Jacob Cats (1577-1660) - Houwelyck, dat is de gansche gelegentheyt des Echten staets. - 1625

A first edition of the classic work by Jacob Cats, 'Houwelyck' (Marriage), printed in 1625.
Bound in leather band with ribs and gold stamping on the spine.
Complete with all discs.
Condition: fair to good. Title plate missing. The front cover has a replaced piece of leather, wear of the leather at the bottom of the spine and along the edges of the covers, a few repaired tears in the margin, but paper quality is good.

Layout
Title page with frontispiece.
Extract from the privilege.
title engraving
Adriaan vande Venne. Painter and Engraver, to the art-loving reader (4 pp.)
- engraving 'ex nugis seria. kinderspel'. (right page cut short along the edge of the image). + text accompanying the engraving (8 pages).
Way indicator and small house. 4 pages.
-prent 'Maeghde-wapen' + associated text (5 pages).
Table of contents 7 pages.
-First part: Maeght. 38 pages with 3 illustrations in the text.
Second part of the maiden: title page, introduction, engraving 'vryster-wapen' + text. (8 pages), text pages 1-67.
- Part of 'the Christ-like Housewife': title page, engraving 'bloom' + text, preface (30 pages), title page 'first part bloom' (2 pages), pages 1-35 (70 pages), 3 illustrations in the text.
- Title page of the second part 'husband-wife' (2 pages), assignment, to the wedding guests (18 pages), title page of the second part 'lady', pages 1-133 (266 pages), with 13 plates in the text.
Fifth part, being the third part of the Christian housewife: title page, preface (14 pages), pages 1-6 (a page with pages 7/8 is missing), then pages 9-24 on 4 pages, pages 25-72. 4 plates in the text.
Third part, being the fourth part of the Christian housewife: title page, introductions (18 pages), pages 1-76. From page 49, second section 'widow'. 4 plates in the text.
Pages 1-39: text in Latin, French.
Table (index). 12 pages.

In total: 37 plates (including title engravings).