LE PETIT, Jean François.
La grande chronique ancienne et moderne, de Hollande, Zelande, West-Frise, Utrecht, Frise, Overyssel & Groeningen, jusques à la fin de l'An 1600. Receüillee tant des histoires desdites provinces, que de divers autres auteurs.
Dordrecht, Jacob Canin for the author (colophon volume 2:) printed in Dordrecht by Guillaume Guillemot, 1601. 2 volumes, Folio. With the title set within a richly engraved allegorical border, repeated for the title in volume 2, a full-page engraved portrait of the author, and 57 mostly full-page engraved portraits in the text, including one portrait in woodcut, and allegorical engraved plate of the States General of the Dutch United Provinces, by Christoph van Sichem. Further with several large woodcut decorated initials. Contemporary gold-tooled red morocco, with the small gold-tooled crest of Thomas Hutton and the title lettered in gold on the spine, gold-tooled board edges. [1], [1 blank], [38], "650" [= 656], [2], 240; [1], [1 blank], [14], "779" [= 788], [15], [1 blank] pp.
€ 5,000
First edition of the famous Grande Chronique by Jean François Le Petit, who lived in the second half of the 16th century. In 1577, he was clerc of the Court at Bethune in Artois. He converted to protestantism and went into the service of William of Orange and was a military in the service of the Dutch States. Between 1595 and 1598 he was a notary at Middelburg in Zeeland, where he devoted most of his time to his historical works, resulting in the publishing of the Grande Chronique in 1601. The first part of the work is mainly based on the so-called "Divisie-kroniek" of Cornelius Aurelius, but the second part, devoted to the years 1556-1600, is of great historical value, giving numerous particulars and detailed information nowhere else to be found.
Le Petit, in the service of William of Orange and the Dutch States had been personally present at the bloody battles of 1572-1574, and had witnessed a large number of important political events, which made his "Grande Chronique" one of the most vivid and original sources for the period. The work also is of interest for the fine engraved plates and portraits by Christoffel van Sichem the Elder, engraver, woodcutter, printer and publisher at Amsterdam (1546-1624).
With the armorial bookplate of Thomas Hutton, and the booklabel of Viscount Mersey, Bignon Park, both on the front pastedown of both volumes. Slightly browned throughout, otherwise in good condition. Bibl. Belg. L 60; STCN 831704284; USTC 1037153, 1505668, 1505669; cf. De Wind, Bibl. Nederl. Geschiedschrijvers, 1835, vol. I, p. 285-286; Hollstein XXVII, Van Sichem I, 27 and 73-128.
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