| Record ID | cp013530 |
| Voet reference number | 722 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:1115345 |
| Uniform title | BIBLE: Editions in French |
| Title page transcription | LES ‖ PSEAVMES ‖ DE DAVID, MIS ‖ EN RIME FRAN- ‖ COISE. ‖ ISAIE XLII. ‖ Chantez au Seigneur nouueau cantique, ‖ sa louange soit des les fins de la mer, & ‖ le contenu d'icelle: les Isles & les habi- ‖ tans d'icelles, chantent. ‖ ⊕ 15 ‖ A ANVERS, ‖ De l'Imprimerie de Christofle Plantin. ‖ - ‖ M.D. LXIIII. ‖ AVEC PRIVILEGE. |
| Collation | 24mo [85]: A-Z⁸, Aa-Dd⁸, Ee⁶; pages [1-444] |
| Fingerprint | 156424 - # b1 A2 reate : # b2 2E3 ens$de |
| Number of sheets | 9.33 |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: Privilege (Brussels, 16 June 1564, signed by I. Fabri) [3]: A tous chrestiens: de l'utilite des Pseaumes (italic type) [4-439]: Text (parts in music and italic type) [440-441]: Les commandemens de dieu [442]: Le cantique de Simeon [443-444]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Variants | A. As described here. Last quire numbered: Ee1 (pages [433-434]), Ee2 (pages 435-436]), Ee3 (pages [437-438]), [Ee4] (pages [439-440]), [Ee5] (pages [441-442]), [Ee6] (pages [443-444]) (Museum Plantin-Moretus, R 51.32; with on page [443], being the first blank page, the manuscript note: 'Visité de rechief et trouue non repugnant a la foy catholicque. I. Schellinc.') B. Last quire: Ee8 (Ee1, Ee2, Ee3, Ee4, Ee5, [Ee6], [Ee7], [Ee8]). Additional part: 'Table des Pseaumes selon l'ordre de l'alphabet' on [Ee6]-[Ee8] (pages [443-448]) (British Library London) C. Additional part at the end ([Ee⁶]-[Ee8], [Ff1-4]): 'Table des Pseaumes selon l'ordre de l'alphabet' (pages [443-448]); Latin index of the Pseaumes and Errata (pages [449-451]); Note on page [455]: 'Apres que ces Pseaumes & Cantiques ont esté acheués d'imprimer, ils ont esté visités derechef, & trouués ne repugner point à la Foy catholique. Faict à Brusselles le 22. Iour de Septembre 1564. & soussigné I. Schellinc.'; [456]: Blank (Bibliothèque nationale de France; KB National Library of the Netherlands; Zion Research Library, Brookline) D. Additional part at the end (the pages have been mixed up in the binding of the only known copy; the numeration given here is only tentative): 'Table des Pseaumes selon l'ordre de l'alphabet' (pages [443-448]; Blank (page [449]); 'Table pour trouver les Pseaumes selon l'ordre qu'on les chante en l'Eglise de Geneue, tant le Dimanche au matin & soir, que le Ieudi' (pages [450-453]); Blank (page [454]); Note signed I. Schellinc (page [455]); Blank (page [456]) (UL Geneva). |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus- R 51.32: variant AZion Research Library, Brookline- Massachusetts) (variant CBibliothèque publique et universitaire, Geneva- variant D- a photographic reproduction in Museum Plantin-Moretus, BM 10.009KB National Library of the Netherlands- 2 copies: variant CBritish Library London- 3091 de 3: variant BBibliothèque nationale de France- Res. A 6172: variant C |
| Bibliographical references | Ruelens-de Backer, page 38 (1564, no. 12) Bib. catholica Neerlandica impressa, no. 2900 H. Slenk, 'Christopher Plantin and the Genevan Psalter' in Tijdschrift van de Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis, 20, 1967, pages 226-248 (exhaustive and interesting study, including large extracts from the Plantinian Archives)Cockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica 5221 |
| Online bibliographical references | STCV c:stcv:12916342 |
| Note 1 | French translation of the 150 'Pseaumes de David', followed by 'Les commandemens de Dieu' and 'Le cantique de Simeon'. Each psalm with its Latin title, a French summary (in italic type), the French text of the Psalm and the corresponding music. |
| Note 2 | French translation in rhymes started by Clément Marot and completed by Theodore de Bèze. The first edition of Les pseaumes mis en rime françoise par Clément Marot et Theodore de Bèze, including all 150 psalms, was issued at Geneva in 1562. Many reprints followed. |
| Note 3 | The translation of Marot and de Bèze was Calvinist inspired, but could suit the Catholics as well. Its edition in a Catholic country remained, however, a potentially risky affair. Plantin was quite aware of this and in his edition he nowhere quotes the names of Marot and de Bèze or refers to Geneva. Why he decided to have the Pseaumes published at all, remains a problem. Antoine Vincent, printer-bookseller at Geneva, had tens of thousands of these Pseaumes printed throughout France, and signed on 26 February 1562 a contract involving no less than 24 printers in Paris alone. In 1563 Vincent had business relations with Plantin (cf. Slenk, page 228). In 1562 Martin le Jeune, the Paris publisher who had close connexions with Plantin, produced likewise an edition. By way of Paris (where Plantin lived in 1562 and part of 1563) and through contact with A. Vincent, Plantin may have been induced to publish the Pseaumes de David. It is also possible that he was somewhat forced into the affair by the Van Bomberghens, his Calvinist partners. |
| Note 4 | In any way, Plantin had the text of his forthcoming publication approved by Josse Schellinc, prebendary of St. Nicholas in Brussels, and got a privilege for the edition from the Council of Brabant. The extract of the privilege as reproduced in the publication gives the date of 16 June 1564 ('…ainsi qu'il est amplement declaré en l'original donné à Brusselles le 16 de Iuin 1564) (the text of this extract reproduced in Slenk, page 237). The original privilege has not been preserved in the Plantinian Archives, but a notarized copy of the privilege is to be found in Arch. 116, pages 41-45 (reproduced partially in Slenk, page 238). It gives the date of 26 May 1564, but refers to the approbatio of J. Schellinc as being signed on 16 June. Very likely the notary, when transcribing the text of the privilege, wrote by error 26 May instead of 26 June for the date of deed, whilst, when making an extract of the privilege for reproduction in his edition, Plantin compounded the error by noting 16 June (date of the approbatio) instead of the real date of 26 June. In any way, in the Museum Plantin-Moretus-copy, in the extract of the privilege on page [2], the date of 16 June 1564 has been changed into 26 June 1564 with ink. |
| Note 5 | The cost-accounting note in Arch. 4, folio 70, gives following details about 'Pseaumes en franch. et notés in 24' (reproduced in Slenk, page 239): the wages for composing and printing are entered in 1564 on 24 June ('Pour A et ½ B par demyes feilles asc[avoir] deux ensemble'), 1 July ('Pour la 2e et 3e feille'), 9 July ('pour la 4. 5. 6. 7 forme'), 15 July ('pour la 8e forme'), 23 July ('Pour la 9. et 10.'), 30 July ('pour la 11 forme ou feille'), 6 August ('pour la 12 et 13 feille'), 13 August ('la 14 et 15 feille'), 19 August ('pour la 16 forme'), 26 August ('la 17 forme'), 28 August ('Pour la 18. et 19 forme ou feille'), and amount to 36 florins Carolus guilders 13 stuivers The 'visitateur' (= Josse Schellinc) received as gratuity some books, worth 12 florins Carolus guilders ('Item pour present au visitateur 1 Opera Ambrosii et Psalmi in 8⁰ latine Paris et Consideratio in Valdesso'). As each copy contains 19 sheets, and as 3 reams of paper were used for each sheet, 60 reams of paper (including 3 reams for 'les mains d'imperfections et espreuves') were used, which, at 23½ stuivers per ream, came to 75 florins Carolus guilders 10 stuivers, bringing the overall costs to 124 florins Carolus guilders 3 stuivers At the opposite page Plantin concludes: 'Les Pseaumes en 24 imprimés en nombre de 1500 (corrected from 3000) coustent…124 florins Carolus guilders 3 stuivers Parquoy revient la pièce pièce [sic] à 1 stuivers mais couste plus de ¾ de 13 florins Carolus guilders sur le tout'. |
| Note 6 | The mention 'pour A et ½ B par demyes feilles ascavoir deux ensemble' and the fact that 'forme' and 'feille' are given as synonyms indicate (as stressed by Slenk, page 231) that for the printing of this in 24mo, a peculiar method was used, intended to speed up the production: the 'impression par demi-feuilles' or 'imposition by half-sheet'. In this procedure, instead of the usual method of printing on a sheet 24 pages on the recto side and 24 pages on the verso side, the first twelve inner and first twelve outer pages are arranged so that they can be printed together on one side of the sheet. Then the paper is inverted, turned end to end, and the other side printed with the same type. The finished sheet, when cut in two, forms two identical half-sheets of 24 pages each. These two identical half-sheets are then folded into two different copies of the same publication. This means that in fact not 1,500 copies were printed, but 3,000 copies as noted originally. When correcting, Plantin must have overseen the fact that not the usual method for printing an in 24mo had been used but the 'imposition by half-sheet'. Slenk, however, supposes that, when Plantin got into trouble with the authorities about this edition (cf. below), he deliberately in his ledger reduced the number of copies printed in order to avoid having to explain what happened with the large number already disposed of, or intending to hide what he had still in stock. This thesis, however, cannot be upheld as, whenever Plantin's ledger should have been scrutinized in detail by the authorities, the method of the imposition by half-sheet was easily to be seen and hence the exact number of printed copies reconstructed. What is more difficult to explain is the price of the copies as calculated by Plantin in the same note. At a run of 3,000 copies the cost price should have been about 4/5 stuivers per copy, at a run of 1,500 copies some 1.65 stuivers, where it is stated '1 stuivers [piece]…mais couste plus de 13 florins Carolus guilders sur le tout'. |
| Note 7 | According to Arch. 4, the printing was thus actually finished on 28 August 1564. The annotations in Arch. 3, folios 14r-18r (passim) (reproduced in Slenk, pages 240-241), showing the daily records of the business expenses and receipts, don't fully agree, however, with the sequence of events as given in Arch. 4. The annotations start (Arch. 3, folio 14r) on 24 June 1564 with 'Pseaumes en francois notes en 24 par demyes feilles, la composition de la feille à 19 stuivers et l'impression 19 [stuivers], font [ensemble] 38 stuivers, et pour le dressement du format etc. 11 stuivers font 2 florins Carolus guilders 9 stuivers'. They then follow closely the entries as given in Arch. 4, till August. In the cost-accounting note in Arch. 4 is specified for 19 August: 16th sheet, for 26 August: 17th sheet; for 28 August: 18th and 19th sheets. In Arch. 3 is also noted on 19 August the 16th sheet and on 26 August the 17th sheet, but then it is said: on 2 September the 16th and 17th sheets, on 9 September the 18th sheet and on 30 September the 19th sheet 'où est la table'. It seems consequently that in September the already printed sheets 16 to 19 have been reset; certainly sheets 16-17 (pages 385-416), very likely also sheets 18-19 (pages 417-448). |
| Note 8 | That the last sheets have been reset explains the variants - even if some details are difficult to understand. Variant A must be the original version (as explained below), variant B a revised version, as also variant C. But the latter contains an additional half sheet, the 20th, which is not accounted for in Plantin's ledgers. As for variant D: it is considered by Slenk to have been completely printed by Plantin, but this remains doubtful. It seems to be variant C (minus the pages with the Latin index and the Errata), to which has been added four pages giving the 'Table pour trouver les Pseaumes selon l'ordre qu'on les chante en l'Eglise de Geneve'; four pages which to all probability were printed at Geneva, and not at Antwerp. In any way, the small fleurons and the three small decorative woodcuts used in those pages cannot be found in other Plantin printings of those years, whilst it would have been foolish, if not suicidal, for Plantin to have deliberately connected his name with Calvinist Geneva. |
| Note 9 | The reason why the last sheets have been completely reset, remains obscure, but the partial reworking of some of them is quite obvious: the addition of a French table (variant B), of a French and Latin table, with a list of Errata (variant C). There is more: in the Museum Plantin-Moretus-copy (variant A), the censor affirms in a manuscript note 'Visité de rechief et trouvé non repugnant à la foy catholicque', a note which in variant C has been retaken in printed form, with the date Brussels, 22 September 1564. It seems as if the 'visitateur', having gone through the text earlier in the year, had second thoughts, and, when the production neared towards its end, asked to go through the printed text as well. In the Museum Plantin-Moretus-copy Schellinc not only wrote 'Visite de rechief…', but made also four manuscript-corrections - of which three are retaken in the Errata of variant C: page [317] (Psalm 106): 'Picqué par leurs deuotions' is changed into 'Picqué par leurs inuentions'; page [354] (Psalm 119): 'Tous orgueilleux tu traites rudement' is changed into 'Tous orgueilleux tu tances rudement'; page [364] (Psalm 119): 'En t'attendant en toute patience' is altered radically into 'Et ta promesse attens en patience'. One correction (page [238]: Psalm 80: 'Contre la pierre des tiens' changed into 'Contre la priere des tiens') has been overlooked by the compiler of the Errata-list. Cf. Slenk, pages 230-231, who proves, moreover, that the corrections in Psalm 119 were taken from the original version of the de Bèze text as it appeared in Octante trois pseaumes (first issued in 1551 and often reprinted). Schellinc must have consulted one of the editions of this Genevan Psalter. |
| Note 10 | The sales went at first briskly. Slenk, pages 232-233, could retrace, from 1 October till 9 November 1564, the distribution of no less than 481 copies, at an average sale's price of 3 stuivers per copy. As the scholar went only through Arch. 39, which registers more specifically the sales to booksellers (Netherlandish and foreign) and only occasionally the distribution to private customers, the actual distribution must have been even more rewarding. But then something went wrong: once again Plantin was facing difficulties with the authorities. |
| Note 11 | The government discovered the booklet. As Slenk, page 233, notes to the point: on 13 October 1564 Plantin sold 24 copies to Pierre de la Tombe, 'libraire demeurant en la Cour de Brusselles', and very likely one of these copies ended upon the desk of Margaret of Parma, the Governor-General of the Netherlands. The government was not pleased, finding the booklet too heretical, notwithstanding the affirmation to the contrary of the prebendary of St. Nicholas. Not so much for the text itself, as for the music - and the possibilities it offered to those of the reformed faith: psalm-singing had become a hallmark of militant Calvinism in the Southern Netherlands, and Plantin's Pseaumes de David would be for the followers of Calvin a most useful companion. On 6 November 1564 the matter was already well on its way, as on this day Margaret of Parma mailed a letter to the Faculty of Theology of Louvain University, with a copy of the Pseaumes, asking to examine the work carefully to see if the text contained 'aulcune erreur ou aultre chose contraire à la foy et religion catholique'. The text might be sound, but the printed melodies were used by the heretics. Therefore, even if the book was covered by a privilege of the Council of Brabant, it should perhaps not be tolerated. Schellinc had been asked to defend his decision, and his writing was included in the letter (Gachard, Correspondance de Philippe II sur les affaires des Pays-Bas, II, page 514; reproduced in Slenk, page 242). Schellinc's defense and the answer of the Faculty have not been found. Anyway, the authorities did not wait for a comment to come from Louvain. Already between 6 and 15 November Plantin had to deliver the remaining copies of his stock, which were burned (cf. letter of Viglius de Zuichem to Cardinal Granvelle, 15 November 1564: Ch. Weiss, Papiers d'Etat du Cardinal Granvelle d'après les manuscrits de la Bibliothèque de Besançon, VIII, page 496; reproduced in Slenk, page 243: 'Quant aux psaulmes de David, imprimez en Anvers par Plantin, avec les notes de Calvin et translatez par Marot et Bèze, et ce soubs congié donné au conseil en Brabant, plusiers aussi par deça en sont fort esté scandalisez, et s'est excusé le chancelier sur les conseilliers ayans accordé ledit congié sur le rolle, et le curé de S. Nicolas de ceste ville qui les a visité, et sustient la translation estre bonne, mais des notes dist ne savoir à parler. A la fin, l'on a fait retirer et brûler tous les exemplaires restans, et escript aux villes ce que V.I.S. verra par la copie, et demandé l'advis de ceulx de Louvain, pour scavoir si la translation et le text soit bon, selon qu'il est persuadé à aucuns seigneurs'). Some days later, on 30 November 1564, Margaret of Parma detailed the affair once again for the benefit of Philip II (Gachard, Correspondance de Marguerite d'Autriche, duchesse de Parme avec Philippe II, III, page 509; reproduced in Suppl. Corr., no. 9, and Slenk, page 244: 'Trouvant, ces jours passez, que l'on avoit imprimé en Anvers, en l'officine de Christoffle Plantin, ung livret contenant l'interprétation des psaulmes de David en langue walonne, ensemble le chant et notes sur chascun psaulme à la mode comme les ont accoustumé chanter les sectaires, et véant qu'il estoit imprimé par permission de ceulx du conseil en Brabant, signée de l'ung de leur secrétaires et visité par le curé de St. Nicolas de ceste ville, j'ay incontinent mandé le chancellier de Brabant et luy déclairé ceste faulte et qu'il se deust enquérir comment cecy estoit passé, et que c'estoit chose tant répugnante aux ordonnances de Vostre Majesté: lequel s'en est excusé, disant ceste permission n'avoir esté faicte avec sa participation, ains seullement par aulcuns des conseilliers dudict conseil commis aux requestes, lesquelz l'avoient ainsi passé sur la visitation dudict curé. Mais luy aiant faict la remonstrance que c'estoit chose défendue expressément, mesme dois que premièrement à Tournay et Valenchiennes l'ont avoit commencé de user desdictes chanteries, par quoy il a incontinent mandé ver luy ledict Plantin, nonseulement luy défendant expressément ladicte impression et distribution desdicts livretz, mais aussi de faire brusler tous exemplaires qu'il en pourroit encoires avoir envoyé et distribué. Et encoires que ledict curé de St. Nicolas veuille dire n'avoir en ladicte traduction chose d'hérésie, si est-ce que je l'ay fait envoyer visiter par ceulx de la faculté de la théologie à Louvain; et combien qu'il n'y eust du mal en icelle, si ne convient-il que l'on use en ce du chant et notes des sectaires'). Philip II congratulated the Governor-General on her action in a letter of 3 February 1565 (Gachard, Correspondance de Marguerite d'Autriche, duchesse de Parme avec Philippe II, III, page 563; reproduced in Suppl. Corr., no. 9 [page 19, n. 4], and Slenk, page 247: 'Ce a esté très-bien d'avoir fait brusler et empescher la distribution du livret imprimé en Anvers en l'officine de Christoffre Plantin, contenant l'interpretation des Psaulmes de David en langue wallone, et l'office que vous avez fait faire en cecy devers le chancellier de Brabant et ailleurs. Et comme le principal venin se sème par Anvers, je ne puis délaisser de vous recommander ce point sur tous'). Plantin suffered a financial setback in as far as a more or less great part of the edition was burned, but it does not seem that at any moment his good faith has been doubted. |
| Note 12 | Slenk, page 235, doesn't believe that Plantin in 1564 delivered to the stake his whole remaining stock. He supposes that the typographer used his warehouse at Frankfurt to squirrel away a number of copies (the American scholar guesses even 'the 1,500 copies of Les Pseaumes de David whose existence he had kept secret from the authorities [by manipulating his ledger: see above]'). Slenk's only evidence is the fact that on 21 June 1578 Plantin shipped from Frankfurt to England a large consignment of books including Huguenot psalters from French and Swiss Calvinist printers, and one 'Psalmes David', tentatively identified with the Pseaumes de David (cf. also C. Clair, 'Christopher Plantin's Trade-Connexions with England and Scotland' in The Library, 14, 1959, page 37). In fact Plantin published in the 70's a rather large number of different kinds of Psalm-editions, which can also come into consideration. |
| Further reading |
We have added Major Reference Works to Brill.com. For a summary of updates and FAQ please click HERE
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Full Text Views | 17 | 17 | 3 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 0 | 0 | 0 |