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Psalterium, 1571

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(1,476 words)

Record ID cp012145
Voet reference number 2115
Museum Plantin-Moretus c:lvd:1133026
Uniform title PSALTERIUM
Title page transcription [Within woodcut-compartment:]PSALTERIVM. ‡ ANTVERPIÆ, ‖ Ex Officina Christoph. Plantini. ‖ Regii Prototypographii. ‖ M.D.LXXI
Collation Folio (390 × 260): *ˉ**⁶, A-Z⁶, a-s⁶, t⁴, Aa-Zz⁶, aa⁴; pages [1-24], 1-84, LXXXV-CCCCXCIX, [D], I-CCLXXXIIII (Errors: 2nd part: 12 not number-ed, 27 for 41, CCCXCIX for CCCCI, CCCCVI for CCCCIV, CCCCLXVIII for CCCCXLVIII). Printed in black and red
Fingerprint 157102 - # a1 *2 $Ro : # *a2 2*4 ann - # 1b1 A ci : # 1b2 t3 ine - # 2b1 2A $ : # 2b2 2a un
Number of sheets 202
Pages [1]: Title [2]: Blank [3-4]: Ad…cardinalem Granvellanum C. Plantini praefatio (Antwerp, 1 February 1571; marginals in italic type) [16-22]: Calendar (parts in italic type) [23-24]: sheet with printed staff 1-84, LXXXV-CCCCLXVII: Text (gothic type and music, parts in roman type) CCCCLXVII: Psalmorum Index (on three columns) [CCCCLXVIII]: Blank; CCCCLXIX-CCCCXCIX: Officium defunctorum (gothic type, parts on two columns in roman type, music) [D]: Blank I-CXCII: Hymni totius anni…(gothic type and music, parts in roman type) CXCIII-CCLXXIIII: Commune apostolorum (gothic type and music, parts in roman type) CCLXXIIII-CCLXXXIIII: Cantusde Beata Virgine (gothic type and music, words in roman type)
Edition information
Illustrations Woodcut: Title-page, 340 × 225, representing the choir of the Malines cathedral, cut by Arnold Nicolai, probably after a design by Pieter van der Borcht (cf. Notes). Iconographie study on the illustration: G. Van Doorslaer, 'Le choeur de l'église Saint-Rombaut à Malines en 1573' in De Gulden Passer, 13, 1935, pages 33-36 (with a reproduction of the block as it appeared in the Antiphonary of 1573)
Copies Museum Plantin-Moretus- A 552Archives du Chapitre de la Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Tournai
Bibliographical references Bib. catholica Neerlandica impressa, no. 3320 Not in Ruelens-de BackerCockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica 6603 Huybens, Liturgische zangboeken, Ps 1571
Online bibliographical references STCV c:stcv:7040176
Note 1 Monumental liturgical edition for use in the churches of the Netherlands, being the counterpart of the Antiphonarium printed in 1572. An interesting note on this edition in Rooses, Musée, page 108.
Note 2 About the genesis of the work: cf. no. 58 (Antiphonarium). In Plantin's dedicatory to Granvelle the role is stressed of the Cardinal and of Gilbertus d'Oignies, Bishop of Tournai, in promoting the printing of the Psalterium. The latter advanced Plantin 100 'escus' to help finance the publication of the Anti-phonarium and the Psalterium (letter of Plantin, 16 July 1570: Corr., II, no. 236).
Note 3 The title-page was cut by Arnold Nicolai, who was paid on 9 May 1571 for this job 18 florins Carolus guilders (Arch. 31, folio 65r bis: 'Le choeur de St. Rombaut pour les livres d'eglise'). The drawing was very likely executed by Pieter van der Borcht, who was a native of Malines.
Note 4 The Psalterium was printed (like the Antiphonarium) in black letter (Gothic). This was not to the liking of some, but the choice of the type had been forced upon Plantin by the religious authorities: cf. sub Antiphonarium,no. cp012010. For a specific reference regarding the Psalterium: letter to M. Morillon, 10 January 1572 (Corr., II, no. 308).
Note 5 The work started in October 1570: on the 14th of the month Barthélemy van Paffel and Cornelis Muller were paid for composing quires A-H. They both continued the job, until 6 April 1571, the former composing the first part, the latter the second part (cf. Rooses, Musée, page 108). During the printing Plantin kept the Bishop of Tournai informed. On 22 October 1570 he told the prelate: 'J'advance l'impression du Psautier autant qu'il m'est possible, y besongnant à deux presses, qui font une feille pour jour, de sorte que j'en ay 30 feilles imprimées et continueray ainsi, ou à davantage de presses, si j'en pouvois trouver le moyen, jusques à la fin d'iceluy' (Corr., II, no. 248). On 21 March 1571 he could inform Cardinal Granvelle to have completed the work ('Nous avons aussi achevé le Psalterium Chori et les Hymnes, avec le chant noté sur tous les versets, et avons prins la hardiesse de faire ceste petite préface à V. Illme et Rme Sie.': Ibidem, no. 266).
Note 6 In some of Plantin's letters to G. d'Oignies the number of copies printed are specified: 10 copies on vellum, of which 4 were intended for 'Messieurs de Malines' (= the canons of St. Rombout at Malines) (22 October 1570: Corr., II, no. 248); 450 copies [on paper] (6 April 1571: Ibidem, no. 270); this number of 450 was reduced by Plantin to 'environ' 400 copies in his letter of July 1571 (Ibidem, no. 282).
Note 7 In his letter to d'Oignies Plantin affirms thus to print 10 copies on vellum, of which four were already reserved for the Cathedral of Malines. Bishop d'Oignies and his chapter of Tournai took two other copies on vellum (cf. Plantin's letter to d'Oignies, 6 April 1571: Corr., II, no. 270). Each copy was costing 60 florins Carolus guilders (Arch. 31, folio 163; Arch. 49, folio 47). The vellum for the 'grand psaultier' was supplied by the Antwerp dealer Jan Thys (75 'douzaines de parchemin' on 16 June 1570, 25 'douzaines' on 3 October 1570, 25 other 'douzaines' on 13 January 1571: Arch. 61, folio 86).
Note 8 Of the edition 150 copies were given by Plantin as security for a loan totaling 900 florins Carolus guilders to Malpas, acting very likely on behalf of the Church of Malines: cf. Plantin's letter to Max. Morillon, secretary to Cardinal Granvelle, Archbishop of Malines (25 August 1571: Corr., II, no. 286). They still were kept 'en la maison d'Afflighem' (meaning either the Abbey of Afflighem itself or a 'refuge' of the Abbey in either Malines or Brussels) in 1574, when in a letter of 1 March Plantin asked Morillon to have them returned (Corr., IV, no. 516: 'Et pourtant si par mesmes moyen il plaist a vostredicte Rev.de Se nous faire rendre les 150 exemplaires des Psaultiers qui sont en la maison d'Afflighem nous les rengerons avec les autres').
Note 9 The copies on paper were sold 8 florins Carolus guilders, but as the canons of Tournai found the price too high, Plantin, in a letter of July 1571 to d'Oignies, went into a lengthy explanation, reducing finally 1 florins Carolus guilders on each copy (Corr., II, no. 282: 'Quant au prix du Psautier, qui leur semble cher à huit florins, je leur supplie considérer quels et combien de fraiz il m'a convenu et convient faire pour telles oeuvres et aussi que je n'ay imprimé desdicts Psautiers, comme je n'imprime aussi des Antiphonaires que environ quatre cents exemplaires, sur lesquels faut que je recouvre tous les frais de l'impression, n'ayant pas le moyen, pour la cherté du papier et longueur de temps qu'il faudroit attendre d'en faire davantage, ce que bien considéré, on trouvera le prix n'estre excessif; nonobstant quoy, je leur rabatteray ung florin sur chaicun exemplaire dudict prix, à cause du plaisir de l'argent advancé'). In many later letters Plantin would complain that the printing of the Psalterium (and of the Antiphonarium: cf. also in the notes of this edition, no. 58) had needed large investments, and as the sale of these monumental and expensive publications was far from brisk, had caused him quite substantial financial difficulties (Corr., III, nos. 424 [page 205], 432 [page 225], 456, 461 [page 306]; IV, no. 591).
Note 10 Gifts and/or sales are noted in quite a number of letters: to Gilbert d'Oignies and the Chapter of Tournai (6 April 1571 [Corr., II, no. 270]: 2 copies on vellum and 2 copies on paper; 23 May 1571 [Ibidem, no. 278]: 1 copy for the bishop and 12 for the chapter; 10 March 1573 [Corr., III, no. 465]: again 4 copies); to Bishop G. Lindanus of Roermond (Corr., II, no. 273 [April 1571]: one copy); to Cardinal Granvelle (Ibidem, no. 279: two copies); to Bishop Martin Rithovius of Ypres (Ibidem, no. 290 [8 November 1571]: one unbound copy; no. 292 [22 November 1571]: 2 bound copies); to the Abbot of Marchiennes (Corr., III, no. 443 [4 December 1572]: one copy); to de Çayas (Ibidem, no. 466 [13 March 1573]: one copy); to Arias Montanus (Corr., III, no. 468 [8 April 1573], and Corr., IV, no. 639 [July 1575]).
Note 11 Listed in M 296, folio 14v (Psalterium Magnum pro choro ad usum novum litteris magnis fland[ricis] [= black letter] in f⁰, Anno -, f[euilles] 205, [price:] flor. 8).
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