Willem Borcht (4 results)

Only Edition, the nineteen-year-old poet's first book. The first suite explores unrequited love, the second reciprocated love, and the third the good life - drinking, eating, laughing, smoking (three poems praise tobacco). The illustrations include a suitor on his knees pleading with his hard-hearted mistress who literally shows him the door, negotiations with a prostitute, Death claiming Cupid even as he draws his bow. A QUATRAIN ON THE MONA LISA begins the volume. No copies in U.S. libraries. In good condition (eight leaves trimmed askew, one headline shaved, one quire slightly stained), a couple of margins uncut; signature of bibliophile and champion of early Flemish literature C.-P. Serrure (Catalogue (1872) I: 841 "Rare.figures curieuses"). Praz, Studies in 17th-Century Imagery 281; Funck, Le Livre belge à gravures 261 & 282 "très rare"; Scheurleer, Nederlandsche Liedboeken 162. 19th-century half-calf and tan boards (front hinge repaired), gilt spine label, old blue edges.

First edition, in Flemish Dutch, of a didactic satire, mostly in verse, by the Flemish poet and lawyer Willem van der Borcht or Guilelmus a Castro (1621/22-1668) in Brussels, with elegies and epigrams alternating with prose passages. It allegorically presents a mirror of self-knowledge and knowledge of the world, intended to improve the faults of the age and show the foolishness and vanity of the world. The fine plates by Antoine van der Does, showing scenes of rich and frivolous society, are of interest for the costume and morals of the time. The "Toe-ghifte", an integral part of the edition, but with its own title-page on 2D1, represents the world as a capricious woman. The portrait shows Van der Borcht at age 21 with the motto "nosce te ipsum", and a 2-line verse by Ericus Puteanus below. The 3 illustrations show realistic genre scenes, influenced by Rubens. Half the copies listed by the STCV lack the portrait and/or the engraved title-page. One illustration was printed over a crease in the paper, leaving a white line through part of the scene. In very good condition, with a minor water stain in the head margin of the engraved title, just touching its border. Binding lacking ties, with 1 sewing support broken at the back hinge, slightly wrinkled and a bit dirty, but still good. First edition of a satire of society, with plates made for it by Antoine van der Does.l Bibl. Belg I, p. 319; BCNI 9630; Funck, pp. 282-283; STCV (8 copies incl. 4 incomplete). 18th-century vellum, sewn on 3 cords, with a hollow back, spine title in formal pen-drawn lettering. With engraved title-page (with a man holding the curtain open on a theatrical stage with winged satyrs holding masks and a cloth with the title above), letterpress title with arabesque fleurons, engraved portrait of the author seated at a writing table (after P. de Backer), both by Antoine van der Does ("AVD"), and 3 nearly full-page engraved illustrations in the text, probably by Van der Does. Further with woodcut tailpieces and decorated initials, and decorations built up from cast arabesque fleurons. Set in roman and italic type. Pages: [16], 271, [1] pp.

LeatherBound. Condition: New. BOOKS ARE EXEMPT FROM IMPORT DUTIES AND TARIFFS; NO EXTRA CHARGES APPLY. LeatherBound edition. Condition: New. Reprinted from 1643 edition. Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden leaf printing on spine. Bound in genuine leather with Satin ribbon page markers and Spine with raised gilt bands. A perfect gift for your loved ones. Pages: 319 NO changes have been made to the original text. This is NOT a retyped or an ocr'd reprint. Illustrations, Index, if any, are included in black and white. Each page is checked manually before printing. As this print on demand book is reprinted from a very old book, there could be some missing or flawed pages, but we always try to make the book as complete as possible. Fold-outs, if any, are not part of the book. If the original book was published in multiple volumes then this reprint is of only one volume, not the whole set. Sewing binding for longer life, where the book block is actually sewn (smythe sewn/section sewn) with thread before binding which results in a more durable type of binding. Pages: 319.

LeatherBound. Condition: New. BOOKS ARE EXEMPT FROM IMPORT DUTIES AND TARIFFS; NO EXTRA CHARGES APPLY. LeatherBound edition. Condition: New. Reprinted from 1641 edition. Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden leaf printing on spine. Bound in genuine leather with Satin ribbon page markers and Spine with raised gilt bands. A perfect gift for your loved ones. Pages: 269 NO changes have been made to the original text. This is NOT a retyped or an ocr'd reprint. Illustrations, Index, if any, are included in black and white. Each page is checked manually before printing. As this print on demand book is reprinted from a very old book, there could be some missing or flawed pages, but we always try to make the book as complete as possible. Fold-outs, if any, are not part of the book. If the original book was published in multiple volumes then this reprint is of only one volume, not the whole set. Sewing binding for longer life, where the book block is actually sewn (smythe sewn/section sewn) with thread before binding which results in a more durable type of binding. Pages: 269.