| Record ID | cp013123 |
| Voet reference number | 1328 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:3247725 |
| Author | Peeter (Pieter) HEYNS |
| Title page transcription | A B C, ‖ OFT ‖ EXEMPLEN OM DE KINDEREN BEQVAMELICK TE LEEREN ‖ schryuen, inhoudende veel schoone sentencien tot ‖ onderwysinghe der ionckheyt. ‖ T'ANTVVERPEN, ‖ Ghedruckt by Christoffel Plantyn. ‖ M.D.LXVIII |
| Collation | 4° oblong: A-G⁴; folios [1r-28v] |
| Fingerprint | 156804 - # b1=b2 oe 156804 - # b1=b2 oe |
| Number of sheets | 7 7 |
| Pages | [1r]: Title [1v]: Blank [2r]: P.H. [Pieter Heyns] tot alle verstandighe Brabantsche rhetorisienen (civilité type, word in roman type) [2v]: C.P. [Christopher Plantin] totten ionghers die greytich om leeren siin, ende gheenen middel en hebben om scholen te gaen (civilité type, word in roman type) [3r-28v]: Text (each page only printed on recto; civilité type, parts in roman type, italic type, greek type, Hebrew) [28r]: Privilege (Brussels, Privy Council, 2 December, and Council of Brabant, 3 December 1567, signed by De Langhe) [28v]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Illustrations | Woodcut: Decorated cartouche on title-page, 58 × 167, in which was printed the beginning of the title ('ABC'), and consisting of two blocks, one for the black and one for the red printing. The two blocks preserved in Museum Plantin-Moretus Digitisation of the woodblocks |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus - R 55.24 (With provenances; annotated copy)Ghent University Library |
| Digital copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus: R 55.24 Museum Plantin-Moretus: R 55.24 |
| Bibliographical references | Cockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica 5953 Carter, H.G. Civilité types 112Bib. Belgica (1964-1970 éd.), III, pages 449-450 Sabbe, Peeter Heyns…, pages 98-100 P.C. Burger, 'Het A.B.Boek van Peeter Heyns' in Het Boek, 18, 1929, pages 97-100 (summary of Sabbe's exposition) Not in Ruelens-de Backer |
| Online bibliographical references | STCV 12914403 USTC 12914403 STCV c:stcv:12914403USTC 443723 |
| Note 1 | ABC-book 'or specimens to teach children to write elegantly with many fine sentences for the instruction of the young': a) 23 pages with on each a decorated woodcut-initial in grotesque-style (a-z; not represented: j and w), a religious or moralising maxim, a poem of 6 lines explaining the maxim, some letters of the alphabet in different forms, and a poem of 4 lines (on two columns, in smaller type) b) 2 pages with each a Latin maxim and its explanation, and the Latin alphabet (capitals and lower case), the first page in roman type, the second in italic type; c) the last page with a Greek and a Hebrew alphabet (and the privilege). |
| Note 2 | Title-page reproduced in Sabbe, page 99, and a page of the publication in Carter-Vervliet, civilité type, page 53; the poem of Plantin in Sabbe, Les rimes de Christophe Plantin, page 36, no. IX, and Suppl. Corr., no. 266; the poem of Heyns in BB, III, page 449. |
| Note 3 | The introductory poem by P.H. (Peeter Heyns) makes it clear that the Dutch verses in the publication were made especially for this ABC-book by the Antwerp headmaster, whilst the introductory poem by Plantin let it be understood that the initiative for the edition came from the printer. |
| Note 4 | A very similar edition, with sentences by D.V. Coornhert, had already been published in 1564 by Plantin's Antwerp colleague, Willem Silvius (cf. Carter-Vervliet, civilité type, no. 76; reproduction of a page on page 47). Very likely this publication inspired Plantin and/or Heyns to issue a similar publication. |
| Note 5 | Plantin published in 1564 an edition in French and another 'sonder scrift' (without writing). It is not clear if these were edited and/or prepared by Heyns (cp013484 and cp010692 ). |
| Note 6 | The edition is mentioned in some letters of Plantin to Gabriel de Çayas, in which the printer explained what he had in mind with this publication, and dwelt on his idea of including in it some poems in honour of Don Carlos, the son of Philip II. On 24 November 1567 he wrote: 'Cependant j'envoye a V.R.S. les restes des livres dont par cy-devant je luy ay envoyé les commencements, et davantage quelques feilles d'un livre d'exemples de lectres françoises [= civilité-type] que j'ay ordonné pour la commodité des pauvres enfants qui n'ont le moyen d'estre entretenus aux escoles. Pour lequel livret donner auctorité envers le vulgaire (ainsi que la face et nom royal donne valeur à la monnoye), j'ay délibéré de préposer quelques petits vers, au nom de la grandeur de nostre Prince très souverain, fils de Sa Majesté, afin d'induire ainsi peu à peu la jeunesse croissante à recongnoistre, révérer, admirer et aimer ce nostre Prince souverain…' (Corr., I, no. 94).In his letter of 15 December 1567 to de Çayas Plantin had second thoughts about the insertion at the beginning of his ABC-book of a poem in honour of the son of Philip II. He mails the poem in question ('quelques petits vers addressés à la grandeur de nostre Prince'), but expresses the fear that some may think it ridiculous to publish such a poem in an ordinary ABC-book, and concludes: 'Après toutesfois avoir envoyé à V.R.S. ces 6 exemplaires desdicts vers, dont je n'en ay pas imprimé davantage et ne les divulgeray aucunement, sans vostre exprès commandement, de peur qu'en pensant auctoriser mon livret de l'auctorité de tel nom, je n'encourusse la male grâce de plusieurs et peut estre de Sa Grandeur' (Corr., I, no. 96). Cardinal Granvelle must also have received a copy of these poems and was rather enthusiast about them (letter to Plantin, 29 January 1568 [Suppl. Corr., no. 49]: 'J'ay veu les exemplaires pour jeusnes enffans, et ne me desplaisent les vers que vous avez miz au commancement, a la fin, contenue en voz lectres, de dois les premiers ans duyre la jeusnesse a l'observance qu'elle doibt a son prince; la lectre a esté icy merveilleusement louhée, comme aussi celles de monstres qu'estoient joinctes a ung cayer…') The edition was finally, however, published without the poems in honour of Don Carlos. |
| Note 7 | Listed in M 296, folio 1r ([ABC pour apprendre a escrire en francois, 4°, f[euilles] 7, [price:] stuivers 1¼] Idem en flameng, f[euilles] 7, [price:] stuivers 1¼), and M 164, folio 2v. |
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