch editions issued by Plantin in 1561. This, however, is not certain (anyway not for the Gothic types as used in 1581-82, which are completely different). More to the point are the remarks made by Rooses regarding the illustrations: that the illustration at the beginning of the third book must have served as a model (or vice versa ?) for Plantin's second printer's mark, and the fact that the illustration at the beginning of the fourth book shows the monogram of Arnold Nicolai links it to Antwerp - and to Plantin (who had the Antwerp woodcutter working for him as early as 1555). |
| Note 4 | The date of publication is uncertain. De la Fontaine Verwey supposes it to be c. 1556. |
| Note 5 | Paul Valkema Blouw mentions that the contrast of this publication with the measured French style of Plantin’s own publications is so striking that some of his biographers have had difficulty in accepting the book as a product of his press. Plantin, however, only provided the use of his printing shop. Beyond that, the book was a creaton of Hendrik Niclaes, who had also established the external appearance, had borne all the costs of publication, and had organized its distribution. (Blouw, Dutch Typography, 251-2) |
| Further reading | Blouw, Paul Valkema. ‘Plantin’s Relations with Hendrik Niclaes’. In Dutch Typography in the Sixteenth Century: The Collected Works of Paul Valkema Blouw. Edited by Ton Croiset van Uchelen and Paul Dijstelberge. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2013. |
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