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In 1517, a book called ‘’Die Cronyk van Hollandt, Zeelandt ende Vriesland’’, written by Cornelius Aurelius (1460-1531), was published in Leiden. It contained the chronicles of Holland, Zeeland and Friesland in Dutch. Today it is known as the ‘’Divisiekroniek’’ because there are 32 divisions. The book was popular and therefore reprinted in 1585, 1590/1591 and 1595. The book was used in a smaller version until the 19th century for teaching history at school. 

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In 1620, a publisher called Peeter Verhaghen published a new book called ‘’D'oude chronijcke ende historien van Holland (met West-Vriesland) van Zeeland ende van Wtrecht’’ in Dutch. In the foreword, Verhaghen describes the reason to publish a new book: ‘’It is important that people know their own history.’’ The new book consists of two parts: volume 1 and volume 2 (2°:*8 A-Qq8 Rr 2  (.)6  a-y8 z4). Volume 1 consists of three parts. The first is based on ‘’Die Cronyk van Hollandt, Zeelandt ende Vriesland’’ but it has only four of the original 32 divisions. The second part gives a list of Dutch cities and villages and their names. Lastly, a description of Batavia is given which was written by Petrus Scriverius(1576-1660) and published in 1612 and 1614. The name of the author is mentioned but he was not asked for permission. Volume 2 describes the period 1556-1620. This addition was made by Ellert Veer (ca. 1540-1599) and was published in 1590/1591. Nicolaes de Clerck (?-1623) updated the addition for the publication of 1620. In 1636, the book was reprinted, however, the reprint is not the same as the one in 1620 since the images were made by a different person. 

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According to the UTSC, five copies of the edition of 1620 still exist. The copies are in the Centrale Bibliotheek van de Universiteit Gent (Gent, Belgium), Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris, France), Universitätsbibliothek (Rostock, Germany), Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (Rome, Italy) and the British Library (London, United Kingdom). The aim of this essay is to discuss the copy of the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome. 

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The book has a cover of white vellum with a blind-stamped centrepiece in the middle of the front. The book has no metal or leather strips to bind it. Volume 1 has 629 pages and volume 2 has 360 pages. The pages are made of paper and are in good condition with a couple of foldings in some pages. There is neither water damage nor mould or mildew. The stamp of the Royal Institute of Rome is printed on several pages, for example on page 159 and page 161. The book is printed with red and black ink in two different types of letters: ‘’normal’’ and gothic. The red ink is only used on the general title page, see illustration 1. This title page includes text and an image made of woodcut technique. The image shows six figures and eight coats of arms. Beside the general title page, there are two title pages, one for each volume. Volume 2 has one image of a landscape and volume 1 has 34 images. These 34 images depict the described noblemen and noblewomen with their coats of arms, but there is a problem.

 

In those days, images and text were almost never connected to each other or the images were not realistic. In this case, however, the images could be real. All the images are made of woodcut technique. The maker of the woodcuts is unknown but copied images of volume 1 from the portraits drawings of noblemen and noblewomen made by the famous painter Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617). On his turn, Goltzius copied the drawings of Willem Thybaut (1524/1526-1597/1599). Copying someone else’s drawing was common because it saves time and money. The same concept applies to the woodcuts. Why make a new woodcut if the old one is still useable? In this case, the woodcuts of 1620 are the same as the ones printed in 1644 in ‘’Chroniick van Zeelandt’’. The numbers on the bottom of the image are not in chronological order. In fact, some numbers are the same. The numbers are in roman numerals and the first fourteenth numbers (pages 239, 245, 248, 252, 256, 259, 260, 261, 263, 265, 265, 271, 276, 282, 295) are corrected in arabic numerals by an anonymous person. The images on pages 303, 311, 327, 348, 355, 365, 377, 382, 389, 396, 420, 435, 436, 460, 485, 506, 513 are not corrected. We will most likely never know why this is the case. Perhaps the corrector did not want to work on the other pages because there was no time or interest. The presumption is that Mijnhamp Janis is the corrector because his name is written on the general title page and the title page of the first volume. The handwriting and the colour of the ink of the corrections and annotations look the same as the name. However, he could also be one of the previous owners.

 

On page 220 there is a handwritten annotation that references page 609 and on page 609 is also an handwritten annotation that references back to page 220. The writer decided there was a cross reference between the two pages and wrote it down. There are other annotations. These annotations are also made on the first fourteenth images. Some annotations contain names and others are not legible. The handwritten annotations on page 459 are not entirely legible. The date 8 october or 18 october is readable. Only the day and the month are written, but there is no sign of a year. Thus, the annotations cannot be dated. However, the annotations make the book more interesting because it is not only important how the book is made (codicology) or what is written in the book (paleography) but also how the book was used in the past (book archaeology). For years there has been a discussion if people should write annotations in books. In public books it is often not allowed but in a private book it depends on the owner. For book historians, annotations and markings give a sneak peek in the lives of people from the past. It makes them real and alive again. Like the ancient Romans used to say: ‘’You are only dead when you are not remembered anymore’’.  

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Written by Ilse Nauta.

 

References

 

Dijstelberge, Paul & Verkruijsse, Piet, Boekarcheolgie, ([n.p.], Saru Vitgevers, 2010)

 

Jong, de, Jan,  ‘Gravenportretten in de zestiende en zeventiende eeuw’, ed. by Wim van Anrooij, (Hilversum, [n.p.], 1997)

 

Nichols, L. W., The paintings of Hendrick Goltzius, (Zwijndrecht, DAVACO PUBLISHERS, 2013)

 

Schrier, Irene, Nicolaes de Clerck | Boeckvercooper ende constdrucker. Boek en prent bij de Delftse uitgever Nicolaes de Clerck (ca. 1599-1623), (Amsterdam, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2013)

 

Tilmans, Karin & Herman, Sam, Historiography and humanism in Holland in the age of Erasmus: Aurelius and the Divisiekroniek of 1517, (Nieuwkoop, De Graaf Publishers, 1992)

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Website

The universal short title catalogue, USTC record 1508195 ([n.d.]), https://www.ustc.ac.uk/editions/1508195

 

 

Titel: D'oude chronijcke ende historien van Holland (met West-Vriesland) van Zeeland ende van Wtrecht

Auteur: Cornelius Aurelius, Petrus Scriverius, Ellert Veer, Nicolaes de Clerk, Wouter van Gouthoeven

Peeter Verhaghen

Year of publication: 1620

989 ff. paper 

Original book cover

2°:*8 A-Qq8 Rr 2  (.)6  a-y8 z4

 

Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome, Pregiato Folio B1.22 Gou