P.C. Hooft - [PRINT-BOOK / VOC / GOUDEN EEUW] Nederlandsche Historien - 1677

P.C. Hooft - P.C. Hooft’s Dutch Histories, The Transfer of the Sovereignty of Emperor Charles the Fifth to his Son Philip, up to the death of the Princess of Orange. With the continuation to the end of the lord-lieutenancy of the Earl of Leicester. - Amsterdam, Johan van Someren / Abraham Wolfgangk / Henrik and Dirk Boom, 1677 - third edition - (20) + 27 + (1) + 1242 + (39) pp. - original leather binding with blind-stamping (line borders, floral motifs, medallions) - 32 x 22 x 9 cm

Condition: reasonably good - neat binding (top of spine and front cover crease repaired); strikingly very neat, fresh and white pages (title engraving detached and somewhat ragged, gap between the block and the cover at the front, in front and back on several pages a very light moisture stain in the corner, many plates missing, on the first two pages a spot, otherwise strikingly neat, very clean/bright and very white paper!).

Charmant exemplar with still a few double-page plates and full-page portraits. (all visible in the photo). Magnificent copper engravings: very dark, very sharp copper plates! True works of art!

Notably: at the back it states 'Ter drukkerye van Jacob de Jonge by de Weesper Kolk'?
Large and thick book.

Contains a wealth of information about Dutch history!

Must-have for lovers and enthusiasts of national history, and especially that of the VOC era.

This work describes many incisive portraits, religious persecutions, sieges and battles. Moreover it contains astute political and philosophical reflections. The work also offers a record of Hooft’s view on 'world- and state-governance, on life and history'.

The first twenty books treat the history from 1556, the accession of Philip II to 1584, the death of Prince William of Orange. Hooft arranged his material around what he saw as the 'kernpunten in deze historie'.

The writing style is adapted to the nature of each section, 'lyrically moved or dramatically expository', with orations in indirect speech rendered. Above all the work is noted for 'a compressed style - as the apex of his art' - but not light reading. 'Stately and mighty is the style', 'magnificent and personal is the rich Dutch language', moving the spirit and 'broad-minded and all-encompassing the mind'.