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In the seventeenth century, the Dutch Republic was, without a doubt, a thriving nation. The previous name for this time period, ‘the Dutch Golden Age’, has fallen under scrutiny in recent years as not only the glorious wealth continues to be examined, but alongside it the questionable practices that made their trade so successful in the first place. One reason that Dutch trade exploded in this time in particular could be attributed to the strong influence of humanism on the nation's cultural production. 

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The humanist perspective drove fields like literature to really dig into the history of everything one came into contact with at the time. One result of this production is the following book, published in 1588, entitled: Batavia, in qua praeter gentis & insulae antiquitatem, originem, decora, mores declaratur quae fuerit vetus Batavian. This title roughly translates to the following: ‘Batavia, in which, besides the antiquity of the nation and island, the origin, decorum, and manners of the old Batavian are declared’. The colonial past of Holland being a lively discussion nowadays, a modern reader is easily led astray by this title. This publication does not cover the island of Batavia in Indonesia, but in fact the river islands located in the delta of the area that goes by Betuwe in the current era. Was the culture in this region so vastly different that it required this book? Of course, the reality remains unknown, but sources report that this specific area had a cultural identity cultivated by contact with the forces of Rome. Batavia’s history therefore remains unreported, not because of its lack of significance, but simply because its history and cultural definition were constructed as a response to Roman imperialism. As a result, this definition was largely unknown.

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The text itself is written in Latin, which might appear odd considering this publication obviously served as some sort of educational or descriptive object. It is very true that the larger part of texts in historic eras were written in Latin specifically, but in the sixteenth century the phenomenon had already become much less common. However, books in Dutch were also being published, even by this particular author himself. The reason for this print to be Latin is due to its conception. Junius Hadrianus, whose Dutch name was simply Adriaen de Jonghe, was a scholar influenced by the teaching of Erasmus who in turn practised the pure Latin style himself. Hadrianus’ reverence landed him a position at the still developing Leiden University, where the academics also required the teaching to predominantly be in Latin. Batavia was not written as an academic source, though. Before Hadrianus planned to join the new university, he was commissioned by the king William the Silent himself to write a history of Holland and its contents to take the pressure off of rising tensions with Brussels. 

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Hadrianus, descriptive as ever, did not disappoint. The book appears very thorough: 411 pages attempt to cover the load of the title. The presence of page numbers is an interesting detail of its own accord. Before the sixteenth century these were quite rare and almost considered as not yet invented. Instead of pagination, bookbinders referred to quire signatures. This was done for a very long time, and it is probably for this reason that these signatures are still present in this book along with the page numbers. If those two details were not enough for the binder to ensure he has got the right folia, there was one more safeguard: the catchword at the end of each page. This word is added separately just below the last line and corresponds with the first word on the next page, to absolutely ensure that the text is bound correctly. The text also utilises annotations and glosses in the margins, in italics. The printers employed different fonts within the text itself and decorated it with hand-crafted initials, which appear to be copper intaglio prints and added at a later stage in the printing process. The text itself also lives up to the humanists expectations by not only including thorough descriptions of Dutch landscapes, flora and fauna, but also accompanying illustrations (also copper engravings) of tools and towns. 

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This particular copy present at the Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut Rome is, beside all of the aforementioned particulars, even more special than its brethren elsewhere. It goes without a doubt that this publication had a descriptive function and was intended to be read by a larger public (the general literacy of Latin notwithstanding). The fascinating detail visible in this copy is the fact that one can actually deduce that it was used as such. The pages carry traces of use from readers, probably from centuries ago. Multiple annotations are present in the form of underlined text: endless stripes and outlined paragraphs, text corrections and even some censorship is visible. And not just from one hand, either: some sentences are underlined in a grey, penlike fashion, while others carry the thick stripes of a red pencil-like tool. It is hard to say whether (modern) pens or pencils were used to annotate this copy, but the difference in style does suggest there were different, separate users. 

The binding of the book further indicates that this was a book that was to be read and used, not simply displayed or possessed for ownership´s sake. The text block is bound in a parchment binding with exposed leather thread near the spine of the book. Any decoration or text is missing, save for a small number indication written on the spine itself. The parchment also contains some stains, but it is not certain whether these were sustained from extensive use or were already present at the moment of binding. Closing straps are included and are the only decorative aspect of the binding, as they previously aided the closing of parchment manuscripts or texts due their flexible nature. Since this book consists entirely of paper, they can be considered redundant.

 

Written by Meagan Baars.

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Meagan is a Master’s student in Book History at the University of Amsterdam, currently specialising in mediaval manuscripts.

 

Book description of the copy present at KNIR

Title: Hadriani Iunii Hornani, Medici, Batavia. In qua praeter gentis & insulae antiquitatem, originem... aliaque ad eam historiam pertinentia, declaratur quae fuerit vetus Batavia, quae Plinio, Tacito, & Ptolomaeo cognita, quae item genuina inclytae francorum nationis fuerit sedes.

Author: Junius Hadrianus.

Folia: 411.

Collation: 4º: *-**4 ***2 A-Eee4 Fff2.

Decorations: Copper gravures.

Notes: Annotations present in the form of underlining.

Material: Paper in parchent binding, leather closing straps.

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References:

 

D. Van Miert. The kaleidoscopic scholarship of Hadrianus Junius (1511-1575): northern humanism at the dawn of the Dutch golden age. Brill, Leiden, 2011.

 

N. Roymans. Ethnic identity and imperial power: the Batavians in the early Roman Empire. University Press, Amsterdam, 2004.

 

J. Hadrianus. Hadriani Iunii Hornani, Medici, Batavia. In qua praeter gentis & insulae antiquitatem, originem... aliaque ad eam historiam pertinentia, declaratur quae fuerit vetus Batavia, quae Plinio, Tacito, & Ptolomaeo cognita, quae item genuina inclytae francorum nationis fuerit sedes. Lugduni Batavorum : Ex Officina Plantiniana, apud Franciscum Raphelengium, 1588. 

 

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