COMOEDIA VETUS

Engraved frontispiece of the first Edition of the political pamphlet 'Comoedia Vetus'. Though anonymously published, it commonly accepted that the author was Willem Meerman (?-1612), a seafaring man. In 1612, the year this pamphlet was published, Meerman embarked on a voyage to America, from which he never returned. In this pamplet, Meerman uses maritime expressions as an allegory on the political situation in Holland. The pamphlet is written in a clear and witty style. It attacks the protestant clergy in Holland as being little better than their Catholic predecessors. Hence the title, which translates as "the old game". The illustrated titlepage print shows prince Maurits, seated at a table with seven other gentlemen. He holds a stick, a man with a head shaped like church pulls at the other end of the stick. At the front of the scene, several sailors are approaching and watch the scene in surprise. At the foot of the title are the words "Eij Maet, siet is 't lant vol gecken? Noom wil mijn Heer de stock onttrecken". In the same year 1612 another edition was issued, slightly smaller, with the extended title "Comoedia Vetus, of anders ghenoemt Het Bootsmanspraetjen". The addition "bootmans praetjen" stuck and came back in later editions, which were issued well into the 18th century, until 1740. On the verso collector's mark: Gemeente Museum of The Hague (L. 1096); here are also pencil scribbles. l Etching and engraving on paper, trimmed within plate mark, margins restored; total: 197 x 146 mm; traces of previous mounting on the verso.…